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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 4, 2020 17:00:17 GMT -5
(( Should we skip? Maybe to when they have to start getting ready for the party? I can type up a starter. C: ))
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 4, 2020 17:02:55 GMT -5
(( Sounds good to me! ))
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 4, 2020 17:06:35 GMT -5
(( I can get a starter up, if you want! ))
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 4, 2020 17:41:20 GMT -5
The date on the invitation claimed that they had roughly a week and a half before the party to get ready. That wasn’t nearly long enough for Romi’s liking, to be honest. It wasn’t that she didn’t have nice clothes to wear or she didn’t have time, but she knew that her wounds were still rather fresh. Her parents were going to be there and they would have a lot of questions for her. She hoped she could avoid being seen by anyone she knew for a little while, at least until her wounds faded into scars. As it stood, they were stark and obvious against her skin, and still required being bandaged. There was no way to hide them from sight. She cared less about the way they made her look—although she did wish they weren’t right there on her face—and more about how everyone was going to react.
No point in worrying about the inevitable, she supposed.
Romi was quick to get ready. She put on a dress that she had already picked out. Form-fitting and a shade of red that she always thought looked nice with her hair, which she had taken the time to curl into an elaborate hairstyle she otherwise wouldn’t have bothered with. Frankly, she didn’t like wearing such fancy clothing all that often, but this was a big party and she didn’t want to stand out by not having the right attire. She did her makeup and put on heels, but she also took the time to make sure that Winter looked nice as well. Finding him a suit had been tricky, but with Aries and Gil to help, they had gotten one that fit the man well. She was practically ready to go as she stopped to look Winter over one last time.
“Aw, look at you,” she giggled and fixed one stray strand of hair that was poking up just a little too much. At least there was one bright side to this. “You look so handsome.”
From the doorway, Aries snickered. “Too bad he’s a grumpy old man.”
She gave him a slight glare. “Oh, be quiet. You’re the only grumpy old man here.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 4, 2020 18:19:05 GMT -5
In the days that followed, their body was slowly making progress in healing itself. The cracked ribs were pretty much healed, the bruises fully faded. It was only their arm that still bore the black marks that gave them trouble. They had regained the ability to move it, but not a lot. It was functional for Derek and Sam, who were right handed. Winter, however, was left handed, which meant he was hindered the most with it.
It took a day and a half before the protector fronted again. When he did, he hardly spoke to Romi at all. Normally snappish and solitary anyway, the boy had seemed to retreat to himself whenever she was around, purposefully avoiding her if he could, and speaking briefly to her whenever he had to. His gaze never stayed on her for long, if he even looked at her. It was odd behavior that even Derek picked up on, but Winter had kept his reasons for it to himself.
Now, he stood in the middle of the dorm, dressed in suit that was completely uncomfortable and about to go to a party he wanted nothing to do with. Yet, as much as he had protested the idea of attending when he first received the invite, he didn't voice those complaints while they got ready. He was fidgeting where he stood, fingers drumming against his legs in attempts not to rip the stupid jacket off of him. He was about to ask Aries if he truly needed to wear this outfit when Romi entered the room, dressed in a stunning red gown and looking more like a movie star than a college student. He tolerated her closeness as she fixed his hair, bit down the growl rising in his throat. His eyes studied her face for the briefest of seconds before landing on her injured cheek. Then he turned his head away from her. "Is this necessary?" he asked, the usual edge in his voice more strained and uneven.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 4, 2020 18:43:39 GMT -5
“Unfortunately, yes, it is. Appearances are a big deal and we would stand out too much if dressed casually,” Romi answered and fought down the urge to let out a heavy sigh. With Winter, she had never truly been able to gain his full trust like she had with Derek and Sam. He was always snappish and harsh, the unfriendly type who didn’t want to be crowded or coddled. Lately, though, it seemed to be so much worse. If he fronted, which was rare, he avoided her like the plague. His eyes would never quite meet hers. It was like he didn’t want to look at her at all. Just as she expected, Winter turned his head away. “Besides, you look great and you can take off your jacket when we get there.”
