Potter

Avalia

Artemis & Cade

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall

---

Artemis listened to Cade’s words intently, not allowing herself to skip a beat. She was silent as she pondered an appropriate answer. She didn’t want to commit to choosing a side, especially when she was staying at Aklenroth’s castle. Mentioning that, too, was off the plate. She decided to answer as honestly as possible, albeit leaving out the rest. ”I am sure you’ll become a great warrior, Cade. I sense the qualities it takes to become one inside of you already. I’d continue working hard on your skills. Most of all, don’t allow your nerve to be your undoing. I am confident you can make Avalia proud, especially your brother, who I can assume is smiling down at you proudly. And your comment on the food was spot on, and I am sure I will meet you at the feast soon enough after this nonsense dancing ends.”

Artemis smiled at him and slowed her dancing. She eyed the food again as fatigue began to creep in. The dancing was slow already, but she wanted to conserve energy for the next one, so she slowed down. She did not, however, show the weakness in front of Cade. She didn’t know how to properly explain it. Maybe she could say she was recovering from being sick? Yes, that would work - after years of abuse, it would make sense; although nobody would know that…

Artemis pasted a genuine smile upon her face as she awaited her partner’s answer. She briefly glanced around then continued to wait. Her hope for demis had been slim, but this feline was proving her doubts wrong. She smiled for a second, then quickly erased it. She had learned not to show emotions or allow herself to feel for years out of self-preservation and protection on Daka Island. So, the momentary feeling of joy was gone and then hidden the next. She was too afraid of someone taking her pure joy away from her. Too many times she had let her guard down and she would not let it happen again. Not when they were surrounded by the enemy and the godforsaken Lich-bitch.

Cade watched, and continued to dance, as Artemis seemed to study his words. He had no sense of fear that he had spoken his sentiment to the wrong person, as he believed her to be a creature of good intention. His trust in others had never let him down before, and so he simply waited for her reply. Once she did speak his tail flicked with joy to hear another believe he could accomplish his goals. To think of his brother watching over him with pride was not something he often thought of, but it was one that brought comfort. He often thought of the kind of cat Shadow had been, his sense of honor and bravery, and allowed those memories to inspire him. Cade had done very little while his brother still lived to be proud of, he’d been a selfish layabout of a cat, but as he really thought about it, he had little doubt that his brother would be proud even to see him try to do better. To hear such praise, from one who hardly knew him, was the exact sort of kindness that fueled his faith in others.

“Thank you, that is the finest compliment you could have given me.” Cade said, with a smile one only has when touched by another’s kindness. He paused for a while before he spoke again, letting himself enjoy this moment for a handful of seconds. “Your take on nerve is interesting though, it takes a great deal of it to become a warrior. I’m not sure I see how that would be my undoing. I have not yet known the glory of true battle, it is my lack of experience in such things that I worry of, and look to with excitement for all I have to learn.” Cade spoke easily of both his hopes and fears, his eyes shone brightly as he thought of the future, of learning to put all he’d trained for to good use.

Cade noticed her frequent glances towards the tables of food and nodded with understanding. His movements in their shared dance slowed to match hers. “It doesn’t take a great observer to see that you’d rather be eating right now. If you wish to end the nonsense dancing early to grab a snack, you’d find no objection from me. I made sure the food was my first stop upon arriving here, I mean, who really wants to dance with an empty stomach?” Cade offered with a lighter tone. It seemed a bit backwards to have such a display of food laid out, for it’s aroma to fill the room, and expect people to simply allow it to grow cold. There were very few quests he supported more, than one to stuff one’s own face after all.

Artemis smiled genuinely at Cade’s words as he took in her compliments. She remained quiet as she listened to him reply. To make someone feel good, had caused her mixed feelings. One was joy and pride. Instead of partaking in evil schemes and wrongdoings, she was not only doing good, but being good. Artemis had not been sure if she was capable of such an emotion after what she had been through. She was beginning to prove herself wrong - maybe she could be better. Still, self preservation had kicked in as well and was going to continue to guide her. She wanted to live, to be herself and enjoy freedom, yet her uncertainty and fear were mixed in as well. The more who knew her, who knew what she was, and associated her, were possibly in danger. She had escaped the black market and disgruntled a high-ranking and vindictive Dark Elf. Artemis hoped the master she was supposed to be serving had not attended.

As Cade commented on ending the nonsense dancing, she sighed with relief and nodded. Her stomach gave her away by growling. She pretended not to notice as she released herself from Cade’s grip and smiled broadly. ”That would be great, Cade. Thank you. Shall we go?” She gestured to the table and waited for him to accompany her. While people were beginning to slow their dancing and finish their chatter, she didn't want to be the first person to make a beeline to the food. She cleared her throat and waited somewhat impatiently, though outwardly she remained cool as a cucumber.

Cade had no qualms about being the first to start eating again, and grinned when Artemis agreed to his suggestion. ”Absolutely, I am always ready to eat.” He said, as he headed towards the table of food once more. He did, however, make sure he remembered to continue his attempts at properly using the provided silverware as he grabbed a few more of the varied meats to eat. He did manage to wait until Artemis had grabbed some food as well before he began eating, in his attempt to make it appear as if he had some semblance of table manners. ”I do hope our paths are destined to cross again, Artemis. I have greatly enjoyed your company.” He added as he noticed the dances around him begin to end; soon it would be time for them to find another dance partner.

Artemis grinned as she followed Cade to the food table. She began picking out as much as she could. She was eager to eat until she couldn’t anymore. She sat with Cade and began using the silverware as well. Part of her felt like being rebellious and eating with her hands, but resisted the urge. She smirked slightly as she watched him use the silverware. His words brought out another rare smile from her. ”I hope so too, Cade. I have truly enjoyed your company as well.” Artemis then continued eating. Part of her wondered if she would see him again and if so, what side would she be on? That was definitely something she would have to figure out eventually.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time:Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University Dorms - Art Exhibit
Interactions: @helo - Elias, @princess - Angel
Mentions: N/A

“Nah, Super-Witch, I’d say this look really suits you.”

