Unkindled, Or In Search of A Bonfire (HP/DS3/Akamatsuverse)

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Hello everyone who danes to read this, I'm going to be crossposting this thread over from the original thread on SpaceBattles, as it does have a tendency to veer towards what some might consider lewd.

There is however one bigger change about things posted in this thread rather than the original one on SpaceBattles: any lewd votes that are seriously made will be counted, and if they win, well… you catch my drift, yeah?

It'll all be up in a few moments, so keep those votes on lock until it's all up.

Also, only vote once if you have an account on both sites, if you want to make a lewd vote then post that vote here while you post your more story intensive vote either here or on SB, mmkay?

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Prologue - Unkindled

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

You feel the familiar sensation of dying as Voldemort's shout echoed in your ears, various cries erupting from the crowd bearing witness to the event. The Death Eaters cheering their leader's triumph while the people who had followed you into battle cried out in horror and fear. You catch sight of your best friends, Ron and Hermione, from the corner of your eyes as your vision starts to fade, they're both shouting something you can't hear. You don't feel any pain when your body hits the ground, but you know that you've made contact and your field of vision fixates on the sky.

It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining and illuminating everything for all to see while there are only a few small clouds in the sky. Your eyes lock on to the sun, the orb of fire shining in such a grossly incandescent manner that you can't help but be jealous of it.

Your vision blackens to such a degree that all you can see is a circle of fire, and then even that is gone…

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"Are you just going to leave it like this?"

The voice that speaks is familiar to you, causing you to open your eyes and glance around, taking in the dilapidated ruins around you. It is dark with the exception of the embers of a fire and some rays of light filtering in through cracks in the masonry, and there is only one other person with you.

She sits with her form shrouded in shadow, only the crown obscuring her eyes gleaming in the dying light. Her hair was a pale dishwater blonde, and despite being unable
to see her face properly, you know that she's incredibly beautiful in an ethereal sort of way.

You know this woman.

You push yourself to your feet, and casually dust the ash and dust from your clothing. You give her a warm smile as you reply, "I can't."

She seems to consider your words before turning her head to the only entrance.

"To think that you would choose one side over the other after all your experiences, and all the work you put into freeing the world from the grips of Light and Dark, Fire and Ice."

You shake your head even as you hear rapid footsteps approaching the room, kneeling down by the embers and scooping some into a palm. The retort comes easy to you, "It wasn't about a side, it was about survival. But I think my head has cleared, thank you again for everything."

"It was of no consequence, I only did as was my responsibility." Her sniff is disdainful as she refuses to turn to you.

You chuckle even as you feel a tugging in your chest, pulling you away from this place, "I think it was, seeing as death freed you from those constraints."

You don't hear the woman's reply as your body crumbles to ash, but you do hear a voice calling your name.

The last thing you feel before you fully disappear is the dull warmth of the ember in your hand.

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Your eyes snap open, only moments having passed since you died for the first time again.

The ember thrums in your hand.

You stand, ignoring the reactions of everyone around you even as Voldemort whirls around to face you.

You crush the ember.

And once more, you burn.

The wand in your hand flicks out, causing a conjured snake to intercept a green beam of light that Voldemort launches at you.

Ash and cinder falls from your body, sprinkling the ground as you stride forward.

You hear shouts of terror, calling you a monster and other such things.

They are (not) wrong.

In a burst of speed, you've crossed the courtyard and are snatching the the Sword of Gryffindor from Neville's hands while you inadvertently grind Nagini's corpse into the ground. The sword is light in your hand, but you still know how to use it properly. You are already moving even as everyone tries to register your movements, them readying spells as you charge Voldemort. You slip your wand into your pocket, and pull your hand back, a silent prayer causing a bolt of lightning to erupt into existence in your empty hand.

You can hear people expressing confusion and awe at the sight of the lightning spear, but you don't care and instead throw the crackling bolt of energy at your foe. He swivels out of the way, allowing the spear to fly by him and kill one of his followers.

You are burning and it is good.

You swing the sword underhand, the tip dragging along the ground for a brief moment and producing a cacophony of sound before it comes up and cuts through the supposed Dark Lord's arm.

You nearly laugh at that thought. Voldemort knows nothing of what it means to be a Dark Lord, he seeks not to lead the whole of humanity nor does he seek to extinguish all light.

