[NPC] Bartender's Story

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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

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

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At last Yue and Rainarch made their appearance, a moment late, but Zinnia didn't think Sir Flammel would mind the small discrepancy. "Please Sir, join us for breakfast." Zinnia invited him to the table, she had made plenty for all of them. He nodded, taking the head of the table and setting his cane down and picking up a fork to serve himself. Zinnia took care of it, quickly picking up the dish and putting some on his plate. Her hands shook ever so slightly, to which he frowned. He took a bite, then turned towards the matter at hand, Yue's lack of voice and Rain's seeming defensiveness for no reason. He clasped his hands together, staring. Zinnia was in awe of his presence, one of the legends of magic, one might even call him the Grand Father of spells.

"This is a rather curious matter," he began seriously, waving his fork around in the air. "To start, I don't sense anything underlying, for example, a hex or a curse." Sir Flammel rose, moving closer to examine Yue's throat. There were no markings, lacerations, or scars, indicating that the vocals were in working order. "May I?" He inquired, lifting up his wand. It was a fantastic one of a kind creation, made of bamboo with a core no one but the maker, Claris's Father, knew. Zinnia marveled at the sight of it, her eyes seeming to glisten with curiosity. Blithe nudged her elbow into her Master's side, reminding her that she was staring and being rude. Zinnia cleared her throat, "Please, do what you must." Zinnia rose, floating to his side to watch the legend work.

With Yue's permission, he tapped his wand twice against her throat, drawing out a light. "This is no good, not at all." The light dripped, it was murky and gray, nearly blackened, like coal tar. "These strings should be white," the light dissolved, turning to ashes and crumpling to nothing. He tapped his own throat as an example, drawing out a blinding white thread, there was no dripping whatsoever. "That means that your lack of voice is of pure mental integrity." He frowned, sitting back down at the head of the table and drumming his fingers against the antique wood. "Our next move will be crucial," he clasped his hands in front of him. "You will need to relive the memory of the moment you first lost your voice."

Would Yue do it? Or would she continue to rely on Rainarch's power instead? "by doing this, we can pinpoint the moment you lost your voice and better use this information to figure out how to bring it back." It was up to her of course, they wouldn't do anything without Yue's permission, especially something of this intensity, such an invasion of privacy was surely not easy to go through. "It's alright if you choose not to go through with it," Zinnia said, although she wanted to see Sir Flammel at work.

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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

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

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"Blithe, you don't need to fret so much," Zinnia scowled as Blithe scrubbed her back. The sun had yet to rise over the horizon and yet, Blithe was already rife with worry over today's adventure. "Rain and I will wait just outside while you get Yue, then we'll meet Drake, Rainier, and Freya." Her mentor was coming of course, she had already been angry enough that Zinnia hadn't told and she had to find out through Drake, who had discovered the dragon in the first place. "I'm well aware," Zinnia rose, Rainarch running inside in order to attempt to brush Zinnia's hair. Blithe quickly took over, as Rain was much too rough. "Dean Eincrad will be excusing our absences from morning classes." Zinnia explained, as the Dean was well aware of all that was happening. He had given his blessing for them to take Yue.

They arrived to the school at dawn, Zinnia entering the wings of the hallway that had once been so familiar to her. The dormitory was a place of both great comfort and anxiety. For obvious reasons, Zinnia's room had been on the first floor. Today, she traveled up the enchanted staircase, Dean Eincrad escorting her to Yue's shared room. "That witch, Wing, is she truly Ulrich's niece?" Zinnia inquired, her tone light. "As far as I know," Eincrad replied, tilting his head curiously. "Why do you ask?" Eincrad inquired as they stopped on Yue's floor. "I have a suspicion Wing is not who she claims to be." Zinnia replied darkly, "Zinnia, that is foolish. You're probably just jealous," jealous? Of Wing? Why would she be?

"She is rooming with your only friend, she shares classes with her, it's only natural to be paranoid of Yue distancing herself in favor of others with slightly less latent magical talents." Zinnia scowled now, for the second time that morning. "I'm not jealous, I'm simply wary of a girl who might be deceiving all of us." Zinnia knocked on the door to Yue's room, pushing it open. "Yue, it's time to go." Zinnia said softly, hoping not to wake her roommate. She didn't want Wing to join them, not to mention, she simply wasn't invited. "Time is of the essence," after all, there were three elders and two familiars waiting just outside the campus for them. Dragons were unpredictable in nature, it would be far easier for them to reach the peak of the mountain in the early morning.

Once Yue was up, Zinnia and Dean Eincrad escorted her out of the building, two familiar shapes just beyond the haze. "She's been waiting for you," Zinnia said as they exited the magical circle surrounding the school, Blithe and Rainarch rushing forward to crush Yue in hugs. "We missed you!" Blithe cried, her tails swishing, "the house isn't the same without you!"

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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

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

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The stretcher was strapped down, securing it on the inside of the plane. Blithe sat beside it, watching the electric monitors that pulsed up and down with Zinnia's heart. "Those lines are a good thing," Doll assured her, "it means she's alive." The lines were her heart beat, the number next to it was her pulse, the others made no sense, but as long as they did not go flight, Blithe knew she was breathing. Zinnia was more than just her Master, she was practically her sister. From the moment she had been contracted to her, Blithe had grown fond of the spunky red head. Her unruly hair, her confident personality. Even when everything went wrong, Zinnia was always confident it would go right. Not now, now her plan truly had fallen to pieces. Blithe knew it was reckless, she knew she should have stopped her, but she hadn't. She too, had been foolish enough to trust Yue, to trust Rainarch would be able to stop her.

Pray entered the cabin, they were stowed away in the back of the plane, away from Yue and Rain. "Is it alright if I take a look?" The demon could heal others, or at least boost their healing. Blithe gave a tentative nod, watching as Pray took Zinnia's hand, pale and limp, in her own. "The lines are getting lower," Blithe rose in alarm. "It just means the pain is going away," Pray assured her. These demons were well acclimated to human machines, whereas Blithe was clueless. "She was in pain? I can take it away too." Blithe took Zinnia's other hand, hoping to absorb it. The lines grew smoother, they were less jerky, but the numbers rose, which Pray said was also a good thing. "We'll be in London soon, they'll be able to help her more."

