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Witch
Human
26 years old
Spell Weaver
played by Southie
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I'm a tulip in a cup, I stand no chance of growing up. I'm resigned to sail on through.
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Post by AERON CAERWYN on Jan 1, 2015 17:51:08 GMT
You push me out again, you push me up against a wall. You told me once your body flowed with milk and honey. You liar, liar, liar.
You've taken solace in this; the witches of the mountains, they call the two of you. Atop the world in your perch, you turn your head from your altar as a soft ringing fills the cottage. You didn't remember any appointments today, or anyone calling on you, maybe you'd simply forgotten? The ringing stopped within a moment, someone had crossed the gate at the bottom of the hill. Past the sigil, to see the witch of the mountain; to see you, as always. Come to stare, with wide, somewhat curious possibly scared, eyes as they ask for you to curse someone. Their unfaithful lover, perhaps, a neighbor, a boss, or just to see if you were truly capable of anything at all.
Well, you still had a few minutes to finish what you were working on. With a breath, and a wave of your right hand, the candles surrounding your altar lit. To blind, right? Yes, that was what they'd asked for. If it wasn't maiming, or ruining, it was taking something. For where, he said, could his husband go if he was blind?
In the dimly lit room you began, the candles surrounding what appeared to be a scrying glass in the center of the altar. Taking a hand of powdered eyebright, you blow it across the glass; it takes the shape of a cloud, hovering, not yet so dull. It hummed faintly, as if waiting.
"it is this, dreams of candles, gift of light, the gift of sight; the rising morning that drowns you with it's grace.
it is this, dreams of candles, held fast by night, no gifts to be given; but to be taken, the falling night that swallows you as a starving wolf.
it is this; gift to be taken, dreams of candles. you will see no more."
As the words finished, the candles flared; the room grew bright for mere moments. The glass became cloudy, and your body heavy with the weight of it. And like that, it was over - the candles blew out, the glass cleared, the cloud of smoke swallowed whole.
The soft chiming rang through the cottage again, followed by a knock on the furthermost door. Yes, a few minutes had been more than enough. Dusting the rest of the powder from your clothes you went to answer it, hands reaching up to grace the string of herbs hanging above the door.
They were not yours, however.
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Witch
human
19 years old
rogue
played by tsundere
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neither law, nor love, nor league of hell.
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Post by SASKIA VERSO on Jan 2, 2015 14:07:54 GMT
be more cruel, love and so be kind. Saskia has come a long way by the measure of the lowland people, but she has farther still to go. There is no time to admire the twisting streets of the city, no time for the wave of homesickness curdling her stomach at the sight of the masses of people crowding those same streets, noisy and full of life and impossibly distant. She moves through them, her cloak clutched tight around her, and she is veiled from their sight. She walks like a ghost and only part of her fading is magic. The eyes of the living skitter away from the faces of the dead with unerring, unknowing skill. There is only one task that binds her to this world and it holds her both above and below the warmth of their hands. The mountains welcome Saskia. They are not her mountains, but they are akin. Her footsteps quicken on the path, past the stony crags and the green, green moss, underneath the bleak and heavy sky. The clouds look as if she climbed only a little higher, she might reach out and grasp them. The path winds up. She pushes open the gate. She examines the sigil with a blank gaze, and then throws back the dark star-woven hood of her cloak. Now she wishes to be seen. She knocks upon the door and forces herself to wait patiently. There are greater trials than this to come. AERON CAERWYNLAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE
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Witch
Human
26 years old
Spell Weaver
played by Southie
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I'm a tulip in a cup, I stand no chance of growing up. I'm resigned to sail on through.
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Post by AERON CAERWYN on Jan 2, 2015 21:53:28 GMT
You push me out again, you push me up against a wall. You told me once your body flowed with milk and honey. You liar, liar, liar.
The string of dried lavender above the door seemed to twinge; only slightly, as your hand stopped for a moment on the door handle. Shouldn't be anything to worry about, you thought, turning the handle and pulling the door open. There was no chime. It creaked, as always, as a woman stood on the other side of it. What a stereotypical thing to hang herbs above the door, but you couldn't really speak on the subject. The windows were always home to something or other or yours, weren't they?
"Can I help you?" you ask, turning away from the open door to walk back behind a small counter, assuming she would follow into the small room.
She was either here to spurn an ex-lover, friend, neighbor; or, for a rare change of pace, an enchantment of sorts? Divination had never been your specialty, so you lost yourself to guessing. So, with an air of impatience you stood behind the counter and waited.
