The Orago District – BC.

Location is displayed by the symbol:

The Orago District is where the working class residents live. They are neither rich nor poor, but can afford good enough housing. This district has a commune feel to it, with lights hanging across the streets to provide light at night. For this reason, Orago can seem like a safe place. There are a few shops and cafes here so residents do not always have to rely on travelling to the Inner City or worse, Kayl. Residents will usually work in the Inner City or the Port, but some might work in Kayl.

 

After Ava had knocked Selina out and then placed a magic sleeping spell on her, Joel and the young student take Selina and the talking demon plushie Tallulah back to his home in the Orago District.

Scene setting – Joel’s House – Blood City.

Co-written with Gene and Temp.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

 

Joel’s House

Thankfully, the bus ride went smoothly from the inner city towards Orago district – where Joel lived. To those that sat near them on the bus, Ava and Joel spoke as though the girl that slept in his arm needed medical attention, and subsequently the other passengers gave them space, thinking that she was contagious. Amazing how people thought when you gave them subtle hints. It was enough to make Joel feel a bit more relieved, but he still had an unconscious High Priestess on his lap and she could wake at any given moment. Passing through the valleys and outer forests they finally came across the outer district of Orago. It was nothing like the city, and the many towering hills that were dotted with dwellings and shacks gave the tourist the impression that this was a workers town. That those that lived here commuted to the big city center and back daily.

Getting off the bus stop nearest to his home, it would be a five minute walk up some small trails till finally coming out at a double story building in amongst the trees. It was overgrown in parts, but in a way it had a certain charm about it. Almost like it was nestled in the middle of a garden that had long since been cared for. This was true in a sense, since it was Joel’s mother that had the green thumb. In the years since her death, the garden came into its own and grew in a way as though to protect the house that was in the middle.

Taking Selina up the stairs, he stopped at the door to take off his shoes, when the sliding door slid back to reveal a young woman who happened to be Joel’s sister. She was on her way out and stopped right before Joel with a look of bewilderment and confusion.

“Joel….what are you doing bringing home a child?” Stepping back only as Joel barged on through, the weight of the girl having grown heavy in his arms. “I can’t really explain, Beatrice. I need to place the girl down.” He headed into Beatrice’s small bedroom and placed the girl carefully on her bed. His sister didn’t like this at all.

“You can’t just bring a kid home and then dump her in my room without telling me what is going on.” Beatrice put her hands on her hips and frowned at her older brother. This was most out of character for him, and she wanted answers. Instead, Joel went to put on a kettle for a much needed cup of coffee.

“Go to work, Beatrice, you’ll be late.” He didn’t even look back at her to see if she had gone. Beatrice shook her fist at her brother then snatched up her bag, before seeing Ava on the porch. “When I get back, I want answers.” She shot Ava a strange look, then took off down the stairs to catch the bus to the inner city, just where Joel had come from.

Now that he was alone with just Ava and the sleeping Selina in his sister’s room, Joel took out a cigarette finally and lit it. Taking that first drag helped him relax after the very trying day.

“So, time to interrogate the plushie.” Joel said, hoping that Ava would set the bag down and let the strange toy creature out.

~RB~

 

Gene:  

The excuse worked perfectly well. Not only were they able to leave the Council Headquarters quickly, the lady from before hadn’t noticed anything odd about the room. Even on the bus, whilst some did look at them, they kept their distance and did their best to make eye contact; it was as if they were a disease people noticed, but didn’t want.

As the bus made its way to the Orago District, it quickly became apparent everything was new to Ava; never before had she been in Orago. The Vestro District purposely kept itself secluded from the lower classes. For that reason, many generations knew little about the life others, who weren’t as fortunate as them, held. Her finger lingered on the glass and her attention was being pulled in all directions with the scenery. Even when they departed from the bus, Ava would often slow down to observe something, then quickly run to catch up with Joel and Selina.

After a few minutes, she finally rested her eyes upon Joel’s house. Was this truly where he lived? If Joel ever did look to her, she’d do her best to mask her surprise. It was only after seeing such things, which made Ava realise that not everyone was as fortunate as her. However, the obvious-caste-system was the least of their problems.

Following close behind, Ava found herself meeting Joel’s sister. It was odd meeting someone related to a teacher; when she was younger, she always thought teachers lived in the school and had no family. She took her shoes off and would have greeted his sister, but there seemed to be no point. It’s not like greeting her would stop her questions. Thankfully, Beatrice didn’t ask any questions what Joel was doing with a 16 year old; after his sister left, Ava began to explore her bedroom. It wasn’t as though she could do much exploring; nonetheless she took interest into the smallest of details, until they came back to the topic.

Ava placed her bag onto the floor and said, “It’s fine to come out,” to Tallulah. The toy had been brief with its answers to their previous questions, but they had to know more.

 

Temp:  Being stuck in some humans bag was not something she had expected to ever experience, and yet here she was. Selina had apparently remained asleep due to Ava’s spell, which was fortunate for the two humans. Honestly, she doubted that the awakened Selina would just randomly kill these two, but their fear was understandable. When they finally stopped and seemed to be at their destination she was quick to hop out of her ‘prison’. She then made her way next to Selina, and turned her head to look between the two humans. “Interrogate huh? What the hell else do you two want to know huh!?” Explaining everything to these two was rather irritating, but there wasn’t much of a choice other than to comply at the moment.

 

Razorbackwriter:  The toy plushie emerged from Ava’s bag and was in no mood to be asked questions or be interrogated by the pair. Which was equally as frustrating for Joel, since he had taken a very big risk in bringing the girls back to his house. For one, it would send tongues wagging for sure by his neighbors. The kettle in the kitchen was boiling, and Joel left Ava alone with the plushie as he went to fix them both a cup of tea. The house was very simply furnished. Nothing outrageous or fancy in this home. Everything was functional and practical. The furniture alone looked to be older than Joel himself, and it was.

Coming back into the living area, Joel set down the tea tray and of course offered a cup to Ava. It may be a welcome relief. Something that was considered normal, in a very unusual situation. Stirring his tea with a spoon, he finally set the cup down and got down to it.

“You say you are Selina’s guardian. If this is true, than you would understand that neither Ava or I mean her any harm. But if she is a danger, just what are we to expect? I mean, I have brought her into the safety of my home and that of my sister’s.”

Joel then looked at Ava. “I am sure that Ava never meant to be caught up in this either. It’s getting late, and I know she would be missed by her parents soon. We are both owed some sort of explanation. Surely you can understand that.”

it was then that Joel asked the most serious of questions.

“Why was she put to sleep? What did she do that had her condemned to be cursed for nearly six centuries?”

~RB~

 

Gene:  

With Tallulah out of the bag, and her obvious displeasure at having to be interrogated, Ava stepped back. Perhaps it would be best allowing Joel to take the lead – this was his home after all and it’d only be respectful for Ava to simply act like a guest. Joel’s departure resulted in silence in the room; Ava had no idea what to say to the toy.

“So…” She said, doing her best to eradicate the silence; talking to a toy was much more easier than talking to someone her age. Tallulah didn’t look the slightest bit intimidating, though that was probably a misjudgement on Ava’s part. If she was younger, she’d certainly want to cuddle the toy. However, Ava had to keep in mind Tallulah was Selina’s guardian. There was probably a good reason for that.

As Joel re-entered, Ava took a seat and accepted his offer of tea; she thanked him and took a sip. It did come as a relief to drink something soothing in this hectic day. Sitting down made her realise how tired she was. Her arms ached from carrying the bags, whilst her legs just wanted rest on the couch. She kept her composure for the time being.

The reasoning with Tallulah began and Ava avoided Joel’s gaze when he spoke about her. The ultimate question was asked. Was Selina truly so bad she was put to sleep? Or were the circumstances leading to her fate were different?

