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You Take My Breath Away (Blink)

Started by Eckhart_Von_Musel, March 10, 2017, 05:31:42 AM

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Eckhart_Von_Musel

"This is unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable." Hildegarde Von Musel thought angrily. A week ago she had received disturbing news- her brother Eckhart had left home. This alone was cause for alarm, but there was more-not only was he developing new powers, but he had accomplished something that Hildegarde hadn't.

Eckhart had fought a Black-Hearth dragon. And won.

Hildegarde was, of course, familiar with the Black-Hearth family. The oldest sister, Emilia, was on Hildegarde's long list of names she wanted to drag through the mud. Emilia was confident, pretty,  and above all, powerful. Knowing that there were beings whose ability and charm made Hildegarde look like an insect by comparison made her uncomfortable, so she plotted and schemed to knock these people off their pedestals. Luckily Emilia had already fallen of her own accord, apparently having gotten destroyed by her own void magic- but there had been grumblings about the possibility of her returning. The thought made Hildegarde shudder.

According to her informants, it had been the youngest Black-Hearth, Kaida, that Eckhart had encountered. Her informants had also discovered some more startling news- the dragon was headed here, to Zantaric. Why she would do this, Hildegarde did not know. This did, however, provide an opportunity to learn more about what both Eckhart and Emilia were up to. If Kaida was expecting Hildegarde to be the one answering questions, she was mistaken.

So here she was, standing in an ally only 20 feet from the city gates. Her best scout, a recent recruit named Ignatius Pratt, was with her. Hildegarde had set everything up perfectly so the dragon would be utterly powerless in her presence- one of the downsides of slaughtering villages for hundreds of years was the numerous reports from survivors detailing exactly what your abilities were. "You think you can just waltz into my city and do whatever you like? You're wrong. I'm in charge here."

"Lady Hildegarde? Carolina says the dragon is approaching the gates." said Ignatius. Hildegarde nodded. "Good. Let's get started, shall we?" Lifting up her hand dramatically, Hildegarde created a wall of n2o in front of the city's entrance. When the dragon arrived, she would pass out.

"Ignatius, you may go. You've been a very big help today, I appreciate it." The boy blushed but he didn't leave. "Before I go, can I ask you if... If you've found any sign of my father?" Ignatius asked, apprehensive yet hopeful. Hildegarde studied him for a second, thinking about his question. Ignatius had joined her orginization under the condition that Hildegarde would use her resources find his father. She had found his father, but Ignatius would never know this. Although annoying, Ignatius was dead useful, and she didn't want to give him any reason to leave her side- and with his father lying at the bottom of the sea, he never would. "I've found a few leads." She told him, a kind smile upon her face. "He'll turn up, don't worry." Ignatius rushed forward and hugged her. "Lady Hildegarde, you're the best!" Laughing, Hildegarde returned the hug.

"I know I am."

Blink

 After Jaela had told Kaida of the boy's 'real' name Kaida knew she wasn't dealing with just any mortal. This boy... this 'cranberry' was in fact... a Von Musel. Jaela had mentioned that he spoke of his sister and by then Kaida had pieced together his relationship to the girl she had heard of in Zantaric. And so here she was, about to enter the city in an attempt to find the infamous Hildegarde Von Musel. Of course she had heard the rumours, but needed to see for herself if this girl could be more of an investment than the boy was.

The city gates were in sight and Kaida could feel herself growing more excited with each passing step. Finding a possible new and rare ability always got her going, always drove her to at least somewhat smile. She wanted them all, not for herself but to keep safe. These wonderful abilities graced upon this mortal plain that were taken advantage of by so many. It was her life mission to horde them, shape them... make them something to be remembered.

The thoughts alone caused a visible smirk upon the small girls face as she approached the gates. But then she paused mere feet from them, her eyes scanning the horizon as if she could sense something was off. What made her feel this way she was unsure, but there was a stillness about that ran a bit of unease down her spine and an oddly sweet smell in the air. Kaida stood there for a few minutes studying the city just beyond the gates, concluding that it was her excitement getting the best of her. "What are you afraid of? You ARE Kaida Black-Hearth. This city and this woman should be grateful that you are even gracing it with your presence" her inner most thoughts pushing her forwards.

