A World Without Grief

**Date Started:** Dec. 15 2019
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Users Involved:** User:GranCrux
**Setting:** Unknown Location,
**Characters Involved:**
* **Present:** Ambrosus

## A Heart Without Motivation

"Oh MY!" A voice rang, this voice was obvious to those who had heard it before. And if you hadn't, you'd soon be well acquainted.

A figure vigorously nodded towards the direction of the face, "Yes, yes, yes! Don't you see, this is step one! STEP ONE! Are you willing to go the lengths?" The figure then turned to a gorgeous woman who had just started to enter the chamber of sorts, her hat of black and darkness radiating with an ominous vibe, especially in contrast with the voice, who had much brighter clothing in contrast.

Julia Lafoeze was a women who didn't enjoy being messed with, so when a loud and rambunctious voice interrupted her daydream she was mildly annoyed. A scowl appeared on the woman's face as she bit her lip, *him*. He spoke an odd manner, the kind that anyone else would have been very confused about, but unfortunately this man was no stranger to Julia and she understood every word.

"The lengths? Have you gone these lengths?" Julia questioned, her eyes narrowing at the man with a particular kind of hatred. "Just what brings you here anyway, back so soon?" Julia scoffed, she hadn't been expecting his presence and the fact that it was so sudden meant that something was going to happen, and so she waited like a lamb to the slaughter for whatever pressing matter this was to drop onto her head and crush her.

Ambrosus took in Julia's figure in it's entirety, almost brought to tears by her relative beauty. He fanned his eyes as he made weeping sounds, but in truth he'd been mocking her more than anything. "Oh my beloved Julia, did you not want to see me? I must say, I am greatly hurt by this." He leaned back to an excessive degree, falling off of the barrel he'd been sitting on, colliding on the floor with a thud.

"You haven't heard? Always late on the news, but always early on the fashion. DARADARADARA!" Ambrosus patted the head of the figure next to him, which early had been nodding it's head at dangerous speeds. "Perini here was just telling me, they've found the **Null Heart**. Can you believe it?!"

The woman stared, unamused by her guild mates theatrics and responding with nothing more than a slow sarcastic yet awkwardly angry clap followed by a slight huff when the man fell off the barrel.

Her scowl stayed even through the mans jokes, making it painfully clear she and him did not share the same sense of humor, or humor at all for that matter. Then he spoke of something, something that actually mattered for once. It appeared the man standing before her was more than just the masters court jester after all. The woman brought a long bony finger to her crimson lips, thinking of the possibilities. She had heard tale of the Null Heart and the guilds search for such a relic, but that they've found it?

"My my, I don't suppose you had anything to do with that? I'm beginning to wonder why you're kept around." The woman sat on her broom, levitating just a few inches as if her dress couldn't touch the dirty ground, her legs crossed elegantly in a way that revealed a pair delicate foot in black pumps. "So then, what's next?" Julia pondered, an elbow dropping to her thigh as her head rested on her hand, beautiful brown frilly curls framing her face and falling in a position that only highlighted her natural beauty.

Ambrosus smiled as he gazed at the ceiling, "I hadn't guessed there was a brain under that DREADFUL hat of yours. Try spicing it up with a bit of color, maybe that will stop you from appearing so...undesirable. Lucky for you, I can look pass poor clothing choices." Ambrosus teased, leaning upright and making eye contact with Julia.

"World's Tune, once a Legal Guild but now shrouded in darkness due to the master's desire to investigate artifacts with a dark history." Ambrosus spoke, he slide his glove off, revealing the symbol of a flute on his palm. Due to joining with a guild that had been classified a Dark Guild, Ambrosus would be a Dark Mage, as he was to those who knew. But to much of the world, and the council, He was simply a traveling wizard who valued his own freedom. All of which was true, but his agenda was always kept secret.

As Julia inquired what was next, Ambrosus chuckled slightly. He was kept around for good reason, beyond the part he had in locating Null Heart. There was much more to his importance in this operation. "Next, my dear Julia, is the recovery of Null Heart. You see, four mages of power like myself is required to unseal Null Heart. So, I came to get our old *team* back together! Perini will be taking Marsh's spot, the little demon as been developing quite well. I'll get the other one when I feel in the mood."

"Perhaps I'll soon find why you're kept around as well." Ambrosus teased, leaning against the wall almost as if he were tired. But as a Doll, fatigue was something he never had to deal with.

