Malice

Just Trust Me (Malice x SleepingSilence)

Mika dropped to her knees, oblivious to the red that pooled on the ground, that now stained her legs and the hem of her dress. Her sword fell from her hands, landing with a splash before transforming back to its staff form. As quickly as Mika had dispatched of the demon, she had forgotten it, forgotten the way its head fell from its body, forgotten the feeling of power that sizzled in her veins as her blow struck home. All thoughts of demons and evil vanished, replaced by only one, more pressing matter.

Kiyoko.

Mika felt her heart pounding in her chest and the sting of tears prick hotly behind her eyes. She reached for her friend but had no idea where to put her hands. Should she try to stem the wounds, that were far too grievous for one young girl to treat? Should she stroke her cheek, offer her comfort and a promise of life that she couldn’t keep?

Mika choked back a cry of anguish. Never had she seen anything so visceral; but this was to be her reality now, as a Magical Girl, as a saviour of humanity, despatcher of demons.

“Kiyoko…” her words were little more than a whisper and betrayed the helplessness she felt.

Mika clutched a hand to her chest, tearing her gaze from what remained of her friend to stare at Eshu, orange light still bobbing merrily, the jubilant colour at odds with the grimness of the scene. Blood looked nearly black and shone like a moonlit lake.
“You promise?” Mika asked, swallowing hard. “You promise she’ll be seen to?” Mika knew she couldn’t ask Eshu to promise Kiyoko she would live; Mika didn’t believe even this magical creature could promise that and mean in.

Mika steadied her breath, grabbing the staff at her side and tucked it into a loop at her belt. Then, with the care of a mother attending a new born, Mika gathered Kiyoko in her arms; blood dripped from the body, staining skin and silk alike. Before tonight, Mika would never have been able to carry Kiyoko like this, but now she felt as light as the feathers at her back.

“Keep her safe, Eshu,” Mika pleaded, though the look on her face was one of sheer determination. “Keep her safe, and I will do anything you ask.” Casting one last look at the creature, Mika set off at a run, so fast she barely felt her feet hit the ground, headed towards the hospital where she would, as bid by Eshu, leave Kiyoko at the door before returning to the shadows without so much as word.

Just Trust Me (Malice x SleepingSilence)

Though nothing physically hit her, the wind was knocked from Mika’s lungs. She felt like she was drowning, suffocating. Her body felt hot, but never quite uncomfortably so; somehow, though she could not say how she knew it to be so, she felt as though she were being reborn. Reborn as a stronger, less fearful version of herself; her fingertips tingled, not only with newfound power, but a need to act on it.

The blinding orange cleared from her vision, and the air no longer felt like it was crushing her body. Mika inhaled deeply, desperately and noisily, filling her lungs. The entire experience might only have taken seconds, but the difference she felt within her bones, within her very soul was that of eons.

Mika Mori was dead. Long live The Magical Girl.

Mika glanced down at herself; it was not just her mind and body that had changed, but her school uniform also. The simple sailor’s outfit had been replaced with an abundance of ruffles and lace in delicate, rose shades.

Mika had no time to stand and admire her new clothes, not with the pitiful cries that still echoed from inside the school. Mika set her jaw, meeting Eshu’s gaze with her own, determined one and nodded sharply, both hands gripping tightly at the staff⁽³⁾ that had appeared with her transformation.

She would be Eshu’s lantern and she would burn brightest of all.

“Let’s do this!” Mika cried with a conviction she did not know she possessed, before setting off at a sprint towards the source of noise. She couldn’t just hear their need, she could feel it. And she, Mika Mori, would be the one to offer them the hand of safety from the darkness that engulfed the city.

Mika dashed through the school gardens, faster than she had even run before, round toward the back where she knew the entrance to the basement lay. The doors, blue paint peeling with age, were thrown open, the padlock laying discarded on the ground. Only blackness lay beyond, so dark Mika was sure she would feel it cling to her skin when she entered.

The old Mika would have frozen still, would have wept and not known what to do. But she was not the old Mika.

