Talia Mafek sat alone at a seaside café on the quiet curve of Vale’s southern beach, her chair angled just enough to catch the breeze without squinting into the sun. A porcelain teacup, pale green with gold trim, sat cooling beside a small stack of papers weighed down by a heavy bronze Grimmlight coin. Her scratch book lay open, ink still drying on the latest scrawl of rules, glyphs, and monster silhouettes.
She wore a sleek, high-cut black swimsuit with gold threading that traced the pattern of ancient sigils across the seams—tasteful, regal, and tactical all at once. A flowing sheer sarong, fastened at her hip with a clasp shaped like a jackal’s head, shifted in the wind like desert smoke. Thin gold bangles clinked softly at her wrists as she reached for her pen, and her duel disk—compact and partially disassembled—rested near her bare feet in the sand. A pair of round-lensed sunglasses were perched on her nose, but she had pushed them up just far enough to keep an eye on the street beyond.
Across the sun-warmed boardwalk stood a cozy little comic shop, its window crowded with posters and hand-written signs:
COMING SOON — Grimmlight: Deepwood Awakening
Face the Shadows of the Forest. Hunt. Or Be Hunted.
A small crowd of kids bounced in and out of the shop, arms filled with manga, cards, and anticipation. She smiled faintly behind the rim of her teacup as one of them excitedly speculated what the Alpha Beowolf would actually do. Another argued that the new Ursas would be broken if they weren’t careful with the stats.
They weren’t wrong. But they weren’t right either.
Talia’s golden eyes drifted down to the Dust card in her lap. Unlike the cardboard cards of Grimmlight, this one was forged from dense composite and hand-etched with a crimson glow along its edges. The figure carved into the surface—a Beowolf lunging with jagged claws—flared softly as her thumb brushed across its surface, her Semblance feeding it raw intent.
This card wasn’t meant for the game. It was meant for her.
She tucked it beside her book and leaned forward, flipping the page in her scratch book to the draft for a new Battlefield card: Shadowed Clearing. It removed the line-of-sight ruling between opposing lanes and buffed Grimm with the “Ambush” keyword.
“It needs something more, but what?” she spoke as she scribbled in the margin. “Nevermore talons? A Sigil that buffs flyers, but I need a counter…”
Wind kicked up again, rustling the sarong around her legs and brushing her curls back from her face. The kids across the street were now doing mock battles with imaginary cards, laughing and lunging in the sand.
Talia closed her book and set her now empty teacup down gently, eyes narrowing behind gold-rimmed lenses. ”I am going to need to finish this up soon.”
Cards, Café, Coastlines (Private)
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Talia Mafek
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2023 4:37 am
- Age: 17
- Gender Identity: She/her
- Race: Egyptian Cobra (Shedding three times a year)
- Aura Color: Depends on the current deck
- Occupation: Student and Creator of Grimmlight
- Semblance Name: Heart of the Cards
- Weapon Name: Anubis-Class Sigil Driver
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Auric Kwaku
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2023 4:58 am
- Age: 18
- Gender Identity: Male
- Race: Human
- Aura Color: Gold
- Occupation:
- Semblance Name: Weave
- Weapon Name: Twin Fang Multi-Arms
“So, tell me again why we’re here?” Auric asked, his voice carrying that familiar mix of suspicion and amusement as he stepped into the seaside café. Salt clung faintly to the air, mingling with the scent of roasted espresso beans and fresh pastries.
Auric looked casually regal, even off duty. His black-and-gold mesh tank top fit snugly against his toned physique. Emerald green shorts gave him a laid-back air, while the golden necklace around his neck shimmered with a hint of history—etched symbols barely visible under the soft lighting, a relic from one of the messier chapters of his so-called “exciting past".
Next to him was Kofi—a tad bit shorter than Auric. His brown curls formed a soft afro, a few strands bouncing each time he moved. His eyes, a warm reddish-brown, flicked upward from the scroll he was thumbing through, the lenses of his thick-rimmed glasses catching a reflection of the morning sun. He wore a simple navy tee and faded jeans, clearly more focused on comfort than fashion, but his energy was sharp and kinetic—like he could barely stay still.
“Duhh,” Kofi replied, not missing a beat. “To finally meet the creator of Grimmlight: Deepwoked Awakening.” He said it with reverence, like the title alone should’ve been enough explanation.
Auric stared at him, blinking. “...What?”
Kofi’s eyebrows shot up. “The card game I told you about last week? You said it sounded ‘weird but kind of cool'. Remember?”
Auric squinted as the memory slowly clicked. “Ohhh, right… yeah. You have strange taste in games, man.”
Kofi grinned, completely unfazed. “Strange? Please. At least my hobbies don’t involve pasting accounting spreadsheets into my free time like a sister we know of.”
Auric sighed, but the smile tugging at his mouth betrayed him. “This better not be another one of those underground trading cults. I swear, if someone tries to induct me with a deck of holographic liches, I’m out.”
