The Fleeting Scales

[15:12] To the west they went. The coast and its fresh breeze were always pleasant. Though the climate here did tend to make it overwhelming. It was just right for a little education! Flapping her large, Drakanite wings, Lavinia essentially 'hopped' to an edge of cliff they were over and sat herself at the edge.

"The Dark was very welcomin', y'know? Not long after our lesson, I took it in. And It took me."

A black and purple miasma seemed to coat the scaly arm of the drakanite. At first, nothing special would come of it, but it'd soon become apparent that something odd was occurring. The scales seemed to decay and turn to nothing, as if the occultic mana was consuming it.

"Seems there's a conflict. I can use that magic just fine, but when I want to gorge myself in it, enhance my bein' in the dark, it burns away at the firey blessin' I was born with."

Essentially, an important part of her beingcouldn't emerge because of it. Some say it could be possible, some say it couldn't. Occultic Drakanites weren't exactly the most common things around here.
(Lavinia Walters)
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[15:15] Lemuria gazed upon her student, herself confused at what she just saw. She knew little of how Drakanites functioned, as she only ever personally knew one in her whole life. She appeared lost in thought while trying to ponder a solution to this issue.

"I see."

But then, she was struck with a sudden bit of motivation. An idea, that may be crazy enough to work! But first, she had to make sure of something first.

"How exactly does the blessing operate, pray tell? How do you utilize it? Are there any feelings or emotions you associate with it? Or is it just... there?"
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[15:22] The crisp sea breeze washed over the young clowns form as they encroached upon the crumbling cliffs that Theria had been build upon many, many years ago. There was always something serene about this specific spot; it was a stark contrast to the ceaseless chaos that the rest of the city was wrapped in constantly.

She cut her juggling short and pocketed the balls as Lavinia hopped up onto the edge of the cliff, sparking up her arm with pure negative energy much like she'd seen the Mal'phas brothers utilize in battle! That had her highly intrigued; they had said it was 'demonic energy' and, thus, given their strength, must be fairly strong!

The offputting nature of the magic didn't really affect her anymore, not after spending so much time with those two. They'd spent a good few months together now, the highlight of which was when she managed to convince them both to go from super angry, aggressive monsters to JoJo-posing communists, 'redistributing the wealth' of those who passed by the caves!

The words of the two of them stuck in her mind. The Dark? She was trying to envelop herself in something to give herself strength? How odd! Usually magic came from within, but it sounded like she might be drawing her strength from elsewhere. Perhaps she was part demon?

Burning away that 'fiery blessing' she was born with was another interesting concept. She knew very, very little about Drakanites, but she knew they were blessed by a God many years ago. For magic to burn away that divine blessing? It must have been REALLY powerful!

Colour the clown intrigued!
(Heidi)
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[15:30] As soon as the coat of blackness had been purged, the scales had returned. Not grown or reformed, but simply manifested back. It was indeed a sort of magical blessing from a higher spirit, but one submitted to the same rules as every being in this world, no matter how powerful. And Ryujin was probably the most powerful barring top dog angels and divine abnormalities.

"I know lil' 'bout it, actually. Come from m'dad. Never met 'em. I'm kinda seekin' answers now, but I sorta understand some of it."

A breeze passed by, cooling the air around them. Lavinia's large wings retreated toward her core, folding to such a small and compact size that they'd hardly seem like wings anymore.

"The blessin' is fire magic, in a way. Most of us Drakanite have an affinity fer it. I just so happen to indulge in the darker, more destructive flame, heh."

She chuckled.

"It's like weildin' two powers at once, most people can't or make a new magic entirely. I kinda wanna be like the latter. Wanna harmonize these scales, these wings, to the dark. 'Cause I'm a dragon. Ain't gonna hide that in the dark."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[15:36] Lemuria, once more, lost herself in thought. While she was a master of all things occult, she wasn't very familiar with anything else. She was a specialist, and as such, those things that she did not specialize in were left by the wayside, this included. However...

Perhaps her knowledge of the occult would be enough, in this case.

