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Zinnia Evernight

0 · 3,197 views · located in The Kingdom

a character in “Denouement”, as played by The_Queen

Description



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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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[url=link to theme song]Theme song name | then artist[/url]




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FULL NAME
      Zinnia Sybille Evernight

NICKNAME(S)
      Zuzu, Syby

GENDER
      Female

AGE
      She appears to be 15

SEXUALITY
      Queer




"When the wolves begin to howl, wake me up, our time is now."




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HEIGHT
      She's a bit short, I'm afraid.

WEIGHT
      How rude!

HAIR COLOR
      Red, the most brilliant color a witch's hair can be.

EYE COLOR
      A crystalline, ocean blue.

SKIN TONE
      Porcelain, like a doll's.

GENERAL APPEARANCE
      How do most describe Zinnia? Small, but mighty. Red hair is usually the mark of a powerful witch and unfortunately, Zinnia was of no exception. Her parents, both brown haired, named her for the brightest and most exuberant flower that could grow in a garden. Zinnia, with elegant, delicate hands, had poor muscle tone growing up. She fatigued easily and the witches explained it as the power eating her alive. As such, Zinnia was trained at a much younger age to use magic. She grew stronger and began to thrive, but her weak muscle tone is the reason for her small stature. Still, her features are rather elegant. Long red hair, sparkling blue eyes, gorgeous porcelain skin, and a button nose give her a doll-like appearance.



"Mama, life has just begun, but now I've gone and thrown it all away."





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PERSONALITY
      Zinnia was always a bit lonely as a child. Her parents tried to raise her like a normal little witch, but from the start she had proven to be different and difficult. Zinnia would rather spend time drawing magical circles and learning to read runes than run around in the garden with the other children. When in school, Zinnia was quick to pick up on concepts, she was easy to teach and could do things other children's parents only dreamed of. A gifted witch, Zinnia was whisked away to a much larger village, where she was interned as an apprentice in a school for gifted witches. With weak muscle tone and difficulty keeping up with the other children, they made fun of her often. She was an outcast, but Zinnia had soon proven herself in her magical aptitude. Adept in her skills and confident in her abilities, Zinnia never really worries about what others think.

      At a young age, she managed to conjure a familiar during a kitchen accident with a knife. Blithe, her familiar, is the exact opposite of Zinnia. Tall, large busted, and protective, the nine tailed fox is more like a Mother to Zinnia than her true Mother ever was. Zinnia never minded though, her parents were distant and she preferred it that way. After all, if they hadn't pushed her out of the house, who knows what sort of potential would have been wasted? Zinnia is far from perfect though. She's sometimes awkward and closed off, she likes to spend time on her own and is largely flawed. Where her magical skills thrive, her social skills fall short.

LIKES
      Gardening || Flowers and herbs are an important part of a witch's life, Zinnia has a thriving garden that she helps tend to.

      Blithe || Her familiar, can come in fierce human form, or small and cute nine-tailed cat form.

      Nighttime || It is a comforting thing and Zinnia doesn't know why.

      Butterflies || They help the plants grow and are just magnificent to behold.

DISLIKES
      Humans || Like most witches, Zinnia detests that the humans pushed them away.

      Dark Magic || Dangerous and scary, Zinnia has promised that she will never learn the dark arts.

      Her parents || While she doesn't hate them, Zinnia has never exactly been on good terms with them.

      Broccoli || The most pointless of plants, Zinnia hates it.

TALENTS
      Elemental Magic || Zinnia's abilities thrive using elemental magic. She's far from mastered it, but has proven proficient in her skills.

      Conjuring || Blithe is evidence of this.

      Potions || Zinnia has already committed dozens of recipes by heart.

      Cooking || Well, potions and cooking go hand in hand really.

FLAWS
      Social Skills || Unfortunately, Zinnia is a bit awkward when it comes to conversing with others.

      Closed off || She lives a very private life. The only person that really knows her is her favorite teacher, the herbalist Professor Potsy.

      Memory || On full moons, Zinnia seems especially forgetful.

      Terrible Liar || Zinnia couldn't tell a lie if her life depended on it.

FEARS
      The Dark || For someone who loves nighttime so much, it's a bit silly.

      Deep water || Zinnia doesn't like not being able to see her own body.

      Sudden-and-loud sounds || Fireworks and the like are especially fear-inducing.

      Humans || Every witch learns to fear humans.

      Herself || On full moons, something strange happens that Zinnia has yet to figure out. The other witches surround her house and spend the evening chanting and no one will tell her why.



"Help me piece myself together, before I fall apart."





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FAMILY
      Mother || Anthia Gardenia Evernight || 35 || Alive
      Father || Figaro Tallum Evernight || 38 || Alive
      Familiar || Blithe || 638 || Alive

BIO
      From humble beginnings, Zinnia was born to the Evernight's in their green house out back. It was a full moon that night and something had possessed the child's body the moment she was born. The head of the Coven had been called to ward the beast off, but the effects were lasting. s a child, Zinnia was often sick. Her muscle tone was weak and she fatigued easily, the demon had done its due diligence and gifted Zinnia with great strength at a terrible price. Fearful of what might become of their child if she continued to weaken, they sent her off to a larger Coven, one that could take on the challenge that was their daughter. The village was the size of a city, Zinnia took up residence in a dorm, apprenticing at the academy with other gifted witches until she had exceeded their expectations and moved on to a true apprenticeship underneath the council's work study. It was during a conjuring incident that Zinnia was possessed once more, just like that fateful night under the full moon.

      The demon called itself Arum and was a fierce beast that would consume the magic of anything that came too close. Blithe was the only thing that kept Arum from taking Zinnia's soul for itself and chased the demon off. The Coven met and sealed the demon away inside of Zinnia, but with such powerful magic, it manages to slip out every full moon and must be kept under lock and key. They moved Zinnia to the edges of the city, telling her it was to study herbology and potions. They kept it secret from her, for when a vessel knows it is possessed, it is much easier for the demon to take over. Blithe, ever faithful, spends most of her time watching her human and alerting the council should any issue arise.

OTHER
      Answer here.




ⒸⓄⓅⓎⓇⒾⒼⒽⓉ ⓌⒶⓇⓃⒾⓃⒼ
Character Sheet by © Masquerade (Skye) DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

So begins...

Zinnia Evernight's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Zinnia Evernight Character Portrait: Yue Fan Xiang
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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




A Major in Offensive magic. Yue could already feel it coiling around her fingers in preparation for a tempest. The power of water and ice was ready to flow forth, it was clear what Yue's primary offensive spells would be based off of. Was it because she almost drowned in a river, or because components from Scylla and Charybdis were used to make her wand? Potions were apparently easy to learn and remember, and Yue knew for sure she didn't want to use her magic to hurt others. If it meant giving up a place where just maybe she could belong... she didn't want to ruin it. However.... the idea of using it to create justice - no, not justice. Yue wasn't a noble soul like that. No, she knew it was petty. But she knew she couldn't ever truly be happy if she didn't get revenge on those who hurt her.

And getting back at the traitor that sold her out to save herself.

"Once there was a mage who got lost in the between world." Rain said with a lick of the lips, reminiscing despite the sunny din of the Little Cup, where Yue slowly drank her warm lemon tea. "She called herself the Oracle, and she had really delicious mana. This was maybe four hundred years ago." The misty demon giggled, fluttering her bat wings and so Yue tugged on her tail, wanting her not to make a big scene and embarrass herself. "She told me, before I ate her, that divination was less about inaccurate futures but rather about seeing possibilities. You see a possible result of the future and can plan around it or try to make it come true or anything else." That sounded nice - Yue would have loved something like that in her past. She would have known who not to trust.