Temp:  Tallulah sighed and rubbed her ‘hands’ against her head, shaking it as she did so.“Look you two…she didn’t do nothin’ and she wasn’t condemned, okay?” Having to explain such ancient history was really annoying, “Her family and coven were killed because of the magic they practiced, and the only reason Selina survived is because she was sealed away. You two probably think she’s evil, but I’d say she’s just…eccentric…” She wasn’t considered evil back then, but she definitely did have her quirks. Experimenting sometimes brought out her sadistic side, but she wasn’t a heartless murderer. “She’s not gonna kill you guys if she wakes up alright? She might examine your bodies or something though..on the outside I mean, not internally!” Hopefully these humans would calm down on their little doomsday scenario.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

The teacher knew that Ava was averting her gaze from him, but as to why he was unsure? He arched a brow as if to say ~What’s with you?~ But of course, the attention then swung back around to Tallulah who was now becoming short with the pair. Going as far to say that she didn’t do anything to warrant being cursed, and that in fact her family were slain simply for being witches and practicing magic. Now, that was not entirely unheard of. People killing those that they deemed to be witches. It totally married up with the time period as well. Superstition, religion and people’s own inability to accept what they did not understand caused much panic and resulted in the deaths of those that were accused of practicing.

Joel sat on the edge of an old and tattered armchair, his elbow resting on his knee and his upturned fist supporting his chin. He wasn’t dismissing anything that the plushie said, in fact it explained a great deal. Tallulah was trying to reassure them that Selina was not evil per say, but eccentric.

“Of course she isn’t evil. That is why you were so quick to tell us to knock her out in the Council HQ.” This of course was laced with sarcasm. Could you blame him for feeling this way?

Joel rolled his eyes and gave a little flick of the head. He simply couldn’t help acting out.

“She’s not gonna kill you guys if she wakes up alright?”

“Well that’s comforting to know.”

She might examine your bodies or something though..on the outside I mean, not internally!”

This had Joel’s eyes widen considerably. A girl witch wanting to examine his body. “I don’t think so.” Joel pushed his hands onto his knees and rose to standing suddenly. He was becoming exasperated now, and the cracks were starting to show. Joel, was tired. The only problem was he couldn’t go to sleep in his own house, knowing that Selina could wake up and then….carry out an examination on his sleeping form. So comforting.

Joel walked in a small circle, raking his fingers through his disheveled hair. What was he going to do now? Should he just call the authorities, and let them take her off his hands? He didn’t need this now. He had a job, one that he counted on to keep the roof over his and his sister’s head. God, his sister. What was she going to say when she got home? He could picture the argument already in his mind – hear her raised voice. Not to mention the neighbors would get an earful too.

The teacher shot a look at Ava, who like him was also starting to look worn out. His lips formed a slim line as he came up with the only solution he could think of.

“I’ll take first watch. Ava, you might want to call your parents, and maybe just camp out on the couch while I watch Sleeping beauty in there.” He jerked his thumb towards his sister’s bedroom.

~RB~

 

A ticking time bomb – BC.

 

When magic is happening right out in the open, it would be very hard to explain.  Knocking out Selina in order to keep her true self repressed posed even more problems for Ava and the young Teacher; Joel.  

Scene setting :  The Council HQ, Blood City Series.

This is co-written with Gene and Temp.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

Insane. That was the best word to describe what was happening in the reading room. We know and accept what happens in our world, because, logic. Logic and what we are taught from a young age as to what is real and what is fantasy. But what if everything you had ever believed could be turned on it’s head in a single moment. That being when a plush toy comes to life and starts screaming at you. Not just to do the unthinkable – knocking out a child, but also telling you off for picking it up. Joel, dropped Tallulah on the table, right at the same time that all the papers and documents that had been in the box blew up and danced about the room as though there was a freak wind storm. It was enough not only to block Joel from seeing Ava perform a spell on Selina to put her to sleep, but it also stopped passersby in the corridor to seeing what was going on within. Papers danced and whizzed past Joel at an alarming speed. It was like being in a wind tunnel and he madly tried to catch them out of the air. If any of them ripped or tore, he was going to be up for more then the initial fee that the paid in the beginning.

Only when the papers started to settle, and Joel was trying to put them in a pile, did the plushie talk again.

“Woah man, that was CLOSE! Good job human.”

Course, the plushie was speaking to Selina. Joel had no inkling that there was not just one witch in that room, but two. Rising to stand and putting the papers back into the box, the young teacher realized that he was in way over his head this time. He wanted to have a cigarette so badly, just to calm his nerves which were frayed. It was one thing to deal with an abusive talking plushie, but now they had an unconscious girl, who could be a real danger to them – not that he even could begin to understand why. One thing he did know though, they couldn’t stay in here.

“Okay….so the name Steiness is bad for some reason.” He couldn’t believe he was going to even attempt to talk to the abusive plushie, but he had to know. “Why?” You don’t just knock a girl out for no reason.

 

~RB~

 

Gene:

 

With a spell being a success, Ava now held Selina in her arms. She quietly shuffled, doing her best to move Selina onto the chair. Now, since Selina was only sleeping, Ava knew if they continued talking loudly, she might wake. After ensuring Selina wouldn’t fall off of the chair, she looked to Joel and the toy and placed a finger on her lips, indicating they should be quiet.
Ava moved away from Selina, picking up the papers as quickly as she could and organising them into a pile. Her speed yet carefulness to not make a sound made it clear she wanted to move away from Selina. After seeing that display, it no longer surprised Ava that Selina was once a High Priestess. Even a human could have recognised the danger and power displayed in that one action. Her own magic tingled from sensing the immense power in Selina. But, now she could no longer sense it. There was definitely more to the girl than papers could reveal. Out of the corner of her eyes, Ava eyed the toy. It knew something important. Even though she had initially ignored the instructions of the toy – due to being bewildered – it knew what to do. It knew what was happening to Selina.

Finally cleaning up her own mess, Ava gestured for Joel to follow her. She would have proceeded to pick up the toy – or whatever it was – however, the way it reacted to Joel picking it up gave a clear impression. Instead, she settled with also waving her hand to the toy. Ava moved to the far corner of the room and waited for Joel and Selina’s toy to come.

“You know something,” She whispered, looking at the toy, “Who is she?” Despite their current situation, Ava’s voice was surprisingly calm, even though inside she was afraid. As of now, Ava didn’t care what had set Selina off.

 

Temp:  Selina was completely knocked out, and wouldn’t be causing trouble any time soon. Tallulah on the other hand was still very much awake, and she wasn’t very happy. Joel had picked her up which pissed her off, and then Ava seemed like she was going to attempt the same thing. Fortunately she decided against it and instead motioned for her to follow her and Joel. Obviously she didn’t want to wake Selina up. The Grimoire hopped off of the table and over to the two humans, looking up at them with an unmoving face. So they wanted to know more about Selina? At this point sharing information probably wouldn’t matter, so there was no need to ignore them. “Selina Shamandalie, High Priestess of The Black Halo. What else is there…She isn’t a child? Her real form is being suppressed?” What more was there to say about Selina that would make them understand who she was? Probably nothing. It’d be best to show them, but at the same time would be a bad move.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

Everything about this situation was now so fucked up, that Joel was beginning to regret ever having been a gentleman towards the young Selina in the first place. They were in the worst possible place to have just discovered that not only was Selina a High Priestess of the Black Halo, but she was not a real child. Her real form was being suppressed. Why would she be suppressed and kept asleep for five or so centuries. Probably because she was the be all and end all of dark magic. Joel was no idiot. He knew that the fact a talking cursed cat plushie was now opening up that her Mistress was someone of great importance and a danger not only to those around her but also herself. The flashing of her eyes, was the start of the troubles, so….if she had started to remember, as the teacher was trying to get his head around this, that not only were they in trouble, but those that worked and visited the Council HQ.

Joel slapped his hand to his forehead. Of all the places they had brought her too. Now, they had to get her out of there….and fast. Also, they had to keep her unconscious, for fear of what she could do if she woke up. The young teacher knew that there was no way that Ava was going to take the girl home, knowing what she was. Her parents were very important people in the city, and the last thing they needed was the High Priestess of the Black halo under their roof. Joel was also thinking that he couldn’t possibly take her home with him. What would his sister say?

He honestly didn’t know what to do. Or who to turn too.