"You're wrong. Zinnia needs to be in Constantina, she needs to go back home. She can't live in these metal buildings, electricity interferes with magic." Blithe begged, knowing what was best for her Master, but Pray merely shrugged impishly. Christopher pushed through the curtain, Doll right behind him. Pray took her leave, returning to the main cabin. "What do you want?" Blithe asked, tugging at the Tower Brace wrapped around her wrist. "The entire story, why were you at the Eldriss home? Who hurt Zinnia like this?" Christopher sat across from her, Doll took out a notebook to scribe the conversation. "It was Miranda," Blithe spoke softly, her voice wavering ever so slightly. "When Zinnia left the Tower Society building, Miranda assaulted her outside and stuffed her into a trunk."

Christopher nodded, it seemed that the missing face at last puzzled out. "Miranda threatened Zinnia, she hurt her, she tried to force her to teach them magic, she stole Yue and Zinnia's wands and tired to use them herself." It didn't work of course, as Miranda was without mana. "Zinnia agreed to protect Yue, but Miranda... she poisoned Yue's mind. Zinnia was trying to help her, but Yue attacked her with a knife. She was under Miranda's control, I don't think that was really her." Even now, Blithe refused to believe that the one who had attacked her Master had done so willfully. "I tried to stop her, but Zinnia ordered me down. By the time I could move, it was too late. Tyler heard us yelling, he came downstairs and he called Max." Christopher nodded, glancing at Doll, who confirmed with a glance that she had written it all down.

The plane touched the tarmac, an entire team had come to take them to the London Tower Society building. "Doll!" A little blonde haired demon was waiting for her at the entrance, Blithe was beside her, Christopher had gone in ahead to deal with interviews. "Echo, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be working?" The little demon scowled, tugging at her sleeve to hide what Blithe could clearly see was a bruise. "I just wanted to welcome you home."

"Is this your sister?" Blithe inquired, confused.

"One of them, the other one is-"

"Doll!"

"Right there," Melody came running towards them, "Blithe, these are my sisters, Melody and Echo." The two of them looked up at the fox demon, who seemed to tower over all three of them. "Wow, so this is a witch's familiar?" Echo admired, her eyes sparkling, innocent. Blithe nodded uncomfortably, "Where are they taking Zinnia? I need to go with her."

"Don't worry, they're just going to set her up in the medical wing. She'll be fine, trust me."

"Blithe? Where are you going? Where are they taking me? Blithe!" It was a terrible thing, to be able to see and hear everything around her, but be unable to respond. "Blithe! Come!" No matter how many times she screamed it in her mind, Blithe did not come to her. There was something in her throat that was making it hard to swallow, a long tube that snaked inside of it. There was another in her nose, both preventing her from speaking. "Someone, answer me this instant!" She could do nothing as she was wheeled away from everyone, the machines plugged into outlets, a large window overlooking an ugly city. She was farther away from Constantina than she had ever been.

"Why can't they hear me? What is happening?"

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Riven yawned, she knew she didn't have a choice, but she wasn't going to make a fuss of it, not today at least. She simply wanted to sleep a bit longer. She had, had the same nightmare tonight and yet, the bed had been dry when she had awoken. Why was that? Riven was stumped. "What is that candy made of? Do the others have to take it?" Riven wanted to know, wondering what the candy truly was. She didn't want any of course, no doubt it was too sweet as it was covered in sugar and vampire's sense of taste were heightened. Riven yawned and placed her hands behind her head, she didn't think Elise would ever like her, much less, ever give her an affectionate nickname as Viola had given her.

It was a stark reminder that Riven was not welcome, but forced to be here. "I don't regret not biting you, if that's what you mean." Riven replied, twirling a lock of hair around her finger as they walked towards the dining room. "Being a vampire is not all its made out to be." It was tiresome, to be hated by everyone and everything. "We're dead, it's hard to kill us, when you're tired of everything, you still wake up. You have to drink blood and it's weird and gross, you're always pale, no matter how hard you try to tan." The list went on and on, but they were nearing the dining room. Riven shut her mouth, not wanting others to hear. There was the blood lust too, once you killed, it would always be a part of you. There was nothing like killing your prey and drinking them dry.

The breakfast hall was quiet, more so than usual. Had they heard her speaking? No, Riven didn't think that was it. She sat down at the table and reached for the blood and cereal, going through her normal practice of eating it in a glass. Viola suddenly reached over, stuffing a crumpet into Riven's mouth. Riven glowered, pulling it out, wondering why she was suddenly eating this bread like biscuit. Riven placed it on her plate, slathering her crumpet with butter. "It's good," she placed the crumpet down, knowing that she needed her morning blood if she wanted to survive the day. Elise reminded them of this morning's mission, as though Riven could forget. She could practically smell the dislike that was coming off of Elise in waves. It was clear she was dreading this as much as Riven was.

"Sounds like quick work," Riven rose, ready to go to their mission site. If it was quick, then they could get back and be able to do their real training with Christopher and Doll, so that Viola could realize the potential she had, wielding Riven instead of her silly throwing knives. "Alright, I'm ready," she clambered into the car, not excited about having to ride inside of another vehicle. She much preferred the motor bike Jacob had driven them in yesterday. Hopefully today's uniform would not become soaked with blood.

White water rose in undulating walls around the boat before crashing into the calmer rippling waves which carved a 'V' shape behind them. The tranquil blue waves of the ocean rose and fell with the tides and currents, gently rocking the passengers aboard as they leaned over the edge watching the horizon.

Pau'Ka, a Draconian. And Elena, a High Elf.

An odd pairing, to be sure. But a pairing nonetheless. In the two days they'd been at sea they'd formed a silent, but powerful bond as two women sensing the same Divine voice and searching for answers to questions yet answered. Though one didn't speak the common tongue beyond a few select words, they communicated with their eyes, facial expressions, and and gestures. And they had a great time doing it. Constantly they could be seen laughing and playing on deck. Sometimes the crew would just sit and watch while the boat's owner and driver steered them on with silent dread in his heart.

It would take another week or so on the waves before they arrived at the Cove. In the meantime they occasionally stopped to fish and partake of the ocean's bounty in an effort to conserve food for the journey. Stored food on ships usually kept well, but the changing temperatures and rapidly shifting weather wreaked havoc on their preservatives.

On this day, the ocean was calm and the skies clear. But that silent, ominous wind still tainted the world around them. The very air was thickened by its foul weight, bearing down on their shoulders like gripping and slithering hands caressing places which didn't wish to be touched. Both women felt violated just being held within its grip, though for Elena it was much, much worse.