Not everyone could use Divination, it was one of the most difficult kinds of magic. But Ulrich had told Yue already that she had a Minor affinity in Divination, didn't he? "Don't forget my offer." Rain told her through their contract connection, protected from any usage of occlumency from an outside source. "I can teach you magic no one here knows about." Yue had to admit deep in her gut she felt an eager churning at that idea. How proud would Zinnia be of her if she was able to use some rare ancient magic? Yue could prove that she had the right to exist, to call herself a witch. If there was something special only she could do, Yue would be happy.

But of course before any enrollment into the unversity, the elephant in the room needed to be addressed. With a grim shrug of humiliation, Yue nodded. She would have to learn how to read so then maybe she wouldn't be so helpless. "Hey." Rain sidled up next to her, wrapping Yue's leg up with her tail. "She should probably learn to speak soon too." The misty demon snickered at the moon child's embarrassment. "Though isn't she kind of cute mute as she is?" Yue decided to ignore the jab and looked intently at Zinnia with respect and gratitude.

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Character Portrait: Zinnia Evernight Character Portrait: Yue Fan Xiang
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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




Yes, they would need to address Yue's lack of acute voice usability. "More than likely, your lack of voice is a direct result of the trauma you experience that put you in the river." Or at least, that was Zinnia's theory. "A simple spell won't solve this, the mind, in itself, is a magic of its own, the most complex type, I might add. Still, Zinnia wouldn't have taken on this job if she wasn't keen on figuring out how to fix Yue's voice. "I consulted several apothecaries, but none of them had ever heard of such an affliction." It wouldn't be the first time, Zinnia was well aware of their ineptitude towards long term illness. She had experienced it first hand, but didn't seem all that troubled by it. "Do not attribute this to any fault of your own," because well, it wasn't.

They had one more stop to make, but it would be relatively quick. Already the markets were dying down, the streets were much easier to navigate and Blithe fell into step behind the chair, guarding the handles just in case. The home they stopped in front of was small and unassuming with a sagging roof, heavy due to the flowers that sprouted on top of it. Zinnia rose from her chair, leaving it at the front entrance. "This way," she directed them, opening up the red door. The inside was large, the one floored hovel on the outside had multiple stories within, lined with books from wall to wall. In the center was a desk, a man sitting behind it, an ink and quill furiously writing beside him while he slept, a book propped open in his arms. "Mr. Sands," Zinnia whispered, indicating for the others to enter.

"Mr. Sands!" The man started, the book toppling out of his grip. A shot of green sparks leaped from his wand, stopping it from hitting the ground. Mr. Sands fumbled with his glasses, frantically looking around. At last he glanced downwards, the giant rising to his feet. "Well, if it isn't Zinnia! Finished those books already?" He asked, at least twice the height of Blithe. He The feather pen beside him quivered, dropping on top of the sheet of parchment. He glanced around Zinnia, towering over Yue and Rain. "And who are these? Friends of yours? I didn't know you had a human companion." Zinnia ran a hand through her hair and sighed, "I'm not as antisocial as Freya would have you believe." Mr. Sands chuckled, his wizened gray beard tickling his knees.

"This is Yue and her familiar, Rainarch. I've come here, to put it frankly, because Yue is afflicted with a rather curious illness. If anyone would have books on it, it would be you Mr. Sands," the man stroked his beard, looking down at Yue through his round spectacles that were perched on his nose. They were comically small in comparison to his stature. "What is this affliction you speak of?" He asked, glancing between the two witches. "Yue has lost her voice, I recall you once showing me a book that Sir Flammel wrote about curious hexes and their reversals. I was wondering if perhaps, I could borrow it?"

"Hmm, yes, well, let me see about that. Sir Flammel has retracted most of his collection from my library, but I can certainly see if I might have a copy on hand." The ground shook with each large step the giant took. To Zinnia and Yue, they would need a ladder to reach the tallest shelves. Mr. Sands, however, seemed to grow with each step, his head nearly bumping the ceiling. He flicked through shelf after shelf, shaking his head woefully. "I apologize Zinnia, I suppose you'll have to ask Sir Flammel yourself." Zinnia bit down on her lower lip, nodding in appreciation.

"That's alright, perhaps you can be of better assistance another time." She turned towards Yue, indicating that it was time to leave. Her parting words may have seemed rude, but even a giant was a member of the fae and you never wanted to thank a faerie.

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Character Portrait: Zinnia Evernight Character Portrait: Yue Fan Xiang
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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




According to Zinnia, the most likely culprit of her losing her voice was due to the trauma she suffered when she fell into the river. A mental trauma of course, nothing like physical injury or anything. Yue was frustrated - she wanted to be able to speak, to find private time on her own just to sing, to at least be able to hear her own voice again. But she couldn't do anything, let alone read runes and cast spells. Without a voice she would never be able to learn magic. "Don't fret so much." Rain said with a casual grin, shrugging her shoulders as she circled around her Master. "Yue's cute just the way she is, isn't she?" It was hard to decide what Yue felt about her familiar. While Zinnia and Blithe worked together like a married couple, Rain was somewhere between terrifying and comfortable.

Eyes wide open, shock clear on her face, Yue's jaw dropped to the floor when she saw the giant, apparently named Mr. Sands. "Oh, it's a giant." Rain snickered, for some reason she looked amused. "I drained one's mana once, it was really fun!" How much mana did a creature such as this hold? Yet Zinnia and Blithe seemed perfectly acquainted with the creature. He had a big bunch of books it seemed and as far as Yue knew... hopefully he was harmless. Still it did not stop her from clutching her wand in reflexive fear as he stared at her, trying to evaluate the problem. "Hey, eyes off! My cute Master belongs only to me, giant!" Rain snapped, standing in front of Yue, bat wings wriggling. "I may not be at full power yet, but once I get used to this puny form just you wait!"

In the end though Mr. Sands was of no help, only that he redirected them to a certain Sir Flammel who might be able to solve all their problems. Yue wondered if anyone would be able to help her, wringing her hands at Zinnia and Blithe in hopes of answers. There was a question and so Rain decided to of course bring it out into the open on the way home. "Master wants to know if there's any way to use magic without speaking." Rain said with a fiendish smile, eyes twinkling. "Us demons can, but I'm not up to date on you upper world people business."

Yue held her wand tight, trying to concentrate. She was frustrated and wanted to show that she could use magic without anyone's help. The one time she managed it was when she was given Rain's voice in order to make their contract. Yue shut her eyes and tried to focus. "Master." Rain poked her. "You probably shouldn't do that yet?" Yue ignored her, feeling useless. She wanted to be able to do something, anything. Maybe some people were looking at her, but she didn't care. She just wanted to make water splash out from her wand.

That wasn't what happened.

A piercing headache and then water exploded all over her, ripping a deep cut in her arm from the force of it. Yue let out a silent gasp of pain and confusion. Why did this happen? What was going on? "Master, I told you not to! Especially out on the street like this!" Clothes dripping wet with a deep arm cut Yue felt even more useless than ever. When would she ever be able to use magic? Her eyes welled up, tears threatening to form.

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Character Portrait: Zinnia Evernight Character Portrait: Yue Fan Xiang
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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




Zinnia sat back in her chair, the library was magical of course, which was why she had been able to stand up unassisted for so long. She sighed as they headed out, keeping Yue within close range. "Sir Flammel can be... hard to reach. I'll speak to Freya about arranging a meeting with him." It was frustrating, no doubt, for Yue to be unable to communicate. It was just as frustrating for Zinnia to be unable to figure out the complexities of Yue's case. They were on the path to return home when Yue stopped and brandished her wand, her expression furious. "Yue-wait!" Zinnia turned, water bursting from the tip of the young witch's wand. However, she failed to cast a proper spell. The water soaked her, a cut forming on Yue's forearm.

