Achronum

Of Blood and Magic

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: The Mutant Underground's New HQ
Skills: N/A

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While he worked, James gave everyone a wide berth. The frustration that drove him to lash out at Casper was still bubbling under his skin but having something to focus on gave it time to settle. The guilt creeped into the space the anger left and he sighed as he encountered yet another set of useless wires. The entire place needed rewiring, almost all the insulation needed to be replaced, the ceiling was sagging and that was never a good sign, and they needed to deal with the rat problem. Traps and sealant galore. James hated dealing with rats. And of course, Max and Leighton left with all the knowledge of every person in the Underground. James was tempted to crack his head against the wall and just be done with it but he knew he’d just be left with a headache. Please, someone just kill him now.

Maybe Sunshine could help him out.

Except he’d prefer not to die of plague. James shuddered at the thought and moved on from that train of thought onto the gnawing feeling in his chest. Damn it. Now was as good a time as ever. So he made his way back to the couch Casper was sitting on and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Hey, I’m sorry for snapping at you. That wasn’t cool and it was way out of line. You’ve gone through some shit and I probably shouldn’t judge how you’ve handled it since I don’t really understand it. At all really. Still wrapping my head around the whole Hey, ghosts are real thing but yeah, sorry. Um, did you wanna tag along? I know its a lousy way to hang out but I want to check on Cayden after Vulcan nearly seared his face off and I want to check the bedrooms to see how many rat traps we might need?” James was rambling a little but he thought if the world, and apparently fuckign ghosts, weren’t going to let them hang out in a somewhat normal manner then this would have to do.

Harry Potter and the Alchemist's Quest - Discontinued

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Artemis “Arty” Harrington

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Location: Platform 9 3/4
Magic: N/A

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Today was the day! The day his parents―he knew Apollo was looking forward to today because Hogwarts, you know?―were probably looking forward to after the entire summer of random screams and bursts of excitement when the bubbling anticipation became far too much for him to hold inside. The moment they’d set foot off the train after last year, the anticipation of another year learning magic kicked in. He was of course just as excited to see his parents. He’d definitely missed them despite the letters he tried to send home at least once a month but he couldn’t deny that when he jumped off the train and barreled into them, it wasn’t just the excitement of seeing them again and he felt a bit guilty about that. But who in the entirety of Britain wouldn’t look forward to magic? It was literally a dream come true for him!

And sometimes, Arty couldn’t help but pinch himself. Even five years later and the end of the perpetual terror of He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Name’s reign, he got the horrible feeling that none of this was actually real. That he’d wake up strapped in at some snake pit and totally mental. He wasn’t sure he could handle the shock. He’s imagined this more than once. He’d talked about it more than once with Apollo. He’d determined that at best, there would be waterworks. At worst, he’d unhinged even more. Probably completely if he wasn’t already.

Sometimes in the first years, after the Sorting and when the sound of sleep was the only thing breaking the stillness, he wished his fear was real.

But he was over that. They’d made great friends. They’d learned magic. He made Prefect! Him, Arty Harrington, a prefect. When he got the letter, he’d bolted with the letter raised high and waving it in everyone’s face but was off again before they could read it. It was like when Mr. Hopkinson told them they weren’t in fact inase but minus jumping over the fainting sibling. He’d admit, he was annoying but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was excited and proud and everything in between! He wasn’t one to bottle the happy stuff and this fell hard into the happy stuff category.

Arty’s feel barely touched the ground as they passed through 9 ¾, snickering as he bumped into Apollo’s cart. The family took up their passing positions: ever since the first year when Mum stopped in the middle of the wall, or tried to, Dad wrapped his arm around her waist and then twins followed on their heels. She laughed about it and promised not to do it again but they all recognized that look. It was a threat.