You hear him scream in pain and you take the opening it presents, the Sword of Gryffindor somehow managing to sever his head in a single stroke.

Even as the crowd around you falls into chaos, you look to the sun, wondering why you've been reincarnated into the world.

What need does the world have for you?

You, who are Unkindled.

You, who are a Lord of Cinder.

You, who won the right to decide the fate of the world.

You, who destroyed the cycle of Light and Dark.

You are Harry Potter, and now you are lost.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Name: Harry Potter
Title(s): Boy Who Lived, Man Who Won, Lord of Cinder, Unkindled, Destroyer of the Cycle
Starting class: Deprived

HP: 572
MP: 238
Stamina: 359
VIT: 35
ATT: 35
END: 35
STR: 35
DEX: 35
RES: 35
INT: 35
FAI: 35

Miracles on Hand: Great Lightning Spear, Force, Replenishment.

Notable Accomplishments:

Ended the War of Cinder and shattered the Cycle of Light and Dark that had consumed the world upon the advent of Fire, all while keeping the world from regressing to the gray lifeless world it once was.

Killed Lord Voldemort (Tom Marvolo Riddle) twice at the twin peaks of his power, as well as defeating him and his various plans throughout the years.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Will o' the Wisp 1

You are Harry Potter, and it's been a few months since you defeated Voldemort for the final time.

In the end, you've become alienated from the Wizarding World due to the fact that non of them are able to really reconcile the you they knew with the Lord of Cinder who stood up after taking a Killing Curse to the chest. And even though the war ended, there's still a number of Voldemort's followers out in the world, either on the run from the law or trying to continue their own guerrilla war. You've participated in the capture of more than a few, but it didn't really change the peoples' opinions of you, they're still terrified of you.

In the end, you're faced with a decision.

Will you leave the Wizarding World to work itself out, while you do some soul searching?

Or will you try and help settle the society that has both given you so much and taken so much from you?

Even if you went out into the world, what would you do there?

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Will o' the Wisp 2

[X] Leave the Wizarding World…
[X] Try and find any relatives out in the world

In the end, this seemed to be the only choice.

As much as you wanted to be there for the Weasleys, Hermione, Hagrid, and all the others, things were just too tense for you in the Wizarding World. As much as you wanted to help them mop up the remaining Death Eaters, but the mistrust and veiled fear in the eyes of the people around you eventually led to your leaving them.

The relationship you had with Ginny… well, you ended it before you decided to go hunting for Voldemort's Horcruxes, and in the wake of the reveal of your nature as a Lord of Cinder, you two had never really reconnected. It's not that you didn't care about her, it's just that with the circumstances you found yourself in, you were never comfortable enough to attempt to restart the relationship.

You leave quietly, not bringing too much attention to your departure, only making certain to smooth things over with Gringotts while ensuring that you'd have the money to do what ever you needed during your search.

You'd need to find the Dursleys and see if they had any information on possible relatives… that'll be a blast…

You think about the world that was outside the Wizarding World, it was…

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A world where the strong were exalted, and evils hiding in the shadows sought to dominate (Street Fighter/Darkstalkers)

A world that seems peaceful, but there's something under the surface, masked by the seeming normalcy (New World of Darkness)

A world where wielders of odd powers had come forth, taking the world by storm (Marvel)

A world that has made a connection with another, albeit only through somewhat tenuous means (Akamatsuverse)

A world where there's also a connection with another, but it's quite distant and only felt through certain people (Digimon)

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Will o' the Wisp 3

[X] A world that has made a connection to another only through somewhat tenuous means

You sigh out your nose as you sit in the mid-summer evening, waiting for your taxi to arrive to take you to your hotel.

You had spent an afternoon visiting with the Dursleys, talking with them about any possible relatives that you may or may not have. Petunia and Vernon had been more than happy to comply, giving you a lead on a possible relative that you intended to follow up on.

Even if you have to fly to Japan… That's going to be hellish, considering that you'd need to learn an entirely new language, not based on any language you're already familiar with. But, in the end, it might help you find something to at least occupy your time until you figure out how you're going to spend the rest of your life.

Or it'll be a momentary distraction and she'll slam the door in your face. That'd be great.

