[IC] The Rising: An Original Dark Fantasy. Signups Always Welcome!

[shagranoz]

Elizabeth was in the storeroom of the coven's underground lair. "Hmm. Looks like we're running low on distilled moonlight and rose essence. I'll have to go get some tomorrow." She walked out to the Grand Hall. Made long before she was born, the Hall had a 30-foot high ceiling and everburning torches to provide a warm glow. She often came here even when there was nobody around to just sit and think. She'd been doing that a lot recently, wondering how she could ever live up to her aunt's reputation. Mary Anne had made her coven the envy of every other in the U.S., and Elizabeth felt like the coven hated her. How could she lead without their respect?

Alex had found an apartment in Carlsford, and was living under a cover as a struggling writer. What he was really up to was research. The hardest part of hunting wasn't in the heat of battle, but in the hours of piecing together many little bits of information to come up with a target. And this coven seemed to be very large. Large enough that if he tried to take them out on his own, he'd be a smear on the walls in seconds. He'd need help to pull this off, but if he could...

[Xandrya]

"Miss, another Heineken please," the man at one end of the bar waved at Annelise.

"Coming right up!" she added, acknowledging her customer as she restocked some bottles of alcohol. Scott, the bar manager, stood by the door, watching the young woman work. He was concerned for her well-being because a couple of nights ago, she was robbed at gunpoint after leaving work. Nobody was hurt, luckily, and the perpetrator got away with only the cash she'd collected that evening from the tip jar. Nonetheless, Scott felt terribly guilty about it all. Hell, he even blamed himself to a certain extent. But the past was in the past, and there was nothing he could do about it now but learn from his mistakes.

"Is he your last one?" Scott asked, walking by Annelise before grabbing a Heineken.

"Unless Casper just walked in, he's my closer," she smiled to herself. But that smile soon turned into a frown after she realized why Scott had to stay until closing with her. "You don't have to stay here just to walk me, you know--"

"Nonsense," he cut her off, walking past her again but this time in the opposite direction, "I'm walking you every night and that's that".

Annelise only sighed, watching him as he disappeared to the back through the double doors. She knew he wouldn't change his mind, so she just dropped it. Besides, she would be lying to herself if she told anyone she didn't enjoy their late-night walks.

[KatherinWinter]

Roxy loved hunting. Some would call her a serial killer. Others would consider her an assassin. Both were right. She was a killer. She had had to be. Killing had saved her life. She had run away from home nearly a year ago. Her skills with a knife had come in handy. At first she had only killed when she needed to. But it hadn't taken long for offers to come her. She had only accepted the jobs that met her requirements. She was very particular.

Today she tracking an abuser. She had spent the last week verifying the crimes he was accused of. Once she had enough proof that he wad guilty of the crimes that he was accused she started hunting him. Now she was simply waiting for an opportunity to take him out unseen.

[CrystalApple]

Kenneth Sokolvo

---

_{Carlsford - The Golden Cup}

---

Daniel was already up for the day, with coffee brewing for the start of the day and the smell of bread floated in the air as the bustling noise downstairs would continue on for a few hours. Some people would call his life glamorous, others would find it accommodating for its homely feel that came with it. It, either way, was his life that he enjoyed the day to day basis of as a variety of people came through his doors day after day, with his restaurant being a popular tourist spot. Today was no different from the usual schedule as his staff was taking care of things downstairs while Daniel himself surprisingly slept through the bustling noise. Getting himself up as he stretched himself into shape, he looked into his closet as he decided what to wear for the day.

Looking at all of his clothing, he picked an outfit out as he laid it out on the bed before picking up his towel in the room and headed for the shower. Steaming the room up as he got out of the warm waters and quickly covered himself before getting himself ready for the day. Looking at his clothing, he recognized the symbol on the clothing's tags "ᛇ" or "Eihwaz" was placed on them which enhanced their sturdiness immensely making normal wear-and-tear rather ineffective. Putting those clothes which were rather comfortable and quickly put on his shoes before leaving his bedroom. Going down the stairs as the shop was having decent business at the moment, he took a good ten minutes blending in and observing the shop for in case anything needed correcting. Smiling as customers of various kinds came through his doors and bought items off his menu which interested him. On occasion, his eyes would advert to a single customer as they enter his enchanted building which were protected with magic from his runes that he prepared. It was the safest place for him as his spells were woven into each other and combined to form an impressive defense. To say the least, this was his home turf and base that no one would so easily intrude or overtake without fighting with their life. However, so far nothing has manage to worry him about that happening anytime soon but it doesn't hurt to prepare for the worst. His experience beforehand has told him this much before and besides, a few weeks to ensure your safety is worth burning.