Hours passed as the boat was drawn to a fishing stop. Even taking once-a-day fishing rests for about two hours would not delay their arrival time, so they saw no reason to push themselves. As the men partook in fishing, the women lounged on deck soaking in the sun's rays and joyously playing games to pass the time. Pau'Ka was, in particular, an excellent player of "Fisherman's Bluff," a board game where you rolled a single six-sided die and hid the result from your opponent. The goal was to bluff your way to a total cumulative score of 40, a number considered lucky in the sea-faring cultures of the world. If your bluff was called once, your score reset to its previous value. If your bluff was called two turns in a row, your score reset to 0.

Elena, by contrast, was terrible at the game and often found herself with a score of 0 by the end. She was just too honest in her face and body language for her own good and easy to read. Meanwhile Pau'Ka even took to betting the crewmen for meals, as she had quite the ravenous appetite for a woman of such a fine, slender, athletic figure.

... And then, the winds changed.

It was in the middle of a game of Fisherman's Bluff as Pau'Ka was about to throw her die when her hand caught on the wind and the die fell from a semi-open palm to the table below and rolled onto the deck. She and Elena both stood up and gazed out at the horizon as they felt a tremendous, evil pressure building and beginning to rapidly approach their position. The two women held hands as the crew looked on in bewilderment, none of them having magical potential to sense the threat. But the boat owner did, and he concentrated his magic, as did Pau'Ka, for what lay ahead.

But what they saw quickly sapped any and all sense of "fight" from their bodies. A dark, undulating cloud appeared on the horizon. It moved consistently and with grace, like a bird in flight... And as it drew closer it became clear that this was no cloud. It was a black, winged creature large enough to make their eyes believe they were seeing a cloud until it broke through the haze of the horizon line.

"Dragon!!!" Cried the captain.

The men all dove for cover below deck as the captain and Pau'Ka prepared their best magic for combat, Pau'Ka warming up her voice for her most powerful Seid song. Elena was whisked below deck with the crew, but watched from the door in silent prayer that her friend and the captain would be okay.

The Dragon rapidly approached and slammed its wings at the boat causing the seas to churn and twist beneath rocking it violently too and fro beneath a rapidly darkening sky. It was almost as if the Dragon's presence alone drew in the power to block out the sun. Pau'Ka's breath hitched in her throat as she tried to begin singing. Her body trembled in primal fear as the Dragon unleashed a mighty, ear-splitting roar to the heaven's forcing all on board to cover their ears. As the roar came to an end the Dragon up and over the boat looking down at its terrified prey before beginning a dive.

The boat master quickly threw a massive pointed wave over and across the deck blocking the Dragon's path which broke its dive as it veered off to circle around and try again. The boat master continued to use his magical skills to deflect its path away from the boat, but he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. Eventually the Dragon would push through once it realized these were smaller and less powerful spells meant only to visually distract it.

Meanwhile, Pau'Ka closed her eyes and chanted an ancient incantation passed down through the Ancient's Tradition in the Seid Magic community she grew up in. Harnessing all of her power, Pau'Ka shifted from a chant to a song, and as she sang the sea trembled, the ocean's surface vibrated and the boat along with it, and the Dragon began roaring in pain thrashing its head left and right to the rhythm of Pau'Ka's song.

Divines bless my Soul, for I am unto thee your humble servant!
Banish thine enemy within my sight, my body thy loyal Sword!
Unto thine blessed hand, my blade shall pierce the night!
And through my hallowed vessel, thine might shall slay the Beast!

...

In response to Pau'Ka's song, far in the distance, a single glowing golden eyes opened. And from a gaping maw large as a mountain emerged a powerful roar, the force of which streaked through the skies fueled by Divine Magical energies in the direction of the battle.

Back on the boat the Dragon floated ominously as the boat master began to tire from the use of his spells. And Pau'Ka, still in song, but now having little effect as the Dragon had acclimated to her assault and now merely absorbed the incoming mana before deflecting it harmlessly away in an invisible diffusion of magic. However, as the Dragon began to calmly descend like a wolf upon its prey, the Dragon's head suddenly snapped upwards and turned around before its body was struck with the oncoming rush of Divine Magical energy. Its body thrashed and convulsed in the air as the energies raced toward and slammed into Pau'Ka's body.

Her eyes went white as her mouth opened and she unleashed a shriek like none she'd ever let loose before. Her body crackled and glowed with white-yellow light, and within seconds her shriek came to an end as the magical energies settled within her body and her now glowing pink-red eyes snapped open laced with ferocity. Pau'Ka's arms flew to the sides, palms open facing the Dragon, and she began her song anew as the Dragon continued convulsing and thrashing about before falling into the waters below.

As Pau'Ka's song came to an end, she dropped to her knees and fell unconscious on the deck of the boat, her eyes rolled into the backs of the sockets and her mouth hanging agape with a trickle of saliva dripping from her mouth. Elena rushed to her friend's side immediately shouting in High Elvish and shaking her body in an attempt to wake her. The Dragon, shockingly, was still alive and burst from the water before flying off to the far West back the direction they'd come. Thank the Gods it didn't continue its assault, or they'd all have been dead right then and there.

However, Pau'Ka's condition did not improve. An hour passed, and she was still the same. Elena grew frantic, fighting desperately to wake her friend and see her pink-red eyes once more the way they were meant to be seen. But it was no use. Pau'Ka would not wake.

In sheer panic and sadness, Elena gripped the sides of her head as a wave of helplessness overcame her. Shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, her body suddenly began glowing with golden light, and the energies formed a small, thin line to the center of Pau'Ka's back. Elena was oblivious to the change as her eyes, shut tight, leaked tears of sorrow and internal torment. Pau'Ka's body began to glow in response to the energies being sent to it, and Elena's eyes finally snapped open as she looked at Pau'Ka and felt the magic within taking hold.

... It was warm... It was oh, so very warm. And as she instinctively laid her hands upon Pau'Ka's back, the light grew brighter and Pau'Ka's eyes slowly rolled back to where they belonged as her eyelids slid shut. Her breathing returned to normal, and her mouth closed softly. The light faded, and Elena knelt down checking on Pau'Ka's heart to find a steady and strong beat beneath her palm. With tears now of joy leaking from her eyes, she laid down on top of Pau'Ka's torso embracing her in a hug. Sitting upright, she set Pau'Ka's head in her lap and stroked her hair until the sleeping blonde awoke a few minutes later.

