The Fate: Death, Hierophant, Strength

She leads him away from the rest of the world by the hand. Tucking him within the dim of the library - in belief that perhaps, within this manner, she would not only discover herself, but discover his future within the palm of her hands. She knows that the sensation of the divine is something that cannot naturally be touched. She knows that dipping into such magics can cause harm to the body and yet...She was willing to search, to enravel herself within the connections that will. And that be.

 For now, the two of them stay tucked away within the corner of the room - her smile widening as she places herself across from him at the table while withdrawing simple cards. She shuffles as she speaks, "I used to do this when I was smaller, you know." she says, a gentle laugh spilling past her lips. "It was a joke of some sort...Until things got too violent with another person who thought that I did it on purpose. I guess you could say that I was attacked...Ever since then, I didn't bother again."

 The academy was a horrible place. But one, that she had grown to love when she clung to the Rowan. "In any case...This is the Arcana. And these are several cards that'll dictate your future...But of course, if you've got the right amount of luck and ambition, then you can always change these things for yourself." she adds.

 "But ah...First, before I begin your reading, I'll need an offering. Ah-..Mmn...I believe a bit of a 'pick-me-up' might do." Wink. Of course, she was simply kidding but...Was she? The laughter rolls as she shuffles and shuffles before laying each of the cards flat..

 "Say what it is that you want to deal in first. I suppose, if you want, we can start with your necromancy...And then head towards the deeper parts of your soul, yes?" It seems..

 Worthy.
(Bei Bei)

Led away from the rest of the world by her, he could only ponder what exactly waits ahead; of course, he did hear about the cards reading your future in the past, it was a common thing about the people, but maybe it's... not always a good idea to read your future like that? At times, it's best to actually not know what lies ahead.

Especially, if it's your doom.

But despite the fears that travelled in his mind, he steeled himself against it. He feared nothing, right, so why should he concern himself that much? Maybe, the fear of unknown was among the greatest. That can't be helped... so he might as well at least indulge in having some time alone with her, instead.

"Ah--"

"That doesn't sound too well, but I suppose I'm not really too surprised that someone decided it's targeted against them. People aren't very smart, usually."

A pause. She needed an offering? What sort of offering would be exactly suited for this scenario?

"Hm... well, depends what I must give up." - he ponders a bit on what he'd like to find out about. About Necromancy? No, not that interesting... he was rather confident in his abilities. And even if he failed it? Doesn't matter. There are always other things to learn- but he decided it's best to begin with something small, so.

"I suppose we could start with it at first."
(Arthur Rowan)


She often embraces the cosm within this manner. The arms of another sweeping around her in the midst of her sleep. The impossible warmth, the low hum of something so distant and yet, so close flutters, as if in with the beating heart of the Rowan. In her dreams, she finds respite within him and within this newfound universe. And she pulls upon that magic in hopes of discovering the foreign body that she had encountered time and time again. So steadily, would the gentle light appear upon her fingers as she begins.

 "People are afraid of the unknown, you know. And if it's something that they don't like...Then they often attack the one thing that they can blame." Her gaze drifts elsewhere. Could he imagine that it was Iosif. The one who blamed her when she said that a great change would come? The one who blamed her when she said that betrayal would be in his life?....In all honesty, she predicted it before she even knew this feeling. It was all so odd...All so driven.

 But still, she offers what smile she can- a gentle laugh rolling carefully as she leans over the desk, pressing her lips against the Rowan's and stealing a simple kiss. "That'll do." Affection for the future. Intriguing.

 However, it seems that she would begin with the first card. "I hope you're ready." An idle chuckle would spill past her lips as she overturns the card. And with that being said...It seems that the result would be rather fitting. Although, she does grow slightly pale at the thought.

"Death."