---

_{Carlsford - In Town}

---

After his brief observation on the service of his restaurant and checking up on the magical defenses of his home, he left to see what Carlsford was brewing up. With the not so secretive news that the coven in town has a problem with the new leadership in town, apparently some hubris to their tradition that they didn't like. There is also the fact that those witches performing parlor tricks in the town are getting out of hand. It is sooner or later going to attract hunters into this peaceful place where this generation is going to ruin it all. There is only a matter of time before if things don't stop then everything falls apart.

Looking around town as he waved to a few people that he knew in town and continued his way through town. Eventually groping his pockets as he checked to see if he had his gun which was concealed, he had a permit to do so. Reassuring him as he felt the handle on his waist, it was just a concern of his which worried him should anything go wrong. With this concern of his taken care of, he continued his walk around town as he sipped his coffee which he had picked up earlier from his shop.

[LitCabbit]

Ode dabbed medicine on the scars that decorated her body as she checked herself for untreated areas in the mirror. Clean claw marks. It wasn't the first time a "treatment" had gone wrong. She put down the medicine and cotton on her table bedside and opened it's drawer taking out the usual hot pink sticky not and pen. Biting off the pens cap, she started drawing foreign symbols and crumpled it in her palm, letting go of the pen. Ode took notice her room had scattered clothes and supplies all around, but spared it with a mere sigh."I'll clean this later," she murmured.
She opened her dresser and pulled out the regular tank top and jacket with her favorite yoga pants, putting them on as gently as possible. Each scratch was irritated at its touch, but she bared with its little stings. Ode buried her note in the pocket and quickly checked herself in the mirror, fluffing up her hair before leaving her room. Today she would finally get to relax from weeks of studying and helping her 'clients' and finally spend time on herself. Grabbing a pair of sunglasses and a purse, she head out of her apartment's door, checking the lock before walking off to wherever her mood would take her.

[Taytay]

Lars woke up tat morning with a headache, he had been out partying last night with some of the other younger witches and it had gotten out of hand. He did his normal morning routine, he got dressed in black joggers, converse, and a blue long sleeve t-shirt. As he was getting ready he smelt bacon eggs and syrup coming from down stairs and he knew it was his mother. This caused Lars to sigh, the mere thought of having to deal with his parents while nursing a hangover just increased the intensity of the throbbing going on in his head. He went down stairs and found that both his parents where seated and had made him a plate with his favorites, bacon eggs and pancakes all covered in syrup. Lars went through two helpings before his father finally spoke.

"How was the party? I hope you stayed out of trouble?" The an said while taking a sip of his coffee. Lars hated these talks, his mother insisted they have a breakfast together every morning since they told him about his magic three years ago. Ever since he has out his parents on thin ice, only using them for lively hood and teachings.

"It was fine, I drank a little, but other than that it was a normal party." He aid in a monotone voice, his mother tsked at his response. She hated him drinking, but never commented.

"Well if your up to it I need you to go into town and get these materials I have a project I'm working on and I ran out of this stuff, you can find it at the general store." His dad was always working on some new spell or potion, but he had never been successful....yet.

Lars nodded his head and jumped at the opportunity to get out of the war zone. He snatched the list and ran to his longboard and was off. His family lived in the suburb of Carlsford but it was not that far from Main Street. He arrived and saw the city was up and moving people put trying to fill their day with different activities and he set out to make his task take as long as possible.

[ineffable]

Silvera crosses her legs as she sits on the park bench, She pulls her cardigan around her lithe body tighter as the wind swirls around her. She hurriedly packs up her poetry notebook and pencils into her purse and stands up. She moves towards a coffee shop and enters it, joining the growing line for the warm caffeinated drink. When it was her turn she simply said softly "Hot chocolate, please, lots of sugar"She handed over a few bills and grabbed the cardboard cup, nursing it between her hands. Suddenly she feels herself tripping, the hot chocolate scalding her form as she falls to the floor with a loud thud Please not this again! She thinks to herself. She concentrates hard on what had happened before the chocolate had spilled. Then with all her force and concentration she thinks only of one word: Rewind

And suddenly there she is again. Nursing her cardboard cup as she walks through the shop. She narrowly avoids the part of the floor that she had slipped on and continues out the door. Time magic had it's perks.

[shagranoz]

It was a rare day when neither crisis nor potion was brewing in the coven, but there it was. It seemed that everyone was busy out doing things, but even witches and warlocks needed to keep their cover. Right now, Elizabeth was living off her family largesse, though she hoped to find a job soon. Anything to make her feel independent and somewhat normal.

It was a lovely day out, so she headed to the park. Seeing Daniel, she headed over to talk with him. Elizabeth was a semi-regular at The Golden Cup, and the two had had several conversations. She occasionally felt a tingle of magic from him, but she wasn't quite sure enough yet to ask him to join the coven. "Hey there. Surprised to see you here. Take an off day?"

