Introduction
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It is a curious thing, how I see beauty in death rather than life.
The stillness of a body,
skin translucent with colorful veins seemingly floating to the surface.
The whisper of a last breath,
the vivid red of blood like roses pooling around them.
Yes, death is beautiful.
Or perhaps I am simply jealous?
☛ Master Erika Harrington☚
☛ 15 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Aki Adagaki ☚
☛ Bunny ☚
☛ Servant Clover Flora Bellbottom ☚
☛ 3 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Vanilla ☚
☛ The_Queen ☚
☛ Eamon Harrington, the Older Twin ☚
☛ 15 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Glenn Radars ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ The Familiar, Fiyero☚
☛ 200 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Tomoe ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ Ex-Girlfriend Seraphina Remington ☚
☛ 16 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Julis Alexia Von Riessfelt ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ Sister Maple Bellbottom ☚
☛ 3 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Chocola ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ CCC Leader Karma Norse ☚
☛ 25 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Tenryuu ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ Older Sister, Estelle Harrington ☚
☛ 22 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Kaori ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ The Watchman, Alistair Remington ☚
☛ 18 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Shintaro Kisaragi☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ The Jester, Julian Langley ☚
☛ 14 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Hideri Kanzaki ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ The Protector, Theodore Langley ☚
☛ 20 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Haizaki Shougo ☚
☛ NPC ☚
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It is a curious thing, how I see beauty in death rather than life.
The stillness of a body,
skin translucent with colorful veins seemingly floating to the surface.
The whisper of a last breath,
the vivid red of blood like roses pooling around them.
Yes, death is beautiful.
Or perhaps I am simply jealous?
☛ Master Erika Harrington☚
☛ 15 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Aki Adagaki ☚
☛ Bunny ☚
☛ Servant Clover Flora Bellbottom ☚
☛ 3 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Vanilla ☚
☛ The_Queen ☚
☛ Eamon Harrington, the Older Twin ☚
☛ 15 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Glenn Radars ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ The Familiar, Fiyero☚
☛ 200 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Tomoe ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ Ex-Girlfriend Seraphina Remington ☚
☛ 16 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Julis Alexia Von Riessfelt ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ Sister Maple Bellbottom ☚
☛ 3 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Chocola ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ CCC Leader Karma Norse ☚
☛ 25 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Tenryuu ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ Older Sister, Estelle Harrington ☚
☛ 22 ☚
☛ Female ☚
☛ Kaori ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ The Watchman, Alistair Remington ☚
☛ 18 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Shintaro Kisaragi☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ The Jester, Julian Langley ☚
☛ 14 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Hideri Kanzaki ☚
☛ NPC ☚
☛ The Protector, Theodore Langley ☚
☛ 20 ☚
☛ Male ☚
☛ Haizaki Shougo ☚
☛ NPC ☚
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 9 authors
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
Seraphina's eyes reflected something strange when Clover made the offer. Erika glanced at the two with curiosity, but didn't otherwise comment as Sera gave a feeble pet to Clover. What happened to the happy outgoing Sera? What happened to the jokester she liked to be? This Sera seemed almost like another person entirely - meek and fearful and suppressed. Her fingers moved delicately through the cat's fur which no doubt had taken a degree in psychology since a bit of the tension went out of Sera's face. "Thanks." Sera whispered very faintly as she took her hands off and left. Erika smiled a bit at Clover, feeling as if maybe she should be more active in trying to help her girlfriend. But... the truth was that nobles had to be nobles before they had individual interests, and her job was to uphold the Harrington name and not go into unapproved affairs that might hurt her family's prestige.
Manfred's offer was quite an interesting one. An unspoken special task in exchange for unlocking more of her mana and the possibility of mana going to Clover. "You two will have until the end of tomorrow to decide." Manfred said with a wicked sort of smile before dismissing the two girls from his study. Clover was very quick to inform her Master that she wanted magic, that she was willing to go through with the deal. "It'll probably just be a task to help keep power within the big three." Erika understood enough about politics to know what Manfred's biggest concern was. Someone like him definitely wouldn't ask her for a lewd favor. That was just weird and, well, Victoire was far prettier than anyone else here. What kind of doofus would go for an undeveloped child with Victoire waiting in the bed? Erika was very lucky that some of Lady Victoire's genes went to Sera. "We should probably say yes." She told her pet with a grin. "Then maybe we can trounce the True Heroine at our next meeting."
Once that was done, it was time for breakfast. Then, off to school. "My girlfriends are worried." Eamon said with a half smile as the three school-aged kids went to the limo. "We've spent enough time away, Berry." Sera snickered, hopping into the limo first as if anything strange this morning hadn't happened at all. "Come on! Our classmates have been asking about you, Rika! They want to make sure you're okay!" Erika nodded, following her brother and girlfriend in. "Then let's not worry them any longer." They arrived, the two girls going to the girl's side, and the Eamon about to go to the boy's side before his two girlfriends ambushed him with kisses and hugs and tears.
"Hey, girls!" Sera yelled loudly, hair flowing behind her like a brilliant mane of confidence. But what was under that mane, Erika couldn't help but wonder. But she wouldn't voice that concern, that wasn't proper. "Look who's finally rejoining us?" She gestured excitedly and Erika felt herself drowning under the tide of well wishes and sympathy and curious questions. "Um, for now I think we should get seated before the bell rings and our professor is cross with us?" She mumbled, not comfortable with this much close contact. "Remember." Sera grinned roguishly. "Only I'm allowed to touch her!" Erika giggled and nodded. "I just let her think she's the top." She retorted, happily back in their usual rhythm for now. "It makes it more fun when I steal the control away from her and show her her rightful place." If the bright red on Sera's cheeks was any indication, Erika still had what it took to top her.
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Clover waved until Erika was in the limo and the car had driven away. The door slammed shut, sealing the kitten inside for the umpteenth day in a row. She sighed, her shoulders slumping, tail drooping, as she followed Fiyero towards the kitchen for breakfast. She ate slowly along with the other servants, who then rushed off to perform their morning duties. "Is Clover in here?" Lady Victoire poked her head inside, the remaining staff quickly bustling to do whatever it was they needed to. Clover's ears perked up, the kitten turning with a piece of bacon in her mouth. She munched quickly and wiped her fingers on a napkin, getting to her feet and performing a quick, fumbled curtsy.
"Can Clover help you Lady Victoire?" The kitten inquired, attempting to wrack her brain for any memory on what it was this woman did aside from languish in the lap of luxury. "Yes, I'd like your assistance," it was clear that Fiyero was listening, although he was pretending not to while he sipped at his coffee. "As you might be aware, I run a highly publicize and praised magazine, the Min-City Couture Network, where we report on the luxury lives of Nobles all around Min-City." In truth, it was a way for Lady Victoire to spy on other Noble houses and report to her husband in order to keep the other houses in check. "My assistant, Tina, has gone missing I'm afraid and seeing as to how you're here, I figured you can fill her shoes." Fiyero cleared his throat, slowly rising to his feet. "That's all well and good Lady Victoire," he moved into a deep bow, his own ears twitching handsomely. "But Clover cannot write and can barely read, if you'd like, I can be of some assistance."
"Perfect, you'll both come with me." Before they knew it, the two of them were dragged into a dressing room of sorts, where Fiyero was forced into some sort of suit with a half cape and Clover a dress to match the fall season. After a quick makeup application, Lady Victoire deemed them worthy. "There, if one didn't know any better, they might think you're twins." She had a high pitched laugh that ended in a snort, very undignified, or at least, Clover thought so. She glanced in the mirror, never having worn makeup before and decided she didn't like it. Clover attempted to wipe off the mascara with her sleeve but Fiyero grasped her arm tightly. "No, not yet," he said patiently, the two of them following Lady Victoire to the door.
They spent the day in a mansion with a sprawling lawn and beautiful garden. It went up the hill, the house overlooking the bay of Min-City with an escalator that went up and down the hill. Clover rolled around in the grass while Lady Victoire interviewed a rich family and Fiyero wrote it all down. Eventually, the kitten was called over and ordered to lay her head in the Lady's lap while the person Victoire interviewed stroked her silky fur. "I've never seen a familiar like this before." They said in awe while Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Clover is not familiar," she kitten replied, "Clover is a cat." When the interview was over, the three of them headed to a bakery where Victoire bought them a lunch of little sandwiches and tiny cakes.
"Very nice first day, you're both rather good at this." Even now, Lady Victoire's hand was in Clover's fur, stroking it as the kitten drank her cup of milk. They drove back to the Remington Estate afterwards, arriving with just enough time for the two servants to change clothes before their Masters returned.
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
"Where are you living now, Erika?"
"I'm at the Remington house now."
"Oh my. I'm sure you two get up to all sorts of naughty games together!"
"Haha, just use your imagination, right, Rika?"
"Not fair! I want to live with my boyfriend too!"
"Good luck convincing your parents."
"Can I see your injuries?"
"Sure if you don't mind the smell!"
After a long and tiring day of socializing, Erika and Seraphina were free from the burden and piled back into the limo. There was an unspoken agreement between the two to not mention any of this back at home. Eamon understood as well, he didn't want to jeopardize the thin ice the two were walking on when it came to their relationship. If Lord Manfred understood how serious it was, he wouldn't be so kind. "I'm tired." Sera muttered softly enough for them to hear. She turned away, gnawing on her lip. Erika glanced at her but then decided to stare out the window.