The first, genuine smile Shay had in over a year’s time, was splitting across her face. It sliced through some of her misery and pain like bread and a knife. She managed a glimpse at the handsome man in the fedora. It was refreshing for her to hear something so pleasant and kind. She inhaled as he was attacked and moved to help, but then quickly backed off. She saw that he wasn’t being injured. But how? Shay glanced around. There were frightened humans gathered behind the red-haired warrior; the werewolf and child were tangled up in a battle. Then it struck her like lightning: Maeve. Had the witch cast a protection spell over them? It had to be her. Shay knew she had cast some, but none as powerful as the coven leader. She watched as he stabbed the vampire and pushed it off of him. Shay grinned at him and offered her hand to help him up.

Once he had stood, he inquired about clearing the exit. Shay nodded and glared at the vampires in their way. She scowled and chanted quietly to herself, “Adhibete flammis.” Shay intensified the flames in her hands and tossed them at the vampires to grab their attention. Some were able to move out of the way, and others were not. One of the lucky few was Charles, his face drenched in blood. Shay’s fury heightened as she stormed forward and halted less than five feet away. She knew he was an avid fighter, and wasn’t interested in endangering her fedora-partner in crime. However, she saw some of them beginning to circle him now as well. She felt tension rise. She couldn’t focus on both…

”Does hurting innocent people make you feel like a man, Charles? Does it give you some credit with your homeboys? Make you feel like a badass? To me, you’re nothing but a piece of shit and deserve to rot in hell for your crimes.”

He snarled as he wiped the blood from his face and kicked the human girl out of his way. She whimpered, utterly terrified. Shay cast a protection spell over her as she gathered more flames in her hands. This fire spell was one of her favorites. God, she loved using it. ”What’s wrong, Charles? Did I hit a sore spot? Is your ego bruised?

”You’re not supposed to be here, bitch. No matter - Alex will gladly take his pet home. Imagine how happy he’ll be?”

”Thrilled. Over the moon. Imagine, however, that I spare your disgusting life and you have to run back home like a dog with your tail between your legs, crying about how Super-Witch kicked your ass.”

He snarled and moved closer to her and began to circle her. Shay’s flames were causing him not to immediately attack. He was enraged; Shay couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t exploded from it. He shook his head and gathered his composure as he realized he was allowing her to get under her skin. ”Want to know a little secret, Charles? Shay raised her hands and formed the fireballs even more so. They were bigger than her palms and she had to keep them away from her as far as possible. She noticed some other vampires beginning to pay attention. ”I’ve always liked to play with fire.” Shay threw the fireballs at Charles who managed to dodge all but one. He screamed as his foot jacket was set ablaze. He quickly threw it on the ground and glared at her. If he was a basilisk, she would have died upon seeing the gaze.

Shay smiled sweetly at him and used a telekinetic spell to send him flying into the wall. It wasn’t as powerful as she had hoped, since her stamina was draining. She hadn’t used too much magic at once prior until now. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and bent over, panting slightly. She was exhausted; she hadn’t been eating, and had been stuck in a fight or flight for over a week. She felt so tired. Shay glared at Charles who was now grinning at her.

”Tired?” He taunted at her and began laughing. Shay glared at him and used the light-wielding spell, but it fizzled out quickly. Shay scowled as he ran at her and stumbled as she tried moving out of the way. She inhaled as her body slammed her into the floor. Her vision was blurry as she stared at him as he grinned down at her. ”Say goodbye, Super-Witch, to your freedom."

Shay stared at him and felt her composure momentarily break. Shay tried to summon flames, but Charles had pinned her arms to the floor. She watched as his fangs emerged and felt her heart rate accelerate. No - she hadn't come this far, to only come this far. Shay hated it to use more Dark Magic, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

”Summone obscurum. Goodbye.” Shay watched as dark energy formed around her and used it to force Charles’ shadow to attack him. He shrieked as he was kicked off of her. Shay stood up quickly, dizzy and disoriented. She managed a weak fireball in her hands and began to burn Charles alive. His screams echoed loudly as the spells forced him into submission and into death. Shay stared at her arms and moved away as her vision temporarily blackened. She bumped into something and for a moment, feared it was a vampire. However, Shay opened her eyes to see it was a bookcase. Shay slid down against it with exhaustion, her head bobbing up and down. She groaned and looked around at the chaos. Some of the humans who had been hiding, sprinted for the doorway and out. The looks of sheer terror on their faces broke her heart. Shay raised her hand and used a protection spell to seal the area to allow more people to escape. She didn’t have much energy for anything else and wished she could take a nap. Her mind was buzzing from the dark magic and toll of using so many spells at once. Tears filled her eyes.

For a moment, Shay thought she could perhaps rest for a moment, when the red haired warrior entered her line of vision. The woman grabbed her wrist and Shay looked up with irritation. Her once gentle spirit was now aflame with the dark magic. She had no patience for this. She resisted the urge to shove the lady and waved to her wrist as a silent plea to remove it. She did not have the strength to fight off this woman. It did not stop her from assailing her with demands, however, to her disappointment: "How did you escape Sanguine Moon?! Do you know how to get back there? Tell me!"

Shay stared at her, puzzled. Why would anyone want to go back to that hellish place? What the hell? She stared at her with confusion and rubbed her eyes. The painstaking memories of the sadistic clan was filling her mind’s eye and she winced. She glanced at her fedora-hunter friend and turned back to the red haired hunter. ”And I thought battling vampires was too much.” Shay muttered as she forced herself to sit up and eye the girl. She needed to know what this girl’s obsession was and why the hell she wanted to go to Sanguine Moon. There was no rest for the wicked.