Sitting upright slowly and shaking her head, Pau'Ka asked what had happened. Everyone, the crew, captain, and even Elena, all did their best to relay what they saw and experienced. Pau'Ka's memory of the event flooded back into her mind as the recollection of that impact of energy suddenly became clear.

"I heard Her... The Goddess." She whispered.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"When the magic flooded into my body, I heard her voice. She said, 'Receive my Power, my Child, and protect yourself!'"

Everyone was stunned that the Goddess had spoken to Pau'Ka once again. Not only once before in plea to save "Her Children," but now again to protect herself from a dark and obviously corrupted Dragon. Just who was this Goddess, truly? Who was Pau'Ka to receive a second hearing of Her Holy voice?

At Pau'Ka's command, the captain resumed the journey. The path to the Goddess would not likely end with only one such attack. They were likely to face more. But if not more Dragons... Surely more servants of Darkness.

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Riven moved in time with the music, turning when she was supposed to, her concentration falling into the easy rhythm. "You're pretty good at this," Doll smiled, admiring Riven's small, graceful steps. "I wouldn't be a vampire if I couldn't hold my own at a ball." Plus something that was beaten into you wouldn't exactly leave so easily. Riven closed her eyes, smiling. Doll released her, Riven twirling. "There is another dance they may play," she spoke after two hours of them practicing ballroom dancing. Viola looked exhausted and slightly flustered, it seemed that dancing was not her forte. "You just have to remember," Riven sidled up beside Viola, hands on her hips. "Move like water, not like an animal. Everything should flow," she took Viola's hand to show her. "Like this," they started the music from the top.

Riven led Viola through the dance, hoping to show her how exactly she should move. "The woman is always the leader." She released Viola's hands after a second cycle, spinning and then taking a curtsy. "See? Easy," Christopher clapped his hands together. "Alright you two, we need to start getting ready," he gestured to Doll, who would be taking over from here. "Let's go," she smiled. Christopher would be the only official male in attendance. The others would all be in disguise of course. Doll led them to a new room, another dance studio, but this one had been set up to primp and prime, since her guest room didn't have the lightning and large mirrors that she wanted to use. "Alright Viola, you first. Sit in the chair," she gestured to a red velvet chair where she would do Viola's hair and makeup.

Music was playing softly in the corner. It was something new, something Riven had never heard before. "That's called pop," Doll supplied helpfully as she warmed up a curling iron. "Don't move too much Vi," she warned. "Why are there words? Music should not have words," Riven scowled. "That's how music is these days, there are words and ballads. It's not just strings and wind instruments anymore," Still, Riven was not a fan of it. She turned towards the others, watching for a minute as Doll wound one of Viola's long locks around the hot iron. Riven kicked off her heels, she couldn't see herself in the mirror of course, but she could sneak over to the garment bags to attempt to peak at the dresses within. "Don't even think about it," a knife suddenly hit the wall beside her. Riven jumped back, stumbling. "I just wanted to take a peak!" She huffed, turning away.

"Don't ruin the surprise," where had Doll produced the knife from? She had no pockets! Riven scowled, sitting down in the corner as she waited for her turn. Lorraine entered a few minutes later, the others peeking their heads inside to see their progress. "I came to make final plans of course," Lorraine took one of those silver boxes from her pocket. "We'll have guards positioned at each entrance. They'll be disguised as vampires," that seemed unlikely considering they reeked of life. Still, it seemed that these hunters were much more clever. "Viola, you'll have the ability to give us a silent signal. The necklace you're wearing will be implanted with a microchip. Once Doll has secured Echo and Hawks, you and Riven will get out of there." She opened up a box containing a silver necklace, dripping with diamonds.

In the center was a large red gem. How had they gotten such a thing? Riven had no idea. "You two are not to engage unless absolutely necessary," she looked pointedly at Viola.

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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

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

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"Apprendo Zenmishius!" A wave went through the room, Freya's gaze dropping. She suddenly clutched her head, looking slightly panicked. "What-what did you do!"

"Now none of us have magic," Zinnia smiled pleasantly. "I simply leveled the playing field," she glanced at Yue. "Put that away Yue, don't make a fool of yourself. We're honored guests here," Freya lunged across the table, grabbing Zinnia by her jacket. The vampires around the room tensed, but King Seylum held up a hand, indicating for them to stand down. "I merely perfected the spell that you thought up," Zinnia picked up a biscuit from her plate, shoving it into Freya's mouth. In her surprised, she released the red haired witch, who sunk easily back into her seat. "You seem unnerved Freya, have a biscuit. Try to relax, you're in the presence of royalty." Freya spit the biscuit onto a plate. "Shius," she muttered thoughtfully. "You wanted to take away a dark mage's magic. Was it your own? Is it because of the endless voices clawing at your mind as you descend into madness?"

Slaine placed a cup of tea on her plate. "Thank you," she lifted it up, taking a sip. She glanced at her party, who were all exhausted, their nerves frayed. "Yue, wand away," Zinnia repeated. "It was supposed to be a potion," Freya ground the biscuit in her hand, crumbling it into bits. "Yes well, spells are the most potent form of magic. As you already know," the mage, presumably Yue's Mother, laughed. It was a sharp sound, there was no kindness in it, her voice echoing through the room. "Yue, family is what you make of it. This woman simply birthed you. She has no ties to you, therefore, she is not your Mother." It was the same way Zinnia thought of her own parents.

"Do you want to know what happened to your Mother and Father?" Freya smiled pleasantly, folding her hands in her lap once more. It seemed that it was her turn to attempt to unnerve. "They begged me to take you, the moment you were born you were a strange little baby. They hated it, they wanted a normal child, one who could walk and wouldn't get into trouble summoning demons." Zinnia attempted to seem unperturbed, but in truth, it hurt to hear. "I was in communication with them from the moment you were possessed of course. Acacia chose you as a vessel for a reason." She leaned forward, "your parents tried to drown you, they tried to burn you, but you always survived. A true witch," her grin became cruel. "You had a brother once, but he too, but he was not as strong. Oh sure, he survived the drowning, but the burning?"

"The moment they handed you over, I killed them." The words struck her hard in the chest, a blow directly in her heart. She had hated them, Zinnia had always claimed, she wanted nothing to do with them. They wanted nothing to do with her. She had written them letters at first; eagerly detailing her and Blithe's exploits but they had never written back. Zinnia had wanted to believe that it was because they were busy plowing fields and doing laundry; living a simple life. Or maybe they had just forgotten. Freya had told her she would personally deliver each one.