“I’ll never get used to that. I mean, it’s right odd. Hiding a platform behind a not-wall? I absolutely love it!” Olivia gave the wall a lingering look but Arty was off the moment the platform appeared and the cacophony of the crowd washed over them. One hand on the trolley ladened with school supplies, another firmly wrapped around his brother’s arm, and he was dragging Apollo as well as he could. Where were the girls? They only had so much time and they had to find them. He didn’t want Apollo feeling lonely on the train since they wouldn’t be sitting together this year and he definitely didn't want to show up to the Prefect’s compartment without Mary. He looked and looked and looked, weaving through people and barely avoiding hitting them until…

Jackpot.

“Hold this, thanks!” Arty shouted cheerfully abandoned his cart with Apollo, bounding forward until he all but jumped on them, pulling them both in for a hug. “My favorite people! Are totally we excited? I’m totally excited!” He kept his arms around their shoulders, offering a wave and a grin at their respective parents. “Okay, we gotta move! Trains leaving in a few minutes and right here, right now I’m calling bagsy on a window seat, Mary. This year is gonna be totally ace!”

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: The Mutant Underground's New HQ
Skills: Electrical Engineering

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Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

James sat face in his palms, reeling after the conversation with Jack. There were a lot of mixed emotions right now and guilt was one of the most prevalent ones. He knew he shouldn't reasonably blame himself. He didn't know. He had no way to know Casper was recently released from rehab for drugging himself to the point of addiction to avoid the very issue he faced last night. He had no way to know he was feeding into the very problem Jack tried to ensure didn't repeat itself. Excellent. Now he was an enabler and Casper was looking for a way to maintain his fix.

And then, two of the three people he knew prior to this mess up and left. To the very people trying to kill them. He'd thought Leighton was cool with them. They worked together well as a team during the training session and afterwards trying to take down Vulcan and Magik. Sure, she definitely had some attitude problems when they first met but that was reasonable. She just stumbled randomly into the Morlocks after her life turned upside down. Should they have seen something? Maybe how they worked together was just a fluke. Maybe her stuck up attitude originally was how she really was.

And Max. That caught him completely unawares. The guy was a loose cannon for sure and needed way more training or practice or whatever someone did when they had magic but whenever he talked, he always wanted to be the hero. He always wanted to help people, even if what he was doing ended up hurting more than it helped. To hear he defected to a group that launched an attack on a place holding children--Max still shuddered thinking about how badly some of them had to be patched up--it seemed like a lie. But the evidence was in this building. The entirety of the group was here.

And Max wasn't.

James trembled with the emotions he'd been holding inside as Casper pestered him for the drugs. There was too much going on: the relocation, the defections, the betrayal. And James had just about reached his limit. James looked up at Casper and tried to keep himself in check. "I don't have your drugs, Casper. If that's all you want from me, back off. I won't have any anytime soon." James snapped at him as he stood off the couch. He needed to do something. Sitting on round stewing was driving him up the wall. Blink said earlier they might be able to get the electricity going again so he might as well dive head first into that. "I'm going to try and get this place working again."

James made his way around the new headquarters, peering around and through the broken wall pieces, following chewed and frayed wiring through both floors, and frankly losing hope that they could get the electricity running. It would take a lot of equipment, time, and effort James wasn't sure they were able to or willing to pull off. "Damn, there's a fuck ton of work to do." He muttered to himself as he made his way through the rooms.

Of Blood and Magic

Interacting with @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Trainerblue192

Ryner’s entire body rippled and suddenly she was standing back behind the desk,a duplicate of the chair she’d brought around next to her. She looked down at the offending piece of furniture, then to the one across from her, and back to the one next to her with an unhappy sigh. “Now why’d you go and ruin it? I was told to hold you until she got back and here I am, struggling with a punk ass vampy. One too many brews down the ol’ hatch, if you know what I mean! Haha!” Ryner cackled as she spoke, the words lining up less and less with Ryner’s mouth as she leaned over the table and poked Eris’ head. The sensation of touch never came.

“Oh, feisty boy in here tonight! Guess my little spell’s coming undone since I’m about outta magic here. They already cleared the building so my job is technically done.” The voice echoed around the room, the words coming slurred and choppy. Ryner became translucent and the room grew darker, colder. “Take the south exit and head to a dorm they won’t look for you. I’m sure someone like y’all has a friend or two to rely on. Or, you can just hide here until Princessy shows back up!”