Not that Winter would care how he looked.
“I‘ll try to make this as quick as we can, but I still don’t know why they invited us in the first place,” she said and headed for the door, though she paused to glance in the mirror and fix her earrings. It was raining outside and Aries needed to pull up the car, anyway. She wasn’t about to get soaked after it took her over an hour to get ready in the first place. As she turned away from her reflection, she tried to meet Winter’s gaze. She waited until Aries was far enough down that before she murmured, “I’m not angry about what happened, Winter. And I’m not angry at you.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 4, 2020 23:27:59 GMT -5
Winter followed slowly after her, not walking with her, but not lagging behind either. He warred with himself, knowing that if they were to spend hours at this party together, then he needed to talk to her. Yet it was like trying to pull briers out of wool: he can seen and grab the words, but he just couldn't get them to come free. It was a struggle he had been having since the whole ordeal with their father happened in the first place. So imagine his surprise when it was Romi who pulled the brier free for him.
Turning his head, he finally allowed himself to meet her gaze. There should be anger in her eyes, hate, distrust at the least, yet there was none of that. "You should be," he muttered, sighing as he tried to form and voice his thoughts. "Romi, I warned you that I couldn't protect you, that he was dangerous. You followed me in anyway. You made the stupid choice to follow us to the basement even after I told you to leave if things went wrong. You stayed and you fought and you got hurt."
He paused for a moment, eyes darting towards the way Aries had disappeared to. He wasn't sure why it would matter if he over heard him or not, but he still looked. "I made an attempt to stop him. I tried, even though I knew I was hopeless. Derek would have been devastated if I didn't try to spare you, even if it meant us being the ones injured. But I... I couldn't do it. I ran, fully intending to leave you to defend for yourself. My thoughts were only focused on getting as far away as possible. I needed to protect the others, even though I knew running wasn't going to solve anything. I would have abandoned you in a heartbeat." Another pause stretched through the air as he braced himself for the next part, which was usually not said to anyone outside his system. "I'm sorry."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 5, 2020 0:05:45 GMT -5
Romi shook her head. “I followed you into that house knowing exactly what I was getting myself into, Winter,” she corrected him and turned to look him directly in the eye. Like you just said, I made the choice to follow you. It might have been stupid and reckless, but that was my choice to make, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. So no, I shouldn’t be angry, and I’m not.”
“I can’t be mad at your for feeling like it would be better to abandon me. You were looking out for Derek and Sam, not just yourself, and you didn’t trust me. That doesn’t make me hate you,” Romi answered, though she knew that she was probably a little more forgiving than most people would be. She couldn’t be angry, though, knowing what she did. Winter thought to protect himself, therefore protecting the others, before he thought of anyone else. It wasn’t necessarily okay or the right thing to do, but she understood why he felt that way, because it was all he had known for a very long time. “But I hope you can see now that I meant what I said. I care about you. I’m here for you. This—what happened back there—doesn’t change that. It takes time to trust someone and I’m willing to give you the time you need.”
While she gave him a smile, she chose to give him his space and didn’t attempt to hug him. “I’m happy you’re here, Winter, no matter what happens.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 6, 2020 23:00:47 GMT -5
(( It’s okay! ))
“You don’t need to promise me anything.” Romi grabbed her jacket from the coat rack and shrugged it on. She didn’t feel like Winter’s actions had been bad enough to warrant being spiteful over it. He was looking out for himself, which might have been selfish in the eyes of someone else, but she understood. She wouldn’t enjoy reliving the experience, though, so she thought it was best to avoid dangerous situations that put any of the boys at risk. “I appreciate that you’ll put in the effort,” she added with a smile and headed down to the car. “But I’m just glad you’re okay.” Gil was already there, with Aries in the passenger seat, neither looking very pleased about the situation.