On the upside, Dudley and you had gone down to a nearby pub and he told you about how the year had gone for him and his parents, while you gave him a brief overview of what the war with Voldemort had been like. The two of you had eaten some pub fare, thought about ordering some beer, and commiserated over what felt like year that went on forever.

In the end, he'd had to leave, apparently Dudley had found a young lady who was not averse to his advances and had a date set for later in the evening.

You pull out the slip of paper with the information on this supposed relative that Petunia gave you and look at the name at the top, wondering what they're like…

As sun sinks below the horizon, you wonder what sort of person Shizuna Minamoto is.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Will o' the Wisp 4

[X] Contact Shizuna
-[X] Via mail

[X] start learning Japanese
-[X] ask Hermione if she knows of a magical way to make learning new languages easier, or possibly a translation spell for emergencies

It takes a few days for you to properly put your thoughts down on paper, make sure that they actually form a proper introductory letter, and that the message itself didn't come off as too weird or disturbed. When you're finally satisfied with what you've crafted together, you slide the letter into an envelope that you'd purchased and realize that you don't know if the address you have is correct nor a way to really check that fact. Grumbling under your breath as you realize that you're going to have to visit Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade so that you could use the post office at either of them, you take a moment to wish that this wasn't so difficult or that there was some tool to mitigate the difficulty of the situation.

You put the finished letter on top of the bedside table before you start preparing to head out for a while, preparing to visit Hermione at the Weasleys' home. Or at least, she should be there, considering that she had asked them if she could stay with them until she either got an apartment of her own or found her parents and undid the memory charms she put on them. Walking out of your room, down the stairs and out of the building, you find a deserted alley and throw up some notice-me-not charms and then twist on your heel, apparating away.

With a sharp crack, you reappear just outside the Weasleys' property in Ottery St Catchpole, and sigh out your nose as you steel yourself. Trekking up to the reconstructed Burrow, you peel away the notice-me-not charms and make sure that you're visible when you approach the building. Coming up to the front door, you give the door a nice solid knock. You hear Mrs Weasley call out that she was on her way, and try and ready yourself as the door swings open.

Molly Weasley is just as you remember her, a larger woman with red hair and kind features, and when she sees you her eyes light up as she exclaims, "Harry! Why didn't you tell us you were coming to visit?"

"Well, I never got another owl after what happened to Hedwig, and I don't know how to use a Patronus to send messages. Sorry for dropping in so suddenly." You reply, feeling a bit of a sting at the thought of the death of one of your oldest friends, even if she was an owl.

The older woman shakes her head as she gestures for you to enter, "None of that now, Harry. Come in and have some tea."

"If it's not too much trouble…" You trail off as you entered the building, following her in to the kitchen and sitting down at the table.

As she goes about readying the tea, Molly asks, "So what brought on this visit, Harry? No one's seen you in the past while…"

"Trying to find a place in the world, I guess," you answer after a moments thought, and then continue, "with how people have been looking at me, I figured I might look outside of England for at least the foreseeable future."

"Is that so?" She replies as she takes a seat of her own, the various pieces of animated kitchenware clanking behind her as they went about preparing the tea.

You nod, not really thinking about it as you respond, "Yeah, I've found a distant relative, so I figured I'd get in contact with her. Only issue is, I don't know a lick of Japanese and I can't say for sure if she knows any English."

"I can see how that would complicate things." Molly answered as she twisted in her seat and flicked her wand at the know whistling kettle, causing it to lift off the element and pour some boiling water into a tea pot.

You shrug, "It's a dilemma, but it's also why I came to visit, to see if Hermione knew of any spells or anything that could help with learning a new language."

The Weasley matriarch blinked, considered that for a moment and then answered, "That would make sense. I'm not too sure of anything, but Hermione should be back soon, and you can also ask Arthur if he knows anything, I remember Percy mentioning that Barty Crouch knew over two hundred language."

You're a bit surprised by Mrs Weasley's attitude, you'd thought that she might be more uncomfortable around you, but she seems to be mostly the same as you remember her being. The two of you continue to chat, mostly just making small talk while you wait for Hermione to return.

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When she finally does walk in, Molly quickly beckons her into the kitchen, where she pauses upon seeing you. You give her an awkward wave and say, "Hey Hermione…"

"Harry, what are you doing here?" She's honestly surprised as she asked that, as you hadn't had much contact with anyone in the Wizarding World so you can understand.
You shrug as you answer, "I need some help, in all honesty. I'll be out of your hair soon enough."