The room when dark and the chill overtook them as whatever spell they were under disappeared. The three of them were just standing a few steps behind the chairs and nothing was set out like Ryner had done just moments before. Outside, a few voices could be heard murmuring, their footsteps loud with the sound of armor, before they passed down the hall.

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Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

They arrived at Dennis’ dorm unhampered. Several other students stood outside, staring at the pair as the approached. Dennis let go of Amaris and bowed. “Uh, thank you so much. I had uh a good time tonight before all…” He waved back at the campus. “Do you think uh maybe we could hang out again?” A fe of the others behind him rolled their eyes and slipped back inside while the others turned to each other without speaking. One girl stood stiffly, arms clasped tightly in front of her, as she stared down Amaris.

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Interacting with: @ReusableSword

The vampiress drew back as if she was struck, mouth agape for a moment. “You think I loved her? Ha! I couldn’t think of anything further from the truth! Open your damn ears! What bit of what I said suggested I loved her? I loathe her. No, I wasn’t going to steal back into the night. I was working my way up to the bitch. I’d play with her toys, tear them all apart and liter them around for her to see, and then when she came sniffing around, I’d tear her limb from limb!” She shouted at him, lunging for him again and baring her fangs. In the background, the lights turned off. One by one, they flickered out and the darkness advanced on the ballroom. The wailing of emergency vehicles went quiet and the chattering of the investigation stopped once only the moon and the stars remained to illuminate the campus.

“And what does a worthless little worm like you think it deserves to know my name? You, who grovels at her feet, at the feet of this blasted Council who gave away everything they worked for-we worked for!-just to accommodate so worthless agreement? We are immortal and great! They are fragile, weak, and helpless. Their magic is a crutch! So why are they worth anything?!” She screamed at him. “I’m going to kill you anyways so what does it matter? The last damn thing you’ll hear is-”

“Valentina.” Ryner interrupted, arms crossed as she stared down the vampiress in faint amusement. She’d come up over the edge of the building as Valentina lunged and brushed a bit of dirt of her suit jacket. “I thought I had you killed all those years ago. You must have had a vial of that blood still. I must have missed one.” She walked steadily, unperturbed at the violence in front of her. As the Princess spoke, Valentina’s shock quickly changed to fury. “I’m sure we could have settled this a different way.”

“Settled? You condemned them to death! If we still had that blood, I could have put the whole crew back together!” The vampiress screamed, her attention off Victor and fully on Ryner. Ryner started walking away but paused.

“I suppose you could have. But that did defeat the purpose didn’t it?” She asked, considering the question. “You all were a fun distraction Valentina but my siblings were right. It was time to come back.” Ryner waved her hand dismissively, back still turned. “You can finish this right, Victor? I’ll start the paperwork for the whole mess. Try and hurry please.” With a strangled shout, Valentina pulled a blade from her boots and threw herself at the Princess.

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Testing well everything!

Home was a bittersweet struggle for Varis. Antwone picked Varis up perfectly five minutes before he was expected, his preferred travel bottle was ready for him in the back of the car along with the glass Eloise brought him back as a gift the last time he sent her off to one of Edgar's show mage's soirees. They threw so many it baffled Varis how they got any work done but it gave his own show mage a way to show off however she wished, within her expected behaviors of course, and it made her happy to see some of them so her smiles weren't all forced, tight lipped, amateurish shows like a certain mage he had to deal with now. Varis opened the bottle with practiced ease and poured himself a tall glass.

He knew they had a deal but by the Queen's saving grace, the boy was a complete idiot. How did a mage with such an amazing pedigree turn out like that? There wasn't an original thought in the boy's brain! Varis took a deep drink. There were times when he wished alcohol affected vampires in a mortal fashion and this entire semester so far was one of them. Couldn't figure out where a link cuff was supposed to go when he didn't have cuffs! Eloise graduated from that bat shit thought process when she was three. He couldn't imagine Ryner let any of her mages act like that at home. Completely void of independent thought and any semblance of rational thought. The only thing the boy was useful for was holding things. Anything more complex and Varis had to hold his hand like a child. The boy did well once and nothing since. Pathetic.