Was she doing the right thing? She had a duty as a daughter of Harrington... but would it be better to ask? Would it be better to find out what was happening instead of turning a blind eye? Eamon narrowed his eyes as he noticed what was going on. "Did something happen, Sera?" He asked, since he knew Erika wasn't going to. Sera's eyes widened in a bit of surprise but then she hardened her voice. "Everything's fine." Well, if he was going to, Erika knew she might as well. Something was definitely wrong, that much was obvious. No... it was obvious for a long time now. She was just neglecting the issue. "You can tell us-" Sera shook her head. "We're almost home. You should worry about making sure your familiars are settling in... okay?" The vehicle stopped and Sera escaped before either of the twins could make much of a response.
Well, there was nothing they could do about it here at least. Erika's heart felt like a mix of a turtle being run over by a car and a frog about to be boiled alive in a pot. "You didn't get into any trouble today, did you?" Eamon asked his familir with a frown, eyes trained on him in suspicion. Erika walked briskly over to Clover and ran her fingers in her fur. It was just so fluffy, how could anyone draw away? The intoxicating feel of the soft silky fibers against her fingers was just what the doctor ordered. Everything felt as if it was going to be okay and a sense of calm washed away the anxiety. Then she realized ten minutes of straight petting had passed. "...I'm back." Erika told Clover. She was feeling a little better today. If Clover was too, then they could go back on the hunt again.
Well, maybe not because they still had to do whatever task it was that Lord Manfred wanted them to do. But they would hear the details of that after dinner - which was quite awkward because it was still weird seeing the shy and avoidant Sera as she quickly ate her food and disappeared back towards her room without a word. "Dear." Victoice's voice was icy. "Don't be rude to our guests." Sera froze in her tracks and turned back to the table. "Enjoy the food!" She said in a very forced tone. "No. Try again." It took Sera many tries before Victoire finally was satisfied. "Good. You are dismissed." The frustrated Sera vanished without another word. "Honestly." Victoire seemed to have enjoyed tormenting her daughter. "I suppose high breeding doesn't guarantee good manners." She glared at Alistair who was badly hurt. "As for you, why were you fighting again? Don't you know how undignified that is? It looks badly on us to have you wounded and bleeding all over the place." It was evident from the shoddy bandage job that Alistair had no idea how to apply medical care on the wounds the True Heroine gave him last night.
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Clover ran to the door when it opened, eager to see Erika once more. By now, the two servants had returned to their normal clothing, Fiyero in traditional familiar dress and Clover in the french maid costume someone had left forher this morning. "Welcome home Master!" Clover said eagerly, doing a curtsy that would make Cookie proud. Clover closed her eyes as Erika embraced her, running a hand through her fur. The kitten purred, rubbing her head against Erika's shoulder, Victoire peering around curiously. She skittered away when she saw the look on Erika's face, one that told of not wanting to be interrupted. The intoxicating feeling of being pet was beginning to grow overwhelming when Erika at last stopped, announcing that she was back.
She seemed to be in better spirits today, even if earlier on she had been clearly concerned about something or another. Not that Clover minded, the kitten seemed almost oblivious to everyone's problems. "Clover had fun today," the kitten reported. "Don't worry, she didn't get into any trouble." Fiyero reported to Erika and Eamon. "And you?" Eamon inquired accusingly, Fiyero lifted his hands, wearing his signature toothy smile. "Nothing perverted, promise!" He made a cross mark over his heart, wearing a grin that said maybe, just maybe, he was telling the truth. The kitten followed the children back into the dining room, where dinner was being served. Sera shoveled her food down as quickly as possible while Alistair sat brooding over his plate.
Clover was between her Master and Lady Victoire once again, the older woman's fingers running through Clover's silky hair as she ate. "Clover is full," the kitten said once dessert was served. Alistair too, had retreated and Eamon and Fiyero excused themselves for the evening, leaving only the Lord, Lady, Erika, and Clover at the table. Clover's tail wagged in anticipation as Manfred gestured for the two girls to follow him, the kitten stuck close behind her Master as they made their way up the winding staircase and to the office with the lion knocker on it. Clover said nothing of the words Lady Victoire had thrown at her own son and daughter, as though she were ashamed of their very existence. It was not very parent like, the kitten noted, but then again, she had never known her own Mother, so who was she to tell?
"Have you thought over my offer?" Manfred inquired, taking a seat in the large chair behind the desk. He gestured to the two red velvet seats before him. Clover stood despite his offer to sit, even if her feet were tired in her heeled shoes, she would not sit before Erika took her place, as that was what Cookie had told her was only appropriate. Clover glanced at Erika, wondering if she was going to accept the offer that Manfred had so generously presented them with earlier in the day.
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
After dinner, Lord Manfred had Erika and Clover summoned once again to his study, wishing for an answer to the offer he had given them earlier this morning. There was a mysterious special task he wanted them to complete for him, and in return, he would use some method in order to unlock access to more of Erika's mana, as well as grant mana to Clover to use as well. Well, after getting herself snug in the velvet and inviting Clvoer to sit herself down too, she gave him what he was looking for. "We accept." Because there was no way they'd get to find out the tasks's information before agreeing to it. "I'll hold you to that." Lord Manfred said. The door was locked, there was no one around to overhear, whatever was going to be said was for their ears alone.
"With Lord Edmund dead and the Harrington family losing much of their influence, you know what the logical result of that will be, yes?" Manfred asked, looking mostly at Erika, who nodded. She knew that much at least. When the big cat's dead and gone, the smaller cats will try to get the cheese in order to become the next big cat. Wait, or was that mice? It was mice that liked cheese, right? "The lesser nobles like the Cawthons or the Vannings will try to take control." Manfred seemed pleased at the display of basic knowledge which almost seemed condescending. "Congratulations, what a smart girl." He grinned and then continued his speech. "Naturally, we can't have that. There's nothing to say that any future family won't decide that they also want to take over the rest of Min City after taking the Port District."
He shook his head as if power hungry nobles were foolish disobedient children who simply did not know their place. "Our three families got along quite well, I'd say. We had an alliance not to attack the others. But that alliance does not extend to the lesser nobles. We have to nip the problem at the bud before it grows to something more, so to say." Erika nodded grimly, knowing where this was going. "So you want us to kill them?" There was an incredibly tense pause as Lord Manfred stared at her. And then he laughed at the audacity of it all.
"Who said anything about killing? I simply want you to use your intensive mana sensing skills to see which Port District noble house has a lot of mana potential so that they might be watched in case they become a problem." The shadow mage nodded, feeling relieved. She didn't want to be a killer if she could help it. "Okay, I can do that. We can do it tonight." Not just for Manfred... but the Port District belonged to the Harrington home. As much as Eamon wanted to protect her, she was the strongest mage left in her family, so it was up to her to protect the territory. "You have my leave to begin your mission now." Manfred shood them out. "Just beware of the vigilantes. You never know when they might... act up."
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
The kitten wasn't sure what was happening, all she knew was that they had permission to sneak out and that soon, Clover would have her very own super powers to help bring down bad guys. She would be the best, claw wielding, mana having, side kick that Min-City had ever seen! "Clover is excited," she admitted as they headed back towards their rooms, where their costumes were stowed. They couldn't very well sneak out if they looked like their normal selves, a school girl and a servant. People would know exactly who the Blue Lotus and Tiger Lily were! Clover stripped off her maid outfit as soon as the doors were closed and began digging through her belongings for the side kick costume that had barely survived the fire.
It still smelled smokey, which Clover didn't like, but it was the only outfit she had and by gone it, she was going to don it once more! "Clover is ready," she said eagerly, tail swishing back and forth in anticipation. "Clover will help Harrington Family stay in the lead." The kitten had a sudden idea in case Eamon or Fiyero came to check on them, she stuffed the bed with pillows and pulled the blankets over them, making sure to put one at the foot of the bed and wring up a white towel to use as her tail. Once the lights were dimmed, it was show time, the two girls heading out to do, well, whatever it was they needed to. On top of the wall, the kitten noticed an odd amount of silence coming from the poor side of the city. Perhaps it was luck that there were no bad guys prowling this late into the night? Or maybe it was the Watchman keeping everyone in line?
Clover shivered, his idea of justice wasn't very just. "Clover doesn't hear anyone crying for help," the kitten stalked the side of the wall, hoping to at least catch a whiff of Maple, but there was nothing. They had been gone far too long, Clover had a disturbing feeling that thing were stirring underneath the quiet, but without evidence of anything, she doubted Erika would want to act. It wasn't as though Clover could express this either, this sixth sense that something bad was going to happen. Not now and maybe not tomorrow, but pending sometime soon. Clover knelt down, sniffing the air once more. "Quiet, too quiet." She paced back and forth, eager to hear something, but there was not a sound.
"Clover does not like this silence," she admitted, rising to her feet. Hopefully Erika sensed something on her end? Some sort of mana bearing noble that she could report back to Manfred with? The kitten tightened her mask, wondering if they should head home when someone else appeared on the wall, limping, but attempting to appear brave; the Watchman.
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
On the wall, things were very quiet. Honestly, the Blue Lotus did not want to waste this chance spying. No, she'd rather try to listen to see if she could be a hero. It had been so long since she had done anything. It had been way, way too long since she had been allowed to wear this outfit. "We're just going to report Helen Cawthon." Did Clover remember them, did she remember the family that had tried to turn her into a doll months ago? "Let's try to see if there's anyone that needs help!" But as long as they waited for Clover to hear something, nothing happened. What was going on, why was it so silent? This was - well, it was probably a good thing, but that didn't stop the atmosphere from being creepy. It was like a horror movie, when nothing was happening but you knew that something was going to happen.