Zinnia's chair flew backwards, Blithe acting as a barrier to protect her. She shook the water off, the liquid relatively harmless. Zinnia rolled forward, heaving a sigh. Cuts like this were easy to heal, at least. "There are certain magics you can use without words, spell casting, however, is not one of them. The reason demons and familiars can do it is due to their nature, their mana flows differently from ours, therefore, it is easier for them to cast spells without speaking. Witches, however, cannot." Zinnia pulled out her wand, zipping up the cut and wrapping it in cloth. "There, you might be wet, but at least you're no longer bleeding. Come, let's return home," it wouldn't do to stand sopping in the square, Yue might catch a cold.

As soon as they reached the house, fire leaped into the hearth to warm the room up. "Sit in front of the fire, Rainarch, go fetch your Master some new clothes. Blithe, prepare some tea." Zinnia parked her chair in the green house and floated inside, going straight to the bookcase. "When I was younger, I managed to get my hands on one of Flammel's books. I was too young to commit it to memory, but I did manage to copy a few notes down on some particularly tricksy hexes." The book opened up, the pages turning on its own. Zinnia went into the study and dragged out a large cauldron, placing it on the fire. "While I don't believe you've been cast with a hex, I do think that drawing out the memories can allow you to sort out the trauma and perhaps give us a clue to fixing it."

"Potions are a form of magic one can practice without words. Healing magic, like salves and such, as well. Occlumency doesn't use words, but rather thoughts, divination, however, depends on key words. Nature magic as well, as you've seen from your display in the square." The book set itself on the floor in front of them. Zinnia rolled up her sleeves, red hair flowing behind her as she moved about the room, floating like a pixie as she whisked from shelf to shelf, procuring ingredients. Blithe appeared from the kitchen, toting a tray with several tea cups and a pot, still bubbling with hot water.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Zinnia Evernight Character Portrait: Yue Fan Xiang
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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




Image


ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




Yue stood there shivering both from cold from water and from embarrassment not to mention the never ending chill down her spine thanks to the contract with Rain. The bat looked at her with a mix of pity and alarm. "Master, don't hurt yourself! It means there'll be less mana for me to suck tonight!" Because even though Zinnia was elegant cleaning the wound and healing it with magic, it would still cost mana in order to really fix the injury on all levels. "You need to take better care of yourself!" She fretted as Zinnia finished wrapping up Yue's arm but she was still humiliated after her failure. "The new witch failed!" She faintly heard in the distance. "What a mistake!" Was even her wand disappointed in her? Why couldn't she do anything right?

Sitting by the fire with Rainarch rubbing her shoulders in a gentle massage, Yue listened to Zinnia's words and advices. Zinnia seemed like such a delicate veteran that knew so much about magic. Yue wanted to know too, but there was a clear barrier in the way. It wasn't even an elephant in the room, it was just that she was unable to speak. "Exactly." Rain said softly, voice tickling her ears from behind. "You have to get your voice back." The bat demon still was weak compared to what she was able to do, yet still even she was stronger than Yue right now. The new witch clutched her wand even harder, as if if trying to cling to some semblance of power. She needed to learn, and then she would make them pay. She mouthed a thanks to Zinnia, both for helping with her arm as well as teaching her about the different types of magic. Her affinity for offensive nature magic as well as divination would both require usage of speech.

So Yue knew what her next step for becoming a strong witch would be.

After tea finished warming her up a little Yue retreated to her room to change back into her pajamas. Rain went with her of course because privacy meant nothing anymore. "Wait for tonight." Rain said, licking her lips after the door was shut and Yue began to strip off her outer wear. "The moon will be full and then I can temporarily regain part of my old power. Blithe too, will be stronger tonight." It was clear something dangerous would be going on, that was why they had the droughts of protection earlier today. "After learning some potions from Zin-Zin, there's something that we need to do."

Yue still remembered her terrifying time when she was accidentally taken to the in between plane between here and Hell. It was not a fun time for her, and no doubt if it wasn't for Rain eating her dreams each night she would be reliving that experience every time she closed her eyes. For that, she was thankful to her demon. She held Rain's hand, trying to ignore how cold it was, how inhuman it felt. Even her skin felt odd, glossy almost to the touch. Rain didn't seem to mind or notice either.

"I'll temporarily regain some of my power." Ran promised with a smile, eyes eager. "I can give you your voice back, Master."

Setting

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Character Portrait: Zinnia Evernight Character Portrait: Yue Fan Xiang
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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




"Goodnight," Zinnia watched her leave, going up the stairs to retreat to bed. It was probably for the better, to stay out of the way. Zinnia stirred the potion once clockwise and thrice counterclockwise. She had to let it bubble overnight, it would be ready in the morning. Some potions were more complex than others of course, there were potions that could only be made on the full moon and others once a year, or during a natural event. Outside, the sun had fallen, night had come, and Zinnia felt oddly... fearful of what was to come. She could never remember it, she did not know what transpired during these full moon traipses, it was almost like an out of body experience. With the witching hour it would come, whatever it was, but Zinnia would make herself busy until then.

Blithe supplied snacks, sitting in the pool of moonlight that gathered just inside of the window. She was gathering mana of course, strengthened by the full moon. "You should rest you know," Zinnia supplied uselessly, knowing full well that her familiar did not need sleep, not in the same way a human did. "I'm fine Zin-Zin," Blithe replied, opening up one eye. Zinnia was kneeling on the floor, red hair falling in a halo around her. "It's long you know, you should cut it sometime." Blithe teased and Zinnia bristled, defensively twirling a lock around her finger. "Never," her hair was precious to her, vibrant, a powerful shade. "I'm only kidding, of course," Blithe crawled across the floor, sitting behind her Master, running her fingers through the silky locks in order to braid it.

"They'll be here soon," by they, Zinnia meant the Elders of course. They would stand vigil outside of the home, a magic circle to keep whatever it was locked inside. As the clock began to tick towards midnight, Zinnia swallowed hard. "I suppose I should attempt to sleep," she rose, feeling strengthened by the full moon. Still, like a doting mother, Blithe took her by the arm and led Zinnia upstairs. "I'm fine Blithe, no need to worry," Blithe shook her head in response. "You should save that strength you know, you'll need it." Zinnia turned away, her cheeks flushing a shade similar to her hair. She changed into her pajamas and lay down on her bed, Blithe promising she would get some rest. In truth, she awaited just outside of the door, both to guard her Master and to make certain Rainarch wasn't up to anything nefarious.

Zinnia closed her eyes, the clock on the wall ticking loudly. At midnight the bell tolled and pain shot through her body, her toes feeling as though they had been doused in fire. Zinnia felt as though she were choking, the breath stolen from her body. Her eyes flew open, a keyhole appearing on her forehead. An inky blackness traveled up her arms and legs, clinging to her skin, as though she had doused them in a basket of coal powder. Her eyes shot open, their color having changed to an icy purple. "It hurts!" She screamed, an invisible hand sliding over her mouth. "Someone, help me!" The sound was muffled, her voice ripped from her body, Zinnia no longer herself.

A laugh echoed in the otherwise empty room, the silence of night bearing down upon her. "Finally!" The creature flung itself from the bed, stopping short in front of a mirror. "Quite an ugly thing, aren't you? Oh well, this vessel will do!" It moved towards the window, the curtains wafting in the breeze. "Drat, they're here already aren't they? Well, see if you can stop this!" Blackness as dark as space began to drip from its fingertips, it laughed as the keyhole widened, a third eye appearing, glowing in the darkness. "Take this you witch!" The darkness darted towards Freya, who deflected it, the barrier already set up.