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Witch
human
19 years old
rogue
played by tsundere
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neither law, nor love, nor league of hell.
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Post by SASKIA VERSO on Jan 3, 2015 8:44:58 GMT
be more cruel, love and so be kind. The lavender above the door intrigues Saskia. She studies the flowers for a moment, the other witch's invitation hanging in the air, before she steps across the threshold. Before this city, she had never seen magic worked with plants. Her people were people of metal and water. If they needed foci for their workings, that was what they turned to: clear wells and rough-cut gems. She hopes this strangeness is a sign that he can accomplish what she cannot. Saskia steps inside. "The people of Thebes claim you are a witch of some ability," she says. "A witch for hire. If they are right, my task should be simple enough. If not, I will pay you for your time and be on my way."
She knots her fists in the fabric of her cloak like she might shield herself with it. But it's only cloth, no matter how finely woven. "I need you to scry the location of a man for me."AERON CAERWYNLAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE
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Witch
Human
26 years old
Spell Weaver
played by Southie
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I'm a tulip in a cup, I stand no chance of growing up. I'm resigned to sail on through.
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Post by AERON CAERWYN on Jan 3, 2015 23:49:03 GMT
You push me out again, you push me up against a wall. You told me once your body flowed with milk and honey. You liar, liar, liar.
"Some ability would be a grave understatement, but sure, that could be said." you reply with a wave of your hand, the door closing behind her with a click.
You've always wondered if the presence of a witch was innately uncomfortable. Did you all give off a frigid air, as if you weren't truly human? You thought this as her hands clung to the fabric of her cloak. As if that would stop you from doing anything, you thought, if you had really wanted to.
You didn't sense she was one of you.
Scrying was an unusual request. Well, not one you usually took. "Do you have something of his?" you ask, still standing behind the counter. The way witches went about scrying was varied; some needed nothing, some needed a lot. It all depends, but you like to think that your way is right. Something of the person sought, to be burned; no matter how small. A cloud of smoke, and there they were.
Simple, really.
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Witch
human
19 years old
rogue
played by tsundere
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neither law, nor love, nor league of hell.
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Post by SASKIA VERSO on Jan 4, 2015 6:07:50 GMT
be more cruel, love and so be kind. Saskia stays where she is as he speaks, but a tense anxiety seeps out of her bones, as if a steel wire that held her ramrod straight and still was suddenly cut. Even up to this very moment, she had feared that he might turn her away, that he might be incapable of helping her. And then what would she do? Where would she go from here? The nearest city is still leagues away, and her rage is a smoking ember. It does not bear uncertain journeys. "I do," Saskia says, and reaches beneath her cloak to retrieve a lock of hair, crusted with blood. She'd pried it from the cooling grip of her father's corpse. Once she wished she could have been there with him, though she could have done nothing but die with him. Now she's not so sure. She opens her fist and lets the hair fall to the counter in front of him. It's only a few strands, faded with exposure and darkened with blood. She hopes it is enough. It must be enough. "Will this do?"AERON CAERWYNLAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE
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Witch
Human
26 years old
Spell Weaver
played by Southie
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I'm a tulip in a cup, I stand no chance of growing up. I'm resigned to sail on through.
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Post by AERON CAERWYN on Jan 4, 2015 21:38:05 GMT
You push me out again, you push me up against a wall. You told me once your body flowed with milk and honey. You liar, liar, liar.
She stand away from you still, as if you're going to crash upon her in a moment. No, you wanted to tell her, I'm not the big bad wolf around here... Well, not now. You would be again, but for now? Your eyes stay on her as she reaches under her cloak to retrieve something; you expected an memento; a hairbrush, a ring, those were among the things people expected you to scry with. You'd given up explaining the process is easier with clothing or--
Hair? That's a surprise, you can't help but hide your smile.
"Come." you say, dissapearing behind the thick curtain separating the front room from the rest of the cottage. The strands of hair were between your fingers; your other hand snatching a small satchel of herbs from the shelf before you sat down in front of your altar. You re-positioned the black mirror, letters stretching around the outside in gold, before setting a small mortar on top of it.
This was more for their eyes than yours. You waited for her to sit down across from you, dropping the hairs on the mirror for a moment.
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Witch
human
19 years old
rogue
played by tsundere
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neither law, nor love, nor league of hell.