This entire time, she had known. She had purposely isolated the witch, she had purposely never purged Acacia from her body. She had built these walls and made Zinnia believe that she had built them herself. "I'm not here to speak to you," Zinnia said softly after the silence had gone on for long enough. She turned to King Seylum, "Please, my King, if we can take a moment to speak in private?" The purple haired vampire rose, glancing at him. "Of course," he cleared his throat, the room tense. "Right this way," he indicated for them to follow his supposed assistant. "My name is Iflet," she smiled calmly and glanced at Yue and Zinnia, as though she wanted to apologize about their parents.

Zinnia did not want an apology.

"Never look back on the past Yue, it distracts from the now."

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Riven waited patiently for her turn. Doll played with her hair, pulling and tugging until it was in order. She used strange creams and powders to decorate Riven's face, using an assortment of tools in her arsenal. This too, was warfare, Riven realized. Only, it was a type that was unfamiliar to her. When it was time to get dressed, Doll shoved Riven behind a curtain so that she could change in private, but Riven could hear her on the other side of the curtain, speaking to Lana. The two were demons after all, it must have been nice to see her own kind in these unfamiliar parts. Riven sighed as she tugged her sleeves up her shoulders, struggling to zip the dress up herself. As expected, Doll had created a masterpiece.

"So? How does it look?" Riven inquired, swishing the skirt. She was not fond of the exposed shoulders or the slit down the side. Doll clapped her hands, "Ooh, it looks great! Let's show the others!" She grabbed Riven's hand, leading her past the curtains and to where the others were. "Here, you can see yourself in this one." Lana tapped the mirror, her reflection wavering as Riven suddenly came into view. Her eyes widened as she walked closer to it, glancing at herself. "I suppose it'll do," she tossed her hair over her shoulders haughtily. Doll crossed her arms, "It'll do? I spent all night sewing that!" She grabbed Riven's ears. "You might be a Princess, but you can at least appreciate fine work!"

"Ouch, fine, it looks exquisite!" Doll released her, Riven rubbing her sore ear. "We'll be taking a car, but once we're close enough, we'll take a carriage." Chris said as he slipped into the room, walking past Dominic, Jacob, and Elise who were trying to hide in the doorway to sneak glances. They ran off with one gesture from Lorraine, this mission was highly classified of course. "Ready?" He offered a hand to Doll, who was already wearing her dress. When had she changed? Probably in the space where Riven had been curiously glancing at her own reflection, not used to seeing herself. The mirror wavered once more, her reflection disappearing. She followed behind Viola, about to exit. "One moment," Lorraine rolled forward, she removed the collar from Riven's throat, replacing with a choker inlaid with a simple moonstone. "There," she smiled, "don't try anything funny, it has a tracking device in it." Her smile was pleasant as she waved them off.

Riven sat nervously in the vehicle the entire time, twiddling her thumbs. It had been a very long time since she had been to her home, since she had left Athena to watch the manor. She attempted to avoid Viola's gaze, wondering if the castle looked the same. Had Gavyn changed anything? He better not have touched the portraits on the walls. Those were important to Riven, as it detailed every Seylum royal, including her and the King. Of course, she was a sword in the portrait, no one would have ever been able to tell it was her unless they knew exactly what the blade looked like. "Nearly there," the car stopped suddenly. Waiting for them was a carriage drawn by a single horse; as was tradition.

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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

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

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Zinnia felt herself calming as they distanced themselves. King Seylum was waiting for them in a separate room, a human boy laying his head on his lap. The sight was a bit odd, but Zinnia said nothing. She knew of the practice of vampires taking humans for pets, but she had never seen it in practice. Yue delivered the message for them, but Iflet of course, made certain that they were aware that the vampires would side with whomever their wish benefited most. Zinnia was proud of Yue for speaking up. "I am aware, as mages have done the same in generations past," Zinnia spoke calmly, Yuu's hands balling into fists beside her. Orie seemed sleepy, as though she may fall asleep at any given moment. No doubt her body suffering for summoning Urlot earlier. "However, Freya and her dark mages have defected from Constantina," Zinnia began to explain.

"She is here, yes, and attempting to make a request, but she is no longer an elder. She has come to you out of self interest." She reached for her bag, rifling through it. The King leaned forward, watching as nearly half of her body disappeared into the space of what appeared to be a normal backpack. "Here it is," Zinnia pulled it out at last and straightened. It was a scroll of parchment, bearing the official seal the Elders used, but only Rainier had access to, as he was the most level headed out of all of the Elders. "We are here on official Constantina business." She handed the scroll to the Vampire King, who broke the seal and opened it, reading its contents. His eyes narrowed, not in confusion, but in surprise.

"If you side with Freya, the vampires too, will suffer. Of course, the lack of mana in the universe will mean that the vampires will lose their immortality and will begin aging at a rapid rate unless they move to Hell." The demons too, would cease to exist on this earth. Iflet's eyes widened in alarm, she exchanged a look with her King, it was clear no one had ever told her this. "We have no other choice," King Seylum leaned forward, handing Iflet the scroll. He stroked the head of the human boy, who seemed to be sleeping. He opened up one eye, indicating that no, he was listening, merely faking at sleep. He seemed completely at ease. "We will side with you, for the time being." The King rose, "however, if your side proves to falter, we will not hesitate to do the job ourselves."

Zinnia nodded, dipping into a curtsy and indicating for the others to do the same. "You may all stay here tonight," he clapped his hands, the boy that had greeted them entering. "Slaine, please show the mages to their sleeping corridors." He seemed hard pressed, they had, of course, forced with hand. Zinnia had maybe only, slightly bent the truth. They would begin to age, but at a slow progression, not a rapid rate. "Thank you, your grace, for your generosity." She said as she slipped through the door, feeling a spot of pride as she followed the others. "Did you all eat enough?" Slaine asked of them, "Actually, we didn't get a chance to touch the food." Zinnia admitted, her stomach growling. "I'll bring some up to your rooms." They were each given their own bed, large enough to fit a party, all with velvet drapes and large windows overlooking the blustering window.

Fires had already been lit, warming the space considerably. Zinnia shed her jacket, whipping her wand out. She was alone, save for Freya, who had appeared in her room. "I'm surprised you can still use regular magic." Zinnia held her wand level, Freya had her wand out as well. "You may have won the vampires over," she spoke slowly, "but we will get the mana seed."