The creature hissed, its voice rattling the windows, rattling the doors, and scaring the animals that resided in the roof. Even the nymphs and dryads that normally frolicked in the garden knew to stay well away on a full moon. "You dare attempt to confine me! I will abolish you!" Books began to fly, pillows were shredded in rage, the creature attempted to exit the home through the windows, but was unable to, the barrier sending sparks of pain whenever the creature touched it. "Release me from this prison! You dare attempt to harm me!"

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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




The full moon loomed above them in the dark dreary sky above. Rain took in a deep breath, knuckles tight as her fists were clenched. "It's time, Master. Are you ready?" Dark energies floated about the place, invading the house, Yue was grabbed by Rain to make sure none of them touched her. "You see it, don't you?" The zigzagging shadows that kept entering through nooks and crannies terrified Yue, bringing her an aura of fear. Yue didn't want them here. Still, was it by reflex or by instinct, but whichever it was, she grabbed hold of her wand. "That's right. You want to try to fight them, don't you?" All the shadows seemed to be converging onto a single point. What was happening? "We call it the Harrowing." Rain sounded almost thirsty as she spoke, and her presence in their contractual connection seemed to be growing.

That was when Yue heard the screams. With a rush she burst out of her room to find something very, very wrong with Zinnia. Freya had come as well to try to fight it. "Possession." Rain explained to poor Yue who had no idea why her mentor was screaming and in pain. "No... that's not posession. Something nasty is sealed inside of her, that's what I sensed that day." Rain grinned with satisfaction like a child who had just completed a difficult puzzle that had been giving them trouble. Yue's eyes widened in panic and alarm. What could she do, why was this happening? "Do you know how to stop this and save your Teacher?" Rain's eyes were gleaming as the two watched the carnage. "Just do as I say, but first..."

Rain bit into Yue's throat, her claws scratching him her Master's back and thighs, sucking a heavy amount of that delicious mana from its host. Exhausted and drained Yue almost fell over but then Rain kissed her, transferring a strange something. "Some call this demonic energy. Others call it similar to dark magic. But I think I released the mental block on your voice, Master." Rain told her internally through their connection. "I...." It almost felt weird to hear it again after so long. "I can... speak...?" Well she was going to need if it she was going to help her teacher.

Yue ran straight at the demon to hug it in a tight embrace, trying to hold Zinnia down as best as she could so that the demon possessing it wouldn't be able to safely get away. "St-stop! Please, just stop." She focused on the magical energy given to her. Dark magic or not, she didn't care, as long as it stopped the Harrowing. Freya was here but Rain promised to block the signal of dark magic so that it wouldn't be connected. "Vinculum Constrata." Yue whispered as dark chained appeared, not physical chains but mental ones, locking both Zinnia and the demon's souls away from the host body. It was temporary but this way they wouldn't be able to hurt anything anymore.

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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




Chains snaked from the tip of a wand, made of shadow, they slithered to surround the creature. It grinned, sharp teeth glaring menacingly in the darkness. "Pathetic, it thinks it can stop us." With a flick of the hand, the chains disappeared. "What are you doing!?" Blithe screamed, grabbing Yue and pulling her from the room and to safety. "Don't pass the barrier!" Outside, Ulrich and Drake had appeared, adding to the magic circle that surrounded the house. There was a reason Zinnia lived out here, she had known there was a problem in her body, she had chosen this location to make certain no one would be hurt should it get loose. "The Elders have it under control, there's nothing we can do. We just have to... let it play its course," Blithe explained.

She blinked, the nine tailed fox coming upon a revelation. "You... you spoke?! You spoke! Yue! You did it!" This was no time to celebrate though, the door banged down, "It's aware of your presence now. Rainarch, we can't cross the barrier without breaking it an risking releasing the creature. We need to protect Yue," fox fire leaped into her fingertips, dancing across her palms. There had been several attempts to purge the creature from her Master, but exorcisms were incredibly painful and took a toll on the body. Outside, Drake and Rainier's presences were announced with a puff of smoke, their voices adding to the mix of spells fortifying the house. "Zinnia gave you those potions to essentially make you invisible to its awareness, but you've revealed your presence, the potion is useless now." Blithe lit the flames, setting the door alight. It did not burn, however, even as the blue fire danced. "It won't be able to cross this barrier, I don't think."

Inside, the creature howled. Yue's spell had sent the beast into a tizzy, its third eye glowing, hair whipping about the room as it attempted to escape the confines of the four walls. It picked a pillow, shredding it to bits, sending feathers flying in every direction. Clearly, the creature wasn't happy with being confined to this little room, it wreaked havoc on the bed frame, threw the bed across the room, attempting to quench the flames and escape the space. "You will not confine us!" "It will eat your mana if it catches you," Blithe warned, adding more flames. She grit her teeth, Zinnia wouldn't be happy when she woke up to find her room destroyed.

"I think we've just made it angry," her tails swished anxiously. "Maybe you two should go downstairs?" Zinnia hadn't planned for this, she hadn't told Blithe what to do in case Yue magically got her voice back and attempted to cast a spell to bind her. Yue didn't even know how to use magic, where did she pull a spell like that out of?! Blithe wasn't certain, but she knew that she had to protect them at all costs.

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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




Just as quickly as the bind landed it was cast off with no effort. "Tch." Rain snapped, pulling Yue away from the thrashing Zinnia demon. "It's not your fault, you just aren't strong enough yet." The bat demon stood between Yue and the possessed Zinnia with a protective stance. "R-rain? What's happening?" Yue didn't know what to do, and her legs were numb with how much mana she had given to her familiar so she fell helplessly to her knees. "If I was at full power this would be easy." Rainarch sighed as if this was all just a bother, her wings enlarged and her pupils became more slit like, hair growing out with a misty foam. And then Blithe arrived with her fluffy heroism, pulling the two away from Zinnia, out of the barrier locking Zinnia inside.

Blithe was congratulating Yue but really she didn't do anything. "Rain did it, not me." She twisted her hands sullenly, looking down at the ground as Rain helped support her and keep her standing on her feet. They wouldn't be able to fight the demon off, they had to rely on the Elder Council to simply keep it under control until the time passed. "It's not that strong." Rain insisted, seeming somewhat disappointed. "Me and my siblings used to fight stronger in the in between world." Of course, Rain was nowhere near her full power at the moment and it could only be wondered how strong the demon sealed inside Zinnia would be if it were allowed to roam free in the in between world - or worse, in Hell.

Yue's voice had only been restored thanks to one thing - Rainarch's demonic energy. The dark magic flowing in her chest removed the block but the moon child knew that if Rain were to remove that energy her voice would once again be taken from her. "Fighting is tiring anyways. Let's go hide." Rain agreed with a satisfied nod. Yue wasn't so sure but she knew she was in no position to try to save Zinnia. For now it was best to just leave it to those who understood the situation rather than just some newbie witch who knew no magic in the least. "Wait, but -" Rain fell silent, but Yue felt the slight worry transmit through to her. Because of the dark magic Rain had casted in their room, that demon could harness the residue left behind and-

That was when the barrier broke, sending Rainier backwards from the force of the burst of seismic energy. Yue felt a chill as the foreboding power of the demon chained inside her mentor was now free of the barrier. "We have to make a stronger barrier." Freya grit her teeth as she announced the problem. "But it'll take us a few minutes so Blithe, Rainarch you two will have to hold it down for the time being." Someone else arrived then, Ulrich, the last of the elders to come to the scene. He put his hands on Yue's shoulders as Rain groaned, becoming her misty bat form rather than humanoid in order to try and fight. "Is this my fault-" Ulrich smiled at her and shook his head. What did that mean? Without a word he joined Freya, Rainier, and Drake's side to help cast the stronger barrier. Until it was ready, Blithe and Rain would have to keep the sealed demon from hurting anyone.