 She pauses for the moment, lightly pushing the card within his direction as she speaks. "When in reverse, it means that something bad might happen. So with your necromancy, I assume that perhaps, a project might fail or..Something about the magic that you have might be negative in someway." A mere shake of the head. "I suggest that you be careful. These magics change people...It might even change you." She knows what greed is. She could often see it within his eyes in their most intense moments. And she often knows that sometimes, adverse effects come with learning chaos..

 For now, she simply smiles...Turning it into a mischievous grin despite the 'bad' fortune already. "Ready for the next one?"


(Bei Bei)

There's something magical about this.

To be sat next to someone you love, to be awaiting for the declaration of your fate, to be given the notes of what may happen in the future... or perhaps, will happen in the future, but that he does not know. There's only one way to discover the future - it's to act as you usually do, to live as you usually do, and to move forward as you always do.

And yet...

It's all about being perceptive enough to see that some things are actually happening, that some things are coming true. The train of such thoughts is temporarily broken with the simple kiss she steals, a curve on his lips appearing to return the favour by pressing his own lips against hers as well- it's been almost instinctive at this point, and whenever she kissed him, so did he kiss her.

"Always greedy, aren't you?"

A chuckle. Can he blame her, though? At times, his mind was inwanderlust for her warmth, for her embrace, for her scent, and-- much, much more. Despite having taken it all, the craving just doesn't leave. Maybe that's what love is?

Yet, he watches. Symbolically, the first card is 'Death' just as the mention goes to Necromancy. He pauses, his scarlet hues intently staring at the picture of the card, before he speaks.

"Well... Death can be also beginning of something new."

"There's no beginning without an end."

Philosophical, but it might as well be true. He ponders, however, his mind wandering about many plans he had for Necromancy... maybe they were destined to fail? That doesn't mean he would give up now, though.

"Sure. I'm ready."
(Arthur Rowan)


"For all of the right reasons." Her greed comes with her happiness. An expression that makes her happy that she is not like the other girls within this city. The ones that are hurt and broken, the ones whose hearts are bleeding and battered by those that they thought that they loved. With her works, she is constantly at move. Constantly attempting to achieve a new level to not just separate</ii> herself from them. But to teach them to become happy themselves, even when the rest of the world is against them.

 In the end though, this was all that mattered. Moments where the two are tucked within the room. Where whispers of the past, present, and future would be shared. "You're right though." She cannot imagine him failing, and although, she might've hinted at his 'pursuit' within necromancy might end in such...She would never truly tear him down in that manner.

 She isn'ta shark like that.

 "Your next one...Will be about the present." she says while calling to the celestial body once again. As she closes her gaze, mind wanders to Proxima. Her body pulses steadily as she draws the next card.

Ba-thump.

 "Heirophant." She flips over the card. "Upright." Laughter rolls forward as she speaks, the cosm pulsing into the area. "There's tradition at this moment, things that you know that you know...Like a sort of cycle or system. If I'm not mistaken, it's saying that this is good in your life...Which sorta makes me wonder about the 'Death' card." Although, who knows what he might possibly find.

"I was meaning to speak to you about something like that as well. When you were preparing for your arcane magic...When you finally grasped it after so long, what did it feel like?" Was it anything life breathing for the first time? Is it anything like the vivid colors after a morning rain or...

Is it something more chaotic?
(Bei Bei)

For that, he could understand her.

All of those unhappy people, either still lonely or even worse, heartbroken because they've fallen for the wrong people, because they've fallen for someone they do not truly love. And these two? While they had their own hardships, their own obstacles to overcome, and things that were quite unsavoury... in the end, they were happy, as much as of a dynamic duo they were.

And did anything else really matter?

"Oh? About present? This ought to be interesting."

He watched and watched, his heart almost skipping a beat the moment she turns up the card- and it's 'Hierophant'. At first, he looked puzzled, but as she explained, it sort of... made sense?

It stood for tradition, for convention. 'Death' could represent the death of tradition, of old usage to Necromancy - he did wish to get rid of slaves, to forward the Necromancy research to remove or recycle corruption, to essentially improve the undead into rotless, whole beings.