"No, you won't Freya. You won't win, the darkness will begin to eat you up from the inside and you will die a slow, painful death. Now, leave, I don't recall inviting you in."

The corpse melted in the rivers beside their boats, bits breaking apart as they rushed down the water. Whoever these people were they killed without discretion or mercy.

***

"Well, ya' old coot, looks like it's end of the road," White Hat said, smashing a walnut into Tackel's mouth and slamming his head shut, cracking the shell open between his teeth and ejecting the walnut into the air. White Hat's tongue wrapped around it and he began to slather the walnut in his own saliva before retracting it in, swallowing it whole.

White Hat began to chew and whistle to himself before suddenly pausing. White Hat's stare was locked up, into the sky of the Cobran cavern- to the highest level, where the hospital hung. "I just saw what looked a mighty muzzle flash," White Hat said, his eyes twitching. He turned to Tackel. "Ain't no one supposed to fire weapons in Cobran, right? Hell, ain't no one but the guards even supposed to have weapons..."

The two men dropped their shopping, rushing down the street...

***

"P-please! I'm just a doctor! I'm from the Horenor, I ain't mean no harm!" A voice screamed through the wall. From outside her hospital room Palavan could hear the commotion. Gunfire, swordplay. It seemed Cobran had a visitor....

X
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X

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Pushed Down | [Stahl ft. Caroline]

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They were now all riding atop a dragon's corpse that would ferry them over to Iceland in order to get to the Light Seed in order to have a conclusion to this mess once and for all. Orie's breathing was ragged, she was barely conscious anymore, eyes screwed up in pain and agony. Yue was shaking, it was cold and she was still in her thin nightgown from last night. Orie too, was in a nightgown, both sisters had barely any protection from the cold winds whipping at their bodies. "Go on, go on, cast more magic." Her parents jeered, giggling happily. "Poor Orie is going to freeze to death unless you do something, daughter dearest!" Her gates had been reversed so any magic she used would be turned into dark magic. But could she really let her sister die so pathetically?

"Please, help her." She lowered her head, knowing this was her only hope. She didn't want to turn dark, she didn't want to become an enemy again. She had just gotten Yorick to not despise her! She wanted to be welcomed back home to Constantina, where she truly belonged. "You know what you have to do." Yumi grinned, watching behind to protect them from the rear, ready to attack anyone who came after in chase. Poor Zinnia would have to make the rest of the trek all alone without anyone to help her. Not that she needed the help - she was so strong that she was practically on the level of an Elder already - but it would be a lonely journey to make. "Use magic and grant her warmth, Yue." Freya smiled charmingly. "It's not that hard, I know a mage strong like you knows a good spell for heat."

She really had no choice in the matter. Yue held her wand, arm shaking. "Inceneira." A wreath of flames existed her wand, floating gently in a circle around Orie, caressing her without any risk of danger to her life. It was a very benign flame, but even those fires had the dark color and taint of dark magic. Yue's wand arm shook, she felt the pain wracking up, tearing through her body. Why did it hurt so much to use dark magic, it had never hurt before. "Because this time every time you cast a spell the dark energy is physically altering your conduits." Freya explained as her mother and father patted her on the head in pride. "You'll become a magnificent dark witch, don't resist your destiny."

By late afternoon, Yue felt exhausted, her whole body was in pain from all the magic they forced her to cast. She could feel the dark magic calling to her, claiming her, eating her alive but with Orie as a hostage she never had a choice in the matter. Orie looked at her pitifully, shaking her head. "Had... a choice." She gasped, pale as a ghost. "No, please don't speak. You don't have any left." Orie shook her head, trying to be strong, glaring with fire in her eyes. "Had... a choice. Rainarch... should have... summoned-" Yue's eyes went wide as she realized her mistake.

Idiot, she was such an idiot, why did she not think of this, why was she never able to come to the right decisions?

"Rainarch!" She suddnely screamed, holding her arm out. Dutifully, the mist demon appeared, grinning wickedly, wings fluttering behind her. She tore open her stomach, allowing poor slimy Blithe to step out, looking positively disgusted at the method of travel. "Where's Zinnia?" Blithe asked, looking around as the dark mages readies their wands around them. "My my, it's been a while since we had the spotlight." Rain grinned, voice deadly. "Now, who dares hurt the Master of Rainarch of Tera - oh, hi Freya, guess it's you."

A beam of light erupted from Freya's wand, starting the fight.

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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

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

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"You did the right thing, you would not have won against Freya," Zinnia did not hold it against Yue. She was upset of course, for the loss of her familiar, but as long as the soul piece was intact, Zinnia could recover Blithe. "Your gates will need to be reversed, but unfortunately, I do not know how." Zinnia was not an expert, not yet, there were still many spells and potions that were beyond her capabilities. Even if she seemed confident and self assured, she was in truth, merely a student with a love for studying. "I apologize for what I am about to do next, but I must retrieve our familiars." Zinnia raised her wand, her strength having quickly returned after drinking the brew. Of course, it could just be the effects of the potion. "Nullinius swept," a sleeping spell, one to put Wing to sleep, who was currently the only one strong enough to stop her.

"Please, rest, alright?" Zinnia requested, "Do not attempt to intervene." She rose from the bed, no longer shaking. She smiled "I enjoyed our time we spent together," the red haired witch turned, exiting the curtained area and reentering the field, where two of Cirque's children were dragging Freya, kicking and screaming. Cirque narrowed her eyes as she watched Zinnia approach, "This is my mess." The witch stopped before her, kneeling, as one did when confronting their creator. "It would not be right to enlist your help." Cirque said nothing at first, evaluating Zinnia with her gaze, weighing her words. "Alright," she spoke at last, "but do not drag my creations into this." Zinnia nodded, rising to her feet.

Freya was tossed against the ground, the soul pieces slipping from her grasp. Zara recovered them, running off into the field. "So, you've shown yourself at last," Freya rose, bearing her wand. Cirque snapped her fingers, a barrier forming around them in order to protect the star realm. "I was never hiding Freya and something tells me you've known exactly where to find me this entire time." Zinnia unsheathed her wand, but Freya did not raise her own. "Join me, Zinnia, join me in watching as all magic is leeched from this world."

"You mean as you slaughter all of your people like you did my parents?"

