It's Not Me, It's You

DragonSong · December 17, 2023, 10:12:24 AM

It was strange to be arriving at the fairgrounds with everything already in place. Since joining the Cirque du Fantasma seven years ago, Mira had been a part of every set up and takedown, each and every time they moved locations.

Of course, she hadn't been imprisoned during any of those moves either. Well, not for longer than a few hours--and that was one time. Some towns just got tetchy about necromancy, even when all she offered as a service was mediumship.

Still, if it hadn't been for those kids... Well.

Truly and thoroughly exhausted, Mira shook off the feeling of being a stranger in her own home as she approached her tent--Vis had made sure it got set up where it always was among the vendors' tents, bless him--and stumbled inside. It was well passed midnight, and even her fellow carnival workers were mostly turned in; only the Ringmaster himself had been awake enough to greet her when she returned, and he'd acknowledged her fatigue by simply pointing toward her tent and urging her to get some sleep before she had to explain anything.

She was pretty sure the man was some sort of demon prince, but he was also a bloody angel.

Her tent looked the same as it always did: low lighting from the bobbing magelights floating near the ceiling, her seance table set up in the center of the space, a few necromantic charms strung up around the borders of the main "room", and a thick, red curtain dividing her work space from her living space.

She she trudged toward that curtain, she didn't think to check her usual protective charms and barrier spells--they were always part of the set-up of her tent, Vis knew the routine, and she made sure to refresh the magic fueling them once a month at the full moon.

In her current state, it didn't occur to her that she had missed this passed full moon, what with being locked in a dungeon and all. And though Viserion knew how to place her charms, he couldn't actually recharge them. He probably hadn't even noticed they needed to be recharged.

With a low groan, Ifamira Blighte shuffled toward her sleeping cot--blessedly piled high with silken pillows and thick blankets--and collapsed onto it fully clothed. She only barely bothered to kick off her boots, hearing them thump somewhere on the other side of the small space as she burrowed into her soft, warm, nest.

"I'm not getting up for a damned week," she informed her pillows with a contented sigh.

MorningStar · December 17, 2023, 12:26:55 PM

Lucian's irritation lingered as he ventured out to locate the elusive woman, compelled by the binding that tugged at him like an insistent itch. Time crawled by at a pace that aggravated even a soul piper, a being accustomed to the timeless currents of the afterlife. It wasn't solely duty that drew him, though; an undeniable curiosity fueled his pursuit. After all, this particular Bridge in Black was the first to actively evade him. Why the evasion? Was it his appearance, his demeanor? Surely, the cult following couldn't be the cause; everyone just loved them.

Huddled in the shadows, masked from casual sight, Lucian watched as his Bride entered the room and rather ungracefully collapsed onto the bed. Granting her a few moments of the illusion of solitude and reprieve, he allowed her to believe she was alone before breaking the silence.

"Hello, Miro," he spoke, his voice low yet commanding, a blend of amusement and mild disdain etched on his face.

DragonSong · December 17, 2023, 01:41:51 PM

"Ansgar's saggy left ballsack!"

Mira shot upright, and promptly tumbled out of her blissfully comfortable little next. She spun around, getting herself twisted up in her blankets as she struggled to her feet and turned to find exactly the man--god--entity that she'd been avoiding for the better part of a decade standing in what was essentially her bedroom.

"What--you--how--?!" Mismatched eyes wide, she abruptly threw herself toward a chest in the corner of her tent, scrounging around for a moment before she popped up with a necromantic protection charm composed of the bones of both a mouse and a hawk. She held it out toward him in a wide, sweeping gesture. "You just stay back."

MorningStar · December 17, 2023, 03:12:44 PM

Lucian's amusement glinted in his eyes and tugged at the corners of his lips, a near-laughter bubbling beneath the surface as he observed the spectacle before him.

"That tongue of yours," he remarked with a sigh. "Not the most endearing way to address your husband."

Without waiting for a response, he took a step closer toward her.

DragonSong · December 17, 2023, 04:44:45 PM

"Oh, fuck off." Too tired--with everything--to filter her thoughts from her tongue, Mira snapped, "Husband my ass. You're my parasite that's what you are."

Her mismatched eyes flickered around her small living quarters: bed, a pair of stools and a tiny table, a chest of drawers, the storage chest at her feet--and there, just behind the apparition's left heel, the marker for her barrier.