Avalia

Artemis

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @Helo Cade

---

Artemis managed a delighted giggle at Cade’s words. The ‘bull’ comment had paved the way for her amusement to shine through. She had figured that feline demis were graceful, but it didn’t appear as if it were true. She couldn’t help but picture him plowing through and knocking over things. The idea of it made her giggle. Noticing she had been laughing, she quickly smirked to hide it. It might have been rude, she realized. It had been a long time that she had cared for other people's feelings or their well being. She sucked in a deep breathe and quickly frowned. She wasn't sure how to exactly cross this bridge, but she hoped to figure it out soon. Artemis had spent the last decade almost caring and worrying for only herself. Unfortunately, old habits would die hard. Darous and Myra - they were easier. Still, she felt uncertain of how to broach the subject.

”I am sorry if my laughing were rude. I hadn't thought of you as someone stumbling. I do hope you understand that." Artemis paused to allow her words to sink in and then continued. "As for your question: my favorite thing about the world is…” Artemis wanted to say being underwater, but that would only hint to what her species was. It was a snesitive topic and she didn't like talking about it. Not only that, what could she say? It wasn't as if she remembered much of her past anyways...

”My favorite thing about this world would have to be the food.” Artemis decided, already planning on consuming as much of it as possible. Her stomach growled in response and she smirked. Her trauma was beginning to dissipate. ”What about you? Do you have any favorites?”

Corvina

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @Helo Bowyn

---

The flinch from the fairy caused momentary guilt in Cora’s eyes. She wanted to apologize, but they unfortunately had to participate in this dancing. His question caused her to pause momentarily, unable to think. She had attended many dances prior to this one, but none as grand as this one. Was this some elven custom she was unfamiliar with? She wanted to be careful with her response, since nobody had any way of telling who was friend or foe. Despite this, she had to pass on Risa’s information and make a good judgement call. It gave her a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. What if she told the wrong person?

Still, he wasn’t displaying any malicious intent. His displeasure with dancing and being with a stranger was understandable. His bird was stressed, and Cora judged it had to be due to Bowyn’s own energy. She was able to catch the slight flinch, and care he had with his words. She couldn’t blame him. Dancing with others and forcing small talk was painful. Lucky for her, her extroverted nature was able to capitalize off of it.

”Well, Bowyn and Boreas, I think we’re paired together because it was fate.I think the butterfly papers were a nice touch. I must say, a wise fairy once told me…” Cora carefully leaned near Bowyn, being careful not to lean towards the shoulder Boreas was perched on. The last thing she wanted to do was startle the bird enough for it to attack her. That would cause one hell of a scene that neither of them wanted. Her voice was hardly above a whisper. She had also beckoned him to lean in towards her ear as well and was slow and careful as not to startle or cause him to flinch yet again.

”...if you follow the coast up northwest from Roshmi, you will find a small port town. We will be meeting there on the coastal outskirts. Spread this message to any allies you know of.” As she finished, she leaned away and winked at him with a mischievous smile upon her face. Her green eyes shined with innocence. She cleared her throat and smiled kindly. ”I must say, this is a spectacular ball though, don’t you think? The food smells delicious.” Cora’s voice was now casual, as she allowed her impassiveness to resume. She waited, painstakingly, for Bowyn’s reaction. She was studying his ration carefully. What if she had told the wrong person? She was worried, but she had to trust her judgement. With a deep breath, she calmed her racing heart and the tension building inside of her.

Belladonna

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Ball
Interaction: @princess - Malachi

---

The sudden movement by him to touch her waist had her startled briefly. She managed to relax, however, as her emotions were needed to be in control. She wasn’t used to physical contact - in fact, even hugs were foreign to her. Nonetheless, she remained calm and took small, deep breaths. Belle listened to Mr. Save-Your-Breath and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Still, his approach was smart. She was going to mimic it until she knew better as well. He didn’t seem interested in formalities or the ball. Rather, he seemed irritated with the ordeal. Thankfully, that made two of them. His name caused her to pause slightly. She had never heard such a name prior to now, so she had to react as if it were an everyday occurrence. A quick friendly smile was enough for her.

”Nice to meet you, Hagmer,” Belle paused and contemplated a name quickly. She didn’t have experience with literature; but thankfully, college had opened her up to it. She had been lacking in her educational background but her mind was stronger elsewhere: lying. ”My name is Aerin.” Belle smiled calmly and watched him closely. ”I came to dine and dance with the finest of Roshmi. And you?” Belle kept her statements short as well. She didn’t have interest in small talk and rather regretted being here. The whole night already felt like a mistake. She sucked in a deep breath and began repeating to herself: ”54321,”

Belle began naming things she could see, touch, and smell, as she danced with her partner. The grounding technique was useful and helped her keep her emotions in check. ”You’re not in control. Calm down. The enemy could already know you’re a human and it won’t help any if you don’t keep it together. What would Lys say? 54321.' Belle repeated it to herself over until she was able to regain control over her anxiety. While internally battling herself, she was calm and displayed outward pleasantness to Hagmer.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University Dorms - Art Exhibit
Interactions: @helo - Elias
Mentions: Angel @princess, Finn @Milkman, @Ducky - Remy

Shay turned to face the speaker. It was a dashing man in a fedora. She felt as if her heart skipped a beat the moment she looked upon him. No one had such an effect on her at first glance before. Instead of letting her eyes widen at the sight of him, she casually smirked, “I could. The question is do I want to…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze fell upon a woman buying the painting of her.