She climbed into the back and they took off as soon as Winter was settled. Rather than head to the party by car, as it would take way to long, they parked off the side of a rundown building. It was nothing special to look at. Maybe it was once a bustling factory, but now it was an empty shell of its former self. Regardless of what it looked like, Aries didn’t seem to care. He walked to the back and immediately began to scrawl across the gray in white chalk. Symbols, a spiraling shape in the center of it all. A few murmured words and the drawing burst to life in a radiant flash of purple light.
Romi nudged Winter with her elbow softly. “Traveling by portal is a lot faster than driving, but we can only make them where people never go. It doesn’t hurt, either. It kind of feels like jumping through the air.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 10, 2020 12:57:13 GMT -5
Winter followed Romi, still feeling as if he had done nothing to make up for the fact that he would have gladly risked her life for theirs. As much as he still didn't necessarily like the woman, he couldn't deny that the other alters were close to her. So whether he liked it or not, he was stuck being around her. Running was a selfish move, even if it was justified in some lights.
Upon reaching the car, Winter climbed into the backseat and tried to keep Sam at bay. The boy was close enough to the front to tell Gil was there, but he just couldn't take control right now. So, Winter subdued the child's efforts and passed along the greeting to the other demon as he buckled. He was prepared for a long ride, however, it wasn't long before Aries had pulled the vehicle over by a run down looking building. His instincts said this was a bad idea even as he got out of the car and walked with them. The feeling didn't fade as Aries began drawing symbols in weird patterns. The boy eyed the newly made portal with a large amount of distrust. "Then why don't you go first?" he suggested.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 13, 2020 22:20:01 GMT -5
“Sure. I’ll go first, then you can follow after me,” Romi agreed and stepped forward. Traveling by portal was not something she did often, but she was used to it by now, and stepped through the shimmering doorway without a moment of hesitation. A second of feeling like there was no ground beneath her feet and suddenly, she was on the outside of a brightly lit manor house. More of a mansion than anything else, with strings of fairy lights looped high above a white stone walkway. Everything seemed a little more glittery under the moonlight. The place was packed with people. Witches and warlocks, though not many were accompanied by their familiars. It wasn’t a common practice to invite a familiar to spend time socializing with the “higher class”.
Romi thought it was a ridiculous notion not to invite them. They were people, too, and deserved a chance to have fun at a party if they wanted to.
Meanwhile, Gil crossed his arms and gave Winter a slow, steady nod. “You might be a bit hesitant of portals, but it’s natural to feel that way. It’s just a side effect of the concealing charms used to keep mortals away,” he explained. “It influences them to walk away if they see one.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 14, 2020 12:32:15 GMT -5
Winter watched as Romi disappeared into the portal. He expected to hear screams, flashing lights, loud sounds, something to indicate that it had gone wrong, but there was no such things. She just... disappeared. "That and I've learn not to trust things at face value or walk blindly into something," he muttered. Gil had had an ounce of respect for. The man was just as gruff, if not more so, than himself, and the way he handled the boy's remarks and outbursts was a way that Winter didn't out right find irritating. Still didn't mean he was buddy-buddy with him, though.
Taking in a deep breath, Winter steeled himself. If Romi could do it, then he could too. He stepped forward, albeit reluctantly, and cautiously put a hand into the portal. Then his arm. Then finally the rest of him. There was a moment of feeling like he was about the fall, but it was soon replaced by the ground firmly under his feet once more. Blinking a few times, he saw the huge mansion decked out in lights, packed with people. He wasn't sure if the seemed feeling of nausea was caused by the portal or the crowds.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 21, 2020 23:02:28 GMT -5
(( sorry for being inactive, School is kicking my butt ))
Romi blinked at the sudden appearance of Winter, who looked more than a little uncomfortable. Whether it be the stuffy clothes, the massive crowd or the bright lights, she could imagine that he wasn’t in his preferred zone. Sympathetically, she wanted to take his arm and keep him close, but knew he wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. He liked to have his space and she respected that. When at last Gil and Aries joined them, the small group could start to make their way down the polished stone path. Expensive cars lined both sides of the street, as well as vehicles that were a little less normal. Carriages, mostly, drawn by horses that were large and strange in appearance. She didn’t make it very far before she heard a familiar voice call out to her:
“Andromeda, darling, is that you?”