Then someone hopped up on the wall. It was the Watchman, but he really wasn't doing well at all. The limp was obvious, he was in no condition to fight. "It's been a while." He growled, staring down his two rivals with fervent energy. "Odd to see you two back in action. Where have you been?" The Blue Lotus looked back at him, at the phantom-mask wearing vigilante. They were enemies and yet she didn't want to attack Alistair, knowing how bad he was hurt and how much he was trying to avenge Edmund for their sakes. "We were recuperating. Something you should be doing." If he kept doing this, it was just going to get him killed. He was being reckless and idiotic, and yet that sense of personal justice to protect mages was driving him to this point.
A sword of light was thrown at them right them and there, creating a light wall that pushed the three from the mages side off the wall and down towards the poor side. Two figures were waiting for them. The Blue Lotus reacted quickly, grabbing Tiger Lily by the back of the neck and dragging them into a shadow. The Watchman angled himself closer and the Blue Lotus pulled him into the safety of the shadow too. They tried to dodge and weave but then another light sword struck the shadow, forcing them out of it and on the ground. There was the True Heroine and next to her was a black cat sidekick. "I'm not alone now, so I guess it's a bit more of a fair fight." Their mortal enemy laughed cheerfully, clapping her hands. "True Sidekick, these three are obstacles on our mission to bring equality back to Min City. Let's extinguish their lives!"
Another sword of light was thrown at her but this time Erika lashed at it with a shadow tentacle, slapping it away so it landed harmlessly on the ground. "Tiger Lily, get the Watchman out of here! I'll hold them off for now!" Then suddenly she felt herself blink and a magical spear was rushing right at her. "Ugh!" The Watchman grunted, coughing up blood as he made a shield to protect them. From the shield, shadow needles formed in the Blue Lotus's hand and she launched them in a spinning motion towards the True Heroine. She blocked them with her wings and grinned. "What's wrong, too scared to go all in? Come on, let's have a party." She taunted. Anger threatened to take over but the Blue Lotus kept her head cool as she covered her arm with a shadow blade, dark tentacles flowing from behind her like two tails. "I said I'll hold them back, so get him and yourself to safety!" She shouted again before rushing right at the True Heroine.
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Clover closed her eyes, wondering if this was going to be a tedious fight that would get them nowhere. The Watchman was in no position to be scolding them for disappearing when he himself should have been hiding off of the grid. Clover was surprised to even see him standing atop the wall, albeit, wobbling, but on his own two feet. She almost expected there to be a cane or something to help support him but no, the Watchman was coming towards them, as snarky as ever. It was a stark contrast to his real self but then again, wasn't that the point of the mask? With parents like his, Clover didn't blame him for hiding his true potential either and wait a second, wait a second, he was a vigilante! They should be recruiting him in their battle against the True-fake-Heroine! Clover opened her mouth to speak when a bright light burst from all around them and they were suddenly falling off of the wall.
The kitten flailed mid air, attempting to right herself a cats always did in order to land on her feet. Luckily, Erika grabbed her and the Watchman caught her foot, the three of them pulled into the shadows and landing, well, tumbling, comically out of another one and onto the ground. Clover jumped to her feet, because well, cats always landed on their feet. She pulled Erika up, hoping that the two of them still appeared tough despite their bash towards the ground and comical mid air flailing. "Blue Lotus and Tiger Lily are here to save the day!" She declared, hoping that they did not look foolish despite the fact that their costumes were wrinkled and the two girls were back after a long-not wanted or needed-hiatus.
The True Heroine grinned fiendishly, gesturing to her new partner. Clover's ears and tail both dropped, her jaw falling agape as she recognized the side kick, even with her stupid looking, outlandish, over the top costume. "M-Maple?" Clover stuttered, so taken by surprise she forget to use their fake-er-superhero names. "Shh!" Maple placed a finger over her lips then waved both hands frantically, clearly recognizing her sister. The kitten was wearing a skimpy, skin tight suit that clung to her in all of the wrong places. Clover's cheeks welled up indignantly for the sake of her sister, "N-not here! Right now, I'm not Maple, I'm the True Sidekick!" Of all the places for her sister to end up, the last one Clover had expected would be here, in her enemy's hands.
A sword came straight for them, sparing them not a second thought. The Watchman jumped in the way, his blood spattering across Clover's front. The kitten reeled backwards, Erika declaring that she would hold them off while the two of them got away. "N-no! Tiger Lily will fight too!" Clover declared, unable to leave her Master to face off against what was possibly their most powerful foe alone. Clover stood, her stance changing to one of battle. Maple swallowed hard, a bat forming in her hands. It was clear that she didn't want to hurt anyone, but she had signed onto this strange fight and it seemed that she was going to have to see it through to the end. Launching herself forward, Maple swung weakly, clearly with no intention of hurting anyone. Maple grabbed the bat and threw it towards the Watchman to give him something to lean on. She kicked her sister in the stomach, just hard enough to push her down and leaned down to whisper. "Play dead, er, passed out. Okay? Clover will come save you." Maple nodded, closing her eyes and acting as though she had passed out as Clover ran, bounding to her Master's side to help her fight the fake Heroine.
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
The Blue Lotus felt herself being pushed back, a light wall formed and knocked her off of her feet. She melted into a shadow and hopped to reposition herself behind the True Heroine, launching right at her. With Clover dealing with Maple, it was now three against one. The problem was that the one was far stronger than the three. She had bested them before, likely would be able to hold her ground again too. "Don't be so mean to my sidekick, she's new to this." The True Heroine waved her hand and a basket was made for Maple to sleep safely. She then created a rope and yanked on it, pulling the basket to her. "She's a dear friend of mine and I'll keep her safe. It's okay, I can handle these three."
Erika let out a battle cry as she appeared from a shadow right behind the True Heroine, stabbing with her shadow blade. Her sister did a graceful spin to dodge it and then her mechanical wings cut at the tentacles as they reached to grab her shoulders. "The Blue Lotus fights for justice! Give up now!" What were they doing, why hadn't Clover taken the Watchman out of here yet? "Oh, come off it. I know you have something more personal to ask me." The True Heroine jeered, voice dripping with cruelty. "Erika." She whispered like a snake on the branch. "Don't you have something to say to dear big sis?" Yes, she definitely had something that needed to be said. "You ruined everything!" An exploding shard of ice fired from her hand right at her opponent. It broke into many smaller shards, one of which pierced the True Heroine's shoulder. She pulled it out, blood at the tip. "Our family was evil. I'm setting right the wrongs of this world."
How dare she call them evil? Rosemary was nothing but kind, wanting to dispense health care to those who came to her for aid. Edmund was always insisting that company owners treat the workers with dignity and respect for all the hard labor. How could anyone call them evil? They were the nicest nobles around, trying to make life easier for everyone! And now.... and now their own child came and betrayed them. A strange white light overcame Erika then. "Erika, please." Estelle appeared before her, just like as she did before on the night she disappeared. "Don't you love me?" That was enough to stun Erika and make her stumble, falling onto her behind. Behind the illusion, a magical sword was made, ready to slice her throat.
Then the Watchman threw himself at her, pulling away at her arm. A magic axe slammed down on the ground, just barely missing Estelle's foot as she danced to safety. The two clashed weapons as Erika pulled herself back to her feet. But then with a burst of light Alistair fell to his knees. "Stupid, aren't you?" Alistair hissed and he made a shield, only to receive quick slashes at both his arms and his knees. He was bleeding profusely now, his old wounds now opened again. "Good luck." Estelle smirked, picking up the Maple basket. "Explaining this mess to Lord Manfred." The bell had rung, the CCC was coming to investigate. They had to leave - fighting the CCC was suicide. "W-we..." She grit her teeth, spitting blood out onto the stone pavement. "We have to go." Her eyes were crazed with desperation. "We need the power boost or we'll never win."
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Between the three of them, getting out was an easy task. They returned with little to no incident, but the Watchman was bleeding badly and needed first aid. Aside from that, he knew the Blue Lotus's identity and therefore, could easily puzzle together who Tiger Lily was. Even so, the kitten needed to apply first aid. She remembered Cookie's lessons on what to do if her Master was ever injured and applied pressure, wondering if it would be more appropriate to take Alistair to the hospital. "Watchman needs a Doctor," Clover said, indicating to the puddle of crimson that flowed freely out from underneath him. Her hands shook, she was covered in Alistair's blood. "No!" He coughed, shaking his head, "I'll be... fine," he pulled the spear out, but Clover had a feeling he shouldn't have done that. "Master, Watchman should go to the hospital." Clover insisted.
Whether or not Alistair ended up going to the hospital was a story for another time. Clover unwillingly took another bath, forced to sit through a scrub down to get the blood off and then curled up in her bathrobe, falling asleep on the end of the bed. The fake pillows seemed to have worked since they were undisturbed and in the morning, when it was time for school, Clover was exhausted an sore. She donned her maid costume and waved until Erika was out of sight, like she always did, before heading to breakfast. Shortly thereafter, Manfred came to see her. "Please Clover, come with me. Fiyero, you'll be assisting my beautiful wife today." An easy way to separate them and since Fiyero didn't have any suspicions against Manfred, he believed that perhaps he was just going to give Clover some lessons on book dusting or something boring.