"Oh? Just information Harry? You don't usually look into things if you don't have a reason." Hermione laughed as she took her own seat, shaking her head.

You take a sip of the tea before you, swallowing your embarrassment over the fact that Hermione had seen right through you as you reply, "I found a relative who's a resident in a country where English isn't the first language. I figured I should learn it if I'm going to try and connect with them."

"And you came to see if I knew any magical ways of learning other languages?" Hermione's definitely amused at this point, smiling at your embarrassment. She sobers slightly as she finishes her thought, "But I don't know of any, magic that has to do with the mind is always touchy, considering things like the Imperius curse."

You sigh out your nose at that, "And here I'd hoped that there would have been something that would help, I mean, it is magic."

"Sorry Harry, I can't help you in this case." She replied as she took a sip of her own tea.

You lapse into silence for a bit, both of you not feeling up to breaking it as you drink the tea that Mrs Weasley had put out. When you finish your cup, you move to stand up from the table, but Hermione speaks up, causing you to pause.

"Harry, I'm sorry for what's been happening… it's just, you've changed since whatever happened when you defeated Voldemort. What… what happened to you during those moments?"

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Will o' the Wisp 5

[X] "There are mysteries in the world best left undisturbed. Have a good day, Hermoine, Mrs. Weasley."
[X] Hogsmeade

"There are mysteries in the world best left undisturbed, and I think that whatever caused me to come back from the dead is one of those mysteries." You answer as you move to the door, and then call out, "I'm heading out, have a good day, Hermione, Mrs Weasley."

You hear Mrs Weasley call out a goodbye as you walk out even as Hermione tries to slow you down with words.

"Harry! Harry, please, this might help people understand what happened!"

The words bear no weight to you as you turn on your heel, reappearing in the alleyway across from your hotel. Noting that there was still time in the day, you decide that you may as well get that letter sent. Striding into the hotel and up to your room, you grab the letter and put it in your pocket. Spinning on your heel, you head back down, nodding to the receptionist on your way out the door. Once you're a distance from anyone, you apparate away to Hogsmeade.

With the usual crack, you appear outside the Three Broomsticks and make your way down to the post office. Walking inside, you give the startled clerk a nod as you ask, "I need to send a letter to Japan, how much will it cost me?"

"A-a galleon and three sickles, Mr Potter." The clerk answered, watching you as you nod and pull out the letter and the money he'd asked for. Handing them over to the man, you watch as he tucks the money in the till and then bustles over to one of the owls and gives it the letter. Watching the bird fly out of the open window, you feel an odd sort of hope welling in your chest.

Perhaps you're starting to find your way…

You can't help but wonder how you'll spend your time until you receive a reply…

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Interlude - Those Who Refused

He hears the voice of a girl, one of his many eyes rolling to stare at the duo standing before him. As it takes in the twins standing before him, the instincts of his blasted body felt something akin to paternal affection for them. But him, the one trapped inside, he hated them with an intensity as great as an arctic blizzard.

His body is a twisted, corrupted hulk that is incapable of moving, and even if the corruption has taken control of the body, the small shard of him that remained kept it from moving and terrorizing the world. So many beings looked to him as a father, a patriarch, and a ruler, but if this small shard had been whole, it would have spat upon their ideals.

It could see the one that they called a mother, locked behind an ice that stung in such a familiar manner, and the thing itself was seemingly made of flame. He hated it.

Hated it. Hated it. Hated it. Hates it. Hates it. Hates it. Hate. Hate. Hate Hate Hate HateHateHatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehathetahetahatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehathetahetahetahatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehate.

That shard of a once great being hated all it could, and that hate sustained it from time immemorial.

He would turn his hate into a weapon, a tool to strike himself down.

He would not shatter any further than he already had.

He would kill what he had become.

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He had watched, and watched, and watched.

Always observing, never interfering or trying to change things.

He witnessed the rise of a number of very different schools of magic, where the Soul Arts, Pyromancies, Miracles, and Hexes were the only options.

He saw empires, kingdoms, and nations rise and fall by time or the hands of mortals.

He documented it all in his own mind, now lacking any means of putting it to record, but never forgot a thing.

