Fantasy Secret World: Chrestomanci & Cosmic Flare

[Cosmic_Flare]

She shivered as he slowly peeled the spell away, feeling a tightness vanish from her neck. She felt as though she could breath better as well. Rubbing her neck, she smiled. “Thanks. It does actually.” The pink light faded from her eyes, leaving a red color. She stretched out her arms, and the red dissipated as well.

Putting her hands on her hips and looking around, she glanced at him. “So what exactly is this place? And how are you all able to perform magic? I thought it didn’t exist.”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"Let's walk while we talk, okay?" he suggested. "And you two can go clean yourselves up before you file the report. You know where to go right?" The two nodded and all but slunk off, entering the building before the administrator. "To your first question, this is where I live. A lot of my kind live here. As to how we perform magic? Well, that's a bit of a complicated one. I'll just leave it at that. Until we have word from higher up about what we're to do with you, that's about all I can say. I can; however, give you a grand tour of all the places you're allowed to explore, just try not to cause too much of a ruckus."

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

Already she grew fond of this newcomer. He was kinder and more welcoming than the others, and he seemed trustworthy. She laughed. “Wow. That sounds great. Do you mind if I ask what your kind is? Your uh... friends? Those other two have barely said anything to me, and only sarcastically, so I don’t know much about what’s going on. I’m trying to be understanding, but I was just headed to meet someone at coffee and then suddenly magic exist... you can see how I’m a little overwhelmed right?”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"I guess you could say that we're just a collection of wishes. That's about the easiest explanation I can give," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. "It's a lot to take in," he continued like an understanding older brother. The inside of the building had a clean and modern aesthetic with tree and bird motifs that seemed to blend nicely with the design. The walls had tall glass windows that allowed a healthy amount of sunlight to pour in, practically making the place sparkle. He turned right to follow the wide curvature of the building. "You can ask whatever questions you have but I won't guarantee that I'll be able to answer them. Secrecy and all." He clasped his hands behind his head as they walked. There were those who said he was not fit to be an administrator. He was too casual about things and he never acted his age. He could get away with that since he looked to be much younger than he was.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

“Forgive me if I say this too much, but that’s incredible.” She gaped as they walked inside, admiring everything about the building. It was so modern and smooth, but at the same time filled with everything that made nature so beautiful. She tried to take everything in, wondering how long she would be able to stay here. It wasn’t that she didn’t like school, this was just an extremely rare opportunity... and she didn’t like school.

She laughed. “I’m sure. I can’t believe I’m getting to see all of this.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I know you weren’t there, but did the others tell you anything about what happened to me? I still don’t remember hurting them, but I obviously earned their hatred someway.”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"I haven't gotten any reports yet, I just heard someone come over the barrier and thought to check it out. The rest of the information I got from the kids and the curse. You transformed for one reason or another, you broke a lot of their bones among other injuries, and most folks don't take kindly to that," he replied. Several hallways branched off from the main path they were taking but he did not look like there were any paths he was going to take for quite some time. For some reason, the place felt empty, like a school after hours. "Something more formal should come out eventually and hopefully whoever decided to cast something that might lop your head off will take responsibility and come down here to deal with things properly."

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

She listened carefully, frowning at his words. Me? I mean I’m strong but not that strong. And how did I even become like a snake in the first place? She laughed nervously. “Yeah that makes sense. I tried to apologize though.”

She looked around, holding her shoulders as an empty feeling washed over her. Why weren’t there people everywhere? It seemed like whoever lived there would want to stay forever, at least she would. Where were they?

“Whoa woah what? lop my head off??! What do you mean?!”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"It's a figure of speech. I don't know the details but there was some penalty condition with that little curse of yours. I don't know how competent the caster was but they can be tricky if the parameters aren't set properly. Some of them are like, if A goes X distance away from B then A will die, but others are less specific like if A leaves B then A will die. With the second one, the parameters are a lot looser, which means that the spell is more volatile. The further away the caster gets, the more likely a misfire is for a spell with loose parameters," he explained, twirling a finger in the air for no particular reason. "So I'm not sure what the person was like who set the spell, but it could have been pretty messy. Hopefully whoever it is will come back and own up to their actions. If the person complains about me destroying the spell, well, it's not exactly like I can get fired for it."

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

She held her neck, feeling her soft skin beneath her fingertips. At first she had thought the sorcerer wise and dangerous, but she began to think he was just dangerous. If he had known what he was doing, why didn’t he come with them, or at least escort her here? Gulping, she looked to him. “Well thank you for removing it. I guess I owe you.”

You owe him nothing. Get this man out of your head and focus Aurora...