"Your parents deserved it!" Freya snapped, she took a step forward, but Zinnia stepped back. "I'd like to thank you, if I'm being quite honest." Freya's expression fell, changing into one of confusion. "You raised me in the way my parents never could you and the other Elders were my family." They had gotten Zinnia her first wand, had rushed with her many a night to Madame Pomfrey's due to the muscle weakness that crept into her limbs. "It was you who taught me right from wrong and that is how I know," Zinnia looked up at Freya, her resolve hardening. "That what you are doing is wrong."

"So, this is how it's going to end for you then?" Freya licked her lips like a wolf eyeing a lamb. Zinnia could not win against Freya, but if she was going to die, she was going to bring the old witch down with her. "Walpurgis-"

"Andendum!" The spell bounced off harmlessly before Freya could cast it. The elder was slower, her spells careful, as one had to be with dark magic. "Frecknis!" Vines crept around her legs, tethering her limbs. "Your rebellion has gone on long enough. I do not want to kill you, Zinnia, I want to bring you with me into this new age."

"Stupendo!" It was enough to break Freya's concentration, the vines slipping, allowing Zinnia to quite literally fall out of them. "Verliscis Amos!" She rolled to the side as Freya attempted to fry her with a lightning bolt. A rainbow shot towards the old witch, hitting her in the chest. She went backwards into the barrier, falling to her knees, panting. Zinnia rose, wincing, "Re-"

"Azrintentium!" A spike of hardened rock shot up from the ground, impaling her foot. Zinnia screamed in pain, blood pooling on the ground. "Silencio!" Her lips were sewn shut, slowly, painfully, with invisible needle and thread. "Frecknis," vines entwined themselves around her limbs, restricting Zinnia's movements. Her heart hammered in her chest, "You'll be coming home with me now." Freya limped forward, grinning from ear to ear. Zinnia calmed herself; she knew of spells that needed no spoken words, but she had never performed a powerful one with much success.

She pictured it in her mind, electricity coursing through her body. Zinnia closed her eyes as Freya loomed closer, she was only a hair's length away.

Blue orbs snapped open, the tip of her wand pointed in Freya's direction. Power coursed through her, leaving her breathless and panting as the vines fell away, allowing Zinnia to fall to the ground. "You little witch!" Freya screamed, "Azrintentium! Azrintentium! Errantus! Reducto!" Freya cast in succession, her eyes wide and wild. Zinnia hit the barrier, but she could not make a sound as she was tossed around by wind and pierced with spikes made of rock. "Inceneria." No, there was a mistake in that spell, Zinnia's eyes snapped open.

She could no longer feel her limbs, one spike had impaled her throat, the other had severed her spine. She had only a moment if she wanted to finish this.

"Aprendo," Zinnia whispered, "Wemprindium Frumus," Freya screamed, but Zinnia did not see the result as her hand fell, her wand rolling out of her fingertips. She looked up at the sky, both night and day, her body giving one last shudder.

Freya had been quite literally torn to pieces, the barrier dissolving as their fight came to an end, both witches dead.

Myles Chapman
Shadow
#921717 - outfit - Academy

Myles has always lived his life by his code, everything had to be pristine and his routine must be uninterrupted. A morning run was as necessary to Myles as water is to fish. Myles was somewhat superstitious, and if his morning was to be interrupted, then it would set a bad precedent for the rest of the day. As soon as the clock hit 5:15 am, Myles awoke, naturally, as he usually does. Without even thinking, Myles got up and starting getting ready for his run. The sun was just coming up as Myles got outside, he would follow his usual path around the academy, which would end up being around 3 miles, long enough to get a good sweat in, and short enough to be back at the dorms and ready to shower before 6:00 am. This personal time Myles allots to himself allows him to think, and to be solely in his own mind, preparing to take on the day.

Like clockwork, Myles returned to the dorms at around 6:00 am and hopped in the shower. At this time he started hearing rumblings of other students, making their way around the academy and getting ready themselves. Gotta love mondays he thought to himself just as he was getting out of the shower. "What will it be this time" Myles wondered as he opened his closet, looking over the hundreds of outfits he has spent so much time amassing. He decides to go with something comfortable, yet worthy of wondering eyes. He prefers to take Mondays easy, they are always the longest days of the week, and who knows what kind of shit they'll have to deal with today.

Myles is not a fan of breakfast, his appetite only starts to kick in around afternoon, but coffee was an integral part of every morning. After getting dressed Myles went over to the kitchen. He walked in just in time to see James climb through a window, a peculiar one that is, dresses well though. "Got lost, did you?" Myles threw a remark at James, not caring enough for a response. As social as Myles is, the mornings were his time, so as little interaction as possible was for the best. He made his coffee, zoning out of what was happening around him, when he was done he turned, he noticed Jack saying something to May. "Careful jack, fuck around with a spider and you'll get bit, eh?", Myles said as he was on his way out of the room, again not caring much for a response, it was too early to go back and forth with anyone. Myles gave a nod to Adrian as he left the rest of them to do whatever it is they were doing.

With coffee in hand, mind clear, he was ready for pretty much anything. "I really hope I get to hit something today..." Myles muttered to himself, waiting for the day to start.

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Dirty Paws | Of Monsters and Men

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

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Home at last, Zinnia felt awash with relief as they stepped through the tear in the veil, a pang of guilt resounding in her chest when she realized that she would never see her mother figure again. Her hands were stained with blood and now they could never be cleaned. She had been so calm as she had set off the spells, content with the ending of her life in order to save the entire magical world. So why did she get to live? Why was she still here when so many others had died? One might think Zinnia had a bit of survivor's guilt. She did not want Freya to be the successor of course, not with the way she had been intent to destroy magic, but so many had died for them to have reached this point.

She hardly minded the new mages, with Rainier having recognized the two, there was no reason for the rest of them to fear. "It's good to be home," Yuu spoke, reflecting what they no doubt all had been thinking. They were watched as they walked through the town, children peeking out of windows, mages of all ages watching their parting with Yuu, the witches and two familiars taking the garden path back to Zinnia's home. The interior was cold, she noticed, with the fire absent. It lit as soon as Blithe snapped her fingers, crackling, warm, casting light into the home. There was a bird sitting on the table, pecking at a moldy loaf of bread someone had left there.

Just how long had they been gone for? Zinnia had not realized it up until now, when she glanced at the calendar on the wall. It had been almost two months. Blithe set her down on the couch, removing her shoes for her, the same way she used to when Zinnia had begun to lose muscle. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice still hoarse. She felt a bit stronger, but not by much. She flexed her fingers, not noticing how the room had suddenly emptied out. "I'm gonna make tea!" Blithe announced, grabbing Rainarch and shoving her into the kitchen. "I'll go look at the garden!" Orie opted, taking Wing with her, leaving only Yue and herself in the room. Zinnia shifted, wincing at the small movement. She felt out of breath simply from adjusting herself. How much longer would her body be like this?