@CrystalApple

Alex had done all the research that his brain could handle, and it didn't seem like it was leading anywhere. Tons of contradicting reports that only served to say that witches were here, but not who was one or what kind of powers they had. With a groan, he turned off his laptop and took a walk.

After four or five blocks, he saw a woman in the bad part of town, eyes sweeping in front of her. Almost like she was looking for someone or something. He stayed a respectful distance back, though.

@KatherinWinter

[ineffable]

@Queentze
Silvera walks to the general store next, she threw away her empty cup in the trash bin at the entrance. She was always looking for new things to do, new experiences to have. She sees a purple haired boy in front of her taking his sweet time grabbing stuff off of the shelves and laughs.
"Whatcha taking that much time for?" She skid to a stop beside him and smiled, brushing her blonde hair out of her face. Then she notices the long board.
"Nice board...if you have time, you should teach me how to ride it." She says bluntly.

[CrystalApple]

Kenneth Sokolvo

---

_{Carlsford - Park}

---

@shagranoz
"Oh- hello Elizabeth" Daniel said after a brief moment to recognize who was talking to him "You might call it that". Smiling at her for her sudden company which he would politely accept. He knew she was a witch of some sort but never knew what kind of magic she was specialized in performing and in return, she knew about his nature as well. A bit difficult to conceal magic in his secure den which was his restaurant, it was the one place which he couldn't disguise for the amount of magical defenses he had. She as one of his sem-regulars would have picked up something and knowing Carlsford, she would no doubt be part of the coven around here. So far, she didn't ask him to join but he had worse around here where they were much more aggressive. In general, he didn't mind Elizabeth despite some of the rumors he heard about her that floated around his magical community in his restaurant that came to his attention occasionally.

"Just taking a bit of time off, even the morning smell of coffee can grow stale sometimes" He mused as he threw away his cold coffee cup into a passing trashcan. With the two of them carrying some small idle conversation between the two (you know 'how's the weather' kind of stuff) as they slowly made through the park. "I don't believe I've ever asked if you had a job in this town, do you?" Daniel asked curiously as he always saw her at odd hours where most people would be working. Casually looking at her as the two continued their stroll, getting close to leaving the park by now after more or less a circle around.

[Taytay]

@ineffable

Lars was startled and almost dropped the jar of unpronounceable substance that was in his hand. He let out sigh of relief and put the jar back on the shelf. He looked at the source of his discomfort with a scowl, he had seen this girl around once and a while b ut never spoke to her.

"I am trying to kill time, and why would you wanna learn how to ride?" He said as he stared holes into the list in his hand and looked around the rest of the ingredients.

The general store was owned by a older witch in the coven who made it so that it could double as a store for magical items and also normal everyday house hold things. She enchanted the store so that only people who could use magic can see the "other" items. Lars continued to look around and slowly put things in his basket, and continued on like this awaiting the girls response.

[ineffable]

@Queentze
"I really don't have anything to do...riding a longboard is better than doing nothing right? So teach me, kill some time." Silvera smiles, a bright, exuberant smile that lights up her features,wonderfully. She picks up some items off of the shelves, examines them and slams them back down on the shelf, skipping up and down the aisle and finally coming back to stop at where the boy is. She grabs his basket and swung it around as she skipped up and down again and came back to a stop in front of him, cheeks flushed a red, eyes shining brightly. She looked beautiful in the moment and she knew that. She smiled again.

[LitCabbit]

Her movement was a bit more jumpy than the usual rushed and aching walks. Ode found the delightment of a day's off. The air felt... clear and her gratefulness peaking inside her. Checking into her purse, she understood how the work paid off. "Let this day satisfy me, at least," she whispered with a smile.

Her mood did not falter under the diversity of Carlsford. Surely, those with power was sensed my her as well with those with magic defense. Ode also knew of the coven that had been living for a well known time, even paid visit to its greatness. But the coven's presence was too known in the area. Really, someone's "speech" will bring trouble . She shivered at the thought. I guess I should find one before they find me

Ode had stopped as she reached a simple park she had grown fond of since she has moved. Trees branches that lay low and the a good view. She climbed up the larger branches and enjoyed how the morning shaped the scene. Though she liked the quiet of alone time, she found its path being a bit dull. I should probably meet other people besides the usual classmates or clients...Possibly, she believe she could pick up a number or two if she tried. Or even better, a hunter. "It's my day off after all." she chuckled to herself.