She frowned, looking around. What was that voice? In her head maybe? Where had it come from. Shaking it off, she looked at him. “So... what’s going to happen to me?”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"Until we get further orders from some higher-ups, you'll be boarded here. This walkway isn't particularly exciting but it's one of the few places you'll get to explore. It would be best for you not to wander to places you haven't been with me since you probably won't have access to them," he explained. There was a walkway branching to the right and he changed direction ever so slightly to head toward it. It was a skywalk that connected the main building with another smaller building. From above, the Nest appeared to be a single cylindrical building but in actuality, it was a collection of oddly-shaped buildings held in place by an ethereal tree. The main building had a circular top floor but tapered in places and skywalks connected some of the buildings to one another; however, there were some that could only be reached by flight.

"Over here is the south wing. You'll be able to wander around there, specifically in the guest quarters, which will have a room and private bathroom. I'll show you where the dining hall is, too. Since Mundanes aren't usually allowed here, you won't find any but there should be some other types wandering around. So long as you don't stir up any trouble, I don't think anyone will bother you. Might even be able to meet some people, who knows?" The floor of the skywalk was clear and was it not for the framework, it would appear as though you were walking on air.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

“Oh? Higher ups? Oh okay then.” She looked around, rubbing her wrists as they walked. The building got more and more complicated a sshe continued to walk, splitting off into tinier buildings, more terraces, and more pathways. She loved how complex it all was, and wished she had known of it sooner.

She almost jumped like a child when she heard she had her own room. “Oh?” She smiled broadly. This day just kept getting better. She got out of school, got out of work, and now she puked hang out around real magical beings? She was thriving.

Don’t be stupid Aurora. You’re a prisoner ha snitching more. These people aren’t your friends.

She winced at the thought, searching for its voice. She couldn’t find the speaker and sighed. Maybe not everything was perfect here.

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

Although the complicated network of buildings was rather complicated to the point of being convoluted, there were certain structural motifs. A majority of the individual areas were round, either circular or elliptical and the south wing was no different. Once again, there was a gentle curve along a glassy wall; although, this time, there were doors opposite the windows that led to individual rooms.

"These are the guest rooms. You'll get the chance to see them later when I find you a room. They should have clean bedding, as there have been any changes in tenants in the past few days. Over here at the end, you'll find the dining hall." He indicated two gigantic oak doors with a thumb. "You won't be able to get food just yet, but you'll certainly be able to smell it once things get going." He pushed open the doors with an ease that didn't seem possible considering his build.

It was a grand room with multiple round tables that seated roughly ten people. High above was a vaulted ceiling. Although the rest of the building had a more modern feel, this seemed to be more of classical or gothic design, keeping with the title of a dining hall. "This is primarily reserved for the guests, so you probably won't see any of my kind, but it's been known to happen. At the end over there, you can ask the cook to make you something." He indicated a window on the far side. "He does almost anything you can think of." He paused. "Any questions thus far? I know that the council might want to keep you under strict surveillance, but there's no reason that you can't be comfortable if you're going to stay here."

--

Bellamy and Darius had gone to the administrative building and sent a message to the Council after filing their report to the High Divinity. Of course, the administrator who was currently shirking his duties to give a tour of the buildings would have to read things as well. In their message, they asked what the sorcerers were planning on doing with the girl and whether they would be able to send a representative to take her wherever they would. Although there was an alliance between the two groups, the fact that the sorcerers had decided to shunt their problem onto someone else had not been taken in good stride by the high-ranking divinities and they wanted the problem dealt with in a timely fashion, as their charge was a loose cannon.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

The building was exquisite, from its architecture to his decorations. Everything was built with excellence, each piece showing precision and grandeur. Aurora found herself gaping as he showed her around, even to the dining hall. Her hand went to her stomach when he mentioned food. “Oh. Well, could I ask the chef for something now? I haven’t eaten all day. And where should I go while I’m waiting for your... what did you say was happening to me?”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"Sorry, he's not in right now and he doesn't take kindly to people going through his inventory scrounging for snacks," he replied with a look on his face that implied, not that I know from personal experience or anything. "But dinner should be served soon, so you can just wait for a bit in a guest room. I honestly have no idea what their plans are for you, I am but a lowly grunt in the grand scheme of things." Bellamy and Darius were pretty good kids from his experience, so they should have already sent word to the Council requesting further instructions, so now things were in the sorcerers' figurative court and any further actions required orders from whatever the coalition of sorcerers was called.

He did not often have the pleasure to work with the sorcerers, so the name of their administrative group never quite stuck. There was the Nest, which was both a structure and an administrative body specifically for divinities. There was also the Council, which was the name of the joint group composed of both divinities and sorcerers, but the name of the group composed strictly of sorcerers evaded him. Well, it was not as though the name of the group would change their duty.