There were those who called him a god and tried to worship him, his immortal existence only encouraging them despite his own thoughts.

And so he had sunk out of sight of everyone, bidding the earth to be his eyes and the wind his ears, watching and listening for any changes to the world.

Time passed, as was its wont, and he heard whispers amongst a community of magic wielders.

Someone had defied death.

Intrigued, and terrified of the possibility that the cycle might have returned, He kept a close eye on the subject for a while, but was happy to find that it didn't seem to be the case.

He had settled though, prepared for what was likely to be a typical century when not even two decades later did he hear about the same person doing the same thing again.
What did it mean?

Had someone attempted to recreate the First Sin?

Was this child the result of that?

Panicked thoughts whirled through his mind as he did what little he could to investigate, but the only one who seemed to truly know anything was the child himself, and he had made himself scarce.

This was not good, that there was someone continuously returning from death with no known mechanism. They're not a High Daylight Walker or a True Ancestor, a Demon, using Horcruxes, or done so through a method like he had…

He'd have to keep watch on this… variable…

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He had burned.

For so long he had burned.

But for even longer he hadn't.

His fire had faded.

He had become little more than cinder, just like the one before him.

His body was weary, worn, and hollow.

He looked up.

It was dark.

There was no light, no sun, in sight.

It was dark…

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Spark 1

[X] Learn Japanese through
- [X] Mail a letter/Speak to Arthur and Percy to ask if they have any suggestions, citing Mr. Crouch's knowledge of languages.
- [X] In the meantime, take a class. There's a teacher for everything so there should be a teacher for this.

Almost a year had passed since your visit to the Weasley's home and your first letter to Shizuna, and you'd started to exchange letters with the woman, learning more about her while sharing a more edited version of your life for the sake of keeping magic under wraps.

You'd ended up contacting Arthur and Percy Weasley to see what they knew about magics that had to do with languages, considering their experiences with Barty Crouch Senior. This turned up nothing unfortunately for you, turns out that Crouch was just a straight up Omniglot or something, which you would have loved to be with the advent of your foreign relative. You probably need a few more months of work before you'll be ready to actually visit Shizuna in Japan.

Outside of that, you'd rented out a flat outside of London but had started taking courses in Japanese at a small college in London, apparating to and from the city as a means of keeping your costs down. You'd lived a pretty simple existence, not doing too much out of your way, but you made sure to be social. There were a few people in your class that you occasionally went out for drinks or meals, but you kept them at an arms length just because magic was something of an insurmountable wall and your past was always difficult to talk about. You also flirted jokingly every now and then with your neighbour, a somewhat older woman who went by Ivy who seemed to find the whole thing more amusing than anything else.

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One oddity was the fact that during early Spring, you thought that you'd felt the presence of a Flame, more particularly the twisted Flame of Chaos, but you figure that you simply imagined it.

A few days later, you would read about the terrible tragedy that struck a small town in Wales, burning it to the ground and killing almost everyone. The only survivors being a pair of young people, who had been shuffled out of the public eye before their names could be turned over to the news groups.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Spark 2

[X] Investigate the burned down hamlet

Like you would be able to do anything else.

It took some creative apparition, and a good deal of hiking, but you managed to make it to the burnt out shell of a town around the early afternoon. As you surveyed the scene, you couldn't help but appreciate the juxtaposition of the fresh layer of snow against the charred remnants of the village, even if there had been a terrible tragedy a few days ago.

Inspecting the town, it seemed for the most part to be the site of a fire, but you can definitely see traces of combat of the magical variety here and there. Places where things had been petrified, making what used to be broken timber appear to be either shattered masonry or broken statues. There was also evidence that someone had been throwing lightning around, and someone had been throwing around some pretty big things.

But the most damning thing was the air of corruption wafting off the place.

It reminded you of what little experiences you had with the Flame of Chaos and the demons associated with it, only… diluted in some manner. Had the hamlet still been on fire and the flames spreading, you'd assume that you were actually dealing with the original Flame of Chaos but it seemed to more be a case of a derivative of it being used. Even if that's the case, it's still worrisome due to the fact that it meant that there was a Pyromancer or a group of Pyromancers out there powerful enough to burn down a village, at least one magic user capable of fighting on their level, that they apparently weren't too worried about casualties, and that someone had kept this quiet. Had it been the Ministry of Magic, there probably would have been Unspeakables or evidence of Unspeakables all over the place, trying to figure out the traces of the Flame in the area.

