ROLEPLAY HQ - a-dark-magus-love

You were either born with magic or you weren't — at least that's what the church said. Their definition of 'magic' was quite restrictive, though. Light magic - and all of its subsets - were seen as actual magic whereas dark magic was seen as a curse. A blight. A plague. Those who were born "cursed" were often exiled or, worse, purged. Some survived and fled. Some kept their 'magic' hidden. Dietrich, for his part, had an affinity with magic on both ends. He had been discouraged from using his dark magic at a young age, lest the church catch on. That didn't stop him from practicing in secret. He tried his hand at summonings and curses, but he was not able to execute them. He wanted to learn how to hone this forbidden crafted, but he would find no help in the village. This is what led him to the witch of the woods. It took a lot of investigating, but he had finally tracked her down. As he stood at the door to her cabin, knocking, he paused for a moment. What would he even say? He hadn't exactly rehearsed this... @Gravemind

It was another quiet day to her so far as Koryn tends to her little garden beside her wooden cabin. The clear, sunny sky shining down upon her pale skin. She frowns, using her forearm to shield her eyes for a moment to survey the small plot of tilled soil. By this point, Koryn had long stopped keeping counting how long she has been out here on her own. The events that lead her hear happened so fast, so long ago. While it was like a distant memory, it also stung like it had just happened yesterday. Dark magic. She didn't even consciously use it, never-the-less maliciously. But as soon as the act dawned on the onlookers, Koryn had never stopped running. At least, until she found this secluded little corner of the woods. It was peaceful. It allowed her to explore her powers, undisturbed, without drawing the ire and dismay of others. The more she learned about her abilities, the more she became disillusioned. She can use it to fight and survive just as easily as she can use it to destroy, to create unworldly things. Was she a monster, like she has always been accused of being? Her thoughts are abruptly cut short as the catlike ears atop her head twitch, angling outwards. Someone is coming. Rushing into the shaded overhand of her home, Koryn draws from her dark magic, and quickly becomes one with the shadows cast by her home. Anxiety grips her as she watches the lone man approach her cabin. What does he want...? She watches as he knocks on her cabin door. "Go away!" She projects her voice from the shadows, making it seem as if the cabin itself were speaking. Hearing her voice, she realizes that she sounds scared, fearful and uncertain of this strange man's presence. Saying nothing more, she hides and waits. Watching. @PhoggyΨυχη

"Wow, um, okay. First off, that's rude." He puffed up his chest and set his shoulders back. He had rehearsed his speech on the way here. He knew what he was going to say. Dietrich took a deep breath in and spoke, "Witch of the Woods! I have come to dark magic- wait, no." He paused, his posture falterng before he spoke again. "Witch of the Woods! I have come to learn dark magic from you! I am okay at it! I can summon minor vegetable and I once cursed a goal to bleat out its cries in the key of C!" His summoning could definitely use work and his curses were more.... minor annoyances than anything. Still, he had a desire to learn and a passion for the magic. The young man waited for her to reply. He hoped she would teach him; he didn't exactly have any other option. @Gravemind

This had to be a prank. It baffles her that someone is taking this matter so lightly. From her pocket of shadows, she observes the young man standing at her doorstep. Anxiety slowly being replaced by curiosity. "Prove it. Away from my home, please.." As much as she didn't want to be involved with this encounter, she was curious. Curious of this man who seems completely unbothered by his abilities. To drive the point home that she wants him to move away from her doorstep, subtle yet oppressive sensation washes over him as she casts her magic around him. Trying to move him back out into the clearing in front of her home. "Show me what you are capable of." She didn't want to make accusations, but she doesn't trust him. Who talks about dark magic so casually like that? @PhoggyΨυχη

"Oh. Okay!" He said, stepping back away from her abode. He held his hands out and cracked his knuckles. "What do I do now? Hm... how should I prove it? Oh! Azazey!" He held a hand out and focused, a large reddened circle forming on the ground. He did not speak, but let the magic flow from him. The circle shot red light out before fading away to leave a large demon standing there, confused. However, when he saw Dietrich, he sighed. "Oh, it's you again. Why have you summoned me, mortal?" The demon spoke. "Come on, Azazey-" "Azazel. A-zae-zel." "Yea, that. Well, I am trying to prove to the Witch of the Woods that I can do dark magic." Dietrich put his hands on his hips, looking proud of his work. "So I am a mere party trick? You used the second of your three favors to prove a point?" Azazel stared at Dietrich for a moment before finally letting out a small laugh that evolved into a large cackle. "The idiocy and pride of your mortals never cease to amaze me. You have one more favor. Afterwards, if you seek my assistance, you will need to offer up something else." With that, the demon vanished. @Gravemind