Julia's face was as enthused as ever, it was so like him to make a remark on how she dressed. Julia was a firm believer that simplicity was elegant, and that was much better than dressing like a victorian circus clown. Sitting up straight on her broom, the woman raised a hand in the air, conjuring forth a small decorated box with an intricate pattern. "Well, I would hardly consider you a mage of power, after all, without those shiny little keys where would you be?" The woman teased. At least her Pandora's Box required some sort of skill to obtain, celestial gate keys were found by pure luck and nothing else.

The minute the words old team left his mouth, Julia's eyes widened, this was clearly a serious task if they were all needed. The master hadn't forced them to work together since... well, *then*. "And I assume you're here by his order? Very well." The woman's broom lowered, her heels making a clicking sound against the concrete as she grabbed the wooden stick, her box floating and allowing her free hand to flip her curls back into place.

Julia feared the master, she had disobeyed before and since then she had learned that was a mistake. One step out of line, one error... there was no room for failure, not when playing the flute, not when every note could poison, kill, or corrode, this wasn't a choice, it was something she had to do and she would serve loyally. "Then let's retrieve it." She spoke, her voice with a newfound seriousness.

"OOOOH I'M TRULY WOUNDED BY YOUR WORDS!" Ambrosus bellowed, falling backwards against the wall, holding a hand over his chest, as if feigning he'd been shot. He seemed to throw a tantrum, violently kicking the floor. Sure, there had been luck involved in obtaining a key or two, but Ambrosus's method of obtaining keys took quite a bit of combat as well. He could say with certainty he had much experience in the field of a Celestial Spirit Mage.

"Nevertheless." Ambrosus used his Umbrella like a cane, planting it on the ground firmly before using it to pull himself up. "Yes yes, do you know of Palm Village?"

Julia watched as the man pouted like a child, typical, really. Getting up as if nothing happened he questioned her about a so-called Palm Village, the name sounded foreign to her. "No, what of it?" She asked.

Ambrosus sighed, handing Julia a map. The map having been drawn by Circinus, a spirit who's direction and cartography prowess was unrivaled amongst the stars. "That's where the artifact is, head there with Perini, I still have some other business to handle before I get there."

Julia snatched the map from the man, looking at the location labeled Palm Village and nodding before mounting her broom. "Try not to die, I'd hate to do this alone." The woman teased once more before gliding out of the room with Perini by her side.

"Oh Julia, you should know by now." Ambrosus took off his top hat, essentially bidding the woman goodbye for now. "Dying isn't in my design." He soon left the room as well, going on to handle his other business.

Walking around the building, Ambrosus was searching for something. He could feel it, the power resonating from the master. But that wasn't the energy source he'd been searching for. However, most other presences had been drowned out by the tremendous and seemingly boundless power that such a figure gave off. However, it was much weaker than usual, and so Ambrosus came to the conclusion he must have been taking a nap at the moment. Thankfully, that made finding what he'd been searching for much easier.

Or rather, who.

"Oh Leofric Vanderan! I thought I'd never find you amongst this lovely pile of trash and ominousness we call a Guild Hall!" Ambrosus spoke, kicking things around, which would surely anger the figure he'd been speaking to.

Leofric turned around to stare Ambrosus dead in his eyes, seeing the soul that had been forced into and animated the once empty husk of a doll. "What the hell do ya' want, freak show."

Ambrosus sighed, "Oh, you all are so rude. A few of you can be just a little nice you know. We weren't always a dark guild, why are you all always acting like someone shoved a broomstick up your back ends." Ambrosus put his hands on his waist, seemingly pouting. "And it's always a question why I'm not around." It wasn't really a question. Ambrosus was truly the liveliest person within the guild as a whole. Such a demeanor attracted both, good and bad attention. And within the guild, Ambrosus was often seen as annoying if anything.

"Regardless, just remind me, do you have my back?" Ambrosus spoke, already knowing the answer, but he relished in knowing that Leofric would find dismay in saying it outright.

Leofric sighed, extending a handshake to Ambrosus. "To the ends of the Earth."

Ambrosus smiled, leaving Leofric to his own devices. Ambrosus would spend a bit more time messing around with some of the other guild members, but sooner or later, he too would head to Palm-Village to do what was needed of his team.