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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




While the monster ragged against them, Zinnia slept, dormant within in her own soul. When the sunrise came, she would have no idea what had happened during the evening. Now, however, it was close to 2 AM, a few hours from sunrise. The creature had at last broken free of the barrier, bursting through the blue flames with fervor. "We will not be held back!" It hissed, eyes glowing as mana gathered in it's palm. "Look out!" Blithe shouted, pushing Yue and Rainarch away from the blast that came towards them. "Go, go to the garden!" The Elder Council was waiting out there, there were two more barriers in place, the one Blithe had set up was relatively weak. Thankfully, the Elders would know what to do.

You're going to leave me one day too, when I have nothing else left to offer. Zinnia's words rang in Blithe's mind. Her Master needed her and she could do nothing to help, nothing except hold down the fort and protect Yue. "It won't hurt you," Blithe grit her teeth. The Elders would reestablish a stronger barrier, it seemed tonight's full moon was more powerful than they had anticipated. "Rainarch, help me," Blithe grit her teeth. Perhaps two against one would be a bit more fair. In all her years, Blithe did not recognize the beast that possessed Zinnia, but maybe Rainarch could identify it? No doubt it was something ancient, older then the both of them no doubt. "The heart is a muscle too," the creature grinned. Blithe did not understand what that meant, but she knew she was going to contain this creature.

"We can't kill it," Blithe explained to Rainarch, who was no doubt thirsting for a bight, her pajamas burning away, turning into clothing. "Not without killing Zinnia too," that was the last thing the demon needed, for her Master to perish and for her to return to hell. Sure, she was one of the generals and all that, but Blithe had never enjoyed the life of kill or be killed. While there were many demons that did and Blithe did not shy away from violence, she enjoyed her peaceful life on earth, plus, the food was to die for. In order to form a barrier, they would need to make a seal. Foxes and bats were naturally crafty creatures, so preparing a seal would be no problem. The issue was, they needed blood, human blood. "Yue, can you bite your finger hard enough to draw blood?" Blithe asked as she drew the runes on a napkin, the only thing she had in her pockets.

Sure, she could conjure up swords and fire, but paper? That wasn't one of her specialties. "There's only one type of seal I know and for that, we'll need the beast's name." It had been so many years, so many moons, and Blithe had never learned it. The beast refused to tell anyone. Maybe, just maybe, because it did not know Yue, they could get her to prod it out of the creature? "Yue, do you think you could to it?"

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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




Rainarch, Fang of Teranos, was one of the three Legendary Beasts of Teranos, a location of great fame that rested in between dimensions. It was a place of both battle and beauty, a dark sky full of crystal and water. A sea of crystal sky that only the most powerful had any right to see. Rainarch was strong, but she knew there were other Legendary Demons as well. Rain was a lover of abducting sleeping souls and bringing them across the barrier. Those in comas or otherwise ill were at risk of being stolen from Rain, who was able to pull the into the in between, where she could drain them of mana bit by bit but keep them alive as well. It was fun - but it was cruel as well.

Not that a demon like Rain cared about cruelty or kindness.

The four Elders were here to create the stronger barrier to constrain the demon while Blithe and Rain were delegated to dealing with the demon until then. "St-stay safe." Yue compelled the two demons to not get hurt for this mission. "But don't ... don't let Teacher get hurt either." Rain nodded, becoming a smaller version of her bat form Yue had first encountered back in the in between. "Hey, don't get the wrong idea." Rain snarled, her voice more guttural and bestial than the admittedly cute chirp she had as a humanoid. "I don't like fighting, I only like if it I know it'll be an easy win." Rain was a lazy demon - she preyed on weak victims if she could chose to, and avoided fights that were more risky. Sure she was very powerful but she didn't like having to test her limits if she could avoid it.

Yue bit into her hand without hesitation. She was no stranger to pain, something like this was of no consequence. She gnawed, trying to draw blood but she didn't have the jaw strength for it. "Agua Rega." Rain instructed and Yue nodded, grasping her wand and shutting her eyes. She tried to remember what happened earlier today, she tried to bring forth that same water magic she felt. "A-Agua Rega!" An explosion of crystal sparkling water burst out, slashing like a whip against her left arm, creating a serrating cut. The water dissipated as it hit the blue flames and now her arm was leaking blood again. "H-here." Yue panted, feeling even more tired than before, coldness settling in her spine. "Why did you do that though?" Rain asked, confused. "I coulda just bit you." She was casting protective spells to block the fires but they wouldn't hold forever. Yue blushed a little. "U-um, I just wanted to cast a spell, really.." Rain sighed, rolling her eyes. "Be careful with your blood. It's precious, so it's more powerful as an ingredient than most mages' blood."

Blood was wiped onto the napkin with runes drawn by Blithe. "Okay." Rain growled, hovering protectively behind Yue. "If it tries to hurt you I'll make sure you stay safe." Rain recognized the demon but she couldn't remember the name, all she knew was that stories were told of this demon in the past, though not so much in recent decades. "Demon." Yue had never been brave, but she knew how to keep her cool when it was time for her to act. Otherwise she'd never have been able to kill. She opened her arms wide to show there was no intent to harm. "Who are you? Um, why are you inside my Teacher?"

"If there's something you want, I can offer it and you can leave my Teacher." If a forceful exorcism wouldn't work, what about trying to negotiate and barter with the demon?

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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




The creature knew what they were trying to do, they were trying to trap it again. The beast was not going to let that happen again, it would not allow these demons to keep it confined much longer. It cackled, the laugh stretching up the length of its spine, shaking its hair as it moved. "We will escape!" It bellowed, grinning menacingly. It crept forward, slowly, knowing that the demons could not keep them in place. It would escape, whether it was this full moon or the next, they could never keep a beast held captive for long. "We will take revenge for what the humans did to us!" Eyes still glowing, it continued to press forward, pushing them towards the barrier. It could find a crack, a chink, something to release it and allow it to kill all those that had done this to them.

It already had a strong vessel, it had already taken this body as its own. It just needed to escape, then it could become strong, it could take the body for itself. One of the humans flattened out its arms, holding them out wide, attempting to show it that the human had no ill intentions. The creature sniffed, years of this and no one had ever bothered to ask it its name. How did they think it felt? Fellow demons, refusing to recognize it was one of their own. "Our name is Acacia," its third eye blinked, seemingly independent of the rest of the beast. It called the vessel Teacher, the beast knew that wasn't right, the vessel's name was not Teacher. Unless it meant that the vessel was it's teacher?

Inky blackness dripped from its fingers, "Yue, watch out!" Blithe screamed as the blackness began to move in razors, Blithe quickly scribbled the name, throwing the seal at the demon. "Rainarch, get Yue out of the way!" Blithe yelled. The seal aimed for the creature, attaching to its forehead. Chains began to burst forth from the napkin, wrapping itself around Acacia's limbs. The beast struggled against it, these could not hold it forever! "I'll bring her inside." Rainarch offered, stepping forward now that they had set up another, stronger barrier. "You three should stay out here," Rainarch lifted the beast by the back of its shirt and dragged it back inside of the house. It struggled and strained against him, attempting to escape. "I'll go with you," Freya offered.