You'd dismissed the possibility of the Department of Mysteries being aware of the Ages of Fire and Dark or the magics, hexes, pyromancies, and miracles from those times as no one knew what a Lord of Cinder was and they were trying to puzzle out what you were, if their insistence on interviewing you after the battle meant anything.

You hadn't known whether to be relieved or disappointed by that piece of information.

But it still disconcerted you to know that there were apparently enough independent magic users that didn't belong to the Ministry of Magic to cover this up, especially given the fact that they hadn't intervened at all when Voldemort had returned, at least to your knowledge…

"You know, some people might consider it suspicious for someone to poke around a place like this."

Spinning around, your hand pulling a small, barely still burning, ember from the wreckage, you are greeted by the sight of a rather scruffy looking man in a suit. He was smiling, but you couldn't help but feel threatened, his posture was lax, but you eyed his pocketed hands warily. He looked to be a few years older than you, probably in his late twenties, and you could feel the power rolling off him in waves.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Spark 3

[X] Question his own motives
-[X] "Wouldn't that make you just as suspicious?"

Asking that question even as your hand tightens on the barely glowing ember in your palm, you make sure to keep your eyes on the mystery man. In turn, the man just laughs sheepishly at your question, but still manages to sound threatening as he replies, "Maybe, maybe, but I asked first, you know?"

"If we're playing that game, then I was in town first, so spit out your reasoning." You shoot back as you glower at the man, your hackles already raised from the scent of Chaos Flame.

The man shrugged even as he subtly shifted his posture, chuckling again, "Fair enough, I guess… The kid of… a friend of mine lived here, he was lucky enough to survive but his father made a few enemies, I figured that I'd check out what happened, see if I could figure out who it was so I could get them taken care of."

He didn't appear to be lying, but he was definitely hiding something, that was easy enough to tell. For your part, you answer, "I heard about what happened and decided to check it out, had a gut feeling that something was off about the whole thing."

"See, that wasn't too hard." The man laughed as he walked closer, seemingly deciding to trust you as he pulled a hand from his pockets and presenting it to you, "I'm Takahata, Takahata T. Takamichi, it's a pleasure to meet you."

You freeze at that.

Hadn't Shizuna mentioned a coworker by that name? There's no way it could be this guy, right? There's no way that guy this powerful would work as a teacher in Japan…

…Then again, Dumbledore had been a headmaster of a school.

You snap back to reality and notice that he's looking at you oddly, you should probably say something.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Spark 4

[X] Introduce yourself
-[X] Ask if he works with Shizuna

Feeling decidedly uncomfortable, you respond as best you can while reaching out to shake his offered hand, "I'm Harry Potter…"

"Nice to meet you, Harry." Takahata said as he clasped your hand, giving it a firm shake that you're sure would have had Uncle Vernon impressed and likely respecting the man before you (until he learned that Takahata was magical). The oppressive air around him seemed to have dissipated, the man apparently having decided to approve of you based on your willingness to shake his hand or some other unknown criteria.

Deciding to just spit out your question rather than bother waiting, you ask, "Takamichi, I know this'll sound weird… But do you work at a place called Mahora Academy?"

"Hm? How'd you know that?" Takamichi asked, pausing in pulling a pack of cigarettes from a pocket.

You bite back a laugh at the surprised look at his face, managing to sound only vaguely amused as you answer, "Shizuna told me about her "reliable coworker, Takamichi" in her letters. Imagine my surprise when I meet the very man himself in a burned down village in Wales."

Takahata, rather than being embarrassed, started laughing at that, "So then you're Minamoto-kun's long distance boyfriend!"

You actually stagger at that, all but shouting at the man, "She and I are related, it's not like that!"

"Cousins can get married in Japan, so you'd probably be more distantly related than some couples." The words that were coming from Takahata's mouth sounded so serious, but as you catch a glimpse of the smirk on his face, you understand that he's just jerking you around. A part of you really wants to dismiss him based off his attitude, but then he speaks up, "I'm curious though… Does Minamoto-kun know that you have magic?"

Your breath catches in your throat, the realization that this man was likely just playing around with you as a means to lower your guard nearly flooring you.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Spark 5

[X] Tell the Truth

"No. Does she know about you?"