Clover followed him eagerly, the door to his office locking. "Since you and your Master held up your end of the bargain, it's only fair if I hold up mine." Manfred pulled a book out of the case, the entire bookcase sliding over to reveal a hidden door. Clover's ears perked up as she had seen this in one of Fiyero's soaps before. "Where is Clover going?" She asked, her tail swishing in anticipation. "Clover is going on an adventure, but mustn't tell anyone." He winked, directing her into the tunnel. The bookcase closed behind him, lights flashing on in preparation for whatever was down there. Clover followed him to what appeared to be an alchemy suite, the kitten recognizing it from her day's with her Mage before he was slaughtered by the CCC.
"Come here Clover, don't play with that, it's fragile." Clover put down the spy glass and bound over, wondering what they were doing. "Lay right here," he pat the table and Clover jumped up, laying down. "Now, drink this," he tilted her head up ever so slightly, a slimy green brew sliding down her throat. The kitten felt no different; scratch that, she felt sleepy and dizzy, her head hitting the table as she drifted off into sleepy kitty land. Manfred pilled on his gloves and lifted a mask over his face, preparing to give a magicless, mana-less, cat the gift of magic. How was he going to do it? Why, using the power of alchemy of course! It was better to have over eager kittens asleep because animals tended to start easily, even humanoid ones.
First, he made a small incision in the chest cavity right above the heart, then poured in a floral smelling orange liquid. Afterwards, Manfred opened a container, using a pair of tweezers to pull out a decent sized blue jewel. He placed it into the incision, what was known in the magical world as a mana-stone and sewed the wound shut, packing it tightly and then wrapping Clover's entire chest. By embedding the stone into one's body, the hope was that it would absorb mana from the air naturally, allowing the user to wield it. Of course, this was entirely theoretical and experimental, so Manfred had no proof that it would work. In truth, he had no idea how to give a magicless human the gift of power and if he had, he certainly would have used it on his daughter and not some over eager cat servant.
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
Failure. Failure. Everything was failure. Failed to bring Maple back to the right side of the wall. Failed to get rid of the True Heroine and avenge father. Failed to even save the Watchman from taking these awful wounds. "We're taking you to get medical help, Watchman." The gig was up, he knew who they were... but they also knew who he was. Just two nobles and a pet working together. It wasn't too much work getting them safely back to the other side now that Estelle no longer seemed interested in fighting them tonight. Clover seconded the hospital idea, no matter how stubborn he was. "We're not taking no for an answer. Change into your normal clothes and we'll take you in." They did so, bringing him to the same hospital Rosemary was staying in and once that was done, they reported to Manfred, leaving any account of Alistair out of the report. He seemed pleased, sending them off to bed.
Morning came and Erika shuffled off to school, mind spinning with the possibility of power. The house was abuzz until a call came in from Alistair, telling his family he was staying at the hospital for now. Sera seemed a bit pale and she winced when Erika tried to touch her shoulder in the limo. "You need to tell me what's going on." She told Sera quietly. Eamon was listening too, he wanted to know. He knew his sister was bad at this sort of thing - only yesterday did she take a more active stance in trying to set things right. "There's nothing the matter!" Sera snapped loudly. She blinked in confusion and then corrected herself. "So let's show our classmates a good show, okay?"
Who was the real Sera? Was the real Seraphina the quiet scared girl who tried to hide in her room as much as possible, or was the real Seraphina the bubble outgoing spitball of passion that was popular and full of friends and charisma? Could the answer be both? Erika was miserable - a good girlfriend would know the answer but she didn't, not even the slightest. She didn't even - no, that's not an excuse. That afternoon, Eamon had something planned. During lunch he messaged Fiyero to gather fabrics, a sewing needle, the silver winged flute, and Clover - and hopefully with everything gathered, they would do it. "We'll work together to rebuild our fortune." Eamon told them his plan. Erika nodded, feeling tired yet alert. "I'll play and inspire your clothes?" They were in a rented room in a hotel where they could practice to their hearts content without disrupting the Remingtons.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Thud! Whump! The fists rained down on her as mother watched on with a rueful smile. Lady Victoire had no sympathy for a useless daughter that couldn't even have the decency to be born with mana. "This is all you're good for, dearie." Victoire said with a shake of the head. "You're stress relief, you see." Seraphina whimpered as Manfred continued to strike her, mixing it up with the occasional created bat. Victoire of course made sure to mend the worst of it - she wasn't on the same level as Rosemary, but she was able to make sure Seraphina was able to avoid permanent damage like this. Crunch, her bones went splat as the bat shattered her hand. "All you do is slut around at your school! You're not even the top marks! You're a shame on the family! You shouldn't have been born!" This was all just routine, as the endless stream of apologies trailed from the redhead's lips. "I spent so much time trying to birth you right, and you come out an abject failure." Victoire grinned. "But everyone has their uses, and this is yours." Her bones mended with a gentle light, only to be crunched and grinded up by the bat again. This was her life ever since they realized she was born defected - born without mana. Yet after all these years, Sera still hadn't really gotten used to it.
If only someone noticed. If only someone could hear her cries. But no one would - even if they did, no one opposed Manfred Remington. Some princesses would never be saved. It was her fault anyways, for being born broken like this. "Disgusting." Manfred spat, making the bat vanish. "Fix her up then make her clean up this unsightly mess." There was a reason Sera never let anyone in her room. Pretty much all of her furniture was stained with badly cleaned blood from her repeated punishments for being a failure and a stain on the family name.
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Clover awoke feeling a little bit sore, she was back in the guest room, curled up on the bed. The kitten rubbed her eyes, sitting up blearily when she heard the stream of yelling coming from the other room. Clover stiffened, going over to the wall to listen. Her keen ears twitched, picking up on the apologies, on Victoire talking down to her daughter. With a gasp, Clover backed away, knowing that she had just overheard some terrible secret. A knock on the door made her jump, Fiyero poked his head inside, staring at her quizzically. "Erika and Eamon want us to meet them at the park," he lied, in case someone was listening. "Park?" Clover's ears perked up, the kitten running towards him eagerly.
"Grab Erika's flute and we'll go," Clover went to the closet and pulled out the slim case, the two servants making their way to the outside. "Do you have permission to leave?" One of the other servants asked with a frown. Fiyero cocked his head to the side, wondering why you would ever need permission. "I'm a familiar, I come and go as I please. Clover's a cat, have you ever tried telling a cat what to do?" Clover stuck her tongue out, the two of them leaving through the work entrance and making their way outside. "Park?" Clover asked, her tail waggling so eagerly it almost crushed Fiyero to tell her otherwise.
"Sorry, I was lying," he pet her head, Clover's tail drooping as she frowned. "We're going to a hotel," there were only two hotels in the rich quarter of Min-City. The political hotel, a large, fancy, glass and metal building that spiraled towards the sky and cost several hundred dollars to stay in their lowest category room and a just as fancy, less expensive, more discreet hotel that was known for elicit hook ups and affairs. The foyer was beautiful, the lobby made of pristine marble in a truly romantic sense. "We're supposed to meet our friends here," Fiyero said, handing over a card. The woman at the desk gave them a key as Clover hid behind Fiyero, her ears twitching curiously. "Enjoy," the woman said with a wink, no doubt thinking something kinky was going to happen.
Fiyero knocked before opening the door, giving Clover a wink as he led her inside. "Master?" Clover glanced around the corner to find the two of them there. "Clover brought your flute!" She set the case down on the mantle and went to the window to look at their view. They were on the tenth floor, the four of them having a great view of the other side of the wall. The kitten perched on the windowsill, wondering what they were doing here. "Clover heard something Master," the kitten suddenly remembered. "Something bad!" The kitten ran over to her, looking clearly distressed. "Clover heard Sir Manfred and Lady Victoire hurting Master Sera!"
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
Up on the tenth floor of the hotel, Erika and Eamon were given a high up view of the city, of the cars whizzing by below them, of the wall providing shelter for the mages who had no other safe place to live, of the other buildings that were clearly in a competition to see who could reach the sky the best. "We fought with Estelle last night." Erika told her brother as they waited for their servants to come with their materials. "She's so different, but also so the same." Estelle had always been full of talent, full of drive and ambition. it's just now, she was using that energy for her own ideals, which included going against her old family. "You two really should avoid her for now." Eamon said crossly. "Revenge won't make you feel any better. It won't bring our family back."
"If we don't stop her, she'll break down the wall. She's with the Revolution, Eamon." She felt it in her blood, her destiny was to go and fight with Estelle and one of them would live, and the other one would die. "I have to stop her!" Eamon gave her a piercing look and shook his head, sitting down on a fancy tarp carpet as he tried to find a comfortable place to make his own as he would eventually begin his work as a designer. "No, that's just your ego getting in the way, Berry. It's not your job to stop her. The adults can do that." He smiled, almost sadly. "We have to fix our home so that when mom recovers, she sees us standing strong on our own two feet. That's our responsibility, but I can't do it without you." It was rare seeing Eamon so earnest. He was usually a bit of a jerk, wasn't he? "Well, of course you can't do it without me!" Erika said with a grin. "I'm your other half. We'll do it together!" They shook hands.