"If you can cause your wings to disperse on command, then I would suggest doing so. Perhaps you could try utilizing both at the same time- as in, form your wings at the same point you are utilizing an occult spell- but you have to learn how to use it, first."

A simplistic idea, but it was best to start from the bottom up with these kinds of things, rather than the top down.

"Have you learned how to utilize the first spell yet? Or made any progress on it, at least? If so, then show me. If not, then I could try to assist further if need be."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[15:42] Heidis eyes shone in wonder as Lavinias scales remanifsted upon her occultic magic fading away. Whoa! The young honker had believed that they'd grow out of her skin, or that perhaps they repaired themselves when the damaging magic faded! Nope, they were a construct of 'mana' gifted unto her by a Divine!

Upon hearing her words, it seemed she didn't know a large amount about the blessing she'd been given; only bits and pieces passed down to her verbally. Maybe it would be better for her if. .

"Perhaps you could look into your blessing and see if any before you have done what you're attempting to do! If you have a path to follow, the trek won't be as rocky!" she exclaimed, kicking a few large stones off into the water just so she could hear that satisfying plop.

"Yeah, don't hide your heritage! Being a dragon is super cool!" Heidi chirped, rocking back and forth on her feet. Of course, being a dragon was technically the opposite of cool given their magical affinity, but she knew that. In fact, she very much intentionally picked her words there.

Was she moving onto irony?

Her head turned to Lemuria this time; what magical words of sagely wisdom would she spout this thyme?

Occult? She'd never really heard about that short of the fairytales she'd been told as a child and even then she didn't remember most of them. What she didn't remember wasn't important in her mind; it'd help her in the long run too given that when she learnt something new, it pushed something old out of her head! By forgetting things beforehand, there was less to push out. Mmhm.

"Yeah, I was gonna suggest that! Perhaps you could make like. . fake wings out of those black flames then try and form your real ones over it! Maybe the real ones would form themselves out of the black mana, or maybe just seal that mana inside like a shell! Its worth a shot!"

Heidi had no idea about how either of these magics worked so at this point she was essentially waffling nonsense, but perhaps there may be some truth to draw from her speech!

And now. . a first spell? Ooh, perhaps she could learn something from this, this time! Maybe how to perform such spooky demon magicks for herself, she wondered. Maybe she could even learn to speak into other peoples heads, like Abaddon did on the regular with her!

"Ooh, lemme sea, lemme sea!" Heidi bounced up and down, kicking a few more rocks into the ocean below her.
(Heidi)
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[15:57] With what was being discussed, it was clear that sitting wasn't going to be the most comfortable position for what was to come. She'd be quick to stand, extending her wings once more for some extra balance. Cooperating with her teacher's suggestion, Lavinia would purge herself of her 'blessing'.

Her wings, scales and claws would seem to almost instantly vanish with only traces of sparks and ashes being left behind. The form's fiery roots were quite apparent at this precise moment.

"Yer right, Heidi, I should look more into it. A shame there ain't many Drakanites 'round these parts. 'n' I ain't steppin' into Osrona."

Now standing, she'd take a few steps closer to the duo of females. Wiggling fingers would seem to conjure more occultic miasma as she rose her hand near her chest. And then, all of a sudden, she'd extend her flat palm to the air and unleash the same volley of occultic spheres Lemuria had demonstrated during their first encounter.

These dark orbs would end up nullifying further into the air, causing no harm to anything! Though she didn't stop there, as the same murky mana would seem to be injected into the ground below her. Only briefly would she allow this energy to unleash from the stony ground, at a limited range as to not harm anyone.

"A lil' more than that, teach!"

A satisfied smile poked against her cheeks before performing one finally little show. Balling her hand into a fist, she focused for a good minute. And very suddenly, a flame of pure dark magic shrouded her being.

"Once y'taught me 'bout mindsets 'n' what the dark meant, it . . . Felt so right and obvious. Learnin' became easy with a lil' practice."

A pause. Eyes wide, lips pursed, she fixated the pirate-clown.