You shoot back as he puts a cigarette between his lips and lights it up, causing him to hum a little around the cancer stick. He tilts his head a bit, thinking over the question for a moment before he answered, "Probably? It's hard to tell with Minamoto-kun, in all honesty. She's perceptive and she sometimes helps the Dean out with his work, and the Dean's a powerful mage by any measure."

"That doesn't help, like at all." You deadpan, making the other man laugh as he watched you react to that little tidbit.

Takahata turned away, scanning the area for a moment before speaking up, "I'm guessing you're curious about what happened to the village?"

"A bit."

He let out a puff of smoke and answered, "There was a demon attack on the village. Two people in the village survived, the kid I told you about and his cousin, everyone else was either killed or petrified."

You have to think about that for a moment, if they were just petrified like those who saw a distorted view of a basilisk's eyes, then why didn't they just brew the antidote using Mandrake root? Of course, they could mean the sort of petrification where they were literally turned to stone, in which case Mandrake root wouldn't help in the least.

You decide to clarify that before offering any potions, as that could end disastrously, "Petrified as in turned to stone, right? Rather than -how'd Hermione put it? Oh yeah- suspended animation?"

"Yeah, but only the wizardry types call suspended animation petrification…" As he said that, he paused, giving you a scrutinizing look while you wondered what he meant by wizardry types. A look of understanding came over Takahata's face as he said, "Now I remember why your name is familiar! You're that Harry Potter who's pretty big in the wizardry circles, small world…"

And now you really have to wonder about this guy… Is he playing with you, or just a bit of an airhead when not being entirely serious?

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Spark 6

[X] "Do we know why the demons attacked?"

While you would love to discuss whatever Takahata is talking about magic and the various types, demons are far more worrisome. The man's eyes hardened as he thought for a moment, probably deciding on whether or not to give you an answer before asking, "If any of Voldemort's followers had known where you were when you were growing up, what are the chances that they'd have attacked you or sent something to attack you?"

Considering that something like that had happened the summer before fifth year…

"They probably would have… Is that what happened here?" Given his question, that was probably exactly what happened, but the question then became one of who the target was…

The now grim faced man nodded, exhaling a puff of smoke as he sighed, "Yeah, you got it in one. Remember that kid I told you about? His father's a war hero, probably the biggest war hero the magical society I belong to has at this moment. He made enemies before, during, and after the war, but he disappeared so they went after the only available target they could find."

"That's a pretty heavy thing. But I'm kinda surprised that I hadn't heard about any wars, given the destruction here…" You reply, gesturing to the wreckage around you with a sweeping arm movement.

Even as Takahata's eyes get a distant look in them, he murmurs, "Your society of magic users, I don't know where they got their start, but ours seemed to have started from one being who managed to create an entire world, which we called Mundus Magicus. We have no idea as to how they did it, but we know that they created it as a means of escaping something. On that world, and a few places on this one, mages started appearing who used the magic that would eventually grow into the style we use today. But there were still wars, and one of the biggest was about fifteen years ago, when the Hellas Empire and the Megalomesembria Senate went to war and caught the kingdom of Ostia in the middle. The man I was talking about, he helped end the war, but not before it triggered the events that destroyed Ostia."

That brought up a few important questions.

Who was this mage who made this other world?

What were they running from?

You tune back into Takahata's words as he finishes, "That's why you didn't hear about the war, it happened on another world."

What a heavy discussion, in such a heavy place. You could do with a break from all of this… grimness.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Spark 7

[X] Converse about something with Takahata further?
-[X] You have just found your relative's coworker. Which means you obviously have to take advantage of this opportunity. He must be fluent in Japanese so ask for him to teach you and try to learn more about her. Mention that you want to surprise her when you visit her.

It took more than a few minutes for you and Takahata to get out of that funk, and once you had, neither of you really wanted to stick around in this burned out husk of a village. This led to you catching a ride with him to the nearest remaining village, where the two of you ended up catching a meal at the village pub, both of you trying out a local alcoholic brew. Both of you agreed that it wasn't great.

Now that everything had settled, you take advantage of the fact that you're talking to your relative's coworker to learn more about her.

She's apparently a hard worker, currently wasn't in a relationship (although more than a few people were interested in her), she seemed to be rather adept at keeping her private and personal lives separate as he wasn't to familiar with her life outside of work, and that she has a habit of mothering the students.