"My name is Koryn! When did I ever become the "Witch of the Woods"?" Koryn calls out with a huff, materializing from the shadows and standing on her porch with her hands on her hips. Looking up at the demon, she gets a slight smirk. "So this novice can summon you, too, huh Aza? Bummer." She grins at the demon, remembering when she had first summoned him. "Alright, you can use dark magic, but why do you want to learn more about it? Power? Survival? Out of spite? It's not like the church hasn't had that coming to them..." Koryn relaxes her arms, walking over to the man. "What's your name?" Giving the man her attention, she purposefully ignores the demon. She already has enough of a problem with her unwelcomed guest. @PhoggyΨυχη

"That's what the people in the village call you," he shrugged his shoulders and looked around. "I want to learn dark magic because I want to learn it. I was born with the ability to use it and while I've mastered light magic, it doesn't matter. Mastering half of magic is like mastering no magic. Light and dark are two sides of magic, right? Why would I only go half the way?" Dietrich had never really voiced the 'why' he wanted to learn dark magic. Granted, no one had ever asked. "My name is Dietrich Weber. So, your name is Koryn! I will admit, I expected you to be more of a, um... hag? That's how the people described you in the village. But you're, like, a cute catgirl." His words came out far more matter-of-factly than perhaps they should have. Dietrech was definitely the epitome of tactless. He could hardly read a room, or, well, a forest, in this case. @Gravemind

Koryn's ears twitch, as if being self aware of being pointed out. Listening to his reasoning, Her hands drift back down to rest on her hips. "Well, I did make an impression on the last group that came to harass me..." She thinks back, reminiscing over the illusions she had put the poor fools through. Until his words finally sink in. She blinks, staring at Dietrich as she processes what he had just said to her. "Cute? Catgirl?" She blinks again before looking herself over in a ink black mirror that she forms in the air beside her. Her ears stand pointed and alert as she inspects herself. Behind her, a slender yet fuzzy tail slowly twitches and curls in the air. It has been years since she had taken on this appearance. It feels like a natural thing to her, now. She can feel her cheeks start to warm as she dismisses the mirror and looks back at Dietrich. "Right... Dietrich, was it? If you really want to learn about dark magic, I can teach you what I know. But, I will need you to help me with things, as well! I.. don't know exactly what that may be right now, but considering I built this home for just myself, I can probably think of something..." Her demeanor calms, looking around before her gaze drifts back to him. @PhoggyΨυχη

He stood at attention while he listened to her speak. He even waited while she examined herself in the mirror. Bringing his hand to his forehead in a salute, he gave her a bright smile. "Of course! I'm pretty good with fabrics! I can sew and crochet and knit and stuff like that. If you have a roof that needs fixing, I know the mending spell! And I..." He kept rattling off his different, specific qualifications. Dietrich wasn't sure what he needed, but he would make sure to earn his keep. "...and I know how to resole the bottom of shoes! Not with magic. I don't know if there is a spell for that." His own shoes were rather beat up; the church did not provide as much as it 'instructed.' "Also, can you teach me that mirror thing? I'm sure that could be useful at some point, too!" @Gravemind

With a sigh, Koryn rubs behind her cat ears. At least he wasn't here to hurt her. She gives him a look up and down, sizing him up. "Can you catch fish...?" Curiosity now in her voice. She slowly starts to walk around him, thinking. "I only have one bed, but I have room to accommodate, I guess..." Stopping beside him, Koryn gives him a thoughtful look. "We can start with the mirror and a few skills. After that depends on if I want to keep you around.." She looks around, checking the sun's position. "It's pretty safe out here. The benefit of being the most dangerous thing around. But I don't much enjoy cold weather. You'll be cutting wood for me." Starting to walk back to her cabin, Koryn glances over her shoulder. "Come along. Unless standing out in the cold is your thing or something..." She continues on, stopping by the side of her cabin to collect a few logs. Am I really taking in this guy, after just randomly showing up? She tries not to think about the anxious thoughts, the what-ifs. @PhoggyΨυχη

"I can try," he replied with a shrug. Most of the food he'd been given to cook with had already been caught. It seemed he was about to learn. "I can sleep on the floor or something like that. I'm used to it. We didn't get beds at the church." Dietrich turned to look at her, a quizzical look on his face. "So, fishing, mirror, then dinner and sleep? Do I have the itinerary correct?" @Gravemind

"Fire, potions, dinner, sleep. Fishing in the morning, then mirror." Koryn corrects him before starting to walk back inside with her arms full with logs. The door seems to swing open on its own, allowing her to enter without slowing. She walks to the fire pit dug out in the center of the rather spacious room. The pit is neatly lined with stones, ashes and still warm embers sit in a pile at its center. Koryn sets down the logs in a spot beside the pit before placing them neatly atop the ashes and embers. As she works, Koryn listens, monitoring Dietrich. Rebellion against the church is admirable, but it's hard to tell if that's even a motivation he has. Is it just curious determination? Weird... Once the firewood is placed in position, Koryn takes a steel striker and a rough chunk of flint. Hitting the striker with the flint, sparks fleck off into the kindling, igniting into a small fire that Koryn rushes to nurture into a stronger flame. She smiles as the flame slowly grows and spreads. Throughout the cabin around her are a decent collection of belongings that have mostly been acquired from in town. Glass jars, bundles of cloth, a dagger that sheathed on a hanging belt. Off to one corner is an apothecary lab. Various glass and wooden containers collected around stone and glass equipment. In an opposite corner of the room, salted preserved meats hang on hooks from a lower section of the ceiling. It's obvious that Koryn has been living comfortably on her own for quite a while now. @PhoggyΨυχη