Her heart sank. She couldn’t believe life was working against her yet again. For a moment, she let her guard down and her emotions visually displayed. She quickly recovered and turned to listen to what the man had to say, only to be surprised when the woman approached her and handed her the very painting. “Thank you..” She smiled, pleasantly surprised. She took the card she had given her as well and stuffed it in her back pocket.

Her mood was yet again brought down once Alexander started talking, announcing his leave. Men were coming in and Shay knew there was impending danger. “Gotta split like a banana.” She told Elias and began to make her leave. Once in the hallway outside the exhibit, she turned back around hearing screams. Shay hesitated as the minutes ticked down. She groaned and went outside to hide the painting so she could go back in to help. She placed a ward over it as well so only she could find it.

As soon as she entered, she felt her body slam face-first into the ground, pain going through her body. Her vision slowly began to fix itself as she was turned onto her back to look back into the eyes of Demetri. “Have any last words?” He asked her with a malicious grin. ”Not so witty are you now?”

“Yeah - movere. How’s that, bitch?” Shay telekinetically threw Demetri back into the wall. As she stood up, she transformed back into herself. Shay smirked and flipped some of the hair that had fallen in her face over her shoulder with a smirk. Demetri’s eyes were wide as he watched and recognized her. As she assessed the scene, she turned to see a young red-haired woman stabbing someone in the back. She was very skilled for her age; Shay figured she had to be a hunter. She didn’t display any other supernatural characteristics. Hopefully she could find out. If she worked at Operation Humanity, then Shay might have found her ticket...

Footsteps rang in her ears and she turned and shot a ball of fire as Demetri came running at her with murder in his eyes. He fell to the ground and wailed in pain as he burned. ”I hope you enjoy your time in hell.” The fire alarm started going off to Shay’s surprise and she wondered if that had been her fault. She looked around wildly and set her eyes on another vampire attacking someone and cast another fire spell to light them into flames. ”Light em up, light em up, up…” She sang quietly with a snicker.

She began to look around for the man she had just been talking to in order to make sure he was alright. Her attention was then stolen by the giant wolf in the middle of the room. She hadn’t seen a werewolf up close before, so it was surprising. Nevertheless, he was helping and that’s all she cared about. She turned and watched a kid run behind the red-haired woman and stared with horror. What was she doing here and why? She turned to glance at Elias, now as herself, and smirked.

”Sorry handsome, I’m not your brunette.” She kept him in her line of vision however; she didn’t know what he was. He could have been anything and at this point, she wasn’t discounting him from being supernatural or hunter too. She chanted a protective spell over the red-hed, child, werewolf, and also the man in the fedora. His cross necklace gave her an ill-feeling, and she was hoping he wasn’t part of the Holy Saviors. She was screwed if so.

She used another fire spell and lit her hands up with flames. ”Who wants some more?” Shay called and glared at the vampires with murderous hatred.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Shay and Demetri

Demetri and the guest interested in buying the portrait of Shay Knight turned after the disguised Shay approached inquiring about pricing. The guest chuckled at the 'art student' like one would do to someone who was painfully out of their league.

"Sorry miss, but the painting is coming home with me. 2 grand." The guest said with a smug smirk on his face. He was purposely bidding $2,000 to see how the you lady would react. He figured that much money was two months pay from whatever fast food chain he guessed she stumbled out of.

Shay stared at the men and managed a smirk. He thought he could scare her off, huh? She didn’t allow her irritation to show and mained her sweet smile. She stared at the man in the eyes and responded, ”I bid $2,100.” Shay could feel a few stares as she spoke and ignored them. This man did not have any idea who he was dealing with, or what. Shay was aware she didn’t dress up, unlike the other guests. She had a plan if she lost the bid and this man was surely going to pay for it, with or without the cash. She had a small secret too - the credit card she’d stolen from Ariana’s purse as well.

With a deep breath, Shay willed herself to retain her resolve and not punch this man into oblivion. She wanted to telekinetically take the painting, but again, that would not bode well for her. Shay reminded herself to behave and stared the man down.

His face showed a bit of surprise before he sighed and looked to Demetri.

"Are we really doing this?" The guest asked as Demetri took a single step back and shrugged. The bodyguard honestly thought the two were insane. The guest scoffed and then put on a sweet smile for Shay. "Three. 3,000. Save your cash kid. Don't you have student loans and vanilla chai lattes to worry about?"

Shay stared at him, her sweetness not dissipating. She didn’t blink, nor allow herself to show any sign of break in her resolve. The bid raising another thousand hadn’t surprised her. Shay was surprised the jackass wasn’t summoning a maid to pay for it. Without flinching, she responded firmly, “$3,200. Where’s your sugar mama when you need her, darling? And by the way, those vanilla chai lattes are too basic, kinda like you. Coffee is not my cup of tea. Have you heard of ‘water’ before or is that too complex of a term for you? Should I spell it out for you?”

There was a chorus of ‘oos’ in the background which she ignored. Shay wanted to stay low for the bid and not cause Ariana too much grief - but he was on her nerves. Shay was going to continue bidding until this man was red in the face and caused him to pay much higher than he had anticipated for it. Then, on his way out, the painting would mysteriously disappear. It would have to be in the hour. Shay glanced sideways at the clock: twenty-five minutes had passed. She had a half hour to wrap this up and disappear before she’d transform into herself again. With the devil and his lapdogs here, she knew they wouldn’t cause a scene but she wasn’t taking any more unnecessary risks. Shay crossed the expression off her face and remained impassive as she turned to face the man with a hint of a smirk.

"You kids are pretty witty these days, but I can tell you're not an art student… at least not a good one. This painting being a measly 32 hundred is ridiculous! This painting is at least 7 grand. This is Alexander Drake's last exhibition and though he is more of a recreationalist, this kind of art will never be produced in this armpit of the country. Right?" The guest looked to Demetri who shrugged, a bit bothered by all the theatrics. He cleared his throat and spoke up.