". . . That is so freakin' genius, Heidi! OH DAMN! Ohhhh I liiiiiike that. Can't force it? Gotta Improvise. Try t'mould the immaterial dark rather than the sturdy, hard scales! Mmm, need a moment . . ."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[16:05] Lemuria excitedly clapped her hands, elated to see that her student had already learned so much. So excited, in fact, that she lost sight of the fact that she was, well, actually teaching, and supposed to come up with ideas to help her. But, perhaps Heidi's idea was good enough for now.

"Excellent, Lavinia! I am extremely proud of you!"

Once more, her teachings bore fruit. Once more, her legacy was passed on. She was eager to see where Lavinia would go from here, as several of her other students went on to do... 'great'... things.

"Heidi's idea may work. It was certainly simpler than what I had in mind. I knew a drakanite occultist, once, but he did not have the same issue you did, so I am unsure on what else you could do. It should not be much more complicated than utilizing a shield."

To be honest, the occult came so naturally to Lemuria that her ability to explain some of the complexities of it was lost on her.Her teaching was all about mindset; everything else came naturally.

"If you are feeling creative or ambitious, maybe you could try making them out of shadows, too."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[16:13] Heidi watched on as Lavinia stood up and stretched out her impressive wings. They were incredibly detailed, but then that was to be expected. That blessing was crafted by a divine after all! A literal God, in Heidis unknowing eyes! She wasn't privy to the details of the spirits, given she'd had an entirely farm-oriented upbringing with no Gods to speak of, so it was all she could assume!

Watching them poof out of reality leaving only a spark of mana behind caused her eyes to light up! That was amazing! She was a sucker for flashy effects, like a magpie! If only she could manifest something as cool as that. .

Regardless, the young clown watched as that thick, decrepit energy rose up around Lavinia as she shot a stream of corrupting energy blasts into the sky in a highly impressive display of skill! Now those. . those were pretty. Those were really pretty. And they looked pretty deadly, too. She liked. . she liked a lot.

Furthermore, Lavinia also pushed her energies into the ground, cracking the stony cliff open with the demonic energy she wielded so freely. It was incredible to watch; she had a fine enough control over her magicks that it didn't affect or damage Lemuria or Heidi herself, fortunately, so she was out of danger!

Once Lavinia concentrated and sparked up that aura though, the bluenettes eyes lit up even brighter than before. Sparks of murky energy crackles around her like popping candy on a tongue. She could feel the strength coming from the teenager. The power. The desire for more. The darkness. She revelled in it; it reminded her of herself when she'd lost her parents. Desperate. Alone. Craving. Hateful, filled with fury and rage and negativity. And Lavinia had managed to make those emotions manifest in her magick.

Mindset. . mindset. . Yes. Heidi's mind was a little unstable as it was. She had many, many dark thoughts that she liked to cover with her comedy. Suffering was power, truly. Perhaps she should stop running from her negativity. Perhaps she should embrace it. Maybe that was the first step to acquiring this strength.

A smile came up over her face as Lavinia praised her idea. Perhaps her words had helped someone! She liked helping. It brought a feeling of fuzzy pleasure to herself. Perhaps she could even use this 'help' later on in her life. Maybe, just maybe, she could use this as a 'debt' to get a favour out of her at a later date.

"Mm! I'm glad I could help you give an idea! Hopefully it helps stop you flapping around in the darkness looking for an answer later!"

She had little to say about this display, though her focus was absolute. She was picking up what she could from everything that was going on. She was memorizing it all. Burning the information she was absorbing into her mind, into a box marked. .

Forlater use.
(Heidi)
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[16:24] Gorged with the flames of destruction, Lavinia couldn't help but feel as if she was at the top of the world. Mindset was indeed key to unleashing one's potential in the occult, and grandiose visions of oneself were often a side-effect. Perhaps one could be more empathetic of the demons in this perspective, should they have the ability to confer some care beyond toward themselves.

Luckily, Lavinia was still human. Choice still existed and to choice she clung. The flame was under control, losing some of its flare as the teen relaxed her posture and merely allowed it to passively burn throughout her body.

"Heh . . ."

She scratched behind her head. As cool as she was now, praise from her teacher was always quite strong to a young pupil.