"Oh?" Zinnia looked up at Yue, wondering what she had realized. She was quiet as Yue thought out and expressed what she wanted to, letting out her heart's desire. "That makes me very happy Yue," she said softly, attempting to sit upright a bit more. "Because I think I like you too," she nodded off then, having spent any energy she had on speaking. Blithe returned with the tea, setting it down on the table. Rainarch came bounding in behind her, carrying the sugar and milk. "Up you, you need to drink." She nudged Zinnia, setting her upright. "So," Blithe wiggled her eyebrows, "did she say yes?"

On the wall of the carriage behind the well-dressed man was a photo of the naked man who'd they'd seen shot dead by the water, only in the black and white image he was cloaked, arm in arm with Climbs-the-Stars.

***

"They're about ta' learn how quickly my foot can go up their ass!" White Hat said, punching fist into palm as he looked around. Suddenly a noise- from down the hall, toward Palavan's room. The two men began to sprint down the way, cornering and bursting into the room. Palavan was sat in her bed, the overlook of the city behind her. But between the pilot and the Rockians was another figure.

Slender, short, and in black woven robes- too rich for a Rockian commoner. The figure wore a bandana around their face, pale skin and blue-eyes piercing out. A long-blade hung off their back, and in their hand a duo of pistols.

White Hat turned to Tackel- the two men were unarmed against the assailant....

"That explains more than a few things at this point."

"I should say that I'm surprised to see one such as yourself, but this is Raven home and you'll quickly find that there are many wondrous things here. Though I think we can give your assumption a try, if you ever have the inclination."

Akhira licked her lips and tried not to yawn. This feeling of being drained made her sleepy, reminding her of poison. The kind that you unknowingly take and begin to fall under it's sleepy death.

"Also; You may want to refrain from that in the future. Especially seeing as you're currently in hiding from the guards, as that will only serve to draw their attention. Because I doubt the master gave you full leave to wield such power without restraint."

The dragoness let out a small grumble under her breath. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Worse yet, that could lead to someone else finding you instead and many of the people on this floor don't have a easy time with someone like her around."

Akhira blinked, and was a tad bit confused before understanding dawned in her eyes. She was sure that the ink master was now speaking of Chlorra, and if she wasn't... there was someone more sinister and disgusting than the Necromancer herself? Either way, it was best to heed the Ink master's warning.

Akhira ducked her head in a rare show of acknowledging someone else's words and wrapped her hands around her belly, trying hard not to let the 'feeling of less' bother her.

If she ever found out how to remove the black ribbon on her arm.... The damage and chaos she would cause would be a delightful thing.

TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit

xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifullyJust the brief moments of contact were welcomed more than he could quite put into words. The playful nudge, the feeling of Cliff's hand on his back. He sighed and shook his head as Cliff apologised. There had been a moment when things had felt almost like they used to, like they'd never changed. But then that moment had passed, and just the act of Cliff moving his hand away from Toby reminded him of that. He took another mouthful of the wine to give himself a moment to think.

"No, it's nice to be back out here with someone. With you," he said. "It's just... so much has changed. So much that I can hardly even recognise myself from who I was then." There was moments when he didn't fully recognise Cliff either, moments where his expression was unreadable, where he couldn't quite figure him out. That made him a little sad.

"You just gotta keep moving forward, you know?" He said. Not that he'd ever had much of a chance. His world was a constant stream of movement, one where if you let yourself stop moving for a second, the current would try and pull you under. His siblings needed him, and he wouldn't let himself be pulled under. For their sake if nothing else.

He leaned against Cliff, almost out of habit, half resting his head on his shoulder. "How has it been this long?" He asked, half to himself and half to Cliff. He felt just like the 18 year old, thrown into the deep end with not a lot of options. And at the same time, he'd never felt so far apart from that person.

"Of course I have a soldering iron and tin solder," Julius said, beaming at Drax and laughter on the brink, elated at the prospect of learning something new. There had been no expectation beyond him maybe taking the work. "Are you sure? Never mind, pretend I didn't ask. You can't take it back now, we've got a verbal agreement with witnesses."

Drax suggested a dry run on the fringe of the Veins. If Julius wasn't an adult with responsibilities, it would have been a great opportunity to lurk and watch them in action. All the appeal of a spectator sport, with no ticket charge. Unfortunately, REPAIR was a 24/7 operation, just like the laundromat and diner it crouched between. Had been since the beginning, and Julius hadn't changed that when the old man died. Sure, the doors were locked at night, but Julius slept in a closet off the workroom, and there was a buzzer. The intention was to offer a discreet clinic for cyborg clients. It turned out plenty of humans saw that sign as a challenge to bring in their crap too broken for a pawn shop at 3 AM. It was harder, with the old man gone, to catch up on sleep after a busy night. Harder too to close the shop on short notice.

Before Julius had quite made the escape from the rest of the party, Fade delivered his philosophical expose. It was stunning. Literally. Julius felt paralyzed by the notion he'd said all that in a bar sober, and that he'd said what sounded frighteningly like insurrectionist rhetoric in an obscenely educated voice. There was really no making sense of it. Or him.

Unless he was a plant. Julius wouldn't put it past the wizards to make a golem to discover the identities of their enemies without risking their own skins. Shoddy job making their spy blend in. Which was good enough reason to dismiss the budding suspicion. With their own lives at stake, their magic construct would be flawless, not sheepishly getting heckled for sounding like a knob.

Even so, his words were confusing on another front. What was he getting at? His answer had been so far removed from the question in the conversation, Julius wasn't connecting the two.

Drax grabbed his drink, and Julius used his momentum to escape.

On the street, Julius turned to Drax, touching his arm to get his attention before they headed to REPAIR. Julius heard a light clink, and found Stanley was touching Drax's prosthetic arm. Yeah, chances were good he couldn't feel that. Embarrassed to have forgotten, Julius buried traitor hands back into the depths of the coat pockets, and said, "On second thought, my soldering iron is lower wattage, so I don't crisp an electronic panel, and I use a lead-based solder with rosin core. Between lead poisoning and the low melting point? My client would be worse off than where we started. Even if my toolkit looks like yours, it was never designed for this."