Auric looked casually regal, even off duty. His black-and-gold mesh tank top fit snugly against his toned physique. Emerald green shorts gave him a laid-back air, while the golden necklace around his neck shimmered with a hint of history—etched symbols barely visible under the soft lighting, a relic from one of the messier chapters of his so-called “exciting past".
Next to him was Kofi—a tad bit shorter than Auric. His brown curls formed a soft afro, a few strands bouncing each time he moved. His eyes, a warm reddish-brown, flicked upward from the scroll he was thumbing through, the lenses of his thick-rimmed glasses catching a reflection of the morning sun. He wore a simple navy tee and faded jeans, clearly more focused on comfort than fashion, but his energy was sharp and kinetic—like he could barely stay still.
“Duhh,” Kofi replied, not missing a beat. “To finally meet the creator of Grimmlight: Deepwoked Awakening.” He said it with reverence, like the title alone should’ve been enough explanation.
Auric stared at him, blinking. “...What?”
Kofi’s eyebrows shot up. “The card game I told you about last week? You said it sounded ‘weird but kind of cool'. Remember?”
Auric squinted as the memory slowly clicked. “Ohhh, right… yeah. You have strange taste in games, man.”
Kofi grinned, completely unfazed. “Strange? Please. At least my hobbies don’t involve pasting accounting spreadsheets into my free time like a sister we know of.”
Auric sighed, but the smile tugging at his mouth betrayed him. “This better not be another one of those underground trading cults. I swear, if someone tries to induct me with a deck of holographic liches, I’m out.”
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Talia Mafek
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2023 4:37 am
- Age: 17
- Gender Identity: She/her
- Race: Egyptian Cobra (Shedding three times a year)
- Aura Color: Depends on the current deck
- Occupation: Student and Creator of Grimmlight
- Semblance Name: Heart of the Cards
- Weapon Name: Anubis-Class Sigil Driver
Talia’s pen paused mid-stroke.
She didn’t look up right away—only let a soft breath of laughter escape her lips at the mention of “Deepwoked Awakening.” It was almost inaudible beneath the sea breeze, but unmistakably amused.
“Deepwoked?” she echoed gently, setting the pen down beside her notebook. “Sounds terrifying. I might have to rename the expansion.”
She finally looked up, tilting her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose just enough to get a better look at the pair now hovering near her table. Golden eyes flicked between them—Kofi’s boundless enthusiasm and scribbled scroll, Auric’s casual power and too-shiny necklace—before she offered a lopsided smile.
“You two don’t look like regulars,” she said, crossing one leg over the other as she leaned back. “Here for the beach? Or the tea? Or…”
She let her gaze drift playfully toward the comic shop across the boardwalk, where the poster still flapped in the wind.
“Let me guess,” she continued, eyes narrowing like a cat in the sun. “You’re here to meet someone.”
She tapped a finger against her teacup thoughtfully, then tilted her head.
“Creator of Grimmlight: Deepwood Awakening, was it?” Her tone danced between curiosity and feigned cluelessness. “Sounds like an important person. Talented. Mysterious. Probably hard to find.”
She gestured toward the chairs across from her without breaking eye contact. “Mind if I wait with you? I’ve got some time, and I love watching fans try to figure out if they’re talking to the right person.”
A beat passed. Her smirk widened—still gentle, still warm.
“…Unless I’m ruining the surprise?” In the end she couldn’t help but giggle at herself. It was great to see peers being excited about something she’s made, it only helps fan the flames of creativity.
She didn’t look up right away—only let a soft breath of laughter escape her lips at the mention of “Deepwoked Awakening.” It was almost inaudible beneath the sea breeze, but unmistakably amused.
“Deepwoked?” she echoed gently, setting the pen down beside her notebook. “Sounds terrifying. I might have to rename the expansion.”
She finally looked up, tilting her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose just enough to get a better look at the pair now hovering near her table. Golden eyes flicked between them—Kofi’s boundless enthusiasm and scribbled scroll, Auric’s casual power and too-shiny necklace—before she offered a lopsided smile.
“You two don’t look like regulars,” she said, crossing one leg over the other as she leaned back. “Here for the beach? Or the tea? Or…”
She let her gaze drift playfully toward the comic shop across the boardwalk, where the poster still flapped in the wind.
“Let me guess,” she continued, eyes narrowing like a cat in the sun. “You’re here to meet someone.”
She tapped a finger against her teacup thoughtfully, then tilted her head.
“Creator of Grimmlight: Deepwood Awakening, was it?” Her tone danced between curiosity and feigned cluelessness. “Sounds like an important person. Talented. Mysterious. Probably hard to find.”
She gestured toward the chairs across from her without breaking eye contact. “Mind if I wait with you? I’ve got some time, and I love watching fans try to figure out if they’re talking to the right person.”
A beat passed. Her smirk widened—still gentle, still warm.
“…Unless I’m ruining the surprise?” In the end she couldn’t help but giggle at herself. It was great to see peers being excited about something she’s made, it only helps fan the flames of creativity.