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Post by SASKIA VERSO on Jan 6, 2015 3:03:17 GMT
be more cruel, love and so be kind. Saskia peers around at his set-up with curious eyes. She's never seen magic worked before like this, with ritual and care. She folds her hands in her lap and looks at the mirror, the mortar, and wonders what it's for. She does not let herself hope. She does not let her mind race to imagine the next few moments unfurling. AERON CAERWYNLAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE
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Witch
Human
26 years old
Spell Weaver
played by Southie
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I'm a tulip in a cup, I stand no chance of growing up. I'm resigned to sail on through.
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Post by AERON CAERWYN on Jan 6, 2015 15:35:00 GMT
You push me out again, you push me up against a wall. You told me once your body flowed with milk and honey. You liar, liar, liar.
She sits, and waits. Might as well not keep her waiting, you think. With a flourish of your hand, and a whisper of something, the candles around the altar light again; the other lights in the room fading, leaving it dim. It'd been a while since you'd last scryed for anyone, or anything.
You take a handful of crushed pomegranate seeds, mixed with bistort root; just to be safe, of course. Taking a breath, you drop the hairs in next. The blood on them would surely help.
The words you begin to whisper aren't meant to be heard by the other. But this is a ritual where the other must be present, so there is no hiding all of your methods. You continue to whisper as the inscribed letters on the mirror begin to faintly glow, one by one, until it connects at the base.
"Become known to me." you sigh, the mortar bursts with flame, and then came the smoke. Raising above the mortar, it hovered, just like before. Smoke was common for divination, or so you acted. Your eyes began to feel as if they were being seared, your vision being stretched to where you weren't suppose to see; again you felt heavy, your eyes closing as a figure began to show in the smoke.
You focused, the figure coming into view as your breathing grew ragged. God, you hated scrying.
"Take a good look." you said to her, for the image wouldn't last long. The images of those not wanting to be found never did.
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Witch
human
19 years old
rogue
played by tsundere
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neither law, nor love, nor league of hell.
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Post by SASKIA VERSO on Jan 7, 2015 2:38:05 GMT
be more cruel, love and so be kind. Her eyes burn red with smoke, but Saskia doesn't notice. She strains to memorize the image that appears before her, fingers drumming on the table as she focuses on each detail. A woman, short and vulpine-faced, with hooded green eyes, sits in a room of immaculate luxury. A servant brings her a glass of wine and she takes it without looking at him. Her black hair is piled atop her head in an elaborate twist of braids and three shining white gems are strung across her forehead on a gold chain. Saskia inhales sharply. Her right hand rises to brush at the vision like she might cross the leagues separating them and rip the jewels from this thief with a touch of her fingers. "You have been too kind to me, my lord," the woman says. "Your remembrance of our distant kinship is appreciated, but I must leave Kur, I fear. I must plead my case to the emperor directly."
Her voice is exactly as Saskia remembers. It is crystal waves crashing on a crystal shore. Golden bells ringing in the hour before dawn. She is beautiful and deadly and one day Saskia will see her on her knees before her, with fear in her eyes. She must.
"Where does the emperor of this land live?" she asks the other witch, dragging her gaze away with an effort. "Where can I find him?"AERON CAERWYNLAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE
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Witch
Human
26 years old
Spell Weaver
played by Southie
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I'm a tulip in a cup, I stand no chance of growing up. I'm resigned to sail on through.
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Post by AERON CAERWYN on Jan 7, 2015 15:34:58 GMT
You push me out again, you push me up against a wall. You told me once your body flowed with milk and honey. You liar, liar, liar.
Your breathing is now shallow; your eyes still feel as if they're burning. You listen to her take a sharp breath, but say nothing. Speaking right now would be pointless. You know nothing of this vision, even though it is your sight stretched across... Goddess, who knows how far. The drumming doesn't help, but telling her to stop would be pointless. Only a bit more, you think.
You hated scrying.
With a deep breath your eyes open, the smoke vanishing almost at once. The candles go out, and the gold lacing your mirror stops shining. Your shoulders feel heavy, still, and your eyes are bloodshot; as if the four rivers had swelled across them. It takes a minute for your breathing to go back to normal.
"You would find him south of Kur, in Shara." you tell her, still sitting, in the now almost dark room. All you can smell is the smoke, the burnt hair.
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Witch
human
19 years old
rogue
played by tsundere
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neither law, nor love, nor league of hell.
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Post by SASKIA VERSO on Jan 8, 2015 21:10:13 GMT
be more cruel, love and so be kind. Another journey, then. More wandering. She resists the urge to scrub her hands through her hair and folds them in her lap instead. "Thank you," she says. "You have done me a great service and at a cost to yourself. How may I repay you? In my land we would trade a spell for a spell, but I do not know your customs."AERON CAERWYNLAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE
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