"I've let you two have your fun, but Mr Drake's starting price on this particular painting is $7,500." Demetri's tone was neutral as he looked between both guests.

"$7,500? I was almost on the mark." The guest boasted. "7,500 it is then." He preemptively pulled out his checkbook, a clear power move.

”Ooh, judgey aren’t we? Didn’t your mama tell you not to judge a book by its cover?” Shay replied as she grinned at the man. He didn’t know who she was - or Ariana; but this girl was definitely an artist. Shay had viewed some of the paintings in her room and her sketchbook briefly to grasp an idea of her. This girl was extremely talented. As he continued speaking, she began to chuckle and had to hold back from guffawing at the pure idiocy of this man. Why didn’t go and kiss the ground the Devil walked on right now? Shay didn’t know who this man was, but she’d rather walk barefoot over hot coals before he kept her painting.

She listened to Demetri - who she resisted strangling - and watched as Mr. Hotshot took out his checkbook. She looked between the two, then went with her original plan. "$7,550.” Shay replied and reached into her purse to take out her credit card with a wicked smile. ”Tell your checkbook my credit card says hello,”

"Isn't the limit one of those about 5 thousand? Sir, can we ignore this woman. She seems ill." The guest shook his head. He was getting sick of Shay.

Shay smirked as she was able to see the man’s demeanor beginning to crack. So she was under his skin; good. She would not let this disgusting trash of a man have her painting hanging in his house. She wiped the smirk off her face and folded her arms. ”That was unnecessarily rude. I feel perfectly fine and it seems i nfact, you could possibly be ill. You’re an older gentleman buying a painting of a young female. That seems strange to me. Are you going to continue biding?” Shay did not know how much money Ariana had on this card. Truth be told, she was bluffing now. She planned on him letting him think she’d back out; then attack him in the parking lot. She could possibly hotwheel his car too but wasn't’ certain if she wanted to add Grand Theft Auto to her list of broken laws. She was going to be lucky to make it out of here unseen.

Shay paused and studied the two. Most of her attention was on the man; however, she had kept Alexander and Maeve in her peripheral vision. Was the asshole talking to Maeve about her? She gritted her teeth. There had to be somewhere she could go....

The guest on the other hand, just stood there scowling at her. Her divided attention only seemed to piss him off more. It was as if she thought what she had just insinuated about him was nothing.

"Hey how about you look here and repeat what you just insinuated about me!" He didn't notice how loud he had addressed her.

"Sir." Demetri addressed the guest, but was cut off.

"8 grand. My final offer! I'm not going to let this child ruin my purchase." His face was much closer to Shay's as if he was trying to stare her away.

“Oh my, what a tough guy we have over here! Did I hit a sore spot?” Shay chortled as she watched the man. She glanced at the clock: forty-five minutes or so had passed. Shit. ”Didn’t your mama teach you the golden rule? I guess not,” She smirked at the two. ”Eight grand it is.” Shay smirked and moved over to the wine table, fighting the tears in her eyes. She poured herself a large helping of wine and began consuming it.

"Good. Now that she's gone…"

"You will also be leaving… the premises." Demetri informed as he noticed Alexander's eye from across the room. No doubt, he had witnessed some of the ruckus that had gone on on his own watch. The guest stood firmly, but Demetri's scowl and tall stature caused the guest to think about his following action. "After you, sir."

"This is bullshit." The guest said as he shook his head and walked off. His eyes shot sharp daggers at Shay. He wanted to actually put hands on her, but he couldn't cause more of a scene than he already had. With his exit, the painting remained unclaimed. Demetri should have then approached Shay for her offer for the painting, but he had been close to kicking the girl out as well.

Shay smirked at the man as he was beginning to be berated by Demetri. She said nothing, however, and remained silent. She sipped her wine and grabbed a handful of cheese. God, she had missed the simple pleasures of life.. As the guest passed her and shot daggers, Shay tipped her glass to him and sipped it casually. She wished she could photograph this moment in time, but for now the memory would do. One small win for Shay - hopefully, two would happen now. Before returning to her painting, she poured more wine and nibbled on the cheese she’d taken as well. She turned to Demetri and smiled at him as she sipped her wine.

”So about the painting, handsome. How much?” Shay kept her tone light and friendly as she ignored the many people now staring. Shay had noticed Alexander glance over and had given him a sly, but innocent smile and turned away quickly. She was not intimidated by it. However, she needed to grab the painting and get the hell out! She had no idea what would happen if she transformed into herself with the Devil and his henchmen. ’C’mon damn it. Let me win again. I’m not asking for much.’

Avalia

Artemis

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @Helo Cade

---

Artemis stared at the feline demi and a hint of a smile crossed her face. However, as quickly as it came though, it disappeared. What a polite demi. While she wasn’t fond of many demihumans, she had a feeling this was one she could tolerate. His mannerisms and quieter voice were comforting. She blinked a few times to help clear the tears from her eyes and adjusted her mask. Taking a deep breath, Artemis composed herself. She was here in the hall, away from that hellish Elf. She had to play her part and guarantee her survival.

She smirked and folded her arms in amusement when he finished. Artemis was grateful he’d consider ditching the dance so they could talk instead. Great - she didn’t want to dance anyway. How stupid that they had too. ”I wouldn’t want to disappoint a handsome feline like you and also tear you away from your feast. Shall you feel the need to continue, I will be delighted to join you. Your call, Cade. Oh, and by the way, I’m Artemis.”

She gave him a half curtsy and straightened up quickly. She didn’t want to waste her energy on this dance, but she’d play along with the dumbass rules if she had too. Whatever it took for her to survive and live another day. Artemis took a deep breath to calm her nerves and waited for Cade’s reply. Despite her mood, there was a playful smirk dancing across her lips.