Joel scratched his hair line and looked at Ava with a worried expression.

“Any ideas on where we can take her?”

~RB~

 

Gene:

 

The concise explanation the toy presented only left Ava with more questions. She began to say something, but stopped, instead choosing to rub her head. The silence that occurred after gave her some time to think about how to construct her questions.

“Any ideas on where we can take her?”

Ava looked up to Joel. That was a good question. Unfortunately, it was one she couldn’t answer. Where could Selina go? She’d need to be watched. By who? The two couldn’t do it; despite her appearance, Selina was dangerous, that much was clear. It was only by fluke that Ava had managed to stop her ‘real’ self from coming out.
Her face waned as a possible solution came to her mind.

“Should we-“ Ava hesitated. Even possessing the thought sent shivers down her spine, “If she poses a threat… Shouldn’t we,” Ava began to shake and her voice wavered, “Kill her?” After voicing her suggestion, she shook her head, “No, no, we can’t,” Though, her eyes flickered to Joel.

Tallulah would have obviously been against the idea. Joel, on the other hand, might not; even though Ava had backtracked on what she said, a part of her wanted Joel to agree with her and fuel the suggestion.

“What is her real form capable of?” Ava decided to ask Tallulah; maybe – just maybe – her real form wouldn’t be as bad as they thought. “Why would her real form pose a threat to us and the city? If it would, at all?”

 

Temp:  Tallulah would have had a very angry look on her face due to Ava’s suggestion, but she was not capable of that in this form. “I suggest you never say or consider that again, human.” Selina was her mistress, and as such she was bound to protect her. The fact this girl had the nerve to suggest such a thing in front of her was outrageous. At the mention of Selina being a threat to them she sighed. It wasn’t very easy to explain why Selina was a threat. “Selina was brought into this world with blood and dark magic rituals…so her mind is a bit…twisted…and her magic is unlike anything you’ve likely ever seen.” She was definitely dangerous, but whether or not she went about killing or blowing things up was uncertain. It was hard to figure out what Selina was thinking in her true form.

 

Razorbackwriter:  Joel could hardly believe his ears when Ava started to suggest that they kill the High priestess, rather than do any more to help her. Was she insane? Murder carried a life jail sentence, and Joel rather liked his life….on the outside of a prison cell. He hadn’t even been caught speeding, or had a traffic ticket. Breaking the law just was not in his books, no matter how dangerous a person or individual could be. Truth was, they really didn’t know what she was capable of, though Ava may have a better idea considering what and who she was – not that Joel was clued in to her true self. The Teacher just stood there, slack jawed. That was until the cat plushie demon thing put forth that they were never to say of consider that course of action. Joel held his hands up as though he was not taking part in that sort of plan.
“Don’t look at me, I can’t even kill a spider, let alone another being.” It was true, he simply didn’t have what it took to kill someone. So that was definitely out.

“Selina was brought into this world with blood and dark magic rituals…so her mind is a bit…twisted…and her magic is unlike anything you’ve likely ever seen.”

“I have yet to see anything magical in this day and age, aside….from well you…talking.” This was pointed out to Tallulah, as Joel didn’t have anything to compare with what Selina may or may not be capable of. Glancing down at Selina’s unconscious form, Joel knew that she would be too heavy for Ava to carry, and that it would be up to Joel to do the honors. He could hardly believe what he was now going to have to do.

“I’m going to have to take her home. I don’t know of anywhere else.” He looked exasperated and in need of a cigarette, but again he couldn’t exactly light up in the reading room of the Council HQ. Putting on his satchel across he body and swinging it to his back, he went to pick up the sleeping Selina in a fireman’s lift and then motioned for Ava to get the door.“You get the fluff ball, and we just leave the documents here for the officials.” They couldn’t take those with them, as they were government property. “There is a bus stop not far, we should head out there now, and I take her and Tallulah home with me.”

If Ava wanted an out, this was it. She probably had gotten more than she bargained for in the first place from the time she entered the Peach Cafe. Going home with a teacher probably wouldn’t look good.

 

~RB~

 

Gene:  

As expected, the two didn’t respond well to her first suggestion; it might have been better in the long run to eradicate any possible threats by eliminating the source of them in the first place. It was a utilitarianism approach and maybe the whole City would have benefitted from their actions, however it didn’t deter from the fact it’d scar the morality of Ava and probably Joel.

As Tallulah responded to her question, it crossed out any possibility that they could reason with Selina’s true form.
“She’s evil,” Ava whispered to herself and then muttered, “Great…” When Joel commented about Tallulah’s ability to talk, Ava piped in, “How are you able to talk? And move?” As soon as Ava posed the question, she dismissed it, “Never mind,” It was clear they had to leave. Now.

Thankfully, Joel had volunteered to have Selina stay with him; it was likely Joel would be the one who had to do so. Ava couldn’t return home with an unconscious girl – what would her parents say? Her only concern, for Joel, was that Selina’s real form wouldn’t awaken in his house. With Joel’s instruction, Ava leaned towards Tallulah then recoiled, not wanting her to act badly.

“Do you want to go in one of my bags?” She suggested, gesturing over to them by the table. The thought hadn’t crossed Ava’s mind that she could back out. Her concerns regarding Selina clouded any thoughts – if there were any – of letting Joel handle Selina and going home; she was a part of the problem too. Perhaps, it was because she too was a Witch. Whilst Ava had never been in a coven – mostly due to her lack of knowledge if there were any other Witches – she still felt duty bound ensure Selina wouldn’t do anything bad. What chance did humans stand against a Witch like Selina, whom was supposedly powerful?

“We should say we are talking her to the hospital,” Ava advised; people would notice a man holding an unconscious girl more than a girl wearing the sort of attire Selina did.
If Tallulah jumped one of her bags, or allowed Ava to hold her, Ava would be following Joel, heading to his house.

 

Temp:  Tallulah watched Joel as he picked Selina up and eyed him to make sure he didn’t try anything. She’d been with her mistress for centuries now, so it should be obvious that they shared a bond of sorts. The real form of Selina loved her just like this fake did, but the two were different in every other way. It was obvious to her that these humans considered Selina to be some kind of ticking time bomb, and they weren’t really in the wrong. This was a matter that wasn’t going to be handled as easily as killing one person though, that much was certain. For now she would follow the humans, as they had her mistress, and jumped into the bag that Ava mentioned. She had no idea what was the best thing to do with Selina at the moment, but she needed to keep her safe.

 

 

The eyes have it – BC.

Right in the heart of the city, Joel and Selina find themselves in a whole lot of trouble, as Tallulah tells them what to do.  Will it be too late? Scene setting: The Council HQ – Blood City. Co-written with Temp and Gene.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

As the paper was moved across the table toward Joel and Selina, Joel took out his reading glasses and placed them on so he could better understand the text. It was a very floral way of writing and harder to read than more modern text. Ava managed it without problem, but discovered that there were two family names with both owning vast amounts of estate. It was concluded that at some point, the city was actually two villages. Joel mused over this finding, unaware that the name Steiness had any significance. The small plushie, that had been silent up till now – decided that this was the time to finally become animated. Leaping from the small girl’s arms and yelling obscenities of how if they didn’t knock the girl out they would both be fucked. A swearing plushie? Joel fell back in his seat at the sight of the yelling cat doll. “Knock the girl out?”The teacher would never hit a child, especially not in a public place like this. Joel jumped up from his chair and shot a look through the glass panes that gave those outside the reading room a chance to see in. Oh this was bad. The teacher then made a grab for the plushie, to try and shut it up. It was only as he lent across the table, did he see Selina’s eyes changing colour. It was like before at the Peach cafe, and when she was losing control. Joel had been able to calm her then, but he didn’t know if he could do it now.

“Ava….hit her!” He cried out, while still trying to scoop up Tallulah.