"Right," he replied with a simple nod. She would know best, after all. He was confused, though, by her lighting of the fire. She was a sorceress; why not used a simple fire spell? Despite the silence from him, Dietrich's face showed his confusion. Aside from that, though, she had mentioned potions. "What options will we be working on today? I do not have much experience in the way of potion-crafting," he let out a soft sigh of resignation. While technically dark magic, most people were okay with potions. The church did not engage with them because they did not see a need. Why let the commoners heal themselves through potions when they should be relying on the church? That was the phrase he had heard at the church over and over again. Like everyone in the village, the false church functioned solely on creating and securing a need for its own existence. @Gravemind

Koryn walks over to her apothecary table, checking on the mixtures. "Today, I have some remedies that have been requested of me. While followers of the church see me as some kind of monster, there are those who are willing to do business with me and respect my existence. Of course, I had to place charms on quite a few people at first, but it has paid off." She speaks with a satisfied yet matter-of-factly tone as she mixes and churns the various potions and salves that have been preparing. Her tail plays absentmindedly in the air behind her, as if it were a natural part of her body. Koryn seems to be comfortable with herself, paying no mind to her additional features. Not wanting the mixtures she had prepared to spoil, Koryn works quickly. She ignores Dietrich as she focuses on the task before her, leaving him to take in his surroundings. As she completes her work, Koryn sets aside the completed mixtures, now secured in jars and folded paper packages. "I'm expected to meet with the man who has requested these tomorrow. He will have the rest of the payment with him." With a satisfied sigh, Koryn stretches. Her tunic leaving most of her figure to the imagination. @PhoggyΨυχη

It was bold of her to be so upfront with villagers, especially when it came to selling and distributing dark magic like potions. He knew that the church would hardly do anything to stop her, though. Most of the old bastards were far more scared of dark magic than they were confident in their ability to counter it. He watched her work, her deft skills being put on display as he did his best to watch in motion and see how she worked. It was definitely different from his usual method of working on magic. This seemed far more hands-on and involved. Most of the ingredients were foreign to him; they were most likely things he could find in the forest, despite the place being off-limits. "Is that safe? To go visit him, I mean. I can go with you, if you want." @Gravemind

"Safe enough, I don't stay in town long enough to draw attention. With a cloak and some illusion magic, I look like any other traveler passing through." Koryn talks as she cleans up from her work, her tail swaying absentmindedly behind her. "If you want to join me, I wouldn't mind at all. Really, it would help explain why you suddenly decided to disappear." As she puts away her mortar and pestle, Koryn looks back at Dietrich. "Unless you have a story for that? I doubt you would just announce that you were off to find me of all people..." She scrutinizes him until her ears twitch, prompting her to look out the window of her cabin. With a huff, she takes the herbs she had set out and rubs them between her palms, before casting them into the fire. With a slightly annoyed expression, she mutters an chant as a subtle fragrance fills the air. @PhoggyΨυχη

"Well," he paused and stroked his chin. "I may have faked my own death?" He avoided making eye contact with her. It was definitely foolish of him, but it was the easiest thing he could think of. "I mean, I was rather thorough with it, too. I'm sure they definitely think I'm dead, yea? So it's a non-issue. As long as I don't run into anyone I know." Was that a possibility? Maybe. He was a rather 'glowing' figure in the church; they definitely used him as a poster child for their recruitment. "Maybe I could use some of that illusion magic..." @Gravemind

Koryn blinks, caught off guard for just a moment as she processes his admission. Turning to face him, she gets an expression of concern. "You faked your own death? How? Why..?" Koryn look at Dietrich, watching his reactions. What was he thinking? Better question, is he even thinking at all? "I mean, I can teach you illusion magic, or how to hide in the shadows, but.. Doesn't it bother you at all? How are you going to explain yourself if you go back?" Koryn's concern seems to shift between for herself and for him. @PhoggyΨυχη

"Well, if I faked my own death, then no one would come looking for me." He said with a shrug. "I figure I could just disguise myself once I headed back into town for anything." Dietrich stretched out and popped his neck. "So how are we going to do that? What's the spell to disguise myself? Maybe I could look like a dragon or an elf!" @Gravemind

With a sigh, Koryn shakes her head. Her hand reaches up, rubbing behind one of her ears as she considers the implications of what he did. She can't tell if he's truly serious about this or just going about it with reckless abandon. The faint but pleasant aroma of sage fills the air as it burns in the fire beside them. Koryn moves over to a woven basket, taking the cover off, she pulls out two fish that have been cleaned and preserved. Readying them on the cooking spit that stretches over the fire, Koryn prepares dinner for her and her unexpected guest* (Sorry for the delay) @PhoggyΨυχη