At the very least they could send some sort of response as to the progress of their decisions, unless they really were such an irresponsible and motley group that they could not even do that, in which case, relations between the sorcerers and divinities could be strained. The fact that they ordered some kids to deliver a monster to their home and then abandoned her was just plain rude, to say the least. If they decided to then just leave the ticking time bomb without sending a word, it could be misconstrued as an act of sabotage or even a declaration of war.

While the divinities had never encountered such a thing, at the very least one sorcerer knew quite a bit about the young lady. The fact that he had not enlightened anyone as to what he knew and placed her in the care of those who were equally in the dark on the matter was a dicey move. If anything were to go wrong, it was possible that war would break out between the two groups, the assumption being that the sorcerers meant to do as much damage as they could by attacking the head of the divinities.

--

Ever a stickler for protocol, Bellamy was waiting for a response from the sorcerers in the communications room. Both xe and Darius had already changed into fresh clothes from the east wing. Xe had instructed Darius to leave and relax, perhaps pick up their belongings from xer friend.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me so far. Could you let me know if those other two need me?” She found trust in this man, and she hoped she could be around him more, or at least, be around him more than the others.

Looking around, she took a deep breath. It had been a while since she could relax. She didn’t know what was in store for her, but she right now, she didn’t have to do a single thing. She could sit back while these amazing creatures flew around her, sorting out some mess she didn’t have to care about. It felt great.

————

A message arrived.
“Glad to receive your message Nest. Apologies for the reckless behavior of Magenta, he will be punished for his carelessness. After careful review of the incident, we have found a serious threat in the girl, and will send one of our own to retrieve her. If it pleases the Nest, we will allow two representatives to join the sorcerer as he brings the prisoner before the Council. Once again, we apologize for Magenta.”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"They're actually kinda a weird pair if you didn't notice already. They're kind of loners but for some reason, Amy puts on airs out in the Mundane world, apparently acts a real social butterfly. Dari is a loyal kid, kinda like a puppy but he can hold grudges. They mostly just rely on one another. It's probably best to just leave them alone." He shrugged before turning back down the hallway they had come from that led to the guest rooms.

"If I recall correctly, room 4 should be free," he mused. "I hope that your stay isn't too uncomfortable, miss, I'm sorry I didn't catch your name." He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

--

Bellamy had instructed Darius to leave for the day and wait for xer at the apartment despite the change in orders from the Nest that they escort the strange young woman. The Nest would just have to find someone else to fill in the second position of guard. It would be a reassurance to xer because another divinity would be much more powerful than he was and if he was back across the city, he would be safe from the monster's antics. Xe sent a note in the form of a butterfly to the man currently shirking his duties passing on the message before unlocking the warp gate to the Nest.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

She listened, Taking nite of it. She had noticed the two acting dependentky, but she didn’t think they were close. She hadn’t been able to gather much from their personalities either since they were both angry at her.

He gave her a room number and she laughed. “Oh my name is Aurora. This has been wonderful, I really appreciate your hospitality. And your name is?...”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"Jason. Some people call me Jace but others are good with Jason it's your choice." He proceeded to the door with a large brass 4. Just as he was reaching for the doorknob, a kid all but burst out of the adjacent room.

Her hair had probably been pinned up in a bun at one point but now there was nothing more than a knot reminiscent of something more graceful with long tendrils falling like wilted vines. There was a faint burning smell in the air but Jason was wholly unbothered by it.

The little paper butterfly had just arrived with Bellamy's message and was flapping rather indignantly in his face. He held out a hand and it alighted, unfolding. He quickly scanned the scrawled words. In addition to the verdict of the Council, there was a veiled threat regarding his avoidance of work.

"I've got to go now, but you can roam freely in the halls here, the dining hall, and there's also a terrace just beyond here. If you have any questions, you can ask her," he indicated the green-haired kid, "Since she's a guest here too. Some sort of message will make its way to you when we hear back about anything you need to know." With that, he turned on his heel and scampered off, not wanting to get a scolding now that Bellamy might report him.

The young woman scowled after him, making a face at his back. "So what're you here for? Avoidin' school?" she asked, turning to the individual that the Nest seemed to be playing hot potato with.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

“Jason... well thank you for showing me around and actually being nice to me.” She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She looked up as the green-haired girl slid out of the other room, the smell of burning worrying her.

“Oh. Goodbye.” She waved as Jason left, then turned back to the girl. Her hair was messy, and she seemed like she had been working on something.