The door opened, their servants had arrived with the requested materials. "Thank you! I missed playing this." The flute was soothing, there was nothing quite like the bliss of music flowing through the metal pipe. She took it out when Clover suddenly said something... something that really, they should have known. "Are you going to do something about it?" Eamon asked directly. "Because if you're going to pretend this isn't your business, I'll do something about it." While he had his own two girlfriends, that didn't change that Sera was a friend to him. He didn't want the abuse to continue. "No." Eamon's scowl grew and Erika shook her head. "No, I mean, no, I'll do it. It's my job. Thank you Clover, for telling me."
"Hang on one second." Fiyero smiled foxishly at the three of them before they could get into a hussy fuss about saving Sera. "We should be realistic here. As much as saving Sera is super righteous and just, think. We don't have any evidence, Manfred can just deny whatever's happening. We need proof if we're gonna corner him." Proof? So they had to wait until Sera was being hurt again? "Are you forgetting? We have a perfect hearing aid and her name is Clover!" Eamon nodded, following what his familiar was saying. "Clover, you know what to do. Next time it happens, tell us." Erika gave her white kitty a floofy pet behind the ears. "Good girl." Now it was time to practice and a tune full of energy and fast high scaling trills sang for Eamon to begin his designing the new costumes for the Blue Lotus and the Tiger Lily.
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Cover purred, all too happy to be pet and loved on. Yes, she was a good girl, she was the best girl! Her tail wagged eagerly. "Hmm, you know, I wasn't sure before, but I think Clover likes that." Fiyero joked, earning a glare from the kitten herself. Once the petting was done, Clover stood up once more and went back to the window, glad that they were going to help save Master Sera from the secretly wicked Manfred and Victoire. It was a shame, Victoire was so good at spoiling her!
Hmm, what was Clover to do while Master practiced her flute? Interpretive dance of course! "What are you doing?" Fiyero laughed, pointing at Clover. "Clover is dancing! Clover saw other humans dance before!" The familiar stepped in, grabbing one hand and moving the other to his shoulder while he placed one on her waist. "This is how you dance, didn't all those soaps teach you anything?" The two of them ball danced to Erika's music until Eamon called Fiyero over to help him. He already had all of the girl's measurements, so there was no need to resize them. Right now there was just pinning, cutting, and draping of fabric to take care of. A ball of yarn rolled somewhere around them and Clover went into attack mode, pinning for the ball and diving to retrieve it from underneath the bed.
"This is Clover's now," she decided, batting it round the room. "Why do you have yarn?" Fiyero asked, seeming almost jealous that Clover had a ball of it and he didn't. "I was thinking of taking up knitting, knits are so hot right now. Plus, it was on sale," Fiyero rolled his eyes and stole Clover's ball, jumping onto the bed. "You're gonna have to take it from me!" Clover jumped up, hissing as the two circled one another on the bed. "I guess this is my yarn now, oh beautiful, lovely yarn! How soft and supple you are, like the breast of a woman!" The kitten pounced, grabbing Fiyero's leg and sending them both toppling over the side and out of sight. All that could be heard was a yelp of pain from the kitten as Fiyero landed on top of her.
The ball of yarn was somewhere behind them, Fiyero landed on top of Clover, both his hands palming her chest. Clover did not understand embarrassment yet, but she did remember what her Master said; no one was allowed to touch her there! Fiyero grinned, getting in one last squeeze before his hand moved up, brushing something even more painful. Clover yelped, squirming underneath him. "What's this?" He peeled up her apron and dress, revealing the bandages. Rising to his feet, Fiyero grabbed Clover's hand and dragged her back where Fiyero and Erika could see her, promptly ripping off the kitten's dress. "Fiyero!" Eamon barked, apologizing to Erika about his familiar.
"What are those bandages for?" He furrowed his brow. "Is Erika hurting you?" Clover folded her arms over her chest, acutely aware of his accusing glare. The kitten shook her head, "No, Erika does not hurt Clover!" She sat down on the bench on the end of the bed, wearing nothing but her undergarments and cute animal ligaments.
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
As Fiyero and Clover fought over the yawn, Erika adapted her flute to their little dance. She added playful lilts here and there and increased the pace whenever Fiyero or Clover sped up their little back and forth they had going on. What fun this was, just playing away their worries like this? "You two are idiots." Eamon shook his head ruefully as he worked, using a varyng set of blues and blacks for Erika's outfit first. Second was to work on Clover's, which would most likely be to compliment the Blue Lotus, which was the job of the sidekick Tiger Lily. "Excuse me, this is an intellectual game of chase the yarn!" Fiyero protested cheerily. That was when the accident happened, one falling over the other. Erika ended her song and closed it off with a trill similar to the intro and put her began polishing and cleaning it.
"What are you doing to my familiar?" Erika asked, temper bristling. Eamon had a same reaction, not wanting his fox familiar to be doing anything lewd to poor Clover who didn't know any better. But then her eye caught the bandages. What was going on? "Wait, wait. What? Where did that come from? Was it last night, did Estelle hurt you when I wasn't paying attention?" She carefully laid her silver winged flute on the soft velvet couch and went to her partner's side, fussing. "Where did this come - was this Manfred? Did he do something?" Fiyero snapped his finger as if he realized something. "Ah, Lord Manfred did request Clover and had me work with Victoire today." The fox tilted his head. "What made you think of Manfred, Erika?"
The shadow mage clamped her mouth shut, not sure if she should continue speaking. Was it safe? Surely Eamon and Fiyero were trustworthy secret keepers - they already knew that they were the vigilantes after all - but what if they were to do something risky against Lord Manfred as a result? Eamon draped a costume over Clover. He was a prodigy with the cloth, able to make two outfits in record time like this. "It's just the protyotype version, I still didn't enhance it yet with alchemy." Eamon was going to request alchemy tips from Lord Bayon Langley and then he would get to work on giving protective magical properties to their costumes. "Also, Berry, just tell us. The four of us, aren't we a team?" Yes, they were. But - well... if these two were up to anything, she would want to know as well.
So Erika told them about Manfred and his deal in exchange for power. "We need more power otherwise we'll never win against the True Heroine." Right now, she was the biggest priority because she was actively working to take down the wall and start a civil war between the rich and the poor. What was she thinking? "No, what you need is to tell Bayon and Theodore. Alistair's in no condition to do anything, but those two are strong too." No, no, that wasn't an option. "This is our family business. It's our responsibility to put Estelle down. Are you really saying you'd rather let someone else kill our sister?"
Eamon nodded furiously. "If it means I don't lose my other sister, I don't care who kills her!" There was a pause as the two siblings panted, catching their breath. Finally Eamon tossed an outfit her way, with a mask to boot. "Here, I finished yours too." Blue and black, blue for the name and black because of the shadow magic she so loved. "Um, it's good." Erika admitted, letting go of her temper. "Sorry for... yelling at you. We can worry about Estelle another time." Clover had a mysterious thing done to her and Erika wanted to get to the bottom of that. It was time to return to the Remington Estate-
"Wait, don't forget." Fiyero grinned foxishly. "We need pictures for the magazine, remember?"
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Clover didn't understand the scrutiny, but she did know one thing, her chest hurt and it hurt bad. "Clover wants these off," she tugged on the bandages, wondering what was underneath it. She could recall Manfred calling her into the office and then Fiyero was waking her up, but the space in between that was a mystery. "Clover does not remember her morning after breakfast," she said, pausing to tap her chin. The kitten ripped the bandages off, blood stained gauze falling onto the bench she was sitting on. Shorter than the others, it was easy for them to tower over her and see the stone embedded in her chest. Shiny and blue, just like her eyes, the stone glinted in the light, the veins around it a feint purple.
"A mana stone?" Fiyero inquired, recognizing it instantly. Mana stones were typically something familiars carried in their pockets to help their Masters bolster their abilities. It did not belong inside of a human cat, that was for certain. Clover looked up just as Eamon dumped a heap of fabric in her arms and the poor kitten attempted to sort through it, wincing as the fabric touched the stone. It was sore, the blood around it obviously fresh. Clover wriggled into her new clothes, Fiyero attempting to help her as an excuse to brush his fingers against her pale, smooth skin. He zipped it up, the kitten putting on her white lace mask. "How does Clover look?" She asked, stepping to look in the mirror. Her ears and tail blended seamlessly into the design and the kitten seemed happy with her overall appearance.
Posing? Oh right, Clover forgot they had to do that. "I've got one," Fiyero grinned, "put your hands in a heart like this and say. I'll be waiting for you in bed Master." Eamon nudged him in the side, but it was too late. Clover looked at her hands in confusion, attempting to make them into the shape of a heart and turned towards Erika, her owner. "Clover will be waiting for you in bed Master," Eamon slapped his forehead as Fiyero burst into laughter, "you, I-I can't believe you actually said it!" Clover, confused, looked at Erika, wondering why Fiyero was laughing so hard. "Never mind idiot, Fiyero just get the camera so we can take the pictures."
They had to be back before sundown, least the Remington's grow suspicious of why they were gone for so long. Clover couldn't wait to take the outfit out for a test run, once the proper protection spells were in place of course. For now, the kitten posed alongside Erika, hoping that she wasn't doing too badly or embarrassing her Master with the positions that Eamon and Fiyero made them stand in.
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
Why was there a mana stone inside of her? That was very strange indeed and there could only be one culprit. Was this a part of Manfred's plan to give Clover access to magic? If it was, maybe the smart thing would be to wait and see? But then again, Erika didn't quite like the idea of her pet being used as an experiment. "I'll have to talk to him and find out what's happening." It was so easy to trust Lord Manfred, he was known as the authority and he always did his best to look out for the three families. It was strange to see him in a more dangerous light, but perhaps that was what he deserved. Well certainly someone who would beat their daughter couldn't really be a good person.