Corvina

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @Helo Bowyn

---

Cora beamed at Bowyn and curtsied. As she straightened up, she took his hand. Her green eyes shined with amusement as she turned to look at Boreas. She was delighted to see him. Cora loved how the fairies could talk to animals. She envied them, but she couldn’t show nor express it. She had to act as if it wasn’t new to her, even though all of her was screaming on the inside to engage more with the fairy and bird. She couldn’t ask him why he looked so different from the other fairies, as well.

She smiled kindly and replied softly, ”That’s absolutely fine with me. It’s nice to meet you too, Boreas. I’m glad you could join us.” Afterwards, Cora put her hands on his shoulders and swallowed. She needed to determine if he could be an ally or not. She searched for a topic mentally. ”Are you enjoying the ball?" Cora finally decided to ask. Her heart rate accelerated but she took slow, deep breaths, to help maintain her cool. She radiated calmness, however, as the logic in her head reminded her of the peril she’d be in if she couldn’t pull off being an elf and he was on Aklenroth’s side.

Avalia

Belladonna

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Ball
Interaction: @Tae - Torvi, @helo - Bowyn, @FunnyGuy - Umber @princess - Malachi

Ambience: Tension Rising

Belle stiffened as a voice in her mind began speaking to her. Bewildered and shocked, she began to glance around. There wasn’t anyone standing out. Who was talking to her and why? How did they know? A chill ran down her spine. There was either a spy, or someone with psychokinetic powers. Eyes wide, she kept gazing around as her blue eyes filled with panic. Her attention was broken as Bowyn returned with their drinks. She could only half-hear what he was saying. Something about a princess - not her problem. She didn’t care for the drama or whatever the hell they were doing. Still, she noted it for later - perhaps an ally in the dumbass rebellion for the Elves to entice instead.

When he mentioned leaving, Belle nodded eagerly. ”I definitely agree we should lea-” Belle broke off as a loud voice announced the dancing would commence. She scowled and jumped up, eager to try to leave before it began. She clenched her fists and bit her tongue as she gazed around. The damn papers were transforming into butterflies and obscuring her view. To her horror, Torvi was following her butterfly to her partner.

”Torvi! Wait - please!” Belle cried as she tried to push through the crowd. However, she was knocked aside as people began finding their partners. Her heart began racing. Frustration mounted as she stood up on tiptoes to try to see over the crowd unsuccessfully; as there were too many creatures in her way. ”Damn it!” Belle hissed and glared at a few elves who turned to look. They quickly moved away, startled. Belladonna cursed her height for a moment, but knew if she could duck through quckly, it would work. It was then that a young light elf joined, her clothing reminding Belle of fire. For a moment, Belle wished she could pull a fire alarm and force everyone but this fucking world didn’t have one. God, where was her gun when she needed it?

The light-elf was now Bowyn’s partner, the two of them conversing. Scowling, she watched them for a moment then turned to find a tall, blonde light-elf coming to greet her. She studied him and became impassive. Was he the unknown creature speaking to her? Could elves do that? With uncertainty in her mind but impassiveness in her face, she stared at her partner. She took several deep breaths as she answered the voice in her head: ”A child, huh? You don’t know me at all. You’re calling me the coward when you won’t even come face me yourself. I don’t know who you are but I want you to know you’re a coward and a bully. That’s pathetic of you and shallow as well. Whatever the hell you are - possibly a Demon - add coward to your list. If you or anyone else, hurts my friend, I’ll show you a threat. Despite not having magic, Belle knew she could defend herself. How she would fare against one of these fantasy creatures though, was another story. Her heels would have to be used - which was a shame, since they were beautiful.

Belle studied her partner’s expression after replying. He looked neutral, but Belle could feel him analyzing her. She had done it many times in the gang and school when coming up with alibis. It was time to become the cunning and calculating snake Gaia had turned her into. Who cared about morals here anyway? There was some psychokinetic creature talking to her in her fucking mind. She sounded nuts thinking about it. This world had more to it than she realized. Belle was going to need to ask Ell and Rosemary about it later. They were neabry her still, dancing with other Elves.

Her dance partner bowed to her and offered her his hand without speaking. This Elf didn’t look like he wanted to dance at all and she agreed with him on that notion. Despite it, Belle smiled sweetly. ”Thank you, sir,” she replied. She radiated a calm and collected vibe as she curtsied to him while hating it on the inside. Belle didn’t enjoy bowing to anyone.

Next, she took his hand and inquired, ”Who do I owe the pleasure of this dance too?” Belle kept her gaze on him, keenly aware of everyone else in the room. She glanced around once to find Bowyn with the mysterious young elf and then Torvi across the room. She couldn’t tell who he was dancing with, but he looked like he was greeter. She shuddered - there was something about him that gave her the creeps. Having kept her partner in her peripheral vision, she now turned her full attention to the Elf.

Ember Grove - Reboot

no

Ember Grove - Reboot

Shay

Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University Dorms - Art Exhibit
Mentions: @FunnyGuy - Alexander; @Tae - Maeve
Aesthetic: Paint it Black

Shay stood over the young woman with folded arms. She studied the brunette’s slender frame and her floral outfit. Shay wrinkled her nose. Around her dorm, there were a variety of fake plants and aquariums with animated fish. On the shelf near the window stood a vase with flowers inside of it. To the left was a “Live, Love, Laugh,” sign hanging over her bed in which Shay felt inspired to destroy but refrained from doing so. The less evidence she left, the better. There were pastel colored notes everywhere with reminders, and photographs of the girl and her family. Shay crossed over to the desk and picked up a photograph. The brunette was smiling with her parents, whose arms were around her. It read, “Ariana’s Graduation!”. Shay scowled and set it down, forcing the painful memories out of her mind’s eye. She would avenge her family another time. She turned and dragged the young woman into the closet and locked it tight so the lady wouldn't come out and cause confusion. There would no be any logical way to explain why there were two of her roaming the campus.