And then she took another step forwards and quickly felt her head become lighter, as if the very world before her had been spun into a whirlwind of confusing thoughts. Just before she passed out she had concluded what this was, her keen ability to distinguish forces beyond this realm pushing through. "This... this is..." all she could say before she stumbled to the ground and the darkness crossed her eyes.

___________________________________________

It was the smell first that pulled her from whatever state she was in. The smell of disgusting buttery and flaky bread she had grown to know as croissants. Snapping her head up she attempted to focus her eyes only to see a table filled with porcelain elegantly decorated cups as well as trays upon trays of food meant for snacking. "What in the-" her voice clearly expressing the confusion passing through her. "What is this?" she asked herself as her eyes continued to come into focus. But then everything was so clear...

The moment her eyes trailed to the other end of the table there sat a blonde girl with eyes the color of dirt. "Disgusting..." she muttered. This must be Hildegarde Von Musel. She did resemble Cranberry, infact it was almost uncanny. Kaida then snickered as she pictured the boy in a frilly pink dress like the one the girl at the other end of the table was wearing. Of course she was annoyed this girl had already gotten the best of her, but entertained at the attempt. "You are brave." she finally said as she directed her statement towards the girl. "Clearly one of us has underestimated the other." Kaida then leaned back in her chair crossing her arms on her chest somewhat amused. With a brow raised she turned her nose to the treats on the table before her. Even if she did eat this kind of food she would never touch it, it would be foolish. How did she know it was not poisoned? All of this a pointless thought anyways... this was not what she ate.

Jumping straight into conversation Kaida felt this would somehow give her the upperhand, even if she had no idea where she was. "It's funny... I happen to know an elemental who can do strange things to the air as well..." rolling her eyes she leaned even further back in the chair. "...quite annoying really... nothing special about that." Her words were meant to be a jab at Hildegarde's ego, and she hoped they had struck.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Hildegarde rather liked the atmosphere the tea party provided. It was a good way to appear sophisticated while still giving off an air of danger, she decided. It had only taken a few minutes to set up as well! Hildegarde smiled as her guest came to, chuckling at her confusion. "Oh, you don't need to worry. You'll find my powers are far more nuanced than anything an elemental could do. I hope you wont be disappointed!" Hildegarde beamed at the dragon before continuing. "Not like I was with you. Really, you're a dragon- a Black-Hearth. I expected something a bit more..." She trailed off, framing the scene in front of her with her fingers. "...Magnificent." Hildegarde shrugged, and took a sip of her tea. "But I suppose it was silly of me to expect anything different. I mean if someone as useless as my brother can can get the better of you, I suppose anyone can." Even when masked in her happy-go-lucky persona, the bitterness in her voice when she spoke of Eckhart was unmistakable. Her eyes narrowed. "Your family's reputation isn't a farce, is it?"

Taking another sip of her tea, Hildegarde gave Kaida a friendly smile. "Anyway, shall we get down to business? I'd love to hear why you decided to come to my city, especially after your little embarrassment in Southpine." Tapping her chin, she pretended to be deep in thought. "If I had to describe it... I'd say you were like an amateur boxer who, after loosing to the worst fighter in the league, foolishly decided to challenge the best fighter in the league in order to prove himself. Is that accurate?"

Blink

She only smirked as Hildegarde rambled on about her abilities compared to an elementals. Her smirk though began to fade as the girl started verbally attacking her on all fronts. Hildegarde was right... Kaida did kinda just stumble into her trap. But she didn't need Hildegarde rubbing that in her face, she was disappointed in herself enough for the both of them, thrown even further back by Hildegarde's knowledge of the incident with the cranberry. If Kaida were anyone else she may have even surrendered right there. BUT Hildegarde was right about one thing... Kaida was a Black-Hearth and Black-Hearth meant something, even if it was only to her.

Ignoring her jab at her family's reputation Kaida raised a brow as Hildegarde stated she wanted to get down to business. Still leaned back with arms crossed in front of her Kaida slyly responded, the sharp and snarky tone in her voice very evident. "First... I was unaware this was 'your' city." And with that her smirk returned, happy to have another chance to battle with words once more ."Last time I checked the city was called Zantaric." Clearing her throat she sat up a bit in the chair. "Don't delude yourself in thinking I came to fight you. The instance with your cranberry of a brother was pure chance... it won't happen again." The entire time she kept her eyes locked on Hildegarde, unwilling to show another falter in her confidence. "If anything it taught me something you only wish you knew. I only came here to observe you, to see if you were as special as Eckhart."