Damnit.

Mira held the protective charm a little higher, summoning up as much magic as she could to feed into it; it wasn't that much, all told. The last few weeks had been draining, and it showed in the weak flickering of her power.

"What do you want with me?"

MorningStar · December 17, 2023, 04:58:15 PM

His eyes tracked hers, a smirk playing on his lips as she recognized the barrier he bypassed. With one hand, he snagged a stool, dragging it a few steps before placing it next to her and taking a seat.

"Relax," he asserted in a dominant tone, his stormy eyes fixated on her with piercing focus. "I'm simply curious about you. What have I done to make you run like this? That's not very becoming of the Bride in Black."

DragonSong · December 17, 2023, 05:13:12 PM

Mira glowered at him, backing up until her spine pressed against the thick canvas wall of her tent. "Don't you fucking tell me to relax," she hissed, starting to edge her way toward the dividing curtain between her living and work spaces. "You're curious about me? Bullshit."

She made an obscene gesture in his direction with the hand that wasn't holding up the warding charm. "You're seriously asking why I ran? Why the fuck do you think? I wake up one morning and I'm told I've been married to a god of death! I did not sign up for that shit!"

Panting lightly, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Eat my entire ass, you sick fuck."

In an explosive motion, she threw the charm at him and bolted for the curtain.

MorningStar · December 17, 2023, 06:51:55 PM

He effortlessly sidestepped her charm. While such antics would typically amuse him, there was an unsettling gravity in her words that struck a chord. Just as she began to distance herself, his voice resonated in the room, seemingly emanating from every direction.

"Do you think this was my first choice?" he demanded. It wasn't just about choosing a Bride; there were complexities she did not grasp, but he chose not to delve into them.

"You may be the Bride in Black now," he began, his voice unwavering, "but consider your friends. If you desire, I can extend the same 'favor' to them, ensuring they join you in the shadows. I'll keep them in black, on your behalf. You think on that, girl."

DragonSong · December 18, 2023, 09:24:41 AM

Mira froze at the curtain, then slowly turned to face him.

"You will not," she said slowly, dangerously, "hurt my friends."

The circus weren't just her friends--they were her family, the people who had taken her in and loved and accepted her when her own blood had cast her aside. She'd be damned thrice over if she let her emotional and immortal baggage come down on them.

Eyes narrowed, she demanded in a low hiss, "What do you want?"

MorningStar · December 18, 2023, 01:08:25 PM

Lucian grinned devilishly. "I'm only joking, you foolish woman," he said, amused by her quick-to-anger response. "I'm a Soul Piper. I collect and transport souls; I don't end them."

He studied her for a moment before responding to her question.

"I want out," he said firmly. "I don't want to be bound to you any more than you want to be bound to me. So, I'm suggesting a temporary alliance. Catch my drift?"

DragonSong · December 18, 2023, 06:29:21 PM

...A Soul Piper?

She'd heard of those. Only tangentially, but she had read a bit about them in her studies back in Kia's Court. They were rare--in fact, the book she recalled mentioning them had posited that they may not actually exist--but they weren't...well. They weren't gods.

So...assuming he was telling her the truth... It seemed her chances of being smote out of existence might have just gone down.

The possibility of that was taking up so much space in her brain that she couldn't even find it in herself to be overly irritated at being called "foolish woman".

"A temporary alliance," she repeated slowly, brow still furrowed. Her caustic tone hadn't quite softened, making it clear she was still suspicious. "What kind of alliance? Actually, no, hold on." She held up a hand, her frown deepening. "It's been seven years. You've...never actually tried to talk to me before. I mean, I've never felt you trying to get through my barriers. Why now?"

MorningStar · December 19, 2023, 11:13:27 AM

His eyes observed her as she processed his existence, fully aware of the thoughts racing through her mind. A faint grin tugged at the corner of his lips, and he rested his chin on his fingers, signaling contemplation.

"Time operates differently for me compared to a mere human like yourself," he explained, his voice maintaining a calm and collected demeanor. "For me, we met just last week, yet we also met a lifetime ago. I don't expect you to grasp that."

His tone carried an informative air, tinged with a self-appointed air of superiority.