[KatherinWinter]

@shagranoz
Roxy kept to the shadows as she stalked her target. The man she was following was accused of being an abuser. Most of the documents that she had found seemed to indicate that the person who had brought him to her attention had been telling her the truth. She wouldn't kill him until she had solid proof though. Rumor wasmy enough. She noticed that someone was following her. She had no idea how he spotted her or why he was following her but it pissed her off. She stormed towards the guy.

[Taytay]

@ineffable

Lars was a little taken back by the forwardness of the girl and just stood there with a look of surprise as she went up and down the isle with his basket. Now that he looked at her better she was very pretty, gorgeous even, and she seemed very cheerful. Her mood was clashing with his attempts to stay negative and he was kind of liking the bright sun in front of him. When she stared at him he blushed and scratched the back of his neck and looked away not being able o keep eye contact.

"Okay fine. But I need to find the rest of this stuff before we go anywhere." He said as he took the basket back and continued back down the isle.

[ineffable]

@Queentze
"K...So what's your name? I'm Silvera by the way!" She skipped alongside him as he went down the aisle, putting stuff into his basket. Her keen eyes observed all the potion ingredients. A silver moth's wing, the hair of a troll...He was probably planning on making some potion. Her hands lay on top of his though when he was about to put a jar of demon horns into his basket. "I thought they were dangerous. You should be careful." She knew this guy had magic. She could feel it faintly as well as him being able to take all the magical items as well. Demons horns were...let's say she didn't have the best experience with it. It ended in lots of fire and screaming and cursing. She chuckled at the thought. Most fun she'd had in ages though.

[Xandrya]

The following morning after work, Annelise headed down to Main Street to buy her usual breakfast which consisted of a butter croissant with a side of hot chocolate. Whenever she wasn't in the mood to make herself some eggs, which was nearly every morning, she would go down to the busy coffee shop and spend some time down there reading one of her old anatomy books. Just because she couldn't handle medical school at the moment didn't mean the subject intrigued her any less.

Annalise hadn't gotten much sleep last night, and dark circles underneath her eyes were a clear indication of that. She wore a simple grey sweater dress and maroon boots, nothing that screamed for attention, and her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail. Since recent rumors about hunters were spreading as of late, Annelise tried her best to fit in as much as possible with the general population.

"Miss, what would you like?" the woman behind the counter asked Annelise, distracting her from her daydreams.

"Oh, right. just a croissant and a hot chocolate, please."

"We're out of croissants for the day, sorry."

"Oh..." Annalise was clearly disappointed, but she ordered a hot a chocolate and decided she would simply hold out until lunchtime. After paying for the drink and getting her order, she went back outside to take a scroll before she had to run errands for the day.

[shagranoz]

"You were looking very ticked off, and you seemed to be searching for someone. I was just wondering who it was and what they did. Maybe I can help you find them." Alex spread his arms open, to show that he didn't mean her any harm. That said, if the reverse wasn't true, he was ready for a fight. It was simply who he was.

@KatherinWinter

[KatherinWinter]

@shagranoz
Roxy glared at the man. He was either stupid or crazy. Either way she didn't want to deal with him. She was losing an opportunity to take out her target, which just pissed her off more. She pulled one of knives and held it where he could see it. This was usually enough to get people to leave her alone but somehow she had a feeling it wouldn't work with guy but she figure it was worth a try before things got nasty. "I don't need your help. Go away."

[LitCabbit]

Ode climbed down from her tree and looked around. One or two people in the crowds could be involved with witch craft and then there was he other few who were looking for them. If she were to sit back and watch closely, she could see the predators stalking the prey. Not that hunters are always predators, she thought.

@shagranoz
Roxy kept to the shadows as she stalked her target. The man she was following was accused of being an abuser. Most of the documents that she had found seemed to indicate that the person who had brought him to her attention had been telling her the truth.

@KatherinWinter

Ode felt a dangerous presence near her. She looked in the direction in where she felt, and saw rough middle aged man. It wasn't his dirty appearance that had caught her attention, it was a demon that would gnaw at him. It was a large demon, one that would rival five of her patients. Ode ran in his direction, and bumped into him.

"Ugh," she murmured, shouldn't underestimate his build. "Sorry about that." She said, touching his chest, readying her spell. Ode looked up to the demon, and whispered the chants her parents would make her remember to push it from its host. The man would change expressions, one that would look to kill many to A dumbfounded look. He took a step back

"Forgive me, I should'a dodged," he rubbed his neck, uncomfortable.

She looked back to the demon who would try to eat at the magical barrier blocking away from his host. It would only be temporary. Ode look back to the man and gave him a lopped smile, "I shouldn't have ran, anyway."

She opened her purse and took out a card with her contact info and gave it toe the man. "I'll be going now, contact me, and only me, if you're feeling sick again." Ode walked off, leaving the man confused.

"Huh." He looked to the card and back at her, "How'd she know?"