By now Kaida was sitting up straighter and had even gone as far as resting her arms on the table in front of her, her fingers intertwined with one another. "I had heard you were well connected and your clearly knowledgeable of what and who I am." Her eyes trailed off as she started looking around the courtyard pretending to lose interest in her. "But other than that I am not impressed." She shot her eyes back at Hildegarde with a bored expression on her face. "You don't have what it is I'm looking for. Your reputation has caused me to waste my own time."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Hildegarde giggled when the dragon called her a waste of time. "If you're trying to bait me into a fight, it's not going to happen. It simply wouldn't be very sporting of me to take on such an obviously incapable opponent." She mimicked Kaida's voice, eyes wide. "It was a fluke that caused Eckhart to beat me! I'm not weak, I swear!" Laughing, she took a bite out of her croissant. After swallowing, she continued. "I like your little pet name for him too- Cranberry, was it?" Suddenly, Hildegarde's face turned to one of faux surprise. "Oh! You like him, that's what this is about! Well, if you came for my blessing, you're not going to get it."

After taking another sip of tea, Hildegarde ran her fingers through her hair. "Alright, I've had my fun. Lets get some actual answers." She looked at Kaida as if studying her. "So, how is Eckhart? Does he still say "um" in between every other word?"

Blink

Now less caught off guard by Hildegarde's annoying attitude Kaida did not even flinch when she was verbally assaulted once more... even if in her mind she was already ripping her apart over and over again. As Hildegarde went on about her calling him cranberry Kaida simply smiled, her mind somewhere else. "Just think of the day you get to catch her off guard." Kaida's smile only grew wider as she continued thinking. "Too bad you don't have your dungeon anymore. All the things you could have done down there."

"But what would you do first? Perhaps put her in a room with a Mordecai and just see what happens? Or maybe just inject her with some of your venom and watch her helplessly begin to paralyze as her eyes shoot around in panic."There would be a long pause before Kaida snapped back to reality, realizing that Hildegarde was waiting for an answer to a question. "Can I leave yet?" Her boredom evident in her tone. She didn't really care about anything else Hildegarde had to say, she had gotten her answer the moment she got a good look at her and a sense for who she really was.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"Well, aren't you rude." Hildegarde thought, folding her arms. "I listened to all of your drivel, I even enjoyed some of it." Frowning, she used helium to lift the pot of tea and pour some into Kaida's cup. "Drink your tea, before it gets cold."

Taking another bite of her croissant, Hildegarde stared at the girl in front of her. "Do you know who you are? To us mortals I mean. You surely realize the reputation you have. How many villages have you destroyed in your lifetime? How many woman and children have you slain for your own personal amusement?" Her stare turned into a look of genuine contempt. Hildegarde killed people, sure, but even she drew a line at innocent children. If she were to end this dragon's life today, Hildegarde would become legendary. "I'll let you 'leave' when you're a corpse at my feet. If you answer my questions, I'll tell the world you died in combat instead of choking on your own lungs."

"Now, I'll ask again. How is my brother doing?"

Blink

She turned her nose to the tea. "I'm good" the thought of pouring the liquid down her throat almost making her gag on the spot. Instead she leaned back in the chair once more, crossing her arms over her chest as she had before. She listened as Hildegarde began telling her who she was to mortals. If it were anyone else they probably would have cringed at the reputation, but Kaida couldn't help but smile.

"I guess you could do that. But then again I doubt anyone would believe you." Kaida smirked.

Realizing it was probably in her best interest to just answer the annoying girls question she rolled her eyes, taking in a deep breath preparing to explain. "Well if you count an idiot mortal who almost choked on a sour cranberry..." she paused. "... I would say he is doing just fine."