 

~RB~

 

Gene:

 

When Selina mentioned the name, Ava turned to her. “Do you kn-“ “Ohh boy…this ain’t good.” She did a double take, looking for the source of voice. Had her toy just spoken? Ava stared at it; Selina was once again successful at blowing Ava’s mind. If anything, she wouldn’t have expected a toy to start talking. When the toy jumped onto the table, Ava recoiled, falling back onto her chair, just as Joel did. Even though she wasn’t focusing on him, a minor thought lingered in the back of her mind: at least he seemed as shocked as she did. Joel hadn’t reacted much – in fact, he might have come across as emotionless – to the other things that were revealed about Selina. The reason why was still a mystery to Ava. Perhaps he… No, it was too absurd to even fuel the thought. As if she was in a horror movie, Ava jumped when Joel leaped up and went for the toy; he was far quicker thinking than her. It was when the toy spoke once again that Ava finally looked to Selina. She hadn’t noticed the girl had gone silent. But, it wasn’t what she was focusing on right now. Her eyes; they were stained a bright red. If Joel hadn’t repeated the instruction Tallulah had given, Ava would have just sat there, and amazed at what was going on; whenever she did a spell, her eyes never transformed into another colour. “What? Oh,” This time, it was Ava who pounced up from her chair; it didn’t take a genius to realise red-glowing-eyes always symbolized something bad. Ava was just too fascinated to concentrate on the consequences of Selina’s current state. The only thing that would have sufficed to render Selina unconscious would have been the book in the box. Instinctively, her hand moved to the book and the book moved to her hand, Ava took hold of the book, spun on her heels and with as much strength she could muster, struck Selina across the head with it. Ava wasn’t a strong individual, so it was most likely it wouldn’t do the trick, Ava would raise her hand to strike the girl again, but then a better method came to her head. Shifting her glance to Joel, the papers on the table and box would blast into the air; Ava attempted to obscure Joel’s vision. After using the telekinetic move, she’d try to grab Selina’s hand and whisper, “Somnus,” (Sleep spell) If the spell worked, Ava would do her best to catch Selina if she fell.

 

Temp:  Selina had not reacted to the words of Tallulah, Joel, or Ava, and instead remained completely silent. Her body was void of motion and her expression was blank. Tallulah on the other hand was flailing about like crazy as soon as she was picked up by Joel.“OYE! Put me down you stupid human!” The plushie was not very fond of being picked up by random people, but at least the two humans seemed to be responding to her warning. Selina stumbled to the side as she was bashed with a book, but it didn’t do much else. Thankfully, Ava was able to use a spell to put her asleep. Her small body immediately lost it’s ability to stand and fell into Ava, who would hopefully assist her. Tallulah looked between the two and sighed in relief when she saw that Selina was no longer conscious. “Woah man, that was CLOSE! Good job human.” Once more Selina was prevented from awakening, but how successful would they be next time?    

Dispelling myths – BC.

Finding answers in the City Library was proving harder than first thought.  One book would be borrowed and given to Selina, but Joel knew that the search would have to continue if they were to trace her family in this time period.

Scene setting : The City Library – Blood City.

Co-written with Gene and Temp.

 

Gene:  

The contents were a list of names of supernaturals: vampires, fairies, ghosts, shape shifters, demons and more. Over half of these Ava hadn’t heard of; it was obvious the book was a collection of races which existed and didn’t exist, though Ava wasn’t sure which ones were real. She came to a halt when she found Witches. Flicking to the page number, Ava began to read.

The book began with what Witches were – as if the reader didn’t know what they were – and then moved onto how Witches are perceived: old hags, young maidens, demonic creatures in human form. It brought a smile to her face to see how the book mocked the perceptions others had about Witches. Eventually, the chapter became more serious: its description of Witches was pretty accurate. They pretty much the same as humans, the book described, with the addition of magical abilities. It was unfortunate Ava had made the decision to skim read; there simply wasn’t enough time to read the whole chapter. Luckily enough, a few pages in, the book moved onto the history of Witches. Some accounts of the race were probably folk lore; Ava did not mind. After all, the author had to include some humour to keep the reader engaged. It was until she came to part where Witches in the twelfth century she began to read.
Her reading was disrupted by the intrusion of Joel.

The only indication of her irritation, at what he said, was that she folded her left arm and sighed slightly.

“I don’t think we’d get any real facts on Witches since no one really knows they exist. We’ll only find rumors and myths in these books,” Ava looked over to Selina, who was sitting down. “The archives might help,” The amount of times her history teacher had voiced his fascination with the archives was far too much. “If we knew her last name, maybe we might see them in the archives,”

 

Razorbackwriter:  

Joel figured Ava was not to pleased with what the Teacher had said. She was doing the best she could to find some clue to Selina’s origin and what led her to be in this time, but trying to find that in a book of myths might not have been the best place to start. A book like this one needs to be studied at length for hours, not a matter of minutes. Joel himself should have known that. As Ava concluded that whoever wrote the book did so from a skeptic’s point of view, or perhaps a human’s, then it would be classified as myth not fact. Thankfully, Ava was a bright child and had a better idea of where to look, since the book currently offered no substantial leads.

“The archives might help.”

“They might indeed, Miss Blackbane.”

“If we knew her last name, maybe we might see them in the archives.”

Thinking for a moment, when Joel and Ava were back at the Peach cafe, they had made introductions, and he recalled what Selina had said. “Her surname is Shamandalie. Selina Shamandalie.”

So this was the name that they would be searching for. Joel gave Ava’s back a light pat, and to lift her spirits hopefully, he added. “Good thinking.” Joel didn’t give out praise often. “But I think we might borrow this book. If not just for the simple fact there might be something in there that triggers Selina’s memory. Who knows, she might be able to dispel a few myths for us, hmm?”

Joel turned his head to check on Selina, who was now swinging her legs back and forth and sucking on one of his mints. Least the child priestess knew how to behave in a Library.

 

~RB~

 

Gene:

 

Closing the book, Ava was unable to hide her smile when Joel praised her. She nodded, in thanks, and was about to ask Joel to put the book back where it originally was – as its home was too high for Ava to reach; hopefully, the man would not notice this, unless it was very observant – until he advised that they should borrow the book for Selina.

“Okay,” Ava nodded; she removed her purse from her leather jacket and fumbled around for her cards until she came to her library one. “I’ll go take this book out,” She proceeded to walk away and head for the counter.
As she approached the counter, gave her library card, and asked to take the book out, she recalled the name Joel had said. Selina Shamandalie; the surname rang no bells. Perhaps it was a good thing. If the family still existed, who knows what they’d be doing? They’d be Witches – that’s for sure – but would they be good or bad? As quickly as the questions arose, Ava dismissed them. Now was not the right time.

Taking her card and book, she picked up the bags she had left near her seat – as Ava didn’t want anything to take any of the contents – then returned to maze of bookshelves, searching for Selina and Joel.

Upon finding them, she’d ask, “Where are the archives…?” Ava was almost too embarrassed to ask. Would they be treasured in the library or elsewhere? She had no clue about such things and maybe it was good she didn’t. After all, one would except someone of Ava’s age to not care about such things.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

Joel watched Ava take the book over to the counter to take out, using her library card. While it didn’t have the answers that they sought straight up, it could be useful down the track. The teacher made his way back over to where Selina was sitting, and reached out to ruffle her hair in an affectionate manner. He normally was not like this as he only mixed with students during working hours at the school. He had a younger sister at home, who was now too old to play games with, though they were still pretty close. She was one of the few people that understood Joel. You could say that they had a very special bond. Joel had not given much forethought in how they were going to help the girl beyond finding out if she had any living relations, or even if they could find people that were….well, her kind. The teacher didn’t even know where to look, in this day and age. Though his research into the occult, which he never thought he would come to use; might be of help to the child Priestess.

“Ava is just borrowing a book that we might need.” The teacher offered, right as Ava returned and asked where the archives might be. Joel thought for a moment, and then he raised a finger as the answer struck him. “The Hall of public records. It’s near the city council chambers. A bus ride from here.”

The Hall of public records was a government funded facility that held documents, certificates newspaper articles and classified documents, that only were released under the freedom of information act one hundred years after they were sealed.

Joel picked up his satchel and threaded it over his arm to rest the strap on his shoulder.

“Come on, we’ve pretty well exhausted the search here. Next stop, the Hall of records.”