She turned to glance over her shoulder and was met with the worried face of her mother, in high heels and an absolutely shimmering golden dress. Her hair was not much different from Romi’s own, though significantly longer, and went all the way down to her waist in elegant curls. Although she looked like she could be in her fifties, it was clear by the way she held herself that she was much older. At her side stood a man who was roughly the same height as Aries, though he didn’t seem to share the family resemblance—his hair was stark black, his eyes gray, and his face on the thinner side. Not quite handsome, but rather warm and goofy, in a pleasant way.
“Ma!” Romi grinned, despite how it hurt, and stepped carefully over the uneven ground to throw her arms around her mother’s shoulders. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“What on earth happened to your face, Andromeda?” Her mother demanded, none too pleased by the sound of it.
She tried to divert her mother’s attention, at least for the time being, and threw a smile over her shoulder at Winter. “I’ll explain later. Ma, I want you to meet someone. This is Winter,” she introduced. “And Winter, these are my parents.”
“You’re welcomed call me Calypso,” the woman replied, and while she didn’t smile, her expression was far from unfriendly. More thoughtful, as she took the sight of Winter in. “Pleasure to meet you in person. Andromeda’s told me a bit about you. This is my husband, Leonard.”
“Ah, just Leo,” the older man said. His eyes crinkled at the edges with a wide smile. “Leonard has always sounded a bit stuffy to me.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 22, 2020 20:20:45 GMT -5
(It's okay! I completely understand the stress of school.)
The sights about them was almost too much for Winter. Following behind the rest of the group, his eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings. The signs of wealth were everywhere. Not only was there the mansion, but high dollar cars lined the road leading up to the building. A part of him, for just a moment, had the urge to try and open one to see what was inside. However, common sense asserted itself promptly, and he was able to keep himself from doing said act. The last thing he needed was to trigger some kind of magical trap. He also noticed the horse drawn carriages, which more more confusing than the fact that he was at a part full of witches. Who still used carriages these days? Were they even legal on the road?
At the sound of the woman's voice calling to Romi, Winter froze and searched for the source. It was easy to spot her. Red hair curled, she was a little bit too much for him to look at in her shimmering gown. At least the man by her side looked a little more normal. Still, he tensed as the couple approached. In doing so, Romi revealed the identity of the woman, and introductions were soon made. Not being one for much social settings, he wasn't exactly playing along well. "She tell you I'm a demon?" he asked. She couldn't have, otherwise the woman would be speaking so easily to him, right? From what he could tell, it seemed witches and warlocks didn't really like demons all that much, save those with familiars.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 22, 2020 22:42:20 GMT -5
(( yeah, I’ve just been buried in work. ))
Calypso blinked at Winter’s blunt question. She didn’t look horrified or disgusted, just a tad surprised. “Of course she did,” she replied and gave a tiny smile. “It’s not an issue, if that’s what you’re trying to imply. Demons are a welcomed part of our family. Why, I love my familiar. She’s like a sister to me. We’ve known each other since we were children and I wouldn’t let anyone tell me otherwise. Her being a demon doesn’t change the way I feel.” There was no hint of a lie in her voice and her face remained steady, her gaze soft and warm. Nothing about her indicated that she disliked Winter’s presence of the thought of him being a demon. She was clearly a confident, unshakable type of woman—the kind who did and said what they wished to, without any concern over what others might think, and who wasn’t afraid to be honest with her opinions.
Perhaps very much like Romi herself, in some ways.