"It ain't nothin' yet! I intend to reach even great heights, teach. A dragon ain't settlin' with the basics."

A light smirk took shape on her visage as she'd turn her attention to Heidi. Lavinia did not have any sort of ability that'd allow her to read feelings or mind, but the bluenette's gaze was all too familiar to her. In looked so much like the drakanites, when she was still unspoiled.

Index risen, she'd form a minuscule ball of dark mana at its tip. It was perfectly round and /black/, vantablack levels of black. Pretty stuff, really. With a light flick of her finger, she'd allow the sphere to hover over to the lass, only to have it orbit around her once close enough.

"Maybe I should try th- Hmmm?"

Suddenly, other people! The sphere kept on floating around the other teen, harmless and passive.
(Lavinia Walters)
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[16:31] Lemuria nodded in response to Alita to acknowledge that she heard what the other woman said, but directed her attention back to her pupil. A more-than-passing glance was directed towards Heidi as well. Perhaps she was in the presence of another potential student...

Spreading her art was among her greatest of joys, after all.

"Then do not settle for the basics! One must always reach for greater heights. The occult, in particular, demands it. Everything you experience and everyone you meet is a potential stepping stone to greater strength."

She intentionally leaked some information on the mindset- that Lavinia was quite possibly familiar with already- in order to gauge Heidi's own interest.

"The powers you can attain are limited only by your imagination, after all. You just need the will."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[16:32] Alita Tym says, "Alright, we can find out."
[16:33] Sicks whispers something.
[16:34] Alita Tym whispers something.
[16:34] Sicks whispers something.
[16:34] Alita Tym whispers something.
[16:41] Heidi had tuned out of the goings on for the most part, locked deep within her thoughts. Mindset, mindset. Darkness. Dark power. Yes, she'd have to definitely tap into the more demented parts of herself to attain this strength. The corrupt, the immoral, the decrepit, the depraved. She'd have to accept those parts of herself to the fullest extent, not run away from them like she had been.

Her comedy was an act to keep herself smiling. Beneath that, even she had her demons. Or, perhaps, the comedy was born of that darkness. Perhaps she'd been funnelling those emotions into something else, weaponizing them for positivity instead of what they truly were.

Perhaps she needed to remove that filter. Perhaps she needed to dive headfirst into it and battle it. She needed to dominate it. Control it. Make it hers. Make herself a beacon through which night could conquer the day. She'd need to keep a good hold on her sense of self through it all though; she knew the negativity could overwhelm a person and cause them to lose themselves in a spiral of maddening hate and vitriol. She quite liked who she was, and that misery she'd been masquerading was a part of her too.

Perhaps it was time to unleash it all. To own it. To make it hers. Another aspect of herself. Yes. .

Heidi snapped out of her darkened pondering once that orb of shadows began to spin around her head. Her perky blue eyes locked onto it, gazing deep into it. This wasn't darkness, or shadows. This was something else. It was a complete absence of light.

"Whoa. . " Heidi muttered, forgetting her clownish tomfoolery for a moment as that sphere enraptured her. This was the essence of occultism. The complete antithesis of light. There was naught a ray of sunshine to be found within it. It was everything good, flipped on its head.

Slowly she snapped out of her hypnotic reverie and turned her head towards Lemuria, canting it to one side with a quizzical expression.

"The will? Ah, yes. To own the negativity within me while keeping me as 'me?' Without losing myself to it all, to push on even when it feels like I'm drowning in it?"

An astute observation for a royal idiot, it seemed. Even if it wasn't what Lemuria was going for.
(Heidi)
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[16:53] The occult demanded it alright. Harbinger of progress, to destroy in order to create. It was one of two arcanes to hold a balance, together forming divinity. Hence, no mortal or demon could wield it. Lavinia knew nothing of this beyond her own experiences, but deep down, the dichotomy made some sense to her. It made sense to most, for it was the balance they all stood upon.

A light flick of her index would order the celestial body roaming around Heidi's being to commence its descent. Aiming for Heidi's head, impact was imminent, unless she avoided it. Though, as stated before, it was harmless. Should it meet with the bluenette's hair, it'd disintegrate and reform into an orchid-like black flower meant to hang on the girl's hair.