From what she’d investigated about this woman, she was literally fucking Snow White. Shay couldn’t help but wonder where the Seven Dwarfs were and was concerned they’d interrupt her brew. For the shape-shifter’s potion, she had taken Ariana's horse stuffed animal, a teardrop (Shay had lightly kicked her in the foot to produce it), a few strands of her hair (Shay neatly clipped it off), her diary and then a photograph of the girl standing with a trophy. She had mixed the items together in a large container she’d brought and changed the spell. She knew using Dark Magic would take its toll on her, but wasn't concerned at the moment. Besides, the dark magic so far had been helpful to her. However, Shay also knew that the coven would come for her if she continued, so she’d slow down with it. She did feel guilt knowing the girl would lose her items forever. It was a small price to pay, however, in Shay’s mind.

However, Shay would not let it ruin her goal of demolishing her portrait. She would be damned if someone bought Alexander’s portrait of her. She would not let herself become some household item for people to gaze at. Nobody would understand the despair in her eyes from it, nor the anguish she had suffered. She clenched her fists and stared at the mirror. She didn’t recognize herself from the girl’s appearance; fair-skinned with brunette hair and blue eyes. Shay studied the hoodie, jeans and shrugged. She also wore black gloves to kepe her DNA from being on any of the girl's belongings. It wasn’t the same outfit this girl wore, but would anyone really care? If anyone commented, she’d say she was cold. She turned and picked up her her black purse and slung it over her shoulder. Next, she pulled her hair out of her signature braid and into a low hanging ponytail.

She looked at the girl's floral-themed clock: five minutes had passed. She only had one hour and she needed to make good use of it. Before she left however, Shay whispered, “Locate persona ex nomine Alexander Drake,” Shay shut her eyes and saw Alexander Drake standing in the Art Exhibit. The devil was here, thankfully. She couldn’t wait to purchase and burn down his filthy portrait. Prior to arriving, Shay had stolen money from people at the campgrounds, where she was temporarily staying. She had also sneaked into shops with a cloaking spell and stolen from the registers when the cashiers had taken breaks. Shay hated to be doing this, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Shay had taken a small map of the university on her entryway, which she was now using to find the Art Exhibit. It took her around ten minutes, leaving her with around forty minutes left. Shay gritted her teeth and stuffed her globes into her purse pocket. She needed to make this quick. As she entered the Art Exhibit, she stared at the guard, then steadily moved along. She recognized him and hadn’t made any eye contact. As she moved in closer, she halted and inhaled sharply. There stood the devil, accompanied by a tall red haired woman Shay knew to be Circle of Ancient’s coven leader.

From what it appeared, the woman seemed to enjoy his company. How the hell anyone could was beyond her. Despite his good looks, which Shay couldn’t deny, he was charming and cunning. The whole atmosphere reeked of rich and snobby assholes. Even the jazz music had her on edge. All she wanted to do was get out of here after buying the painting and destroy it. Shay felt her heart rate accelerate and took several deep breaths. She had to be strong, logical and concise. There wasn’t any time for fooling around and letting her emotions guide her. She turned away from them both and smiled sweetly in case they noticed her as she passed. It took all of her self control not to burn his ass right then and there.

She took another deep breath and focused on her environment. There were multiple rooms with his awful paintings. Shay bit her lip hard in order not to swear. It was a shame nobody knew the truth, which was something Shay vowed to herself she’d change in the future. She turned to find wine cheese in the middle of the room. While she’d enjoy eating, the wine wouldn’t be wise as she needed to keep a clear head. However this didn't didn’t mean she couldn't eat to her heart's content. Shay grinned as she moved over to it and filled a large plate with cheese. eagerly, and slightly famished, she began to stuff her face as she moved away from it. It had been a long time since she had been able to eat any of it. Once finished, she discarded her plate and moved away. She needed to find her painting before it was gone. If someone had managed to buy it before she'd enter, she'd hunt them down. From there - well, improvisation would come in handy.

As Shay turned a corner, she finally found her painting. It was as if someone had dumped ice over her and splashed her. Her blood ran thin, as anger - no, fury and misery, filled her. This filthy, disgusting portrait… This asshole was going to pay for this. She watched as one of his guards spoke with another man who wanted to buy the painting. Like hell! Shay took a deep breath and confidently strode over to them. They turned to stare at her, the buyer looking quite annoyed with her intrusion. Shay smiled kindly again, mimicking the girl’s sweet demeanor.

”Hello gentlemen, I am an inspiring art major and would like to buy the painting. What price are we looking at right now?” She gestured to her purse on her shoulder, indicating she had the cash on hand. The major was partially true; from what Shay had read in her dairy, she was duel-majoring in art and humanities. She folded her hands and smiled even sweeter when the man began to narrow his eyes at her. Shay wished she could read his mind, but it would be too dangerous to utter a spell right now. So, while patience wasn’t her virtue, she began to exercise it as she waited for their replies.

Avalia

Artemis

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @Helo Cade ✦ @Eviledd1984 - O’Ner

One word, four letters, was placed in front of Artemis: wine.

Artemis couldn’t hear or see anyone else in the hall. Her eyes were unfocused and distant, as if witnessing a horrific crime. Artemis’ breathing became shallow and quick, unable to breathe deeply. She tried to grab the chair, but her hands slipped. Her dress tripped her as she scrambled up. Without a word and tears forming, she moved away from the trouble. From head to toe, the young siren trembled. The noise of the ballroom became overwhelming. To her, it felt like it was being screamed into her ears. Artemis tripped over her dress a few times but recovered, causing people to stare at her with confusion. She ignored them and began heading towards the backdoor. All she knew was she had to get out of here before she broke down. Her mind raced, trying to ease the agonizing memory began to resurface. She hadn't noticed Risa’s entrance, nor the Undead General leaving the table.