She scooted up in her chair, leaning her arms against the top of the table again. "He is mouthy and full of himself. Quite confident in his 'medicinal' abilities." Kaida smirked again, the emphasis on 'medical' evident. "Like I said before... he is more special than you could ever fathom. I will be keeping my eye on him for quite some time, I shall watch him become something spectacular!" The more Kaida talked about Eckhart the more excited she became. Oh how his abilities could work to her advantage in the future. But all good things come in time... even this dragon knew that.

"So with that being said, you are making all of this quite inconvenient." Kaida knew there was no way she could make it out of this situation completely unscathed. If she had time to plan this out like Hildegarde had.. then maybe the tables would have been turned.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"I don't like that."

As much as she hated to admit it, the news of her brother's newfound confidence shook Hildegarde to her core. She wore a pleasant smile on her face, but she was silent for nearly half a minute. "He was a mess when I left him, what happened that caused him to become 'mouthy and full of himself'? I thought I'd shown him that there was no point in trying to improve his powers. I should have taken him with me." Finally, she took a deep breath. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to have another talk with him. There will only be one Von Musel worthy of remembrance in my lifetime."

"You won't be watching anything I'm afraid. Eckhart will be going back home soon."

"Or coming here." she added to herself. Deciding she didn't want to talk about how "spectacular" her brother was anymore, Hildegarde changed the subject. There was one more thing she wanted to know before she disposed of the girl in front of her...

"While we're on the topic of siblings, I'm curious- have you heard from your big sister recently?"


Blink

Kaida chose to ignore Hildegarde's comment of Eckhart coming back home soon. "Not if I have anything to do about it" she thought to herself. Her train of thought though was quickly derailed when Hildegarde brought up a touchy subject.

"I have not heard from Eira in quite some time." Kaida then thought of the last time she saw her delusional sister. It was when Emelia lost her cool with Electi and it turned into a large family brawl. After that Eira disappeared into the world of humans again, no doubt living in the same fantasy Aezith was. "My siblings have a knack for pretending to be something they are not."

Of course this was the only sister Hildegarde could possibly talking about. It was pretty common knowledge that Emelia had disappeared some months ago.. sucked into her own void never to be heard from again.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Hildegarde's eyes narrowed. "Lying bitch. How could she not know? All my sources tell me that Kaida was her sister's favorite, she's probably the one orchestrating all of this." The dragon was beginning to irk Hildegarde- more than people who disrespected her normally did. "Don't play dumb with me, girl." she warned. "You think I haven't heard the rumors? Emilia has been attempting to break free from her prison for months. Her remaining soldiers have been actively searching for ways to bring her back. Now tell me, has she contacted you yet?"

Blink

She believed she had given a pretty good answer, one that would finally make Hildegarde shut up and stop pestering her. Instead, she unknowingly fueled a darker question... one she was not prepared to answer.

"Of course she would be... Of course Emelia would be trying to escape." She repeated in her mind. Deep down she always feared she would have to face her, and in this moment she felt stupid for ever thinking Em would stay dead. Her demeanor changed in a matter of an instant, going from the carefree and bored state that she was once in to one of a more serious attention.

"Have you confirmed these rumors?" Suddenly she was talking to Hildegarde as if she were an ally. From what she gathered based on the short conversation they had been having so far, and the rumors surrounding this girl she knew Emelia was just as bad news for her as she was for Kaida. "If this is true then I don't think I need to convince you that we need to put a stop to her before she is standing before us in full form."

Sitting up straighter she was willing to negotiate anything if it meant she would gain an ally against her sister. "Perhaps I should fill you in. I can tell you probably think I am lying about my knowledge of Emelia's return. In the past I would probably be helping her. But on that day..." she paused to recall what had actually happened at the citadel on that dreadful day. Kaida had been exposed to a truth so dark even she would never forgive Emelia. The same Emelia who was practically a mother to her, the sister that raised and taught her everthing she had ever come to know up until that point. ".... let me just say that I discovered she and I had two very different plans for the future."

"I am not the awful beast some believe me to be. Of course I may have slaughtered innocent adults and children, but I was under the influence of someone so dark and twisted..." Kaida's face contorted to that of one of disgust when she thought of the things Emelia had led her to believe were okay. "... My lines of morality may be blurred but I can guarantee you that when it comes to my sister I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep her stuck in the void prison she so rightfully deserves to waste away in."