And 'Hierophant'? It only hinted at what exactly may die, and inevitably, change. Just like he said it, there's no new beginning without death - and that new beginning may lie in death of some traditions.

"Hm..."

And then, the question is asked. He looked at her, pondering. How did it feel to awaken to the feeling of Arcane..?

"It felt like... waking up in a field of snow, in a cold winter night. It felt like you'd go numb, your gaze faced up to the clear sky, your ears tingling at the sensation of strong wind blowing nearby."

"And you gaze to the vast, open void of cosmos above you, filled with stars. You gaze deeper, deeper, and yet deeper... and finally, you find meaning to it all. There's no other purpose in life other than simply living it to it's fullest."

"They say Order binds them. I'd say Chaos frees you."
(Arthur Rowan)


 She believes that the connection to her star resembles the late night vibes. The moment where red lights whizz themselves within the room - flickering off and on with their own passion stare. She believes that her connection to the star is like an idle rain - where her grasp slips and yet, she is held up by the beauty of divination. Where she peers into the soul and touches the future by focusing upon Arthur, and embracing the newfound connection to Proxima. She possessed the dullest star within the world...

 Not because it is the most powerful.
 But because it is the most enduring.

 The one that exists within this world before the sun. The one that comes with knowledge and experience and has never faltered underneath the pressure of anything. IT is within this moment, that she praises. AS he speaks of feeling new sensations, she lives vicariously through it. As if ice and fire, although a contradiction, coalesce into one being. As if this feeling, this static that radiates through her body lets her know all that is to come. And all that will ultimately be.

Tap.

 With little word, the next card is flipped over. Upright. Judgement. "Your future, although trivial, looks bright to me." she says briefly while continuing on, speaking about the feeling. "But onto Chaos.." she says while beginning to turn towards him, "I imagine that when you use that magic...That it is like feeling that same sensation all over again, right? The freeing, the snapping, the ability to let go all of your hate and feelings into one push of power." she adds. Her smile widening..

 "Have you ever thought of yelling while casting? I think that you'd enjoy it." There is something visceral about it. About screaming at the top of your lungs while releasing an attack. About putting your soul into that type of shit. The kind of ether that slow burns the soul...

 But to digress..

 "Your reading...From what I gather is this." she says. "As of now, I feel like you're sticking to tradition. That you're following the path that'll end up good for you. For necromancy, while it might seem 'bad' as of now...I think that you'll run into something trivial, something that will...Force you to make a decision. It'll be bad, but..I think that you can work through it. And in your future, when all is said and done, you'll have an awakening. An 'epiphany' of some moment..That's stronger than what you felt. That's stronger than screaming and cursing at the top of your lungs...And trust me, it's pretty exhilarating." She says, nudging him..

 "We're in the library but, I think you should give it a shout. Go ahead and say the worst word that comes to the top of your mind...And then imagine that a billion times over." She wonders, if he'd experience that type of relief. That type of sensation that she often got within the midst of her own heated battles.

 Or maybe, she's just foolish.
(Bei Bei)

It's truly the experience that was hard to describe, that one must go through before they'd actually understand what Arthur was talking about. To actually be connected to Arcane, even on smaller levels like this, it felt... different, as if the whole world was turned upside down and made odd. It made everything make sense, and at the same time, everything did not make sense anymore. Such a weird contradiction.

But perhaps, she could understand. Eventually.

His future is trivial, and yet successful? That's something he expected. To face off against constant issues, troubles, and even more obstacles - he knew what he was already up against, and unless he'd be able to actually overcome them, there would be no success. But then again, what sort of success is it if you did not struggle for it, ever?

"Hm..."

"I did yell before... especially when casting Chaos magic. Remember the first time I did it, back on the snowy hill, when you... laid the scars on my back? That's when I did it. That's when I released all my frustration, all of my anger, all of... what I loathe-- all into one, disruptive blast that defied reality itself."