 

~RB~

 

Gene:

 
“Hall of Public Records?” The name was familiar to Ava, however she had never been there. Why would she? Such a place would be a bore to any 16 year old. It did make sense that the archives would be stored there. Despite the name, Ava pretty much knew not everything would be public. There would be secret documents – information the Council wouldn’t want anyone to find out – within some part of the building. Or was Ava being too naïve? Would the Council hide things of importance in the Hall of Public Records? It was where Ava would expect them to be stored – that or the Town Hall. Though, the truths about the City might not be placed in either location for the very reason people would assume they’d be there.

Ava held the book out to Selina, “Perhaps it’ll be useful to you. Page 432. That’s the section on Witches,” When Selina took the book; Ava would pick up her bags. She checked her watch. It was noon, almost evening. Before nightfall, Ava hoped they’d discover at least something else about Selina. Where would the girl stay? Joel was the likely solution as Ava’s parents would never allow Selina stay the night.

Her phone buzzed and Ava pulled it out. Her mother was calling her. Swiftly, she muted the call and nodded to indicate she was ready; time to catch the bus.

 

Temp: Joel and Ava were certainly determined to assist her, which was something that she greatly appreciated. Selina also knew that Tallulah appreciated the assistance that she was being granted, though it didn’t really benefit her at all. If it were up to Tallulah she would turn Selina back into her true self for awhile, but she knew that this version of Selina wanted no part in that. Being split between two very different personalities wasn’t easy, nor was it easy to maintain. It was a constant stress on Selina’s body and soul, as well as Tallulah’s. However, it was inevitable that Selina’s true self would soon make an appearance, but for how long would she be present? That mostly depended on the severity of the situation. So far she had not been threatened, but the moment that she was…things could go very bad. That was all yet to be seen though, so for now Selina and Tallulah would rely on Joel and Ava. She happily took the book that was offered to her and picked up Tallulah from the table, then pushed herself out of her seat and started following the two. Apparently they were off to yet another location.

 

 

The Port – Blood City.

Location is displayed by the symbol:

There are a few jobs at the port, but one might be able to get apprenticeship here. The port is the main form of import and export, especially to other Cities across the world. Also, it is perhaps the easiest way to enter or leave the City.

 

Levis: A young man with a eyepatch on his right eye sat at the docks. His white jacket over him as he stared into the sea. He let out a sigh and pondered a idea and how would to go about it. How would he get rid of other hunters he was a one man army. He would need the help of someone strong, but how would he go about it.

“Hmmmmmmmmmm, bloody hell fucking hate hunters.”

 

 

Razorbackwriter:  The number 29 bus pulled up just shy of one of the fish and chippery shops that was located near the warehouses at the top of the docks. The driver pulled the lever across for the passengers to disembark, but today there was only one. A dark haired girl, wearing a grunge fit. Black shirt with some random band name on it, black jeans and boots. Her hair was tied up haphazardly into a loose ponytail and it bounced behind her as she took off down the two steps and landed on the pavement. She gave the driver a half hearted wave, before taking out her ear phones and inserting them into her ears. A quick tweak on her cell phone and soon music was streaming loudly through her ears, enough to block out the surrounding loud noises of industry and boats horns blaring on the harbor.

The girl had a pronounced swagger as she walked along, her hands stuffed into pockets. She hunched her shoulders over slightly and kept her head down so as not to give rise to anyone thinking she would be looking at them. The smell of the port was distinct. Diesel fumes and dead fish. Odd how she actually enjoyed the scents.

Vyvyan continued her walk up the dock, where many a trawler was tied up and the voices of the crews unloading their catch of the day would be sprinkled with obscenities and good banter. No one seemed to notice Vyv. That was the way she liked it.

Only when she found a couple of disused bait boxes, did she take a seat. Her head rising enough to for her to cast her gaze out to the water. A million thoughts and feelings rippling through her, as she tried to find calm. Her mother’s latest boyfriend had beaten Celia the night before and Vyvyan had just come from the hospital. Her mother was going to be in ICU for about a week. That is if she survives. A swelling of hatred filled the void that was her heart and she grit her teeth angrily, as she let the sounds of Marilyn Manson take her away from it all.

 

Levis:  Creed sighed and pulled out his phone he had got a job as a sub teacher for a school. He would know which one soon and just yawned. Pulling up his eye patch his gold color eye showed off. As he wondered more and more. Pulling out his caster gun he decided to look through it. It was a work of art, but how it would work is unknown. He couldnt figure how he could cast magic with it. Since well magic wasn’t in his blood and he was only a hunter.

 

Razorbackwriter:  The light breeze that came in off the water teased Vyvyan’s hair gently and the setting seemed peaceful. But if you could hear the screaming and the lyrics of the song blasting in her ears, looks were truly deceiving. Vyvyan gripped the edge of the bait box on which she sat as she shut her eyes so tight as though to block out the view. In her mind was violence, blood, revenge, hatred and murder. Murdering her mum’s latest boyfriend in a wild frenzy, where she grinned mercilessly, whilst wielding an ice pick into his chest. Blood spurting all over her face, dribbling down her cheeks to fuse with the hot tears that sprang from her eyes.

The song soon came to an end, and it was only then that Vyvyan opened her eyes and saw where she was. She’d done it again. Letting her emotions fuse with her darkest desires. It was always the same. Playing over and over again. But did she have the guts to kill the monster of a man that called Celia his woman? No…not yet. But the time would come….and he would pay.

Another ten minutes passed as Vyvyan surveyed the ships on the water, and then she brought her attention back to the jetty. It was only then she noticed a man with an eye patch, not far from where she was sitting. Vyvyan hadn’t noticed him before, but now that she had seen him, the young witch noticed something that he was waving about. It looked like a type of gun. Was he going to kill seagulls with it? Take pot shots at the fish? Intrigued, she pushed herself off the stack of bait boxes, and strolled on over, a cheeky smirk playing on her lips.

“What’s with the eye patch? Are you a pirate?”

Vyvyan was never one for subtlety. “Where’s your parrot?” She added. Now enjoying this game of questions. Her eyes danced lightly, till settling back on the caster gun in his hands. She wondered what it was. Vyvyan was half tempted to steal it from him.

~RB~

 

Levis:  Creed heard what seemed to be a girl who spoke to him. He turned his head his lifted eyepatch showwing off his amazing colored eye. His experssion not cold, but kinda of annoyed at some degree. He study which was the black hair female who he would learn soon whos name. He put his gun up knowing full well what she would do.

“Haha, and what are you miss queen of the dark lands of hell which all flirts go to. also no you are not going to touch this gun I can see it in your eyes.”

Creed was smarter then this girl would give him credit for, he couldnt tell if she was a witch yet, but with enough time he might be able to if she did anything out of the strange. He kept his duel colored eyes on her the gold and brown. With his golden eye with a bright gleam to it.

 

Razorbackwriter:  Vyvyan’s wit looked to have gotten her in trouble off the bat with this eye patch wearing dude. He didn’t look to happy when she made fun of his eye patch, and lifted it so that she could see the golden eye that sparkled beneath it. Normally when a person wears an eye patch, they do so cause their eye is either injured, or they simply don’t have one. Instead of putting the gun that he was toying with away, he raised it up to her level and called her out. it was what he called her that made her raise a brow, but the fact the gun was pointed at her, she didn’t like. You really shouldn’t point a gun at someone, unless you are prepared to use it. This was not the time for wise cracks, though she could feel the anger from earlier when she was sitting on the bait boxes, come back to the fore. Her breathing became ragged as her lips parted slightly. There was a trigger of fear that caused her to do what came next. She didn’t want the gun, but she also didn’t like it being pointed at her. Her hand raised up from her side, fingers extending as though she was charging up a ball of energy that made her fingers tingle and spark.

With one sweeping move of her hand, she used an untapped power to attempt and knock the gun clear from the man’s hand. A loud grunt accompanied the move while she grit her teeth, her lips parting so he could see the determination to stop him from using it against her.

If this worked, he might think twice about trying to hurt her.