Varis tapped his foot irritably against the passenger seat. How many times had he considered breaking their deal? Since meeting the boy, he'd turned so impatient but the Starag boy just didn't learn! Admittedly, Varis only had experience breaking Sinnenodel mages in but he couldn't imagine this primitive child any different than the others. The absurd loyalty to the Noilas was just another expression of their intellectual inferiority. Anyone with an advanced intellect knew that loyalty was a cheap and easy method of manipulation; rather, temporary alliances were the only thing that could be trusted. Anything else was just a ploy to bring you to heel. Things like trust and faith were misplaced in this world. They were what made all of humanity, mage or otherwise, excel in their servitude. A vampire could never last.

The ride home was silent. Antwone kept the privacy screen up, the AC running, the drive smooth, took the detour Varis enjoyed when he was stressed and drawn thin, and pulled home with no fan fair. The first days home Varis always prefer the silence of his own company. Varis stepped out and didn't acknowledge the servant opening the door and then scurrying away like the insect he was. Varis waited until he was alone again and sighed, letting a weary smile as his lavender garden washed over him.

"Finally home." He murmured to himself as he entered the garden, a sprawling maze his family kept up for generations. He'd slowly had the gardeners change out the original plants for the lavenders. He wandered through it, the paths familiar but he turned that off. It had been years since he let himself get lost beneath the soft moonlight in the well manicured garden. He let his thoughts wander, far away from the weariness of the boy, from the expectations of Court and Council, from the deal, from bothersome Dukes and Duchesses. Here in the garden, he felt closer to something he had before, a memory forgotten but the impression still there. It was bitter-sweet, an impression of laughter, of longing, of a broken heart, and of bitter fury. Mostly, it was betrayal but Varis had no idea what it meant.

The garden and the library had been his escape from a tyrannical father and apathetic siblings. Why he would feel this way here of all places always confused him but he did. Sometimes it hurt so much he couldn't stand it but he suffered through it to try and figure it out. Those nights he spent, picking the tangled web of emotions apart left him more confused than before, in more pain that before. Every thread brought him to another tangle, each tangle revealed more threads. Never tangible memories. Impressions. Reactions. A periodic thought. And always music. A piano. He didn't even know how to play the piano and yet he remembered it clearly. Some days, it infuriated him. Not to know your own mind was the hallmark of insanity in his opinion and he'd barely been alive a century. Time hadn't left its mark on him just yet.

Some days, it was reassuring. Knowing there was always another mystery to solve, that he could never truly be bored with eternity was a surprising comfort. More than one vampire lost their minds when everything stagnated. But Varis had his own little puzzle locked away where no one could find it. When vampires became predictable and his web wove itself without any help, he could always take a moment and try again and again and again because there seemed to be an endless supply of emotions of a depth he never thought possible. He'd never wish them on his worst enemies and he certainly wouldn't enjoy having them every night. Once in a while was perfect. A kickstart when things got boring.

The path he followed took him to his childhood spot, a secret little swirl of hedge that opened into a small space. A jagged piece of stone work carefully set into the center of a stone pagoda. His grandfather stole it from an archeological dig he funded before he reported the findings to the Council. The tablet was covered in archaic writings, something he didn't know and Ryner refused to teach him. If everything went well, that would change. Varis knelt, pressing for the loose board at the bottom of the structure, and pulled out a long thin box. He replaced the board and tucked it safely away. He spent a few more moments tracing the familiar lettering before he took his leave back to the castle.

The family's castle was dark and imposing, a design choice of his great grandmother's back when the vampire lords fought off hunters and other lords. It clawed at the sky with three long towers that spiraled out of the well fortified structure. Varis pushed his way into the main hall, picking up the letters that were neatly stacked at the table there. He flickered through them quickly, leaving more than one in the trash next to it.