"As for this alliance," he continued, "do you think I desire this? I am a Soul Piper, burdened with responsibilities. I don't have the luxury of being tethered to a mortal woman simply to appease those who blindly follow me. My life is mine to live, and I won't allow anyone to dictate its course."

DragonSong · December 20, 2023, 09:15:47 AM

Mira rolled her eyes, physically unable to stop herself. Gods did he seem to love the sound of his own voice. "Well, forgive my simple mortal perspective," she snipped dryly, "but it really does seem to me like you have dictated the course of my life for the better part of the last decade." Her eyes narrowed. "Intentionally or not. So. Allow me to rephrase: why the bright blue fuck should I be interested in allying with you?"

She didn't comment on the implied rancor he had toward his helpful little cult. That was certainly unexpected, but she didn't want him to know it caught her off-guard. She still didn't trust him one iota, and was trying to play her cards as close to the chest as she could manage.

MorningStar · December 20, 2023, 02:04:17 PM

You feeling better now? Got all that bullshit off your chest?

That's what he wished to express, but instead, he stayed silent and composed, opting to speak only after her hissy fit had subsided.

"You want to be free of me," he started. "I want to be free of you. I know how to make it happen. Permanently."

DragonSong · December 20, 2023, 05:13:04 PM

Mira stared at him for a long moment.

Slowly, fractionally, the hostile tension in her shoulders started to bleed away. She still glared at him, but her voice was merely frigid--rather than frigid and sharp--when she asked slowly, "And just why in all the hells should I believe you?"

She let that hang for a moment before pointing out in a marginally softer voice, "You're asking an awful lot for me to go on faith here, Soul Piper. For all I know, this is just the next step in your weird ritual. You've gotta give me some reason to believe you."

MorningStar · December 20, 2023, 06:47:12 PM

"I'll show you."

Suddenly, his hand rested on her shoulder, unleashing a barrage of memories and visions into her consciousness.

Among them were his own memories, depicting him as a soul piper fulfilling his purpose without objection. The scenes unfolded, revealing a man seeking his aid, followed by the unintended consequences of gathering followers that disrupted his peaceful, isolated life.

The visions unfolded further, revealing the history between him and Mira—unwanted, yet binding them against his wishes. What became apparent was the toll the binding ritual took on him, weakening his spirit every time he performed his duty as a Soul Piper.

He took his hand off her shoulder, and seemingly added distance between each other without actually moving.

DragonSong · December 21, 2023, 01:38:43 PM

Mira instinctively flinched back from his hand, but her mind was already flooded with the thoughts, images, emotions of another. From him.

She blinked as they faded, trying to clear the disorientation.

"Okay, first of all: don't just do things like that," she muttered, staggering away from him and back toward her bed. "Second—if all of that is true, why in all the hells did you let them do the ritual in the first place?!"

MorningStar · December 27, 2023, 08:10:28 AM

Lucian furrowed his brow slightly, pausing to consider the most effective way to convey his thoughts to the woman. When he finally spoke after a brief pause, he explained, "I possess authority solely over the souls of the departed and the realms beyond. Regrettably, there isn't much within my influence to impede those who roam the earthly realms freely, despite any assumptions you or others may hold."

DragonSong · January 03, 2024, 07:38:22 AM

"You could have talked to them!" Mira found herself raging, still reeling slightly. "Just fucking told them not to do it! It doesn't have to be a magical compulsion, you ass, try communicating."

Panting lightly, she shook her head and staggered toward a small chest near the back corner of her living space. She rummaged about in it for a moment before coming up with a bottle of whiskey--half empty already from one or two nights up late with other circus members.

She lifted the neck to her lips and swigged, not bothering to find a glass.

MorningStar · January 03, 2024, 02:38:53 PM

"Ah, yes, 'Try communicating,'" he echoed her words in a mockingly theatrical tone. The frustration etched across his features was almost a palpable presence, and if it wasn't evident enough, the exasperated sigh made his sentiments crystal clear. "If you've got no interest in lending a hand, just come out with it," he explained, a wry smile playing on his lips. "I understand the desire to stay hitched. After all, I'm quite the prize catch for you."

In the blink of an eye, he materialized right before her, swiftly liberating the whiskey bottle from her fingertips. With a confident swig, he attempted to savor the liquid, only to immediately spit it out. "This is utterly revolting."