Being a mere construct of magic, it'd eventually disappear, much like a living flower. Destruction, progress, change, fear, anger . . . These could also make way for something very beautiful, after all.

"Heh. How 'bout y'tell us what heights you've reached, teach?"

Lavinia posed as she'd now enter a firmer stance. Fingers balled into fists and eyes fixed onto the cracked ground- leftovers from her previous display. Right now, she was trying to actually mould her mana the same way she had done with that flower, but on a bigger scale, and it also meant bending the very essence that empowered her, to change the form of the flame that coated her being.

A few sparks and flares occurred, but a lot of work was needed still. Nonetheless, the novel idea did not seem so impossible once actually dipping into trials.

"Seems like yer gonna have another student soon, teach. Heh. Such a pleasant presence, too."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[17:01] "Mmmmm. It depends on what you mean by heights. I consider heights to be something other than just... strength."

Lemuria held her hand up, the lights in the immediate vicinity dimming ever-so-slightly, as a blade formed of pure shadow formed within her hand. She had traded her attunement to the occult for this, as the death of Blake made her decide to focus more on her potential fighting strength. But up until now, she was very much not a fighter.

"That is just one example. But I hail from Moonfall, so I have access to many different kinds of powers, some of which are not exactly wise to use in public."

It was also difficult for her to call forth a dark spirit without the use of her tools, unless she was ordering it to pay someone a visit.

"But I could show you some of the stranger and more esoteric powers I have access to, if you promise to keep it a secret."

Lavinia may have been aware of what Lemuria was- Lemuria wasn't sure- but Heidi was definitely not. And she was admittedly curious to see how she'd react to some of the things Lemuria could show her.
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[17:09] As that ball descended, Heidi had no intention of dodging it. She wanted to feel what it felt like. She wanted to know just what it could do. The effects it might have on her. Lavinia had not, in fact, stated it was harmless; to the young clown, it could do anything to her. Unfortunately, or fortunately, she was an inquisitive gal. No matter what it'd do to her, she needed to know! She craved the knowledge!

And, with nary even a noise, it vanished into black dust and reformed into a pretty little orchid. She couldn't see it given she didn't exactly have eyes at the top of her head, but she could feel it. It felt corrupt, yet delicate. Depraved, yet pretty. Powerful, yet fragile. It wasn't long before it faded away, earning a pout from the young honkling.

Her eyes turned over to Lemuria next to her, returning to her rocking back and forth. As that sword manifested in her hand, Heidis mouth formed into an 'O' ring, clearly impressedby the mana construct! She could never form such a thing. The most she could make were small spheres of crimson ichor. Which was ironic in itself. The very liquid that gave them life, used to end that of others.

"Ooh, show me! Show me!" she chirped, very much intrigued! "I'll keep it secret, I promise!"

And to illustrate her point, she mimed zipping her mouth shut and locking it, tossing away the key. Oddly enough, there was a small splash in the water. Perhaps it was just the wind, though.
(Heidi)
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[17:16] Blink blink.

A whole construct made just like that. Lavinia could do very mild things with her own magic, things that were mostly for show. This was full-blown next-level! And, actually quite fitting to the drakanite's current quest. Black, murky wings would be such a beautiful thing to flaunt.

"Heh, a secret? Alright, I'll bite! Ain't gotten this far blatherin' m'providers' secrets and interests."

Stepping closer to Lemuria, Lavinia was probably as excited to discover these new things as Heidi.

"Oh I've long since realized that it ain't 'bout blastin' everythin'. The Dark holds so many abilities one could consider . . . Unnatural~ It is full of mystery, 'n' that's one heck of a drivin' force."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[17:17] Paradox would simply remain silent and listen unless spoken to, such was politeness.
(Paradox)
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[17:25] Lemuria held her left hand up, an occult aura bursting forth from her body. But it wasn't just your standard occult; no, this power didn't stop at feeling eerie and disconcerting. This reached deeper. It didn't take long for the reason behind this feeling to become clear, as on her left hand...

A black pentagram faded into view.