~RB~

 

Levis:  Creed watch her and glared at her, this witch didnt know he was a hunter. A person bred for this kind of thing to stop witches and even the smallst hint of power would be a dead give away. Creed’s eyes watch her and without a second more he saw what was a ball of mana. A attack maybe, but it seemed to small for that. Instand it was aim for his gun without a second thought. He quickly put his in his holster making her miss the target. He got up fast and pulled out a real gun and pointed right to her forhead.

“So, your a witch huh, well I am a hunter any sudden move a bullet will go through your head.”

Creed look down at her keeping his gun to her head. He wasnt bluffing his eyes had that killing intent like hers. Something almost the same. Creed moved his gun from her head which was odd. He was a hunter shouldnt he just shoot her and get it over with. He place it back in its holster.

“Next time don’t do something so god damn reckless if it wasn’t me you would of been shot down.”

 

Razorbackwriter:  The charge of power that Vyvyan tried to use simply bypassed the target, since he was fast to sheath it in it’s holster and then bring out a real gun. Not that Vyvyan knew the difference right away. He moved with a speed that was unnatural, and this made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. For a moment she held her breath as he pointed the gun at her forehead. The events of earlier paled in significance to what was happening now. Events of her life seemed to go on a high speed flashback as though this….was it. But surprisingly, the girl didn’t flinch. In fact, she almost welcomed it. Having spent hours at her mother’s bedside, and knowing that she would be returning to the squalid and cramped apartment alone, the chance of having her head blown off would end the sad and sorry existence that she had had up until now. This man had no idea why she was even at the port in the first place. Could he read her mind? All he knew was that she was a witch – something no one had ever publicly called her. There was the crease of a smile forming when he said he was a hunter. She’d heard of them in passing, through books, but never come across one before. Vyvyan wasn’t exactly the kind of girl that traveled with a group. She was a loner. A rogue.

Vyvyan closed her eyes and waited for it. The loud bang that would finally end her nightmare, but instead, all she heard was the sound of the gun being put back in it’s holster. It was then he spoke, as Vyvyan slowly opened her eyes, almost incredulous.

“Next time don’t do something so god damn reckless if it wasn’t me you would of been shot down.”

“Why didn’t you kill me?” It was almost said as a demand. Vyvyan had never looked more serious in her life.

~RB~

 

Levis:  Creed turned around and when he heard her say the words why didnt he kill her and spun back to her and slap her on the face. Not as a beating, but for saying those kinds of words. Creed’s eyes looking at her that one amazing gold eye cold like ice now. He couldn’t believe that she would just say it in a demanding way.

“Shut up, dont demand your death if you want to die so badly just off yourself and dont get me bloody my hands for a pointless pity death. I might be a hunter, but i am nothing like the others all they are, are foolish packs of trash.”

Creeds words rang true, he sounded quite serious what he thought of others he works with. Placing his hands in his pockets. He stayed standing up and look to the sea. He wondered wondered to himself about how to get to his goal.

 

Razorbackwriter:  ~WHACK~ The sound was enough to startle Vyvyan, but it was the sting of the open palmed slap that truly woke the young witch up. Did he just slap her? Oh, that wasn’t all, he then went on a rage about how if she wanted to off herself, that he would not waste his time on a pity death. It was enough to make Vyvyan want to laugh out loud at the absurdity of the situation. Here he was….a hunter. One that hated what she was and his mission was supposed to be ending the lives of witches. Yet, he didn’t follow through. He didn’t shoot her or wish her death. This went against everything she knew about hunters – which really wasn’t a hell of a lot. This being the first one that she had come across.

Now left with a red welt on the side of her face, she rubbed it gingerly. The pain was actually exquisite. Hard to believe but true. Maybe she got off on that, or perhaps it was the shock of still being alive.

“I might be a hunter, but i am nothing like the others all they are, are foolish packs of trash.”

“Really?’ Vyvyan lowered her guard slightly as the hunter turned to look out to the sea. Vyvyan thought for a moment about just legging it. Surely staying around this guy would only piss him off even more. He didn’t know her from the next girl, but there was something intriguing about him.

Sidling up to him, she stood there and said simply. “I don’t usually have guys pull a gun at me over a wise crack.” Her explanation for using her powers as she did. She glanced at Creed out of the corner of her eye, wondering what he was thinking.

“So…you have a name, Hunter?”

~RB~

 

 

 

 

 

Tallulah : More than a toy – BC.

Joel and Ava were now on the hunt for clues.  The library could be a wealth of information, if you knew where to look.  The cat plushie that Selina held was not what it appeared to be.  

Scene setting :The City Library, Blood City.

Co-written with Gene and Temp.

 

Temp:  Selina was appreciative of the assistance she was being given, but she felt like she was being looked at strangely by Ava. Mostly everything she had said and done shocked the girl into a new period of time, but why? Perhaps she was like her, a Witch? Or maybe she was someone who hated her kind? Selina really couldn’t figure it out, but she knew that it bothered her. Hopefully Ava didn’t actually have any negative feelings towards her, and instead was either nervous or extremely curious. Either way, she wouldn’t fault the girl.

While Ava was being told what to do, Selina turned her attention back to Joel, who was now questioning the plushie she carried with her. Her head tilted down as she looked at it, then back up to Joel. “Not cursed, but possessed…tis’ a demon in mine service, and the lady helpeth to keepeth me under control.” Joel likely wouldn’t understand what she meant by ‘control’, but she could explain that if he questioned her further on the subject. Tallulah didn’t offer any argument or comments to her revealing this information, which meant that Selina was free to do as she wished. This would help keep her in control of herself simply because she could express things without restraint.

 

Gene:

 
After receiving her instructions, Ava shot a quick smile at Selina and Joel, and then walked away from the two. Purposely, she started at the shelves – dedicated to history – at the far end of where they were. She had to clear her mind. Ava leaned against the shelf, staring at the floor. Selina was a witch. No confirmation was needed; Ava didn’t want or need Selina to perform a spell – she just believed because, upon giving it further thought, witchcraft was a sufficient explanation. Her knowledge about things other than spells, when it came to witchcraft, was limited; her imagination began to run wild, thinking of the possibilities out there. Though, the only way she’d find out is if she began her task.

Removing her bodyweight from the shelf, Ava looked at the top row, tilting her head so she could read the titles on the spine. Some books were, essentially, a repetition of the ones before it, from a different author. There were books from the history of the world, species, even the universe, though she’d expect them to be in the Science section.

Finally, she came across which was much more suited to the ones she was looking for. The palm of her hand opened, and the book flew out from its position, landing in her hand. Her fingers ran over the title, inked into the cover: ‘The myths of the Supernatural’. Opening the book, she began to read the first page.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

Ever have the feeling that you are in too deep? Joel was starting to feel this way. From what would be considered fiction to many, this girl was basically saying that she was a High priestess from a fifteenth century coven, and that in her arms she was holding a demon, no less whose job was to keep her under control. Whether the plushie was doing a very good job of that remained to be seen. Joel began to ponder. If she was a being of great power, than why was she in form of a child? Surely a Priestess would be an adult. Again Joel rubbed his chin. Nodding at appropriate times, but keeping a close eye on how this girl reacted to his questioning. She was so upfront, and not holding back, really. This either meant she was telling the truth as she knew it, or….she was the best cosplaying actress on the planet.

Joel checked over his shoulder on Ava, who had now found a book – hopefully one that would give them some insight into Selina. Wanting to keep the girl calm and content, Joel reached into his satchel and pulled out a small packet of mints. He enjoyed these when he was on the bus, or in between classes. He kindly offered the packet to Selina, not as a bribe, but hopefully something she would enjoy.

“Here…these are mints. Very tasty and good for your breath.” Not a great choice of words, but the good intent was there. If she took them, Joel would excuse himself and make his way over to Ava, but not before placing down his satchel at the study table.

“The myths of the Supernatural?” Joel had come up alongside Ava and used the crook of his finger to gain a view of the cover.

“We want facts…..not myths.”