“Oh me? Honestly... I’m not sure. They said I ‘shifted’ and beat some people up, but I don’t remember a second of it.”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"That's an interestin' situation ya got there. Seems kinda dangerous but also intriguin' ya know? So what are ya exactly?" She paused. "Name's Heather by the way." She shoved questionably coloured hands into her pockets to try and give off an edgy vibe but with her sooty appearance, she looked more like some sort of street urchin more than anything, just a juvenile delinquent playing hooky and trying to look cool about it.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

Looking her up and down, then laughed. “Yeah I guess so. Nice to meet you Heather, I’m Aurora. And as for ‘what I am,’ I think I’m part snake? Like I have a snake tail and no legs, but I haven’t seen any other part of my appearance.” She leaned against the wall, relaxing. Though odd, the girl seemed nice.


————
Magenta appeared at the Nest, looking around. “What the?... Lucky birds. We don’t anything nearly as nice as this.” He looked around, trying to find someone. “Who was I supposed to find? Maybe one of those kids is here, and they have the girl still.”

He rubbed his arm, thinking about his punishment. Sure, he had been reckless, but he didn’t have time to bring the girl. He had seen something evil in her, something he had never seen before... and it was dangerous.

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"Really? Ya don't look part snake." With no sense of decorum or personal space, she dropped down and picked up one of the young woman's feet. The way she did it, the only place Aurora could go was against the wall behind her, albeit a tad roughly, and it was not a particularly long distance. "I don't see anythin' that's part snake about ya, but then again. I don't have the sight or anythin'. Not like these featherbrains here or those weirdos with their hocus pocus," she continued while inspecting the redhead's shin for any signs of scales or any other telltale reptilian anatomy.

--

Bellamy vaguely raised xer eyebrows although xe was not exactly surprised to see the man when xe walked into the travel room. "I expect that you're the representative sent to bring that girl to the sorcerer's whatever? You have some sort of place of your own aside from the Council building, correct?" xe inquired with a sort of deadpan look.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

She had been about to answer when the other girl took her foot, sending her sliding farther down the wall. She caught herself with her hands, letting out a sigh of relief when she stopped falling. Watching her hold her leg made her laugh, and she rubbed her head. “Ha ha. I wouldn’t have believed it either if I hadnt sene it for myself. I woke up and my legs were gone, just a long, thick tail.”

Taking her foot back, she put it on the ground and gestured to her. “So what are you here for? I’m guessing, by the way you talk about them, that you aren’t one of those birds. What are you then?”

———-

He jumped up, hands grabbing at his chest. Landing, he looked around quickly before seeing her. An annoyed sound escaped him and he stood, brushing off his pink coat. “Oh it’s you. Yes, I am. And yes I do, but the Wick has nothing like this.” He looked around, then back to her. “That’s what we call ourselves, The Wick.”

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"I'm just a simple scientist," she replied with a shrug. "Some call me a workaholic with a God complex, but that ain't far off either. I'm just workin' here. They let me use that room as a workshop an' Jace's real nice lettin' me skip school an' all. Sometimes the others come for me to send me back to school but in the end, they can't stop me from usin' the place." She stood to her very unimpressive height.

--

"Riveting," xe replied curtly. "I'll call for the prisoner and you may bring her back to the Wick with you. Your superiors have also requested that two individuals from the nest accompany you and assist in monitoring her, in addition to providing you support I suppose." There was a mix of boredom and a slight antagonism in xer voice as xe explained the situation while simultaneously scrawling a note. Xe released the piece of paper and it folded itself into a butterfly before taking off to find its target.

--

The little message made its way down corridors and across skywalks before landing on Heather's shoulder. The girl opened it up. "Looks like they're summonin' ya. I can show ya where the gate room is. I think that's the best way for ya to travel given ya don't have wings or anythin'. It's kinda a long way seein' as ya got that spell on ya but I'm not one to touch things from other people. I can read it at least so I know where to avoid takin' ya. Just follow me." And with that, she led the way down the long, curving hallways, seeming to know the place quite well.

Upon receipt of the verdict from the Wick, another message had been dispatched to another area of the Nest, requesting more personnel for the trip in addition to Bellamy. This person was to arrive at the same time that the alchemist and her new acquaintance did.

 

[Cosmic_Flare]

She Luther, crossingbher arms once more. The girl was spunky and bright, confident in herself. That was something Aurora admired, and she liked the girl even more.

She saw the butterfly note and smiled. “Oh? That’s super cool. Yeah I would aproeciate that.”

———
He looked at her. “They what? Ugh. Hey, I’m no less thrilled than you are. I didn’t ask to take care of some kids.”