The crystal in her staff glimmered, illuminating the area if a soft, lilac shade as Mika pressed forward. Her new body, her new eyes, were able to penetrate the gloom with more ease than before. Her heart leapt into her throat as the light landed on the demon and-

”Kiyoko!” Mika gasped. With a shimmer, and with only the barest of thoughts, the staff in her hands remodelled itself in a flurry of petals, forming into a blade⁽¹⁾ with a razor sharp edge.

The monster was horrific, a thing of nightmares, but even more terrifying was the blood- so much blood. It pooled on the concrete, inky black in the dim light, slick under Mika’s feet.

With a scream, Mika swung the sword at the demon’s head, aim true.

The Doors of Janus [ Malice / Vox ]

Christ, I wasn't aware it had been nearly two weeks since you last responded. Huge apologies. I'll get working on a reply for you ASAP.

Just Trust Me (Malice x SleepingSilence)

毛利美佳

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Mika's breath caught in her throat, her heart hammering in her chest. The light from her phone flickered, as if low on battery though she knew it was not.

As if demons were not confusing and terrifying enough, Mika now found herself face to face with a cat-like creature. A stranger, though the glow from its lanterns felt comforting in the oppressive darkness. Somehow it felt familiar. It felt safe.

How was Mika to know that was her first mistake?
“Are you… Are you the one who sent the messages?” Mika’s voice was soft and wavering; her unease was as clear as crystal on her soft features, her eyes wide with fear and… Hope? She clutched her phone to her chest, as if the small device could somehow quell the pounding muscle behind her ribs.

Could this creature truly offer her the power to save lives? The power to push away the darkness, to bring back the light?
There was another noise, perhaps a growl, perhaps just the wind, from somewhere deeper in the school grounds and Mika flinched involuntarily.

Why her? She was nothing special. She wasn’t a hero.

Mika pulled her rain coat tighter with a whimper, though the movement was futile as she was already thoroughly soaked. She shivered, but it wasn’t just the cold night air that caused her skin to prickle.

Demons weren’t real. This creature couldn’t be real. And yet Mika knew differently; she could feel it in her bones. She knew it with the same sureness that she knew her own name and her friends’ smiles.

All she had to do was take the creature’s tail. She reached out hesitantly; what if she hurt it? What if she grabbed too hard and made it yelp? Mika had never been one for violence, and she loved animals. She was the kind of girl who wept at animated movies when the cute, animal sidekick got injured.

Someone yelled for help again, and Mika gave a cry of surprise and panic. Was that-? No, it couldn’t be; Kiyoko wouldn’t be on school grounds at this hour. The night was getting to her, that was all.

Mika could feel terror welling in her chest. Eyes wide, she looked about her, frantic, trying desperately to place the source of the sound in the gloom, but the light from the lanterns ruined what little night vision she had. Everything outside of their glowing ball of orange light was an inky black, that seemed to undulate with evil.

Mika swallowed.

She had to be brave.

“I- I-“ She stammered. Logic told her not to trust the creature; she was a sensible girl, she knew not to blindly trusts strangers. But logic also told her that demons weren’t real.

There was no place for logic in this world.

“O-okay.” Mika whispered, resolute. She nodded, setting her jaw. She could do this. Even if the caller wasn’t Kiyoko, they sounded desperate. They needed help. Her help.

Mika was a good person. She always tried to help where she could; she was always running fundraising events for local charities at the school, offering to help younger students with homework, doing chores around the house and garden for her parents and neighbours.

This was no different right?

“I trust you.” Mika said with a conviction she did not feel.

She reached out, wrapping her fingers around the creature’s tail.

⌘Exit, Pursued By A Bear⌘ {//OPEN}

Doink.

The Doors of Janus [ Malice / Vox ]

Yeah, I was wondering if maybe someone took the opportunity of Lokkir and Aeris being away to their advantage for political sabotage. And/or try to maneuver things while the pair are travelling so as to cause problems. For example, if one of them were to die in the company of the other, then it would shatter the peace treaty.

(I am, of course, not suggesting we actually kill our characters. That'd be odd. But people could certainly try.)

Also, I imagine most of the kickback re: dragon would be Hudvalr? I can't imagine dragons are seen as anything more than big, scaly monsters in Qaeltine, so doesn't have the same significance for them.