~RB~

 

Temp:  Selina tilted her head to the side as she looked up at Joel. Her eyes scanned him curiously, and eventually she looked down at Tallulah. He was a very curious man, but he didn’t seem at all familiar with magic. Perhaps he was unique in some way, or perhaps he was genuinely just trying to help her. She happily took the item that was offered to her by Joel, and payed no mind to him walking away and over to Ava. The two were obviously looking for some kind of history on her and her coven, which she didn’t mind. Though, she did think it was pointless.

Eventually, she stepped over to a desk and took a seat, setting down Tallulah on the table as she did so. She then leaned forward on the table and pat the plushie on it’s head, offering it a smile. “Tallulah, thou may speak…I order thou, obey mine words.”Tallulah could be very stubborn from time to time, and she had been that way since the cafe. “A’rite a’rite…sheesh, you didn’t have to invoke a command…whaddaya want?” Selina sighed in relief when she heard the voice of Tallulah, finally the demon had decided to comply, though this time it had no choice. “What doth thou think…about all this?” The opinion of her demonic servant was something that mattered to Selina. “Honestly, I think I shoulda let the real you get used to this world first…but you’re adjusting well enough, other than that old ass speech.”Selina wasn’t exactly comfortable with Tallulah possibly wanting her awakened form out, but she respected her opinion. She let out a sigh as she popped one of the mints in her mouth, finding it’s flavor to be very strange. It was unlike anything she’d ever eaten before. For now, she would remain seated, kicking her feet and enjoying her mints while Joel and Ava did as they pleased.

 

 

 

The Child Priestess – BC.

Selina offers up more information about her past.  Could something so fanciful be true?

Scene setting : The City Library – Blood City.

Co-written with Temp and Gene.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

There was no mistaking the look on Ava’s face. Or the fact that she blurted the question that Selina was a witch not once but twice. The good thing was she was managing to keep her voice low enough to not cause further unwanted attention. The teacher’s eyes darted from Selina and back to Ava who was truly having a great deal of trouble with this startling revelation. It was when Ava accepted this news, that Joel got her full attention. She believed. Most girls her age would be arguing how it was the stuff of make believe, fantasy and fiction. Yet, here she was….ready to believe. ~Interesting.~

“Okay. The Back Halo,” It was if she knew more than she was letting on. Joel had no idea what the Black Halo was or even meant, but Ava was mulling it over, as though she might be able to make a connection. Instead of going further, she questioned what Joel thought about how they might track down witches in something like public records. Surely they would hide, she added.

“No doubt they would try to hide themselves from public scrutiny. But they were still part of the society of the day, and so there would be records of their existence, if only by the surname. We could possibly trace them through census or even gazette clippings. If they had that back then.” Joel offering Selina a smile as he said this.

The Teacher placed his hand gently upon Selina’s shoulder and said. “I’m afraid I am unfamiliar with the Black Halo, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t find out more about it. Even if it is regarded as superstition.” He shot Ava a look and then said. “We need to find the earliest books of settlement in the district. Who the leading family was at the time.”

This was turning into a hunt for the existence of witches, not only in the past…..but in the present.

 

~RB~

 

Temp:  Selina kind of figured that neither of them knew what The Black Halo was, so their lack of knowledge was expected. She knew damn well that everything from her past was dead and gone, and that she had to accept it. The thoughts of the past were interrupted by the mention of her being a Witch. It seemed to be a very unexpected thing judging by their reactions. “I am the High Priestess, and all that remains…” Her Grimoire was no longer hushing her or stopping her from revealing anything, as the fact she was a Witch was now out there. The only comforting thing she could find was the fact that neither of them took out a torch to burn her with.

 

Gene:  

Joel’s instructions were clear. With him being older – and therefore, far more intelligent – he knew what to look for and where to look for it. Ava turned on her heels, pausing when she saw the section they were in: history. Here might be a good place to start searching. Ava wasn’t concerned with what they would find; instead, she knew the knowledge would benefit her. She was more concerned with how long it’d take them. As the whole conversation regarding Witches subsided, Ava managed to put on a masquerade of calmness. Never – in one day – had she undergone the state of shock so many times.

It was a pity she’d enter the state once more when Selina revealed she was the High Priestess of this Black Halo coven. This time, Ava managed to control herself. All she did was look at Selina, blink twice, then look away. She wanted to think it was impossible that the girl could be a High Priestess; Selina was short, she appeared meek and almost powerless; she seemed like a child.

“Should I look at history books, then?” Ava asked Joel, not wanting to go off and come back, realising she had been going through the wrong books.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

The Teacher held his breath a moment, when Ava asked if she should be looking at the history books in that section. The weight of Selina’s words was still being felt. According to her, she was the High Priestess of the Black halo coven. That would have been a person of great power and significance. Yet her appearance showed her to be barely a child. A child that clutched a cat toy as though her very life depended on it. Joel thought for a second, as his hand absently caressed the side of his leather satchel, that contained a very old and special tome. It was not one that belonged to the library, nor did he wish to take it out again….not yet. Especially not now. As much as he wanted to help this young girl….this Witch; there was some things that he was still trying to learn and they were in that very book in his possession.

“Look under the history of the occult in the city. They should have something.” Joel’s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, only turning his head slowly, to jerk it in the direction in which to find it. He hoped that Ava would simply do as she was told, rather than argue.

Turning his attentions back to Selina, he cast his eyes down at the cat plushie she held. Could this be something of importance to her magic? He decided to ask.

“So….if you are really a High Priestess, then maybe you can explain the toy. I know you have spoken to it a few times. Is it cursed as well?”

Joel was no fool. He had begun to study the girl from the moment that she entered the Peach Cafe, and nothing escaped his attention. He waited with a raised brow for her reaction. It was not like he was trying to take it from her, but more to understand its significance.

~RB~

 

 

RPC – Vyvyan Rolero – Blood City Series.

Vyvyan Rolero – Blood City.

 

Name Vyvyan Rolero.
Nickname : Vyv (Pronounced Viv)

Appearance : Daytime.

Gender : Female
Age : 20
Sexuality : Straight.
Personality : Wild, bad tempered, feisty, curious, adventurous, nasty, abrupt, rude, condescending.
District : Vestro
Occupation Works at an iCafe for gamers and computer users.

Coven : None.
Rank : Acolyte.

Bio Born to Don and Celia Rolero, Vyvyan was brought up in an abusive household. Her father, Don – a heavy drinker and gambler died when she was eight years old in unusual circumstances. He was found frozen and with an ice pick in his forehead in the family restaurant freezer. Vyvyan’s mother had a string of boyfriends after this event, but never seemed to settle down. The business was sold and Celia and Vyvyan moved to the outer districts where they were able to find more modest accommodation. While foul play was suspected by the detective who investigated Don’s murder, a distant family member (who Vyvyan has never met) helped to make sure that the evidence that could lead to a conviction was well hidden. Vyvyan’s life was to change after the death of her father. Becoming withdrawn and seeking solitude in her room, she found solice in books and online chat rooms. There was a side to her father however that Vyvyan never knew, until she was rummaging through some boxes after the move. She found a book of spells. After toying with the book, she discovered that she had a natural ability with magic. In particular…dark magic. Her fascination grew into that of an obsession. With each passing day, her powers grow stronger, but she has built up a wall to keep others out, by displaying a very nasty exterior. If she could….she’d paint the world black.
In amongst her father’s papers was a small black necklace, which Vyvyan keeps in a black box. It has a significance, but she is yet to find out the meaning of its true power.

Quote/s :”Do I look like I give a fuck?”

Strengths : Highly intelligent, a fast learner, computer savvy, well read
Weaknesses : Chocolate.
Powers : Currently still learning.

Allies/Family : Mother – Celia Rolero.
Love Interest : None as yet. She is a hard girl to like.
Theme song : Paint it Black – Rolling Stones.

 

The Black Halo – BC.

 

The mystery of Selina’s past was slowly coming to light.  Joel and Ava would need to do more however to help the girl.  Did the Library hold the clues?

Scene setting : The City Library – Blood City.