It was time to pose but right as Erika got started Clover was made to say something very strange, too fast for Eamon to do anything about it. "Um..." Erika shook her head despite the faint blush on her cheeks. A noble lady is to remain dignified and composed whenever possible. "My apologies, Clover, but I'm already in a relationship with someone whom I love every much. But I'm sure you'll find..." Eamon nudged her with a frown. "Don't take it seriously, Clover doesn't feel that way towards you. It's just Fiyero's old tricks again." She nodded and then they got to posing. Once Fiyero and Eamon both were satisfied with their work, they put back on their normal clothes - Clover's french maid and Erika's schoolgirl uniform. "And the people won't get suspicious you found the heroes to pose for you?" They had to protect their identities, after all. "I'll just say it was photo-edited to look authentic." Eamon assured her with a grin. "Any good designer knows photoshop."
Back at the Remington Estate, it was time for dinner. Seraphina was made to help set the tea for everyone at Victoire's behest, since one of the maids called in sick. "What tea is that?" Eamon asked, sniffing his cup with interest. Sera froze and her mouth twisted, trying to work. "Um..." Victoire glared crossly. "My, what kind of tea setter doesn't know the tea? And you call yourself a noble lady!" Erika grimaced, really not liking how Sera was being treated. No, she would get angry even if it wasn't Sera this was happening to. Cruelty was something she personally stood against, no matter the victim. "It's chamomile tea, with lavender extract, isn't it?" Sera suddenly nodded, remembering. "Yes, it's good for healing and headaches which my mother suffers from chronically." It was a well known fact that Lady Victoire had chronic migraines.
"Yes, yes." Victoire said flippantly.
After dinner, Lord Manfred summoned his two spies in. They entered his study and he was about to tell Erika what he had in mind to unlock the rest of Erika's mana when the shadow mage spoke up. "So why is there a mana stone in Clover?" She kept her voice as calm as possible, not wanting Lord Manfred to know she was onto him. He smiled at her, eyes as alert as they always were. "It's an experimental technique to hopefully diffuse mana into her body. There's evidence that it will help, and at the very least there aren't any adverse effects to be wary of." She nodded slowly, making a mental note to research this later. "I do hope it all goes well."
"Now." Manfred pressed a button on the wall and a hidden door swiveled open. Now this was a surprise, why was there a hidden facility here? It looked and smelled sterile, there was something off. Erika knew that there was a special place where the Remington family dealt with dangers to the three families and to order, but she didn't know it was right here. This was where the Balloon Bomber was supposed to have met his end. "Follow me." She and Clover followed Lord Manfred until they found a cell with a prisoner interred within. Helen Cawthon. Her eyes widened in recognition, no doubt realizing what had happened to the cat her family bought.
"This is how to become stronger. Watch carefully now." Lord Manfred cast a spell, waving his arms. He whispered an enchantment that Erika would remember until the end of her days. This was dark magic, this was dark magic and Lord Manfred was using it right before her eyes. Suddenly mana seemed to flow from Helen's body and into a black ball in his fist. Helen screamed and clawed at her mana but then just as quickly, life was sucked out of her and she collapsed, now no longer anything more than an empty husk. He split the ball of mana in two, handing half of it to Erika who was staring blankly at the scene before her. "For prodigies like us, with far too much mana potential, the only way to unlock our full power is to absorb the mana of others." He pressed it against one of the mana nodes in his chest and the ball flowed into him, becoming a part of him.
Dark magic. Forbidden magic. Was this the price to become strong? "Don't you want revenge? Absorb it, Erika. Only with taking the mana of others can you overcome the True Heroine." Was this the only way to protect everyone, to avenge father and make him proud?
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Clover did not like what she was seeing. That girl fell over, looking pale and frozen. Clover knelt down, poking Helen through the bars. "Clover is confused," the kitten said, wondering what was wrong with the human. "Human is broken?" She asked, poking Helen once more. Clover didn't understand what was going on and so she went to look at other things in the lab, allowing the humans to duke it out. There were plenty of shiny things for the kitten to observe, phials and vials, all sorts of liquids; some of which smelled nice and others that didn't. Clover wondered what was going on in the minds of the humans as she looked around. "Servant-" it took Clover a second to realize that Manfred meant her.
"Leave us for now," Clover looked uneasily between Manfred and Erika, wondering what was going to happen. She gave a nod and hopped up the stairs, leaving the two mages to their own devices. Should she wait in the office? No, it was best to return to the bedroom, where she could safely wait for Erika to return. Her Master was strong, if it came down to a fight, no doubt her Master would be the strange Remington Lord! Clover nodded to herself as she walked, bumping into Seraphina on the staircase. The poor kitten went tumbling down the stairs, Seraphina landing right on top of her, her hands on Clover's chest. This was the second time today that this happened, the second time that someone had squished it, as though testing to see if the capacity of her top was not an illusion.
"S-sorry!" Sera suddenly yelled, her cheeks turning bright red. Clover rolled over, getting onto her hands and knees and attempting to stand. She cried out in pain, her ankle buckling under her weight. "Oh no, oh-oh I'm s-sorry, I'm so sorry Clover!" Sera knew she had to do something, but she didn't want to risk punishment for admitting her mistake. "Clover will-" the kitten winced, "Clover has an idea." She whispered in Sera's ear, the Remington daughter running off to find Fiyero. Clover lay back down on the floor, wondering if she should play dead. "Oh my! Lady Remington!" Fiyero bustled off to find the healer. Clover looked up, giving Sera a wink and closing her eyes as a set of heels approached. "Oh dear, this isn't good." Fiyero hoisted Clover up, shaking her ever so slightly.
"Clover? Clover!" The kitten opened her eyes, wincing, as Fiyero was right in her face. "You've taken quite the tumble, come now, let's go clean you up." Clover leaned on the other familiar for support, the three of them passing Sera's room on their way to Lady Victoire's office. Fiyero set Clover down in a chair and set off, making some excuse about Eamon needing him. "What happened? How did you fall?" Lady Victoire demanded as she began to heal the bumps and bruises. "Clover was going to Master Erika's room when Clover's shoe broke and went tumbling down the stairs!" Clover pointed to the broken heel, which ad happened during the fall. "Alright, you should be able to put weight on it now. Be more careful," Clover nodded and uttered a quick, polite goodnight and thank you before heading back to her room.
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❝It's raining somewhere else.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
Black magic. There was a reason this was forbidden, and it was because it was dangerous, far too dangerous. "Weren't you the one who declared that this was forbidden magic?" There was once a vigilante from the poor side who used dark magic to try and bring justice to the poor. Lord Manfred declared that dark magic was to be condemned and had him taken away to a private Remington holding cell, which Erika just learned was in his home this entire time. That boy was probably sapped of his mana long ago. "The rules are different for those in the ruling class, my girl." Clover had been ordered to leave and Erika did her best to give her familiar a look of confidence before it was just her and Manfred now.
For some reason, some very strange reason, Erika had a feeling that Lord Manfred was going to be a bigger enemy than even Estelle was. She had no evidence of this, but she just had a gut feeling that this man was not someone to trust. No - one wrong move and she could have her mana be sapped away by that strange spell. "I have more." Manfred said with a carefree shrug. "Take any of these prisoners, take your pick. Consider it a gift. You have such power - potential I wish my own children could have." Erika stiffened, making very aware that this might just be a mistake. "Is... is that why you hurt them?" No doubt there was a reason Alistair became a vigilante. It was so he could leave the house and be free to be whoever he wanted to be.
Manfred smiled resolutely at her. "Why, do you have some judgment to pass on me?" He stood patiently, never losing that cold reptilian smile on his face. Erika frowned, readying a spell in her fist. "I'm sure they don't like it, Lord Manfred." There was a strange glint in his eyes. "Then they should fight back, rather than allow me to do as I wish. I'm simply teaching them how to be strong in this world." No. No, that wasn't justification. That didn't make any of his crimes okay. "Is that so?" She sighed, relaxing her shoulders. "I guess that's understan-" The next moment a shadow blade formed in her fist and she launched herself at Lord Manfred. Yes, this was stupid. Yes, this was reckless. But she was a hero, and heroes fight for justice no matter how risky!
A black vice formed around her wrist, weighing her down and forcing her to the ground before her blade could hit. "My, what am I going to do with you?" Erika hissed, vanishing into shadow to appear behind him, black tentacles whipping and whirling with the fury of justice behind it's force. "If I beat you, I'll become the head of the three families!" Her eyes were lit with determination. "I'll make everything better! I'll-" What was that? What was that? Why was she being flung back into the wall like that? "I don't mind a challenge, but don't you think it's too early?" He grinned, pressing a button as the cell door shut. "Sit in here and think about what you've done. If you want to lead the three families, you'll need to learn how to defeat me." He shut the lights off and left, leaving Erika in the dark, realizing that maybe she should have waited before trying something so risky.
But... the hero in her knew she couldn't just stand by and let such horrible things happen. Still. What was she going to do now, trapped down here?