"It felt... liberating, but painful. So, so painful. I suppose that's just the price for breaking the shackles."

He listens to what else she had to say about his future, about the future epiphany and the turmoil he'd have to face. And yet, it seems that she insists to hear him shout, to hear him give it all?

"--That's a bit silly to shout right here, but... if you want me to."

What frustrated Arthur the most? What caused him to loathe something about the world so much, he would be willing to actually bring Destruction to it's very core.

Resistance. Resistance against his plans, against his dreams, his hopes.

It took a bit for him to tap into the Chaotic energy, but... the brewing anger at his failures, at every single time the resistance was too great for him to overcome, even if temporarily- when he established the connection to Arcane, when he really tapped into it, there's something... alien that swirled around him. But then, the shout came - and Destruction followed.

"Hhg--"

"DO NOT-- RESIST!"

With his voice, the echo of mesmerizing, destructive energy flew forward, shredding some of the parchments, ruining table infront of them, and even knocking over the bookshelf. That energy was carried like the wild call, like the energy of freedom itself.

--So destructive. So beautiful.

And she gets to see it all.
(Arthur Rowan)

Is she capable of doing more? The idle whispers of Proxima tells her that she is capable of doing all that she puts her mind to- but the limits of her own body often tell her otherwise. The impossible flames that blossom within the lithe being of her frame pulses instinctively...And the idle flexing occurs, where amethyst scale appears. Where tooth and fang dare to become lethal...Even if only for a split second. She knew that relying on her drakanite blood was not going to be enough. And the barrowing of another source is all that is necessary. If only briefly, does she find herself beginning to nod.

 "I remember every part of it." How could she possibly remember? It was the first time that she had chosen to harm him. And it was the first time that she had remembered feeling the impossible rumble of Arcane magics at work. Back then, he frightened her with his abilities...Frightened her, with all that he could do. But now, itis different..

 "In a way, I suppose that one could see the pain that way. I guess...The pain is something that drives me too, when I fight." Her fires often become so violent that she harms herself. That the occultism attacks her sanity and mind in mid-combat until the very end of the battle...Where only the victor would be left standing..

 "Actually, ah...A-Arthur, I think we shoul-"

 "..."
"..."

Everything is a mess. Cards float and flutter within the air, twirling steadily....Papers dancing, swiveling, books and desks tousled about from the raw power. It is beautiful but this..? This is different.

"I-I think that we should leave. B-Before someone comes up here." Wild. Very much so. "You were just supposed to yell curse words, not scream and nearly blow up half of the top floor." but still, she admires him for it.

 She even offers him a hand. "C'mon before someone walks in."
(Bei Bei)

Maybe the two of them had different ideas of releasing all pent up anger and frustration.

And while this was arguably a beautiful display of power, it also created a mess- and corruption- of it's own. Arthur did tap into Arcane through his pain, through his frustrations... and each time he brought forth the power of Chaos, it stung him deeply, deep enough to actually regret it at times.

He drew a sharp inhale, his teeth suddenly gritting, his scarlet eyes glaring, lit up like two fires.

The power of Chaos was corrupting, as much as it was liberating. While to her, it was just a display of destruction all across the library, inside it was much more than that. His heart thrummed wildly as the energy of Arcane surged in his body, his breaths became rapid, even if briefly, and a bead of sweat rolled from the side of his head.

It was wild. But her request, perhaps even moreso… even if it was not intentional.

He takes a moment to snap out of it. Arthur blinks, taking a good, deep inhale. Just what was that, right now? It certainly felt good, and yet... it felt like a sting at his heart, a reminder of his failures, a whisper of Arcane energy making him feel pitiful, pathetic, even desperate for all the times he failed.

It fuelled his anger, his hate, his... progress.

"Yes, we should--"

A pause.

"We should get out of here."
(Arthur Rowan)