Neither Calypso nor Leo attempted to hug or shake Winter’s hand, which was also because of what Romi had told them. She made sure to mention that he didn’t like to be touched, even if it was just for a simple handshake, and that he wasn’t completely comfortable around people. Though she had described him as being nice, deep down. Maybe. “My family’s very...different, in our societal views,” Romi added and leaned just slightly to give Winter a cheeky grin. She might have leaned her shoulder against his arm, if he had been alright with it, but she wouldn’t do that when he was already so uncomfortable with the size of the crowd around them. “Guess you can say that breaking the rules is like a family tradition. In a good way.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Jan 29, 2020 22:41:55 GMT -5
“Best be on our way, Andromeda. Stay out of trouble, little magic maker. I don’t want you getting anymore...wounds,” Calypso said as she fanned herself with an ornate, old-fashioned handheld fan, adorned with beads and lace. “And we shall discuss this later. Don’t think I’ll simply forget about it and you can weasel your way around our discussion.”
She pointed a slim, red nail at Romi and raised her eyebrows, before turning a much warmer look on Winter. “It was wonderful to meet you, Winter, darling. Don’t let my daughter drag you into too much trouble, though. She’s nearly as bad as I was at that age.”
Her parents departed with polite, simple dips of their heads. They were always like this, kind but incredibly old school in their mannerisms. Their age didn’t show physically, but it certainly did in the way they moved and spoke. It made her wonder, sometimes, why they chose to have a second child so far apart from their first. Aries was over a hundred years older than her and her parents three times older than that. They made for a strange family and it had very little to do with the fact that they were witches.
“Are you and Gil coming with us, Aries?” She asked, but her brother shook his head.
“No. We’d prefer to stay where we’ll not be bothered. They don’t much like us here,” he answered, vague about it, and shrugged his shoulders. Even dressed flawlessly in an expensive black suit, he was an intimidating man who showed very little friendliness on his features. “If you need us, we’ll be near the concession tables. I’d very much like a drink.”
Just like that, they were left alone, at the entrance to the manor. To Romi, the place was quite fantastical and she knew without any explanation that it was the work of magic. “Well, guess it’s just us now. You can hold my arm, if you want to,” she offered, not trying to be condescending, but rather as a way of showing that she understood how uncomfortable he must be here. “I know you don’t like crowds.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 30, 2020 20:34:18 GMT -5
Her parents departed from them without any acknowledgement on Winter's part. He simply watched them leave, glad to have the awkward conversation over. One down, who knows how many more to go. The thought made his skin crawl. For the hundredth time, he wondered why he hadn't tried harder to get out of tonight's events. Mainly it was due to his injures and unstable mental state. After the switch with Xorros, who Winter still knew next to nothing about save what info Romi had told him, things on the Inside had been so messed up that it had stolen away most of his focus. Very little got down those first few days, even more so than usual.
His gaze moved over to the spot where Aries and Gil were standing as Romi asked what they were doing. A frown tugged lightly at his mouth. Sure, he and the two older males weren't the best of buds, but he had felt a little betting knowing that they were with them. If nothing else, he knew that if Sam or Derek suddenly switched, he wouldn't have to worry too much about them. Sam wouldn't leave Gil's side, and Derek would have two extra people to help keep things calm and secure. Now it seems that they wouldn't be with them at all. While he didn't physically or verbally protest this turn of events, he wasn't thrilled about it.
Alone with Romi once more, the boy took in a deep breath. Things would be fine. He had handled crowds his own existence. If he could manage the unruly chaos that is high school, this should be no different. If he was lucky, no one would even glance their way. How much worse could this be? In response to her offer, Winter thought for a moment. Physical contact not being a huge favorable idea for him, he knew that having her to guide him and keep him going was probably a good idea. He didn't, however, take her arm. Instead, he offered out his, albeit in a begrudging manner. "You hang on to me. I might try bolting before we even find out what they want with us," he muttered.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Feb 14, 2020 19:51:35 GMT -5
[[ Sorry this took so long. I swore I replied, but I guess I didn’t and forgot. Totally my bad. ]]
”I’ve got you,” Romi murmured and took Winter’s arm, looping hers around his and settling her hand on his forearm. She didn’t know if he would take any comfort in the statement. It wasn’t like she had done so well protecting him from harm’s way last time. Here, though. Here, she was surrounded by her own kind, and she knew how to handle witches better than she did demons. Familiars were often, sadly, rather quiet and meek. Not out of willingness or natural personality traits, but the societal standards set by older magic users and their ancient, unfair regulations.