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Where was Erika? Why was she not returning? Clover paced the room, limping ever so slightly as she fretted over the shape her Master might be in. The door propped open, Sera poking her head meekly inside. "She still hasn't come back?" Her voice was quiet, Clover shook her head. Seraphina stepped the rest of the way inside, closing the door hesitantly. "Clover," the human took both of the kitten's hands in her own. "If something were to happen to Erika, could you, could you be my servant?" Clover tilted her head to the side, wondering what Sera could mean by that. "Does Master Sera know where Master Erika is?" Sera shook her head, "I'm just saying... if." Clover nodded once, smiling, "Clover does not think anything will happen to Master Erika, but if something did, Clover will serve Master Sera!"
She hugged the cat's head, Clover's ears twitching all the while. "My Father, he took her into his office didn't he?" Clover nodded, "Lord Manfred gave Clover presents." She meant the mana stone of course, although something told Clover that now wasn't the right time to reveal this secret information, especially since there was no proof that it would work. Seraphina stiffened with this information, wondering what presents could mean. Her Father never gave anyone anything, not unless he could gain something from it. What could he possibly want from a human cat? Perhaps to study her nature? It was, after all, an opportunity for humans to learn more about the nature of animals. Clover's tail swished, looking oh-so-pettable.
The kitten's ears perked up when something loud crashed outside. Sera squeaked and like a mouse, disappeared, her absence leaving a cold spot on Clover's head. The kitten curled up on the bed, waiting for Master Erika to return and eventually drifting off to sleep. In the morning, the kitten hoped to see her human there, but alas, the bed was cold and empty. There was no french maid outfit waiting for her beside Erika's uniform, in fact, there were no clothes of any kind waiting for Clover. The kitten frowned, wondering what had happened to it. She looked all around, but found no sign of her uniform.
Her gaze fell to the school girl outfit, realizing that this was not, in fact, Erika's uniform and that the slip of paper on top read her name. Clover slowly put it on, wondering who had chosen this and why. She headed out into the hallway, wondering if perhaps she had slept in, but alas, Clover realized it was a Sunday.
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❝To be a hero means to endure even when all you want to do is give in.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
It was morning, not that Erika could see from down here in the darkness of the lab. The door opened, Manfred was here now. What time was it? What was happening? Was he going to set her free now? He opened the cell and she lunged - only to be grabbed roughly by the back of the neck. "Let go! Let go! Eamon-" Manfred laughed a vicious, mocking laugh as he dragged her down the hall into a strange room. "Eamon would die if he tried anything. No worries, he knows nothing." Manfred cast a spell, a strange thread trussing Erika up by the wrists, suspending her in the air, legs dangling uselessly towards the ground but unable to touch. She felt entirely off balance, but despite the fear, only defiance rang in her eyes. "What are you doing?"
"If you want to be free, it's easy." Manfred seemed almost demented as he created a whip made out of fire. Lady Victoire came with chamomile tea, smiling as if this was any normal family gathering. "Oh, is the fun starting? I'm almost late!" Manfred shook his head and looked back towards his new victim. "All you have to do is break free. Your mana is near overflowing - prove to me that you're strong enough to save yourself." Save herself from what? Was he going to attack her with that thing? Oh, the audacity! Who could think of such a thing! "As if! You're just bluffing!" He was, right? He was! That was why both Manfred and Victoire were laughing like that, right? "You'll let me go and tell me this is all just a funny joke, right?" After all, they had always been such a kind aunt and uncle her whole life.
The answer to her increasingly feverish queries was the whip snaking across her body. A screech sounded but the entire lab was magically sealed to be utterly soundproof. No noises could pass in or out. "Aah! It's hot! It hurts!" She kicked and swayed, trying to break free as the whip crashed against her skin again, flames eating her up. "Victoire, if you please." Lady Victoire smiled and nodded, casting the spell to restore her skin and heal the flesh. The dance of fire continued as she writhed and struggled, the smell of burning meat flooding her nose, making her dizzy. "Please? Uncle Manfred, why?" His wicked grin of joy bore down upon her as every nerve screamed for release. "You have so much potential! It's a crime to not become great!"
Ten lashes. Twenty lashes. Victoire had a spell to keep her awake and alert, no matter how much she wanted to fade away into a safe place. No, there was no mercy such as that. Many hours passed and it was impossible to keep count of anything down here anyways. The screams had stopped, all that was left was a broken twitching girl. Every time she had tried to cast magic to break free, the threads electrocuted her, ruining her concentration. She couldn't break out. She wasn't strong enough. "Pathetic." Victoire laughed, glove to her mouth. "You would think Edmund and Rosemary would work harder on nurturing that strength." Erika was released but she couldn't even draw on the strength to close her eyes. "Soon you'll become strong." He promised, words licking at her ears. "Once you have the will to fight, you'll break free and you'll thank us. You'll be able to defeat even the True Heroine." There wasn't even a mark left to prove anything as she was placed back in the cell with a surprisingly generous meal waiting for her.
"As for your friends, we've told them that you're on an emergency study trip outside of Min City to learn magic in order to fight the True Heroine." Victoire assured her with a friendly smile. "So they won't get suspicious and worry their pretty little heads."
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
"Master is... gone? Without Clover?" The kitten tilted her head to the side in question, her ears upright in surprise. "Yes, but I suspect she'll be back when she feels she's strong enough." Lady Victoire said with the flap of her hand. "In the meanwhile, you'll be serving Lady Seraphina and I, per your Master's orders." Clover nodded, wondering why her Master had gone without so much a word. Victoire reached forward, running her fingers through Clover's intoxicating fur. The kitten allowed it, still shocked that her Master would leave on a training trip without bringing her sidekick. She did not suspect the lie, Lady Victoire was so practiced in the art of concealing the truth that her heart didn't so much as skip a beat. The kitten, in the meanwhile, was keenly listening.
Master Sera arrived soon after, looking meek. "Seraphina, Clover will be serving you from today on, until dear Erika returns." Sera nodded, "Y-yes Mother," she squeaked, the two of them keeping a polite distance. "I expect you'll take care of your new pet." Sera nodded and led Clover away, back towards her room. The kitten kept an easy pace behind her, wondering why she was wearing a school uniform on a Sunday. "Thi-this is my room," Master Seraphina didn't look Clover in the eyes as she opened up the door, revealing... a wreck. The kitten's eyes widened, the stench of blood and surface cleaner filling her nose. "Why does Master's room look like this?" Seraphina blushed, tugging on her pink hair and looking away.
"Clover will clean!" She decided, running to grab the tools. The kitten went to the kitchen, gathering everything she would need and returning shortly after. She spent several hours scrubbing blood stains, both old and new, out of tables, chairs, the bed, and even the ceiling fan. With a cloth over her mouth and large rubber gloves on her hands, Clover looked like a cleaning lady about to combat hell. She got on her hands and knees, making sure that even the carpet looked brand new before rising, satisfied with her job. Seraphina had been called by Alistair during that time, who had just returned from hospital. When she reentered her room, Clover's temporary Master seemed at a loss for words.
"The blood it's-it's-"
"Gone?" Clover smiled, eagerly awaiting pets."Yes," Master Sera placed her hand on Clover's head, scritching behind her ears. The sheets on the bed had been changed for the first time in who knows how long, Seraphina could actually see her reflection properly in the mirror, and with the curtain open, the light made the room feel much more friendly. Seraphina could get used to this! "Belle taught Clover, after Master got hurt practicing magic." She had shown Clover the quickest and most efficient way to clean up blood that didn't include licking it off of the floor. On carpet it was a little harder to practice, but Clover had managed. "Knock-knock," Alistair said, poking his head in. He stepped fully into the room, his eyes widening at how clean it was.
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❝To be a hero means to endure even when all you want to do is give in.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
Erika was still panting after the Lord and Lady were gone, trying to recover from what had just happened. What did just happen? She glanced over her wounds as best as she could in the dim light of the lab, confused by everything. "I have.... to break out." She hissed under her breath, panic rising again. What if she never got out? What if she was trapped here for the rest of her life to be tortured forever and ever? She shivered violently, not sure what else to do. "No... no. Stay calm." But even her voice was trembling so listening to it wasn't of any comfort at all. "Just... remain.... strong." She decided to eat the food that was given. There was a lot of it, and it was all delicious.
She missed everyone. She wanted to see them. She wanted to run her hands in Clover's silky perfect fur, she wanted to joke around with Eamon, she wanted to ask Fiyero what soaps he liked, she wanted to kiss Seraphina. She wanted to go out and be a hero and serve justice. The loneliness in this deep dark cell was overbearing. "There's no escape, girl." A rattly voice echoed out, mocking and cruel. "You're stuck here, just like the rest of us. He'll sap our mana and then we'll die." Erika shook her head, cold and fever overtaking her brain. "No, he's my uncle! This is just a lesson! This is training! I'll be okay!" She laughed to try to prove that she wasn't scared, that she wasn't worried but as it echoed around the room it sounded manic and insane. "Sure, girlie." The rattly voice muttered ruefully.
When had she fallen asleep? When had she woken up? Why was Manfred here again so soon? Oh, she knew why! She was going to be set free now! "Yay! I was good, I sat here obediently, so I'm free to go now?" She looked hopefully up to Manfred's eyes. He had always been so protective of the three families, trying to keep them safe from the political turmoil. He always gave her good birthday presents, he was always so kind and nice. Victoire too, they always favored her in particular. "It's time for more training." Training? Manfred smiled as he unlocked the cell, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her, dragging her across the room. "Ow! It hurts! I can walk!" "Then break free and walk." He growled. She tried to cast a spell but the fear and confusion ruined her focus and so her mana nodes wouldn't cooperate.