Witchcraft was a kind of occultism that reached down to the very bedrock of one's existence- the spirit- with only the soul existing deeper within one's being. And as such, the feelings it carried were different, as the sense of danger and dread that came with occultism transitioned from physical to existential. It was a feeling that Lavinia herself may be familiar with at this point given who she hangs out with, but Heidi herself would have no such familiarity.

Only time would tell how she'd react to such a thing.

"Unnatural abilities indeed, some of which lead to one being slated for death the moment people are made aware of who possess them."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[17:38] Heidi looked over to the pair, one glowing with her crackling orange aura and the other. . doing the same. But, bar the visuals, they felt. . different. Sure, the occult was profane but this. .

If Occult was the antitheis to light, this beguiling energy was the antithesis to life itself. It didn't just disconcert her. It terrified her. Such an affront to life and the nature of being itself. A feeling straight out of Helheim. Corruption manifest, depravity represent. Comforts carnifex. A chill ran down her body, circuits and almost her soul itself as that unravelling energy poured out of Lemuria. .

And Heidi didn't quite know what to make of it.

She'd always held onto the fact that suffering was power. That through great despair came great growth. Negative emotions led to positive outcomes. This feeling was the epitome of her way of thinking.

On the other hand, it felt like she was standing in the middle of a battlefield. Surrounded by death, destruction, the scent of rot. Everything that went against human instinct. And, being a human, her instincts were telling her to run. Every single facet of her subconscious was telling her to get out of the area as fast as she could. That this was dangerous. That she'd die, fall into Helheim then die again.

And yet, she stayed.

Years ago, she'd have fallen to those instincts. She'd have let herself be controlled by her animalistic side. Given in and did what they said.

In the more recent years, she'd realised that the only one who could manifest her own destiny was herself. Heidi, and only Heidi. And if she kept falling prey to her own mind, she'd never accomplish anything. She'd live a life of weakness, powerlessness, misery. Never accomplishing anything. Never facing danger, never living a good life.

She was the Pontiff of her own life, and she wasn't about to let herself be led astray from the path she had chosen to walk.

"Unnatural isn't the word I'd use for it. The word I'd use is. . perverted. A perversion of all that is orderly. All that is 'normal.' The opposite of a life most would walk."

Heidi began to hop around on her feet, moving to Lemurias side in a flash. Her form danced around the Witch, examining her in great detail with almost cartoonish motions.

"This is the essence of someone who bends the world to their wishes, rather than letting others dictate their endgame. This is a brilliant shower of colour in an otherwise grey world. This is not something the Exarchs would tell us. They want to keep humanity down. They want to keep them under their thumb. Controlled. Docile. This is the complete opposite of that. . !"

Heidi stopped, her feet balancing precariously on the edge of the cliff as she looked at Lemuria. A few loose rocks crumbled down the cliff face, plinking and plonking as they smashed against the age-old construct.

"This is freedom."
(Heidi)
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[17:48] Now this was another level. When Lemuria would reveal the hidden prowess she kept within, the drakanite couldn't help but exposed a large, toothy smile as response. It'd be rightful to assume the teen had experienced such a thing before, having actually worked for one of the known craftmen apostates of the region.

It was revolting, but it also perfectly fit into the equation of this world. There were saints that could rob the sight of those even slightly unclean, and there was this.

"Perverted 'n' yet so real, 'n' as much of a part of this world as this snow, or this ocean."

Suddenly clapping her hands, she'd fixate Heidi after she had exposed her thoughts on the matter. The amount of glee and enthusiasm presence in the drakanite's expression was unlike anything she had shown yet.

"IT IS THE WAY OF PROGRESS! OF SELF-EXPRESSION! YES, YOU GET IT! Just as the light protects and maintains! Forever still, forever adamant! But the Dark . . ."

Lavinia's own 'fire' surrounding her body ignited to twice its previously docile size. It responded strongly to her energy, her overwhelming emotional state.