Co-written with Temp and Gene.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

Joel kept his composure as the young girl before him was practically falling apart. The shock at his words, that she was now in a time that was six centuries from her own, had her tearful and visibly upset. It was hard for even the Teacher to comprehend, but the truth was she was not of this era. Now, she couldn’t possibly be a time traveler if she didn’t know what century she was even in. This was why Joel asked her what the last thing she remembers. It could give clues as to who she was…or what.

“What doth I remember? Blood…Dark…and death…the death of mine coven…mine family.”

~Coven?….Dark?….Blood? The death of her family.~

Joel’s eyes widened at this. If what she was saying was true, then Selina was a witch. The teacher opened his mouth as though to say something but then quickly snapped it shut when he saw that Ava was seated out of ear shot, and had the attention of a male just across from her. He was unsure if the male worked at the library, or was a student. Joel didn’t recall him from the school or any of the neighboring shopping districts. Either way, he didn’t feel like explaining everything to a stranger, if the chap should try and engage conversation with them.

Thankfully, Ava headed over and motioned for the pair to follow her deeper into the Library. This wasn’t a bad idea, as Joel had already formulated a plan to find out EXACTLY who Selina was.

As the trio walked through the aisles of books, Joel said to Ava.

“We need to find out if there is anything here in the public records of a fifteenth century family of witches. A coven, in this very city.”

Joel was sure, that if they got more evidence of the existence of a coven, or Selina’s family, it may well have clues as to what happened to the family, and more importantly how Selina was here in this time, as though she had awoken from a curse.

Looking down at Selina thoughtfully, Joel tried to reassure her. “We are going to find your family in this age, and hopefully, they will be able to look after you. Surely, there are descendants.”

There had to be.

~RB~

 

Temp:  Selina had remained in her fragile state since the moment she started crying. At first she had no idea what the tears were for, but the facts slowly bled forth from her true self. Everything she had ever loved and held dear had been taken away from her. Her coven, her family, all burned, brutalized, murdered…but why did she remain? That fact wasn’t brought forth from her true self, unfortunately. All she really knew in this form were the things she was allowed to know, which meant a lot of answers were sealed away from her. This was most likely due to her awakened self not wanting to be further suppressed due to some kind of sensitive information. The one thing her awakened self had no control over was outsiders and their influence. Joel seemed determined to find information on her and her past, while Ava’s motives remained uncertain. She looked up at Joel with that same sad expression, her eyes dropping less tears now than before. “The Black…Halo…” The three words had been bouncing about her head wildly ever since she first lost control, and had been taken over by her true form. Was this the name of her coven? It seemed important to her when she spoke it, so surely it held some sort of importance.

 

Gene:  

It did not occur to Ava that the conversation between Joel and Selina might have been of importance. Though, her need to calm down seemed to be more important. As the three walked, Ava opened her mouth to ask what they had spoken about; however Joel seemed to have other things on his mind. After hearing him, her mouth snapped shut.

Witches? Coven? This was all too familiar; Ava wasn’t even sure if there was a coven in the city – well if there was a coven currently in the city. She gave Selina a horrified look when Joel reassured her.

“You’re a witch?” Luckily, her tone was more hushed than before. Her eyes weren’t full of disbelief. Instead, they were full of shock. It made sense, which was the worst part for Ava. Magic might be able to explain Selina’s origins. With each step, her acceptance of the fact that Selina came from the fifteenth century sunk in. Was she immortal? Were there even immortality spells? If so, Ava hadn’t encountered any.

“You’re a witch…” Ava repeated what she had said, expect it was a statement, “Okay. The Back Halo,” She chewed the inside of her cheek and nodded. The name was unfamiliar to her.
“What makes you think we’ll find anything to do with Witches, especially public records? Wouldn’t they hide themselves?” Witches had many stories dedicated to them; many of the recent ones were born after the period where Witch hunts were popular. Since then and now, Witches became nothing more than stories or superstition.

 

Blood, Dark and Death – BC.

 

The more that is revealed about Selina’s past, the more questions that are raised.  Would the library help the trio in their quest for answers?

Scene setting : The City Library – Blood City.

Co-written with Temp and Gene.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

“Fifteenth century?!”

Ava’s reaction was loud enough to make many readers lift their heads as well as the Librarian giving her a stern look, followed by a shushing sound. Seeing Ava bite her lip and realize that she had just brought the attention of all those around them to the small trio was enough to make Joel shake his head. He had already deduced that the girl was from another era, and the fact she answered him with the fifteenth century as being the time she was from meant he was on the money. It was incredulous, to be honest but there was much about the world and those around us that many would find hard to understand. Joel, however had a very open mind. If only the girls knew about the book that he had in his satchel. Course, that was for another time. Right now, Joel needed to keep Selina calm and Ava quiet.

“Ava. You might want to sit down.” The young teacher was genuinely worried about how Ava was handling this. If she found a chair nearby it might be a good idea to use it.

Turning his attention back to Selina, he showed her a soft smile. “Girls’ can be so dramatic.” Referring to how Ava made such a remark in the library. A place where you were meant to be quiet. Joel’s face changed slightly as he tried to cushion what would be a blow to Selina’s mind when he decided to fill in the blanks for her.

“Selina, this is the twenty first century. A time well beyond the industrial age. You could say it is the glass age.” Glass being used in so many of the industries and technologies that we so readily accept in our lives. Joel watched her face closely, gauging a response – but asked one more question.

“What was the last thing you remember….back in the fifteenth century? It might help us work out just how you came to be here, and how to get you home.”

~RB~

 

Temp:  Selina had jumped a bit due to the shouted reaction from Ava, and her eyes went wide upon being told which century this actually was. “Twenty…first…?” Tallulah had told her that time had passed, but she by no means said that it had been SIX…CENTURIES.“Six…centuries…hast passed…?” The cat plushie in her hands dropped to the floor as her hands fell from her chest, now only dangling at her sides. The cat plushie, which was possessed by a demon and served as her Grimoire, reacted openly for the first time. It moved on it’s own and jumped up onto Selina’s hat, peeking it’s head around the side to stare at Joel. “S-si-six…” For a moment, her eyes flashed bright red once more, which was due to the stress her mind was currently experiencing. Yet again, her awakened self was bubbling and arising within her. “What doth I remember? Blood…Dark…and death…the death of mine coven…mine family.” She had lost everything, right? What did Joel know? Why did he know to question her like this? Her mind was like a blender set on full speed. She was completely lost, and had even started crying…for no real reason at all.

 

Gene:  

“Ava. You might want to sit down.”

Instead of taking it as a suggestion, Ava took it as an order. She nodded and scanned the library for a chair. Inhaling deeply, she left the two and sat at a table, out of earshot from their conversation. Fifteenth century? What was wrong with Selina? Her hands moved to her head, her fingers massaging her temples. All this speculation on the girl and her origins was stressing her out. Yes, Ava had accepted magic had accepted. But time travel? Perhaps, this wasn’t time travel related. There could be a plausible explanation for this in one of her Grimoires.
The man on the same table was giving her an odd glance.

”Are you okay? he whispered, raising a brow.

“Yes.”

Ava realised her body language was making it obvious she was troubled. Licking her lips, she softly cleared her throat and reached across the table to retrieve a book from the centre. However, due to the size of the table, her fingers only touched the book, but not enough to grab it; nothing a little telekinesis couldn’t fix. The book edged ever so slightly to Ava; it wouldn’t be that obvious the book had moved, unless one was directly looking at it. Even so, it might have appeared as if it was a trick of the mind.

Sliding back down to her seat, Ava opened the book. It was the history of Ozyrn. After flipping through a few pages, she grew bored. It served as a good distraction to the current situation. That was, until the sound of someone crying came to her focus. It was Selina. Had Joel scolded her, in private, for her stupidity? Either way, Ava felt sorry for her. Ava wasn’t the only one who was looking at the two. Others were pondering why there was a crying girl. It seemed they were all a beacon for attention.

Rising from her seat, she hurried over to Joel and Selina, gesturing them to follow her. Ava moved deeper into the library, walking along a few bookshelves until they were out of view and earshot of others. Where the bookshelves started, the library truly began to resemble a maze.