"A good mage can stay calm no matter the situation." Manfred told her as she was strung up by the thread again. A hook manifested in his hands and Victoire smiled, sipping more of her favorite tea. "Do your best, dear. It's just so sad to see you like this, but this is the only way to make you powerful." Erika shook her head as she stared at the hook. "N-no! It's okay, I don't want to be strong anymore." She giggled as it drew closer to her, every second stretched out to feel like years. "Nonsense! With how much potential you have, it's your duty to become powerful!" An almost sympathetic smile came to his face. "I had to suffer this too, in order to unlock my true potential, my dear girl. So I know you can overcome if you just focus." Victoire nodded. "It took him two years in a cell but now he's the strongest mage in Min City!"
Two years? She had to - the hook embedded into her special spot, tearing at the most sensitive bits before it was torn free. A screech echoed in the room, but who was screaming? Was it her? Then it was healed again, healed over the hook. She tried to focus and channel the magic but only little wisps of shadow came out before the electricity from the threads rippled through her body. Her bladder released itself as the knife came down on her midsection, cutting open so that all her internal organs were on display. "Stay determined!" Victoire cheered as she twitched and thrashed. "Don't let him hurt you anymore!" The knife poked around inside her, each press years of agony. "You deserve better than this." Manfred told her sadly. "You have to be strong enough to save yourself from this pain." But every time she tried, her magic just fizzled out into nothing, what could she do? In the end, the second try was a failure and she was healed and thrown back into her cell.
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❝They say that cats are angels with whiskers.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#A4D3EE ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FFADB9】
|| In the Name of Love || Nightcore ||
Clover made her first mistake the next day, after making Sera's bed, she was serving the breakfast tray like she would normally do for Erika, whom Clover was missing terribly. The kitten had, had an awful time attempting to sleep and so she had been up most of the night, leading her to feel woozy while she was pouring morning tea, a sunny blend of green tea and strawberries. Clover swayed ever so slightly, the tea ending up in Seraphina's lap. The poor human screamed and Clover quickly stepped back, wondering what had happened when she felt white hot pain slice across her face. Clover reeled backwards, the teapot falling from her hands and onto the carpet. "Oh my gosh Clover, I'm so sorry!" Seraphina jumped to her feet, standing ovr the kitten.
For a moment, the two stayed in place; then slowly, Seraphina knelt down, lifting the teapot up, her hands shaking. "It's okay, Clover doesn't hurt," the kitten lied, using her apron to soak up most of the fallen tea. Sera was still looking at the teapot, no doubt realizing how much power she had. At long last, there was someone in the house she was stronger then, that she could discipline the way her parents did to her. "Master?" Clover asked, rising to her feet. "Clover will get you a new uniform," the kitten bustled off quickly, pulling out a new school uniform for Seraphina to wear. It was a relief to wave her off to school, the kitten's cheek still throbbing from the hit.
"Clover, it's time to switch gears." Lady Victoire clapped her hands twice, garnering the kitten's attention. "What is Clover doing today?" Lady Victoire smiled saucily, "we're going to the opening of an art gallery." Of course, that entailed dressing up in fancy clothing, the kitten getting spoiled by the Lady of the house, who seemed to see the human servant as more of a pet than anything. They rode in the fancy sports car, Fiyero staying behind today after supposedly inferring something cruel about the Lady and Lord Remington. Clover too, was beginning to see it the shadows lurking behind their falsely sunny dispositions. Clover could only hope that Erika truly was away from the house and out of the grip of these people.
The art gallery was at an old warehouse, the inside spruced up, as Lady Victoire said, "Very avante guard." Or at least, that's what Clover heard. The kitten went along with it, nodding her head and using the miniature record to collect Lady Victoire's thoughts as they walked through, Clover reaching out for samples from trays every now and then.
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❝To be a hero means to endure even when all you want to do is give in.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#007F03 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #B20070】
|| Need you Now || Lady Antebellum ||
There were no delusions this time. No kind uncle to remember, no gentle aunt to think of, only enemies. If she was going to break free, she was going to have to use magic, and maybe even kill them if she had to. She didn't want to, she absolutely didn't want to - but some things were necessary. "It's hopeless, just give up." The rattly voice in the cell next to hers said with a sort of self deprecating laugh. "Ain't no one's gettin out. Lord Manfred's the most powerful in the city, y'know?" Of course she knew. She was aware of this her whole life. "I have to... do something." A hero of justice shouldn't just stay in here forever, that was just silly. She couldn't just wait for the next bout of torture.
There was one method she knew of to get stronger. The threads weren't on her now so she could use her magic without getting shocked. The incantation Lord Manfred said as he cast the forbidden magic - she knew it off by heart. She could do it now if she wished, she could take rattle's mana and add it to her own and then become stronger, couldn't she? What was presumably morning came again and here was Lord Manfred, ready for another round of fun. "Victoire?" She asked and he shook his head. "She's, ah, busy at the moment. I don't have much time either, so I'm sorry for the inadequate training." He opened the cell and casted the thread again, trapping her mana nodes behind the electric current ready to spark. She glared at him but said nothing, knowing not to hope that just because Victoire wasn't gone.
And it wasn't anything fun at all. Being nailed to a wall by her hands and ankles was an experience she did not want to have again, especially being left there all day long. After what felt like years, and what was probably maybe two days, she was finally let down from the nailed wall by having them forcibly torn out before releasing her. "My dear, you must have felt neglected." Erika glared at the devilish couple, knowing that they were never going to let her go unless she could get her magic out. "Clearly pain isn't working on her." Manfred took a step back, allowing Victoire to heal her back up. "Humiliate her, my love. This is your expertise." Lady Victoire grinned like the slippery snake she was. "We're going to have such fun, Erika dear."
Victoire was an expert with her fingers and she knew exactly where to touch to make the heat spike up to near impossible lengths. She teased and touched and rubbed as deftly as anyone could imagine, but she knew how to make sure Erika was not allowed to go over the edge and achieve heaven. Humiliated yet craving release, Erika didn't know what to do. She did not like being touched like this. She did not like her body being manipulated so easily, betraying her in such a way. She would have rathered the pain, the torture - anything but this. For the next week Victoire knew precisely how to drive her closer and closer to the edge, but never letting her reach Heaven. "If you want release, you'll have to fight for it, girl." Victoire whispered, voice tickling her earlobes. "You know what to do."
The next time Victoire and Manfred entered the lab, they were treated to a surprise. It had taken a lot of convincing but in the end, Erika did it, she committed the sin. The sphere of mana was in her hand as rattle's life was stolen from him, just like that. "I'm sick of this!" She screamed, slamming her fist into the ground, waves of darkness bursting through the air like a surge of power. Four tentacles rose from her back, whipping and destroying everything around her. "You won't break me anymore!" Manfred grinned chillingly, snapping his fingers and causing the whole world to flip upside down. Distortion! Ignore it! Don't get distracted! "Come on, then, show that you can beat me."
Vanishing into shadows, Erika reappeared behind them, blades of shadow forming over her hands as she struck. A magical spear protected Victoire and Manfred raised his hand, slamming her into the ceiling, then back to the ground. She shrugged it off, stumbling back to her feet as terror and rage lead her blade to his throat. He knelt back to evade it and then kicked, hard, sending her into the wall. A blade of fire formed in his fist and he cut off both her legs at the knees. "Give in, you're nowhere near strong enough yet." So close, so close... but she couldn't win. "Th-then..." She began to cast the dark magic to absorb Victoire's mana when a fire whip struck her across the chest, taking the wind out of her. Magical gloves formed around her neck, crushing her neck until everything fizzled to black. "Heal her up, love." Manfred ordered his wife once the cute rebellion was done. "Of course. I can't wait for her to truly reach maximum potential."
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Something did not add up. No matter what Eamon said, there was no way Erika could be outside of Min City. There was a rare magic in Lady Rosemary that allowed her to know that it was impossible. She cast it on both her children after Estelle's disappearance, a spell to always tell her where they were at all times. So she knew for a fact that Erika was still inside the Remington Estate. "Eamon." She told her son, still too ill to leave the hospital just yet. "Tell Clover, and the two Remington children too. And... here." She passed a note to him. "What is it, mom?" He took it and his hands shook. "Why do you have the True Her - why do you know Estelle's contact information?"
"She came to visit a few days ago." Rosemary said with a gentle smile, one full of melancholy and regret. "Told me how to reach her if I ever needed her, because she feels she owes me one last favor." It was such a surprise to see Estelle walking in right as rain, as if she wasn't the one that had ruined the Harrington family. "She's probably the only one that can fight against Manfred right now, Eamon, so you have to get her help." Eamon knew what he was going to do, even if he hated it, he was going to have to rely on Estelle to save Erika. Under guise of a sewing session, he would gather the team, Alistair and Seraphina included. And of course, Clover.
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View All » Add Character » 14 Characters to follow in this universe
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Erika Harrington
"Please wait until available hours before needing a superhero."
Clover
"It's funny how you wake up each day and never really know if it will be the one that will change your life forever."
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Clover
"It's funny how you wake up each day and never really know if it will be the one that will change your life forever."
Erika Harrington
"Please wait until available hours before needing a superhero."
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Clover
"It's funny how you wake up each day and never really know if it will be the one that will change your life forever."
Erika Harrington
"Please wait until available hours before needing a superhero."
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459 posts · 14 characters present · last post 2018-07-17 23:55:02 »
Capitol City Owner: The_Queen
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