"The Dark is always changin'. Always bendin' what we see as real 'n' natural. 'Cause this world is built on the idea that our WILLS can change anythin'! 'Cause we can choose to, unlike demons. Unlike exarchs."
(Lavinia Walters)
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[17:59] Lemuria gazed upon Heidi, and then Lavinia, listening to every single word the two of them said. And with every word said, the smile on her face grew ever wider, and more excitement welled up within her chest. So much so that...

"Hehehehe..."

She couldn't help but giggle.

She loved seeing this. She loved seeing people so enthusiastic about occultism and the benefits it provided. She loved seeing people she could teach it to, and eventually, teach witchcraft to. Releasing hellspawns onto the world that had the potential to twist and turn and ruin the lives of others at a moment's notice, just like Blake could and Paradox does...?

She loved all of it.

She first gazed over at Heidi, extending an offer-

"You would make a wonderful student, Heidi. You seem to understand just what is so enthralling about this power, and what it can do. I would be more than willing to teachyou, should you desire. Not just occultism, but perhaps even this."

-and then over to Lavinia, extending yet another.

"It is the way of self-expression, yes. But more importantly, this is the power to reach down into the very bedrock of a person's being and bend them to your whims. Perhaps you, too, would make an excellent student of this craft, and not just occultism."

"What do you say, both of you?"
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[18:07] * You have been awarded 2 Roleplay Points! *
[18:09] "Of course I get it, I'm the kinda gal that does whatever she wants! I know if I do what I want to do then the consequences will catch up to me, but that's part of the fun of things! If I keep restraining myself because of silly laws and concepts, I'll never be able to live the kind of life I want to live!"

Heidi was giddy with excitement, still precariously balanced on the edge of the cliff. Her rocking back and forth was a bit worrying, but that was also a part of her fun! She'd positioned herself here purposefully. One slip and she was in for a world of pain! A coinflip, a fifty fifty chance that she'd fall on every sway!

She was living dangerously!

Her expression got even giddier as she felt Lavinias raw passion fire up after her speech, that aura burning brighter and brighter with every passing second!

"We're put on this world to live life the way we want to. Whats the point of being restricted?! Its all about freedom~!"

Turning back to Lemuria, she watched the girls smile grow wider and wider, a soft laugh threatening to explode into a cackle at any given moment. Oh, the giddiness! The joy!

As Lemuria offered her a position as a student, Heidi didn't even think twice. She held out her right hand, joy buzzer carefully hidden in her palm. This was what she wanted. This was both a promise of immense power, and a choice she had been waiting to make for a long time. This was the crossroads she stood at. She could decline the offer and live a boring, normal life or she could continue on her way down the path of freedom and self expression.

The power to bend someone to her whims. Perhaps that went against their freedoms, but what did it matter? Her life was all about her. Those who tried to impede upon that were enemies, and those who could be manipulated with such ease were weak people whose sense of self had been eroded along with their liberties by the laws they chose to follow! Pawns!

"Deal!"

Her right hand shook as she awaited that sealing handshake! Her Joy Buzzer was priiimed and ready.
(Heidi)
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[18:19] So much energy, it was like a chain reaction. One passion fuelled another, and they'd end up with glorious chaos. The very essence of the occult. This was glorious. Lavinia loved it. Everyone here seemed to.

A crack from the articulation of her jaw could be heard as now came the time to seal this deal. With Lavinia's previously ceaseless discharge of enthusiasm, it'd be quite surprising to see her remain completely still as she'd fixate Lemuria's palm. The occultic flame had been extinguished, the aura of passion around her cooled.

Nasal inspirations were more pronounced. She suddenly became much more aware of her surroundings. Whether it'd be the hooded witch further in the cliff or Heidi's overly risky initiative. All of it came down on Lavinia with this burst of anxiety.

A hesitant hand rose to chest level, fingers sporadically wiggling as her attention frequently shifted between the witch's hand and the darkness around her. It suddenly didn't feel so inviting.

"I err . . ."

With a lot of willpower, she'd extended her hand as well, finally making contact with her teacher and shaking. It was clammy with a very weak grip even for a small hand.

"I'm in."

When contact would be severed, a sigh of relief released everything that had occurred in this awkward minute. Lavinia smiled again. Excited!
(Lavinia Walters)