She was confident she could help keep Winter safe, if not comfortable.
The crowd thickened the further they moved forward, past the immaculate lawn and sprawling front gardens, into the awaiting manor. A demon was nearby the door, a tall woman with a forked tail and curled horns. She smiled—forced, strained—and offered to take Romi’s coat. Politely, she smiled back and shook her head. “Hello, miss. I was wondering if you could tell me where the owner of the property is? I’d like to have a word with them.”
“Madam Lovelace is in her study with friends, I’m afraid,” the demon replied. This time, her smile seemed less fake. It was always like this, slowly gaining the trust of the familiars who were not so well treated. Not all were given the freedom that Gilbert was. “She’ll be joining the party in the main room soon, however. May I take a message for her?”
“Tell her that Andromeda Nightingale would like to chat,” she answered, before giving a nod and leading Winter away from the busy foyer. Let out a small breath. “I hate this prim and proper stuff. So old fashioned, you know? Guess it makes since with how old most of these witches and warlocks are.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Feb 14, 2020 20:57:29 GMT -5
[[ Yeah, being busy kills my brain lol ]]
“I really hope so,” Romi sighed, a vague answer, but the only one she had to offer. She didn’t know a Lovelace and had no idea what the woman wanted with them, least of all what she wanted with a Winter. How she even knew about him was beyond her knowledge. “Here, let’s go somewhere quiet until the main event starts. There’s probably an empty room we can step into.”
Down a hallway and a few locked doors later, she quietly eased open a large wooden door and poked her head inside. The room was dark and, from what she could see, empty. Tall shelves of books lined every wall, stretching high to the ceiling above. Ladders were left at the edges at some shelves, to reach those books placed well out of arm’s reach. She guided Winter inside and closed the door, turned on the light.
It really did look like the room was empty.
The room was decidedly not empty.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” a voice called and made Romi jump so badly in surprise that she nearly stepped on Winter’s foot. She glanced quickly around, but saw no one. It took her a minute to realize that the voice was coming from above them.
There was a person sitting atop one of the man towering bookcases. Well, a demon, of sorts. Skin a dusty rose, a slender tail, dark slate gray hair that covered not two, but three bright golden eyes. They—she couldn’t quite tell if they were a man or woman, based on their voice or their appearance—scowled down at her and Winter from where they sat. Their face was marred with a battlefield of scars, large and small. Over cheeks and lips, one yellow eye partially closed behind a painful marking of a long healed wound. “Begone, witch. Traipse along to your party and leave my library be.”
“Your library? Are you Lovelace?”
“Am I Lovelace, she asks! Do I look like a witch to you, girl? Take your familiar and cease your yapping,” they hissed, tail lashing. “He’s likely the only one with any sense between the two of you.” [/font]
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 14, 2020 21:32:11 GMT -5
(It's absolutely the worst. XD)
It was clear by the tone of her voice that not even she believed her words. Most likely, they were in for the long haul, however long that might be. Winter was regretting this whole endeavor more and more, so when she offered to find a quieter spot, he didn't protest. If he was going to keep control of the body for the entire party, then he needed to be calm and relaxed. If he got too worked up, it might draw one of the others to the front. Sure, they had all talked and settled that they wouldn't purposefully switch. However, there were some cases that they couldn't control. Something could be said or done to trigger a switch and there would be nothing they could do to stop it. Then there was also the chance of them getting stuck for a while. The last thing he wanted was for the others to be stuck out here. Derek might fair well, what with his tendencies to like being around others, but Sam would be an entirely different story.