Wether or not Hildegarde would even consider an alliance with Kaida she did not care. She didn't care if she looked weak or foolish offering her helping hand in stopping her. She did not care about anything in that moment other than stopping Emelia from escaping before it was too late. Kaida would have done practically anything to stop it...

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Hildegarde was expressionless as Kaida offered her help in preventing Emilia's return. The sudden shift in tone was surprising, so she did her best to analyze what was being said to her.

"Have you confirmed these rumours? If this is true then I don't think I need to convince you that we need to put a stop to her before she is standing before us in full form."

"That was genuine. The fear in her voice when she said it was audible. This is good, she's off her guard now."

"I can tell you probably think I am lying about my knowledge of Emelia's return."

"She's self aware enough to know that she sounds like she's full of shit. She doesn't expect this to get her anywhere."

"But on that day, let me just say that I discovered she and I had two very different plans for the future. I am not the awful beast some believe me to be. Of course I may have slaughtered innocent adults and children, but I was under the influence of someone so dark and twisted...

"This is blatant pandering. She knows that I find her despicable, and she's painting herself as a victim so as to appear more sympathetic and endearing."

"My lines of morality may be blurred but I can guarantee you that when it comes to my sister I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep her stuck in the void prison she so rightfully deserves to waste away in."

"Ha! Nobody considers their own morality to be 'blurry' We all believe we're in the right, no matter what we may do. No, she's just desperate for my help and willng to say anything to win me over. She's likely scared out of her mind right now, which is good for me- I can use that."

When Kaida had finished, Hildegarde gave her a sympathetic look. "I fear that my reports are very reliable. If my sources tell me that Emilia plans on returning, then she plans on retuning." Feeling that the amount of desperation she had instilled in the dragon was now optimal, Hildegarde gave Kaida a understanding smile. "I'm sorry for being so quick to judge you. We all make mistakes in our lives, some worse than others." Hildegarde said kindly. "What your sister did to you was unforgivable. That you were able to come out of that situation as a better person shows a strength of character I don't often see."

"I've presented myself as an ally. Whether she feels that she has made a friend or a gained a new pawn, it doesn't matter. She's putty in my hands now."

"What would you suggest we do about our problem? If you'd like, I can show you the intelligence reports I've recieved. You may be able to glean more information from them than I can."

Blink

At first Kaida thought she may have been being genuine. What with her sympathetic grimace and all. She even managed to stay silent during Kaida's whole speech. The moment Hildegarde offered to share her intelligence reports though her facade was exposed. Who in their right mind would share that kind of information? Even still she did not let her seriousness falter. Kaida knew that an ally was what she needed most right now, knowing full well that Aeizith would never work with her on the level she needed.

Kaida needed someone with nothing to lose and everything to gain from taking down Emelia... someone just like Hildegarde. Holding a palm up Kaida motioned for Hildegarde to stop with her offer, but in the most sincere way. "No need... I am sure someone as well connected as you has pulled every bit of information you could from them." Kaida then lowered her hand and met it with the other on the edge of the table, wrapping her fingers around the lip and pushing her chair back from it.

"If what you have told me is true I need to leave. Let me go peacefully and I will aide you in whatever way you ask in getting rid of Emelia once and for all." Kaida then stood up from her chair, brushing her top down with her palms as if removing filth from her clothing. "I will only ask nicely once for you to let me go. So please... let me go." Her voice did not falter along with the seriousness she still held. Hildegarde had made Kaida aware of something that was very serious indeed, something that scared Kaida more than anything on this plane could. She needed to tell Aezith, even if he didn't believe her. She needed to get ready to face her sister once more....

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"Let me go peacefully and I will aide you in whatever way you ask in getting rid of Emelia once and for all."

"And there it is. She's mine now."

Hildegarde nodded. This had been a productive day, and she was feeling rather pleased with herself. "Yes, you may go. We'll be in touch." Standing up, Hildegarde began to leave herself before turning to look at the dragon one more time.

"Stay away from my brother."





Blink

Kaida smirked when Hildegarde turned around and stated she needed to stay away from Eckhart. "Of course" she laughed as a set of wings sprouted from her back.

Without any further words she let her wings carry her upwards out of the courtyard.

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