"Ulrich, Drake, check over the three of them." Freya followed him inside, Blithe watched them go as Drake walked forward, seeming to shed sparks. The door closed behind them, they were supposed to stay out here and while Blithe and Rainarch didn't need rest, Yue certainly would have to sleep eventually.

"Release us! You cannot bind us forever!" Acacia gnashed its teeth, clearly displeased. "Why did you possess Zinnia?" Freya asked, feeling responsible, Zinnia was her apprentice after all. "This vessel is strong, we have sought strength for thousands of years, trying to find a host that can contain us." Rainarch knelt closer, "Acacia, the name isn't familiar. I'll have to do more research."

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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




Revenge for what the humans did? "We aren't humans, we're mages." Yue said softly, somehow having an odd sense of kinship with this strange demon who had infested her teacher. Not enough to truly sympathize, but enough to feel a sense of solemnity in her heart. If there was anyone who understood the desire for revenge, it was the moon child. "But I was hurt by humans too. Revenge... sounds like it would be well deserved." No one here knew the cruelty of humans better than Yue did, except perhaps the demon inside of Zinnia. Eventually a name was extracted, it revealed itself to be called Acacia. "That's a nice name. My name is Yue." Was it a mistake to tell a demon her real name? Possibly. But Yue was a fool and it was too late to take it back now.

But despite her attempt to bond with the demon to find common ground, in the end it didn't matter as Acacia prepared an attack with its inky blackness. Yue jumped back, falling onto her back, but was coordinated enough to roll backwards onto her feet. As someone trained since childhood in combat, something like this was easy for her. "That was risky, but you got her name. Now Blithe's seal can go through." Rain told her with a pleased grin. "Balls to the wall, but we did it good." Yue had to agree - she was willing to take a risk if it meant helping the Teacher who had done so much to help her so far. At first Yue thought Teacher and Blithe were simply new Masters to torture and torment her but now the lost mafia girl trusted that they truly meant well.

Yue loved being able to pay back, whether in revenge or affection, she would not leave anything unpaid. "Let's get out of here." Rain pulled Yue out of the way of the seal, and Acacia began to thrash and seize but it was too late, the strengthened barrier had been completed. "You did well." Ulrich said to her with a wink. "I might like to see more of what you can do, little one." Yue blinked, unsure what to do or say. How could a newbie like her ever live up to the expectations of a seasoned Elder? Blithe began asking Acacia questions and it became clear that Acacia had no intention of leaving Zinnia.

"Is Zinnia a pure blood?" Rain asked suddenly. Yue was confused and tilted her head, not really knowing what pure blooded meant other than in some books written about witches and wizards at a school. "Pure Blood means a direct descendant from the Original Mage." Freya explained. "They have the strongest potential for magic, and demons are most attracted to them." Yue shivered, hoping that she wasn't one. "Don't worry, if you turned out to be Pure Blooded I already claimed you, most demons wouldn't dare trying to lay claim to a Teranos's property!" Yue wasn't sure if that was reassuring or not.

"Rain, can you use Occlumency to ask Acacia a question?" Rain nodded, happy to oblige, leathery wings flapping. "Hey, you. If we offered to take revenge on the humans too, would you eventually release Zinnia from your possession?" Rain grinned, looking directly at her fellow demon. "I'm one of the Teranos siblings, so you know I'm good on my word, Acacia."

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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




Blithe turned towards Rain, who had made an inquiry as to whether or not Zinnia was a pure blood. "Through and through," Blithe replied with a nod. "This was something Zinnia has been afflicted with since childhood," every full moon the monster would come out and when the sun rose, it would tuck away once more, releasing Blithe's Master from her possession. They were close now, a couple of hours until the sun would poke its head above the horizon and shine down on their faces. "I could sense it as soon as the blood was drawn for our contract." Blithe licked her lips at the memory, the enticing amount of mana and her pride, bellowing her to defeat the mage, despite the fact that she was just a babe. It was that day that had made Zinnia's parents realize she was too powerful to remain in their village.

Acacia's head perked up, Rainarch, that blasted demon, was speaking in its head. "No," Acacia replied stubbornly, Freya and Rainier paying the creature no mind. "We will take this body as our own and see our revenge through ourselves." It hissed, knowing that time was running out. The sun had begun to rise, a new day, a new dawn. Acacia screamed as the night faded, its grip on Zinnia slipping. Freya jumped forward, waiting for the keyhole on Acacia's forehead to disappear completely before releasing the seal. Zinnia had returned once more, her pallor pale. "I'll brew some tea," Rainier offered, leaving the room as Freya cast a spell to return the room to proper order. "Inform the others they may return and get some rest." Rainier nodded, taking his leave to go see to it that Yue was faring well.

Zinnnia blinked, coming to. The sun had barely risen, she had no memory of the evening's events. "I've failed again, haven't I?" Zinnia inquired as Freya lifted her, placing her on the bed. Zinnia draped an arm over her eyes in shame. They had returned to their normal color, the oil slick that had covered them before having long disappeared. "Yes," Freya replied. "It is of no consequence, Zinnia, we'll exorcise the beast eventually." Zinnia nodded, feeling weak after the ordeal. It was normal of course, having one's body possessed by a monster was energy draining. The only reason that Blithe didn't feel the effects was due to the full moon. "It was a mistake to bring Yue into my home, I was reckless, I endangered her life."

Rainier entered, a tray floating in front of him, a teapot pouring what smelled like chamomile and elder flower into a ceramic cup. "Sugar?" He asked and Zinnia nodded, a spoon moving of its own accord to pick up a scoop of sugar and dump it into the cup, mixing and tapping the excess off of the side. Freya assisted her into an upright position and Zinnia clutched the cup with both hands, the warmth bleeding into her skin. "Yue fared well on her own," Rainier replied, the tray floating onto the desk. "In fact, I think you would be rather proud of all she has accomplished."

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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




Despite the combined attempt by Yue and Rain to at least make peace with Acacia, the demon had no interest in them. "But all these years and you still haven't escaped. You need help, because you still haven't broken free yet." That was the last thing Rain would tell Acacia before the full moon ended and the morning sun began to rise. Zinnia returned to them, to everyone's relief this month's Harrowing came to an end. Yue waited patiently until Blithe and Zinnia finished their moment before the moon child gave her teacher a hug at Blithe's cue. It was a hug of relief and of concern. Hopefully Yue could become a strong enough mage to be able to get Acacia out of Zinnia one day.

"That was scary." Yue decided to speak, not wanting to leave Zinnia in the dark about her new ability to speak. It wasn't of her own power, and it wasn't because she in particular worked hard to regain it. Truly this was just her borrowing Rainarch's dark magic to speak again. Whatever stole her voice was still in effect otherwise. "But you're back now. I'm okay, and now you are too." There was a tickling in the back of her mind. "You're still weak, Master. You can't save your Teacher yet." Her bat wings wiggled as once again the offer was made. "All you have to do is learn from me, then you can be strong. A magic no one else can use." Yue was no idiot, she knew what this offer was. And however tempting it was to learn Dark Magic, she didn't want to be cast out of Constantina and be labeled as evil, ruining her only chance of having a home.

Ulrich coughed to clear his throat. "Yue has shown she has great potential, Zinnia." The pale and sickly looking Elder spoke, taking a seat on a tree log outside the main house. "I hope you teach her our language well and have her ready to enroll at the University by the end of Summer Vacation." Yue looked hopefully at Zinnia - was it possible she too could quickly learn how to be strong? There was so much she wanted to do with her newfound power, so much she could accomplish with just a flick of a wand and a few words spoken. Her wand itself was brimming with power, a nervous energy and a desire for strength could be sensed coming from it's core.

