Apprehension

[23:00] Blake Augustus says, "Sooo."
[23:03] Folding their hands, the young teen looked over at their sibling with a rather indecisive expression. How much of these details would be safe to share? Would they get in trouble for what they did? Disappointing Lemuria was one of the greatest fears that little Blake had.

"I went to learn about their side of things. Moonfall's. Talked to someone important there." And then there was a wince. A clear sign of the fear of being scolded. After all Moonfall was DANGEROUS right?
(Blake Augustus)
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[23:04] Lemuria took a sip of her tea, appearing indifferent.

"Yes? And?"
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[23:09] Indifference? Contemplation on punishment? There was an obvious increase in anxiety. The teen looked down. SOmewhat ashamed of what they were about to say---due to how they were lead to believe. However this little family of two made a promise.

"I don't... I don't think everything is as Black and White is the Order or the City Watch makes it out to be. I think its more. Multiple shades of Grey. You know? They were the ones attacked first. For being different. For not following the same ways of life as Osrona. And... They just want to be left alone. Or so this 'Supreme' person I talked to, said." Then there was quiet. All but the tapping of feet on the ground as hands wrapped to rest on knees. A slight rocking motion was made.

They sympathized with Moonfall. With how their parents were neglectful and abusive. With how they eventually just... made little Blake snap and do something they regret. The sympathy may not be visible to many. But perhaps Lemuria could see it. The guilt of a teenager somewhat agreeing with what they grew up to believe were 'the bad guys'.
(Blake Augustus)
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[23:12] * You have been awarded 1 Roleplay Points! *
[23:13] "Ah yes, Moonfall... I have many problems with them. On one hand, I do not appreciate the ritualistic sacrifice. I do not appreciate ripping hearts out and forcing people to die alone and afraid. I do not appreciate randomly attacking others. But on the other hand..."

Well. She could trust Blake, correct...?

An occult aura, slowly yet surely, enveloped the entirety of her body, cloaking her, and the entire room, for that matter, with a foreboding sense of dread and danger. Not directed at Blake themselves, but at every single thing that resided within this room.

"...it is also my original home, where I come from, and the one place that allows me to be myself without fear."

If nothing else, it provided necessary context for the rest of the conversation.

"Anyways, proceed."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[23:24] The words spoken by Lemuria were taken into account. How there were in fact, things wrong with Moonfall. But not everyone followed the ritual sacrifice, right? Or maybe they only did so with criminals. At lest it was better than just sending people to the guillotine.

But then it hit. The occult aura was felt. And as soon as it was felt, Blake's eyes widened. The anxiety that they felt was intensified in that moment. It was instinct to be afraid of such raw, destructive power in tangible form.

"I... L-Lemuria?"

The presence around the older woman was now terrifying. The primal parts of the brain of Blake made them want to run, to flee from what felt like the energy of a predator.

But that was their sister. Right? They made an agreement to be close to one another. To compromise. And to never hate one another. But yet it all made sense Lemuria's own feeling of alone. Their hesitance to fight. Yet Blake could not help but gulp.

To know that their caretaker, their guardian and their sibling was something that this city viewed as a monster. Someone who would be hunted down if their truth was known. And so fingers curled in the lap of the youth. They closed their eyes and proceeded to preform breathing exercises. Once they seemed to calm down...

"Lemuria I... I love you. And I promised, I'd never hate you. You're not a monster. Not from what I seen. Other people ignored me. Holy people told me to just 'go to an orphanage'. But you. Someone who is called a monster for your magic. You took me in. You're not a monster. Not to me. You don't have to hide that from me anymore."

A smile was put on their lips. And despite the terrifying dread they felt due to this magic from their adoptive sibling. They forced themselves to make eye contact for as long as they could. Three seconds or so--- but it was something Blake couldn't do with others. No one else was trusted like Lemuria was.
(Blake Augustus)
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[23:32] "Not a monster, eh? Keh... heheheheh...."

The sense of danger that bore down upon the room now came from Lemuria herself, as she let out a cackle that sounded positively chilling.

"KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Internal conflict aside, and whatever malice may exist within her heart aside, Lemuria herself absolutely had a few screws loose. She had yet to commit much in the ways of evil acts, but she was definitely the kind of person who could. Chaos. Unpredictability. The unknown. That is what the occult represented, and most men went mad when utilizing such things. Nay, all who ever touched the darkness went mad, as man was not meant to weaponize chaos.

"Of course I am. Or, rather, I have one inside of me."

And yet, here was Lemuria, and indeed, most of the villagers in Moonfall... doing just that.