Two stood out. Dutchess Fennilia demanding attention after he ruled against her in a border dispute. Typical. He expected it sooner than this but she was always one to sulk for a few years before she tried to garner favor with him. He slipped that on in his pocket as well but the other chilled him to his core. It took all his control to make his way through the silent halls as calmly and collected as he usually would until he climbed the stairs to his personal room. He shut the door. He placed the letter on his desk. He sat on his bed.

He screamed into a pillow. The Sinnenodel seal on the back was marked with the distinctive eyes that only she used in the family. Lady Sinnenodel sent him a summons.

The tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He'd just gotten home and arranged a few days off before he had to attend a business meeting and now this. He'd received summons before, plenty of times in the past fifty years, and summons with that symbol only ever meant she was displeased with him. Which was far more often than not because she expected perfection and nothing was ever perfect to her. Varis wanted to bash his head against the wall. He likely had to cancel the business meeting or at least arrange to conference call into it. If she permitted him to speak this time. He stood up and walked stiffly back to the letter, pulling out a snake engraved letter opener. He paused, took a deep breath, and opened the envelope.

Count Varis Sinnenodel,

Your presence is expected at Lady Sinnenodel's Raining Star Villa along with all documentation on the acquisitions of Green Vision Inc and plans for hosting Chaend. Lady Sinnenodel's attendant will arrive in three days. Arraignments for your meeting with the Astorio Counts have been made. Expect to return to the Noila Academy directly from the Villa.

Secretary of the luminous Lady Sinnenodel.

Varis reread the letter several times. His frustration and anger, his brief and naive belief this wasn't what he thought it was, all collapsed into a frustrated resentment. Set was exactly what he thought but she was taking it one step further. The irony was clear. Just as he forced the boy to handle a public reminder of his place, she was doing the same thing. He ground his fangs together furiously, threw the letter aside, and collapsed back on his bed. His luggage from school wasn't fully returned, likely being taken in from washing, but several other pieces sat in their place. Eloise must have seen the letter and known he'd be leaving. Thank the Queen someone knew how to anticipate his needs.

His violin was sitting in it's place on his dresser and Varis realized with a start he hadn't lifted it once from its place at the dorm. It was normally a key piece of relaxing but he'd been so stressed about everything that he'd forgotten about it entirely. He chewed his lip for a second as he considered and sighed again, putting all thoughts of everything else aside. He pulled out the box he'd brought in and set it carefully on his desk, sliding the box open and pulling out the carefully coiled sheets and spreading them open. The thin, wispy handwriting of his mother carefully transcribed one of his favorite violin pieces from his youth. He knew the notes by heart of course. He played it on the anniversary of her death every year without fail. Varis chuckled at the page. He could almost hear her, upset that he ignored everyone but her. He imagined she would tell him off about how much work he did, how much he let the Lady of the house hurt him, how much he hurt other people.

But she wasn't here. Only her memory and her grave. Varis shook away the nostalgia welling up in him as he picked up the violin, amused at the futility of the effort. He was bound to feel it, playing his mother's piece, and here he was trying to shove it away. He couldn't have his mage and drink too.

Varis spent a few moments applying rosin, making sure his strings were still good to play with, and tuning it. The violin firmly tucked under his chin, fingers on the strings, and elbow in its sweet spot. He held the bow just above the strings as he counted the beat in his head, a silent metronome that sounded far too much like his mother's counting for his taste.

The first pass of the bow felt as sweet as blood in his veins. The tension faded from his shoulders as the music sang away his worries with each pass, beckoning his mind far away from what his muscle memory could handle. Back in a time where he clung to his mother's skirts with every new face, when his room smelled like cookies and strawberries and cream, when the wild lavender was a playground and a reading nook all in one. Back before his father turned his attention on him, before his siblings loathed him, before he gambled his family's reputation and won. Before he schemed. Before he raised his walls. Back before he cared about more than the next book he read.