Rain shut her eyes, her wings becoming smaller, eyes returning to normal, fangs shortening, claws becoming human and proper again. "Aww, my power boost is gone." The bat demon complained, stamping her feet on the ground. Freya was looking at her curiously but for whatever reason, no one was able to discern. "Did I do okay, Rain?" Yue asked, wanting validation from her familiar. Rain snickered, tail wagging. "You need to be fine tuned, you're like a strong ore that wasn't worked on yet. A diamond in the rough." But there was definite possibility just waiting to be mined out, wasn't there?

To the rising sun, Yue realized that the idea of revenge might not just be a silly childish dream anymore. Maybe she could finally burn that place under the flood of her raging waters.

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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




Zinnia felt sleepy, even as she sipped at her tea. Her priority of course was to make certain that Yue was alright before she could rest and so, Zinnia grabbed her wand from the bedside table when Freya had her back turned, speaking to Drake and Rainier. "I'll be back," Zinnia mumbled, casting the spell to make her float. She drifted from the bed and through the doorway, the damage already swept up by the Elders. Ulrich was still outside, speaking to Yue when Zinnia approached. Blithe ran forward, her tails swishing in concern. "Zinnia! You shouldn't be out of bed!" Zinnia gave a weak smile, waving. "I'm alright, no need to make a fuss." She had to check on Yue, her house guest was her priority. "I swear, sometimes you're too polite for your own good." Ulrich crossed his arms, joining the others within Zinnia's home to give them some semblance of privacy.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Zinnia inquired, taking in her state. There was a bandage wrapped lackadaisically around one arm, "Did I do this?" Zinnia asked in concern, taking the arm gently in her own. Her hands shook as she unwrapped the bandage, the wound was a clean cut. "Let me fix it," Zinnia insisted. "No," Blithe grasped Zinnia's hand, "I'll fix it. I'm the one that asked her to do it," she smiled, gently nudging her Master away. Fire lit across her finger, Blithe ran it down the length of the cut. "This might tickle," she warned, then glared at Rainarch, who should have shown enough concern to heal her master.

Zinnia's head jerked up when Yue spoke, surprise written clearly across her expression. "How?" The young witch blinked and floated in a circle around her student. Her expression darkened, "This is Rainarch's doing, isn't it?" Blithe had just finished wrapping the wound, clearly she didn't want to get involved considering her silence. "Yes, I'm fine, this only happens during the full moon. Once the sunrises, so does the possession. I'm sorry Yue, I should have explained this better." Zinnia flipped a strand of orange hair over her shoulder. "I suppose borrowing a bit of Rainarch's power to speak won't harm you much for the time being."

Ulrich coughed, clearing his throat in the doorway. Zinnia nodded in understanding, "So you intend to be her sponsor?" A sponsor was someone who backed an entry into the university, testifying for them, essentially. When Zinnia first entered, she had none. There was no one to recommend her, in fact, she had simply marched into the Dean's office and demanded entry into the school. Zinnia was beginning to feel faint once more, her energy stores were gone. Blithe caught her with one of her tails, her Master as limp as a rag doll. "I'm... alright," she whispered, fighting sleep.

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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




The door was shut, no light brimmed through except that from the small hanging light bulb from the ceiling, a dim glow to make the room of sorrow even more ominous. Yue stood there, eyes shut, as was her duty. A girl was seated in a chair, ankles fastened by leather belts to the legs, arms tied behind the chair with coarse painful looking rope. Gillian Eldriss, head of the Eldriss Family, smiled solemnly at the girl. Yue knew who she was. She was the daughter of a police chief who had been on their case, trying to link together evidence and crimes to put an end to organized violence in Castene City. The door was shut, but Yue was still in the room. Orie gave her a side glance, looking nervous as well, blonde locks trailing down her beautiful face.

"My dad won't bow down to your threats." The girl hissed, not even fighting against the bonds, she knew it was hopeless to try and resist. She must be around fifteen years old, only a few years older than Yue herself. How unfortunate to have parents thrust such a horrible fate unto her. ""Y-you might as well just kill me." But as brave as she might try to be, the fear was obvious in her voice. She was just a child, but Yue knew she was an enemy. "No hard feelings, Alisha." Gillian looked intimidating in his dark suit and tie. He was never one to get his own hands dirty, after all. "But this isn't a threat. Sometimes, drastic action must be done. Your father, he didn't show my family the respect we deserve. He even almost put my youngest daughter in danger." Yue had almost sprung a trap laid by the Chief a few days ago, which was what spawned the kidnapping of Alisha Grice.

Gillian gestured to the metal object held in Yue's own hands. "And now your father must pay with his own daughter, the price of endangering mine." It was clear - the girl was slated to die. Orie lifted her gun with gritted teeth. "Father, I can do it." She implored, though unlike Gillian's blood children, neither Orie nor Yue had ever taken a life before. "No." Yue didn't want to have to be protected by her soulmate. She wouldn't force Orie to kill just for her sake. "I can do it." Her heart thumped, and Alisha's did in sync as the gun was raised. At this range, Yue wouldn't miss. She was trained not to miss either way. Without allowing for that brief moment of hesitation, Yue fired the gun, ending the police chief's daughter's life.


It had been a week later. Yue shivered, waking up, she didn't want to remember, she didn't want to think back to her old life, her old crimes. "Rain, I thought you were keeping my nightmares in check." Wasn't that one of her familiar's duties? "I'm..." A loud sneeze erupted from the bat. "I'm sick, okay? It's Venal's Disease, for demons who aren't used to this layer yet!" Rain sniffled, whimpering as another wave of chills went down her spine. "Hurry and make the Infusio Potion already!" The thing with Venal's Disease was that only the contractor of the demon afflicted could make the potion to cure it. If any other mage tried, it would only make it worse.

"I just finished learning how to read." Yue murmured, feeling bad now. She sighed - at least today she would finally start learning proper magic. And the first step was what was supposed to be the easiest - learning how to brew potions. Yue sauntered down the stairs, helping poor Rain make it down as well for breakfast where Blithe and Zinnia hopefully were. "Um... Teacher... can you help me make the Infusio Potion today?" She had finally last night passed the minimum runic language test Ulrich had given her, meaning she was now qualified to try all sorts of magic.

But first things first, Rain needed to be taken care of!

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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




Blithe had laid Zinnia back in bed, Yue and Rain were still speaking with Ulrich, Freya tucking Zinnia in with all the love of a Mother. Freya had never had her own children, she had miscarried twice and her husband had killed himself with grief. Zinnia was the closest she had ever gotten to having a daughter of her own. "While possessed, Acacia told me something," Blithe admitted, her tails swishing uncertainly. "The heart is a muscle, what's that supposed to mean?" Freya's eyes widened, it seemed the meaning to her, at least, was loud and clear. "I apologize Blithe, I must take my leave. I'll send Madame Pomfrey over to check up on your Master and Yue." Blithe nodded, watching her leave, she kept the message to herself, knowing that this perhaps, might be a puzzle meant only for herself.

Once having clearance from Madame Pomfrey to leave bed, Zinnia began to tutor Yue in their runic language. She herself, was taking finals at school and surpassed the expectations of her teachers. Freya did not call upon her during the week, knowing that her apprentice was busy enough between learning and teaching. By the end of the day, Zinnia was exhausted and fell asleep easily, which was not an easy accomplishment. Her nighttime was usually accompanied by strange visions Madame Pomfrey had always written off as nightmares, but Zinnia wasn't as sure. They made no sense to her, containing large hunks of metal that spun on four wheels, nothing like their carriages. There were devices that made odd noises that came from the pockets of people and tubes of what appeared to be metal that shot back and forth faster than any horse.