"We all have monsters inside of us. The only differences exist in those who have the will to weaponize it."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[23:44] The laugh was terrifying, truly. It was so terrifying that for a moment, Blake did not knowhow to react. What would they do? What could they say? The body went deathly still. So unusual for the usually fidgety teen. The eyes opened widely. Showing the obvious psychological distress. Lemuria was dangerous. At least at her full power she was. She was someone that no one would otherwise trust if they did not have a preexisting relationship should they see their power and yet.

The words echoed through.

We all have monsters inside of us.

There was something even more chilling about this particular phrase than the laugh and the chuckle itself. The realization--- the knowledge that even Blake. A normally inconspicuous teenager was capable of great Malice.

They did after all, kill their own parents. Fratricide against a mother who was negligent and a father abusive. If anyone had heard what Blake had done in a moment of desperation---without experience or knowledge of what had happened... What would they think?

A sigh came.

"Then teach me to weaponize mine." A request, one that was possibly dangerous. "My nightmare. When I activated my magic the first time. A large monster ate me. But not before killing my parents. It swallowed me. It made me afraid. I couldn't move. That monster in my nightmare. It's always there. Always lurking in my head. It's gonna come out again sometime. But I... I rather make it come out when I want. I want to use it even as it wants to devour me.... Because if The Order finds out what you are, they'll hunt you. And I'll be helpless to do anything about it as I am. I'd be helpless to try to debate or to try to fight for your freedom. And I... I don't want to be lonely again. I don't want to lose my big sister. If this is something you hurt from. Feel alone because of--- then I'll help you feel less alone. And we can suffer together. Because family means we take the bad with the good. Right?"

There was eye contact made again, this time with teary eyes that couldn't show anything other than fear. And perhaps an ounce of bravery in their declaration.

A promise was a promise.
(Blake Augustus)
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[23:50] Her cackling, clearly unhinged persona changed to a look of genuine solemnity the moment Blake mentioned the idea of training them in the occult. She was... starting to genuinely feel for the child. And while she initially intended on tempting them into the occult when taking them in, now...? Now she wasn't so sure. It changed.

It changed the moment she began to realize the kind of life she could've led had she not taken such a plunge.

But...

"Are you certain that you wish to surrender your capacity to live a normal life?"

...she also wasn't one to deny someone their right to pursue whatever ends they wished.

"There are other magics you could learn. All this one does is turn the internal into the external and grant you power to match. You surrender control over your inner monster, but in exchange, you gain the ability to guide it. Such is the nature of the occult."

"It is to gain control through letting go of your control."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[23:57] The question and the explanation caught Blake at a pause. Every time words were spoken in such a heated moment caused the teen to think heavily. They were they analytical sort after all. Perhaps--- overanalytical. Yet here Lemuria was. Being her truly honest self infront of Blake for the first time.

While she had never truly lied to the child, she bent the truth. But Blake knew it was for their sake. "Live a normal life? After I killed my parents? When my sister and only family dives further and further into madness? When... if you died. If something happened to you--- I'd be alone again?

I was never normal." The teen sighed, closing their eyes, standing up.. It was then that they made their way over toward Lemuria. Attempting to sit upon the woman's lap if allowed--- and embrace them tightly. A sign of wanting to comfort nd be comforted by the only family they had left. Even if adopted in. "I was never normal.

At last you can teach me to accept that. And own that. And to rip apart anything that stop my happiness, or yours. I told you we're in this together. If you're gonna go crazy, let's have a crazy time together, big sis."
(Blake Augustus)
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[00:05] Conflict.

The conflict was entirely internal, but it was there.

She didn't know. The plotting, scheming woman who had naught but malicious intent for the longest time... didn't know. She wrapped her arms around Blake, too, seeking comfort in her own right, but the flames of her occult aura brushed up against Blake's skin, granting him a strange warmth that as neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. It was strange, it was foreign, and perhaps to Blake...?

It'd feel like home.

"I... I suppose."

A sigh escaped her lips, as she relented.

"But only if you come up with an alibi that does not allow it to be traced to me in case you get caught. I do not want to take that risk."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[00:10] An alibi should they ever be caught? That was easy enough. Not like many who were around here were familiar with Moonfall at all. They had an idea. "I won't tell you the alibi. But I have an idea." A simple enough statement that they hope would sate the woes of their sibling. Even as the strange flames tingled against their flesh. It was... hard to explain the feeling. It almost felt like a cathartic numbness? A feel of what should've been.

Perhaps this was the psychological effects of being with someone who they always felt safe and secure with. And wanting to make Lemuria feel safe and at home too. "Be safer that way. If they make some sort of object to pull the truth from you." If Lemuria didn't know the alibi was false, then there was no way a truth potion could screw them over. Or some other object capable of getting the truth out.

"I'm ready when you are."
(Blake Augustus)
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[00:12] Lemuria Augustus says, "We can begin tomorrow."
[00:12] Lemuria Augustus says, "But for now..."
[00:12] Lemuria Augustus says, "I must sleep."