Artemis’ Flashback

”You can’t seem to stop crying. Here, this will calm you down, child…” A tall and older Dark Elf was telling the siren, who dressed in a inexpensive and formal gown. He beckoned over another Dark Elf to bring over a drink. She watched as he poured the dark red liquid. She glanced around the fancy manor and swallowed hard.

”What is this?” Artemis inquired as she sniffed it. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. It smelled strong and had a cherry taste to it.

”It’s called wine. It helps people calm down and aids in the adjustments. All the slaves love it. You’re of age now for it too.” That was a lie that the slaves enjoyed it, but what would she know? When Artemis didn’t move to drink it, he snapped harshly, ”Drink it. Now.” Artemis took a quick sip and placed it beside her on the table. She didn’t enjoy the taste, nor its bitter taste. What he hadn’t told the young siren was that he had spiked. It would cause her to become dizzy and lightheaded and constrict her vocal cords so she couldn’t scream or use her voice. He had also spiked it with flarus so she would be stuck awake.

She didn’t know any better, having not been exposed to it prior. Maybe it could help qualm the grief and pain in her heart...

”You have to finish it or I’ll whip you. I don't think you want to visit that again, do you?” Artemis quickly obeyed out of fear of him. She had already been beaten and verbally abused by him. She hadn’t been able to walk well on land and carry the heavy wood logs he’d wanted. It resulted in her dropping them and causing another Elf to trip and hurt himself. She had apologized multiple times but it’d fallen on deaf ears. They had begun to beat and whip her. In defense she had used sonic scream and blasted the Elves hearing temporarily. They had then sent her to her room. Later on, she had been joined by the slave owner, River, where she now stood. He’d come to comfort her and apologize for losing her temper; or so he had said….

Artemis scowled as she began to feel lightheaded and dizzy. ”I don’t.. I don’t feel so good,” Artemis stood up and wobbly moved over to the couch to lay down. She didn’t know that the Dark Elf was following her with his eyes, grinning at her feeble attempts to nurse herself back to health.

”Oh dear, you don’t look so good, now do you?” River came over to her and sat by her. Artemis saw he was holding something and recoiled with fear. She couldn’t tell what it was, because the room was spinning. She let out a hoarse cry as he sat in front of her. ”Shh, child, it’s all right.” He grinned down at her fear and began to pet her hair gently. She hated her hair being touched. He knew that but she didn’t dare object as she trembled with fear. Something was happening, but what?

Then suddenly, her thoughts were answered if he had read her mind. ”Nobody will hear you scream now, you bitch.” He yanked her head up by her hair in which Artemis cried out. She tried to gather her voice to scream, but she felt hollow inside. Her mind was hazy and the room was spinning. She started crying and tried to move away when another pair of hands forced her back down. She began to thrash wildly, causing River to smack her in the face with the muzzle. Then, he began to pull it on and let go of her hair harshly enough to tear out tufts of blue hair. The muzzle was so tight she could hardly breathe. There were spikes in it as well, digging into her face. She didn’t know if blood was trickling down, but she started seeing red.

As Artemis cried and began to tear at the restraint on her face, River punched her in the abdomen. Artemis let out a feeble cry as she fell to her side, winded. She had difficulty breathing with the muzzle on. The rest of it was a blur: she was forced to lay down as River began shouting obscenities and insults. Her dress was being torn from her. As she tried to fight, the other Elf was holding her arms behind her back. Helpless, Artemis tried to fall asleep, but could not muster any tiredness. It was as if someone had sucked all the sleep out of her. She was forced to stare up at the River, beating and violating her, with fury and rage. All she could do was cry and beg for death to escape it...

The ballroom spun around Artemis. Her body was still trembling and her vision blurred with tears. She was near the doorway when a loud, booming voice filled the hall, announcing dances would begin. She didn’t care about these dumbass dances. She didn’t want to be here in the first place, only within the city so she could get the hell off Daka island. She didn’t seem to have a choice, however, as her paper transformed into a butterfly. Puzzled, she watched it momentarily, as it began to flutter away. Oh hell, she did not care. Her partner would have to deal with it. She continued towards the doorway when an invisible pull started to drag her backwards. Horrified, she found she was forced to follow the butterfly that had started to flutter around her in determination.

She wiped her eyes quickly under the mask as she set it back on her face. Heart racing and empty inside, Artemis followed the butterfly. She willed the tears away and took deep, shuddering breaths. That was almost a decade ago, she was no longer there… She had escaped… The muzzle was gone… She didn’t have to drink the wine… It had been a mistake, right?

But she couldn’t shake it, as hard as she might. Artemis found herself staring up at a feline demihuman near the food table. He stood with a few others. The butterfly parchment landed on her hand as she showed him the number. Speechless and impassive, she stared at him. She didn’t have anything to say, nor did she care too. All she wanted to do was run away. She longed for Darius and Myra’s company, but she didn’t want to drag them down with her. Besides, why would they care for her anyway? She was nothing but a siren, and the sooner he found out, the better, so he could leave her too and she could be alone. It would be for the best. Freedom meant solitude for her. She would only ruin their lives, as she had ruined many before.

Unfortunately, she was stuck in this horrific dance, where she had to have contact with others. Artemis gritted her teeth and waited for the misery to begin. Once this shit was over with, she was leaving. Her heart sunk as she thought of Darius and Myra, but she couldn't explain it to him. He was already dealing with enough shit. She wanted to help him, but how could she was when she was drowning in her herself? Artemis wished for the pain in her heart to stop but it would not listen. She averted her gaze from the feline demihuman and stared at the wall nearby him, hoping and praying for it to end as quick as possible.