They made Zinnia feel sick.

Last night had been another successful sleep, Zinnia awoke feeling refreshed and floated herself into the bathroom to rinse her skin. She dried her hair with a quick wind spell and called for Blithe to brush out her long locks, her familiar popping into the room in a puff of smoke. "Morning Zin Zin," Blithe teased, taking the hairbrush and standing behind her Master, brushing Zinnia's hair for her. When the muscle weakness had first set in, Zinnia had stubbornly refused to allow anyone to help her, but the more Blithe had insisted, the faster Zinnia had relented. This had become their routine, a normal of sorts. "Last day of school," Blithe almost sang. "I'm excited, it means I can finally stop babysitting those two." She was referring to their house guests, Yue and Rainarch of course.

"A fine job you're doing, letting them run amok in the garden yesterday. The nymphs were not enjoying it, you should have heard the earful I received when I returned home." Blithe laughed, patting Zinnia on the head, "you're done." Zinnia dressed in her uniform and headed down the stairs, waving her wand to cast breakfast spells. She had just settled at the table when Yue came running down the stairs, requesting to be taught a new potion. Zinnia glanced at the clock, there was plenty of time to make it. "Alright, I'll teach you," she pushed away from the table, floating towards her study. "But only you can prepare this potion."

"Two prongs of warts bush, a dash of licorice seed, two sprigs of fennel, and a handful of bush weed." Those were just the ingredients of course, next came the mixing, fifteen times counter clockwise, thrice clockwise, and once back and forth. Then it had to bubble and foam, it would turn a deep green once it was ready.

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"Drowning under the weight of my sins and hers too."




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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#63CC14 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #5640FF




Teacher was willing to teach them! Yue smiled at Rain, who shot her a devious thumbs up before sneezing yet again, wiping it onto her hand and then onto the table. "Did you have to deal with Vernal too, Blithe?" Rain asked, mildly upset that something as simple as an acclimatization disease would have been enough to bring someone mighty like her down. "It's such a drag, seriously!" Yue quickly scribbled down the instructions given by her Teacher onto a page of parchment. "Is it good?" She still wasn't confident in her writing ability but she hoped it was decent enough. "I think it's fine, now let's get the ingredients!" Rain beckoned, coughing and wheezing in the chair. Yue stood up, stretching her legs, then went to the ingredients cabinet.

Here, everything was labeled and categorized neatly. A section for herbs and plants, a section for rocks and minerals, a section for animal products - though this category was empty here, Yue knew that some potions or other magic can use animal products. Apparently though the nymphs don't like that so Zinnia used herbal substitutes instead, which was more effort, but kinder to nature. The last category was magical essences, which was usually only used for advanced potions or other rituals. Yue did her best to gather what was needed from the list but in the end she came short. "There's not enough, Rain." Yue announced sadly, not sure what to do now. The gathered materials were left in on the side in a "to be put into cauldron" pile, but she still needed one more sprig of fennel and two more bush weed strands.

"You know what that means, right?" Rain began and Yue knew just how to finish that sentence. "We're going to go gathering!" However, neither Yue nor Rain had any idea how to gather for materials in the wild. Whenever Rainarch wanted something she was used to fighting or killing for it, while Yue was good at stealing and sneaking around to get her prizes. Before their permission could be denied the two trouble makers left the house into the lush morning outside, an adventure just waiting to begin. "If we're fast enough Blythe won't get to stop our fun." Rain stuck her tongue out before she sneezed again. "Are you okay to gather?" Yue asked worriedly. "Don't push yourself." The bat demon shook her head as if offended. "I do what I want, stupid disease or not, the great Rainarch won't be stopped!"

So they trampled through the wild, dashed around the edge of the forest, trying to find what they would need. It didn't take too much work to find enough bush weed to finish the handful, but the last fennel sprig was proving to be more of a challenge. Rain sneezed again, wiping the goo off of her hand onto a nearby tree. Suddenly everything began to shift and the tree somehow began rustling, moving. It... stood up to a massive height, eyes opening in the bark. "What kind of disrespect is this?" The tree spoke somehow. Nymphs sidled up around them, surrounding them in a circle so they couldn't get out. Yue shivered, feeling afraid again. "You would disrespect the Elder Tree?"

Rain sneezed yet again, flicking the goo onto the forest floor, stomping it into the soil. "We're in danger! Yue, say the word and I'll show you what I'm good for!" The bat demon grabbed Yue and held her protectively, leather wings enlarging, hissing like a cornered wildcat. Yue whimpered, she didn't want to be in danger. But was it really okay to trust her sick friend to get them out of this mess? "Rain, save us!"

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"To be human is to make mistakes."




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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F87531 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя: #EE9572




Zinnia watched them run out the door, chewing on a piece of toast. "Is it really okay to let them out there?" Blithe inquired, spreading jam onto a piece of bread. "Let them adventure, there's only so long that Yue has to become a bit more accustomed to our neighbors." Blithe cocked her head, ears standing upright. "You don't think she'll elect to move into the dorms come fall, will she?" Zinnia had considered it of course, "If she wants to, then it's her decision to make. Besides, with Ulrich as her sponsor she'll be receiving plenty of attention, both desirable and not so much." Blithe nodded, "Too mature for your own good, aren't you? If you want her to stay, just ask her." Zinnia's cheeks turned pink, the cuckoo clock on the wall suddenly announcing the hour.

"I'm afraid I must take my leave if I want to be prepared for the closing ceremony." Zinnia had been chosen to make the closing remarks at their school, a year end festival would be thrown today, Blithe had planned to bring Yue and Rain later on so that they could formally introduce themselves to the staff. Familiars were not allowed in school, thanks to their tricksy nature, they had to remain home. "Your bag Zinny!" Blithe called, attaching it to the back of the wheelchair. She waved as the chair began to roll down the garden path. Zinnia waved, the green house door swinging shut behind her. Blithe sighed and shook her head, "She'll never admit what her heart most longs for, will she?"

"Excuse me, Elder Tree?" Zinnia inquired rather loudly. She had been on her way to school when she had come across the near-brawl. The circle of nymphs turned, a range of expressions on their face as she rose to her feet. Of course, Zinnia had no choice but to walk considering her chair could not maneuver across the grass. Her knees nearly buckled underneath her weight, she was doing this unassisted, with no strength potion coursing through her veins. "Ah, Zinnia, shouldn't you be on your way to class?" The Elder Tree asked, shifting its branches towards her. "Yes, but, I must apologize, these are my house guests, Yue and Rainarch, they mean you no harm. I'm certain this must have been some sort of misunderstanding."

"Well, your guest wiped her disgusting fluids on me!" The tree humphed, crossing two branches in a very upset motion. "Rainarch knows no better, this is her first time outside of her Realm. You must excuse her, as she knows not the customs of our land." The nymphs glared the bat down, the Elder Tree seemed to be rather deep in thought. "I'll allow it, this once. Next time I catch you defiling our land, it'll be your head!" He threatened, leaves falling as his branches shook. "Your benevolence continues to astound me. Come you two, let's return home." Zinnia's knees shook as she stepped, threatening to buckle once more.

A vine wrapped around her arms, holding Zinnia an inch above the ground and setting her gently back down in her chair. Zinnia tipped her head, acknowledging their actions without outright thanking them. "I do hope to see you all at the festival," a formality really, they wouldn't leave the forest. "And you two," Zinnia sighed, shaking her head. "There's plenty of fennel in the garden."