A Royal's New War - EntertainMe & Malice

No worries! Life is super busy my end too! Thanks for letting me know though!

The Doors of Janus [ Malice / Vox ]

I'll format the post properly when I'm not on my phone. Also, I read your IC reply when I wasn't logged in, so just dismissed the notification so didn't see the OC messages until now because I'm an eejit.

I'd be happy with either of those! Though I can imagine Aeris at least would prefer something more adventurous. She never wanted to be involved in politics, particularly and would leave it to her brother if she could (she can't. Why? Because I say so and she bows to my whims.)

I'm not sure what she would think of a dragon. Though it would be a good symbol of peace for a Qaeltine Princess to have one.

The Doors of Janus [ Malice / Vox ]

Aeris’ sleep that night was deep but not restful. More than once she saw flashes of fire and blood. She dreamt she saw her father, watched him butchered and slaughtered at the hands of the Hudvalri. Aeris reached for him with both hands, flesh and bone, only to have them torn from her by a beast with wings and fangs and scales and an oppressive scent of death.

Though the nightmares had not been real, the anger and sorrow that beat in her chest upon waking were. She grumbled in a half sleep, pulling the blankets closer, as if she might be able to disappear into their warmth, never rising again. Aeris raised a hand to her face, to brush away the errant strands of hair that had fallen there during slumber. Searing panic shot through her, enough to dispel the last, groggy remnants of sleep; though she moved her arm, she felt nothing on her face where her hand should be.

The fear dissipated quickly, as realisation and remembrance flooded her thoughts. It had been years since she had lost the limb, but even now, when she had long since come to terms with it, it still managed to surprise her. The feeling of dread, the sick feeling at the pit of her stomach, while the moments she felt it lessened over time, the intensity never wavered.

Aeris raised her hand, her left one, to her face and found her cheeks damp. She had been crying, she realised, though over what she could no longer recall, as the frightful dreams became hazier and hazier with every waking second.

Aeris propped herself up on her elbow, amber eyes peering into the dusky gloom of the unfamiliar room, her dark hair tousled and the bridal makeup that had been so carefully applied was smeared and tear stained.

So yesterday had happened. For better or for worse, she was now a married woman and the houses of Hudvalr and Qaeltine were united, at least on paper if not in spirit.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat and Aeris craned her neck, finding Lokkir at the foot of the bed, in what appeared to be a decidedly more chipper mood than she.

Lokkir; her enemy, her husband.

"Mm?" He had spoken to her, but it took a moment for the words to sink in. "Oh, your bindings. Of course," Aeris smiled as she spoke. There was something oddly comforting about knowing her husband, like she, could not let the world see his body. For him, it was his chest, for her the remnants of her arm. Few people had seen Aeris sans metal arm, and those who had were related by either the blood in their veins or the blood they shed together on the battlefield.

To others, they might appear defective, wrong or grotesque, but at least with each other they knew this to be false. Idly, Aeris wondered if Lokkir's body brought him as much mental anguish as the stump on her right still could.

Aeris rolled onto her side, scrambling for the prosthetic she had discarded the night before. With the cool metal in her grip, she sat up, legs crossed on the bed, attaching the limb with care and dexterity. It took only a few moments before there was a soft whirr as she stretched the false fingers, nerves and wires once more connected. She pushed herself off of the bed and padded towards Lokkir, not attempting to hide her nakedness. She had nothing to fear from him, and nothing to be ashamed of.

Aeris took the binding.

"This may be cold," she warned; it was surprising how many people reacted with shock at the lack of warmth in her right hand. It was silly, really. Aeris took the cloth and examined it, before indicating with her good hand for Lokkir to turn around. She wrapped the cloth around his chest, pulling as tight as she dare; while historically she may have wanted to suffocate him, she did not now. "There. Is that okay?" She asked securing the fabric in place.

"Lokkir," she began, picking her words carefully, stepping away from the other, "does it hurt? Your body, I mean. Not being the body you want." Her left hand gingerly stroked the cold, dark fastenings of her arm, tracing the sharp lines with her fingers. "Not being the body you expect to see in the mirror."

⌘Exit, Pursued By A Bear⌘ {//OPEN}

Putting a bump here.