He played the rest of the early morning away, ignoring the tears that stained his cheeks again, ignoring the hurt and the anger pressing in around him, ignoring all the responsibilities he built for himself. He played for hours. Even when Eloise came in and closed his curtains, he played. Even when she offered him blood, he played. He played long into the day and even once he succumbed to sleep, he curled protectively around the violin.

Of Blood and Magic (Closed)

Still looking for someone interested in a long term mage for the RP!

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: The Van/Mutant Underground HQ
Skills: N/A

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“Okay, we'll stay here. You just relax for a bit." James said, settling a little more into the seat. He was still wrapping his head around the concept of ghosts and honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to. It brought on a wide variety of questions that James was not in the emotional state to consider right now. What a way to bond with someone, not to mention the person you asked out on a date. Panic attacks leading to existential crises. At least its unique.

So he turned his attention to the conversations outside the car. The new headquarters sounded promising and it came with a built in distraction. The underground part was unfortunate. It made him think about the Morlock's, an involuntary shiver running through him, setup and he frowned. Preferably the could tag into the electrical line it used to be hooked up to or maybe they could set up solar panels. The idea made him perk up. He'd taken a few specialty courses on solar panels and getting to put that knowledge to work would present a fun challenge. And after this little "mission", he definitely needed some distance from… He looked at Sapphire, irritation bubbling up, but he took a breath and put a cap on it. It wasn't helpful to deal with that now. There would be other opportunities.

Of Blood and Magic

Interacting with @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Trainerblue192

Ryner laughed at Eris’ wink, the tension easing out of her smile as she did. “A bold move, Mr.Samael, but it seems tonight at least, fortune does indeed favor the bold. I’ll have our publicist reach out to yours. We’ll probably make official statements tomorrow night but this way, you can better coordinate whatever steps you take to protect your image.” Ryner tapped on the desk as she spoke, the movements sharp and harsh but barely making any noise. Concern flashed over her face at Max’s comment.

“You don’t need a plan at all. I’m not about to make my students defend themselves when I’m standing right here. If for some reason someone comes into this room without my permission, it’ll be considered a violation of my privacy and I’ve killed for less in a darker time. As long as you three are here, no harm will come to you.” Ryner promised solemnly. “My students are more important than my reputation but clearly I trusted my subordinates too much and you all have taken the fall for my naivety. For that, I apologize. I know it's a far cry from anything substantial after what you've been through but it is all I can offer at this moment."

Though to answer your question Salem, yes they will use mind magic to interrogate you. It is one of the horrors I intend to protect you from.” Ryner knelt in front of Salem, a soft smile on her face. “You and I both know the investigation is nothing but my mother’s ego and Lady Sinnenodel’s sadistic pleasure. Tonight's event will not impact anything. You’ve stayed strong this whole time. Trust me for a little while longer.”

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Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

“Yes, thank you.” Dennis muttered as he clung to Amaris amid crowd, this face taking on a distinctly green tinge. “Princess Nox is here and she looks halfway ready to kill someone herself. Queen save us, that’s a nasty looking axe.” Dennis muttered under his breath. A few people around the pair glanced over at the commentary, realized who was talking, and shifted away, leaving a few paces of space around Dennis and Amaris.

“Apparently, our Princess hid Eris and the mages away. Princess Nox just finished clearing the admin building and it looks like she’s moving onto the lecture halls next.” Dennis kept a stream of information coming quietly under his breath, just loud enough for Amaris to hear. “I didn’t realize you could call someone stupid that many ways.”

The flow of students continued past the administrative building, dark and lifeless as several of the royal guard stood outside. More royal guards patrolled the walkways and the dorm area, shepherding students as quickly as they could. Tonight was a poor night to be caught outside.

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Interacting with: @ReusableSword

She wrapped one hand around his throat and another dug into his still good shoulder as she pulled, straining to dig her fingers into Victor, but she struggled to leave a dent in him. She jumped back, wary and suspicious. “That is… unusual. You must not be a student then. I thought you were just another dumb pet of hers, prior occupation and all, but you’re a little studier than most aren’t you?”

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Of Blood and Magic (Closed)

Still looking for a mage as of 1/14/2020!