The boy followed her down the hall ways, checking the doors to see which one would give them entrance. When they finally found one, he was surprised to find it a library of sorts. Well, that was good. The campus library had been, after all, a shelter for their system, a safe haven to rest and be free of torment and daily stress. The sight of book lined shelves and the scent of old books was familiar and pleasant. Now, if only he could stay here the rest of the night while Romi handled the party. A sudden voice brought that wishful thought to a half. Glancing in the direction of the voice, Winter took an half step forward. It wasn't much, but the process did put him a bit more in front of Romi, not blocking her fully from the demon, but putting himself in a position that he could easily move to be if he needed to. This was something he was used to doing with Derek or Sam. Granted, whenever he did it for them, it was more mentally then physically. So doing this for Romi was kind of natural, king of awkward since he wasn't used to try and protect someone else.
"Not that I'm going to deny your claim of who has more senses," Winter muttered, staring at the demon with narrowed eyes, "but I am not her familiar."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Feb 14, 2020 21:55:36 GMT -5
[[ It really is ]]
“A demon with a mind of his own, then. No witch to call your master, eh? Lucky,” replied the demon, whose eyes bore holes into Romi’s very soul. She felt uncomfortable and awkward, standing there below their judgmental gaze. The word “master” was spoken with such fierce hatred. “They trick and they lie and they steal what matters most. They promise you good things and pretend to be your friend. Tell you that they will give you a better life, when all they really want is a servant to do their bidding. You should rid yourself of their company before they ruin your life.”
The declaration didn’t shock Romi, though it did make her frown. She knew well that many familiars disliked, and even despised, their witches or warlocks. Hated the positions they found themselves in and the magical society as a whole. Never had she met one so full of hate and white-hot contempt, though, so used to Gil and his own mannerisms. “I would never do that to him. He can do whatever he likes whenever he likes. I don’t control him,” she argued, a bit defensively.
“Oh, I know all about how you treat him, witch,” the demon huffed and turned their attention back towards the book in their lap. It was only then that she realized that the demon only had one hand—the other was inexplicably missing, only an arm up to the wrist and nothing more. “The underworld speaks many things of that wound on your face.”
Battered and scarred, she couldn’t begin to imagine what must have happened to them, but his words gave her pause.
“The underworld?”
“My kind’s world. Our homeland. Word travels fast of the young witch who took a blow to the face for a half-bred demon.” They spoke with a certainty that gave her a slight chill, but their eyes were on Winter now. “And they speak many things about you, young demon. You’re the talk of the time.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Feb 15, 2020 13:37:23 GMT -5
It vaguely sounded like Winter was, in his own, defending Romi from such rude accusations. She didn’t know how she felt about that, except that no one, especially not a stranger, had the right to tell her that she treated him poorly. And because he was part demon! That wasn’t a reason why she would be rude or disrespectful to anyone, least of all Winter or the others. None of them deserved that.
Still, the pressing matter at hand was how this particular demon seemed to know so much about the two of them.
“Oh, you’ve done many things. You have sparked the interest of many of our kind. They wish to know just where you will go,” hummed the demon as they watched them from their perch. There was a slight glint in those golden eyes. “But I see everything. There are no secrets that can be kept from my eyes. Your future is filled with fire and brimstone, young half-demon. You and that witch—you have a dangerous fate to follow.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Feb 15, 2020 14:38:39 GMT -5
[[ it’s okay! ]]
“There’s nothing plain about seeing the future, boy. Certainly not your future. Or hers, for that matter,” the demon responded with an unfriendly, sharp-toothed smile. They looked positively wicked. “Let me make it a bit clearer for you, young half-demon: you and that witch are about to embark on a journey that will change everything you know about yourselves.”
Romi was rightfully suspicious about predictions of the future. It was a magic that was both unreliable and often complicated. Even when it was a demon, she had her doubts about their ability to tell the what events might transpire in the future. “That’s incredibly vague. Mind clarifying? Why would we go on a journey?”
“Because your journey has already begun,” the demon answered. “Your meeting was foretold by the spirits long ago. A half-demon will meet a witch and together, they shall shape the stars and suns. Ask your brother, witch. He and his familiar should know all about it.”
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