When you ask for some lessons in Japanese, he answers with a shake of his head, explaining that he just doesn't have the time to teach you on top of his other duties. You can accept that.

He also gave a laugh when you explained your reasoning, apparently finding that amusing, and giving him more fuel for his jokes in terms of your relationship with Shizuna.

The two of you part as the sun starts to set, Takahata driving away and you appearing back into your flat.

Ivy wasn't too pleased that you managed to make a sound like a gunshot in your flat, and had words for you. You managed to play it off as a sudden issue with your television set, but she was rather suspicious.

What a day…

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Interlude - Those Gone Ahead

"I'm surprised, I thought that Harry would have been in the manifestation of King's Cross Station…" The elderly, bearded man wondered as he looked about the ruins he'd arrived in, inspecting the place where he's fairly sure Harry Potter had ended up instead of the place that he'd been waiting in.

A voice spoke up from his side, a woman's, catching him by surprise from the shadows, "Then that proves how little you knew him. That man has a habit of defying expectations."

Dumbledore turned to the woman, taking in her appearance, from her eye obscuring crown to the body shrouding cloak wrapped around her shoulders. He did not know this woman, and she didn't look to be someone that Harry would have known given her appearance. Wearing his puzzlement plain on his face, he asked, "I'm sorry my dear, but might I ask as to how you know Mister Potter?"

"I am not your dear. If we are to talk of age, then I should tell you now that I am most definitely your senior. As for how I know the Ashen One… He accomplished feats I deemed impossible, I dare say that he might even have stolen what little I had that resembled a heart, but I never told him, even as I died in his arms." The woman answered, not finding Dumbledore to interesting and instead focusing more on her memories.

The wizard hummed, and then inquired, "Did you tell him that when he was here?"

The woman laughed, a scornful, derisive, and self-loathing bark tearing from her throat.

"No… It would only weigh him down and make him stumble in the face of his goals. And someone like me, who refuses to move on from her sins in life even after being absolved of them in death, I don't think it would work."

Dumbledore hummed again, and the murmured, "Perhaps so…"

{~}{~}​

A pause.

A beat.

The rhythm continues as it once did.

The Cycles of Fire and Dark have been broken.

The Stone Dragons shattered and dead.

A figure stands at the precipice of the land of the dead.

A pair of heterochromatic eyes blink, the only sign that their owner is not a statue.

Despite the passage of time, the one she's waiting for has yet to join her.

But even so, even in death, she still waits for her Sovereign.

"Bearer of the Curse…"

{~}{~}​

In a shrine hidden deep beneath the earth, hidden by nature and the passage of time itself, a being stirred.

Their body is well-formed and desirable, and would definitely turn more than a few heads, even if the owner wasn't a giant.

They look to where their lover had gone to sleep, only to find that they had passed on in their sleep.

They don't even feel a thing looking at the corpse, this had happened too often.

How many times had they jumped from lover to lover? From bed to bed?

How many times had they circled this world in search of peace?

When had they started feeling envious of those lovers who'd passed on?

Breathing deeply, they begin to prepare.

"It seems that I shall return to the world once more."

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 1

[X] Practice using our miracles and see what miracles we have at our disposal.
[X] Take up fencing/sword fighting if time allows.
[X] Timeskip…
-[X] Three months (You will be finishing your course around this time)

It's been three months since you met Takahata in the ruins of that village, and you feel that you've been pretty productive during that time.

You've done what you can to practice your miracles, making sure to keep out of the public eye, even if that meant appearing out into the wilderness for the sake of testing.

From what you've managed to ascertain, the miracles you can currently call upon are the Great Lightning Spear, Force, and Replenishment. It gives you a basic enough kit to work with, while also being versatile enough that they'll work well as a means of defending yourself without a wand.

You'd also taken up a fencing course, if only as an excuse to brush the rust off some of your sword skills. To really get back on track, you'd need proper access to a wide array of swords and other weapons in order to practice with all of them until you were truly comfortable with them. Transfiguring weapons, while it might do in a pinch, is not practical in the long run as they have a tendency to be of shoddy make and balance, as you were never a smith of any kind. Your neighbour Ivy was actually the instructor of the course, and she seemed to enjoy sparring with you, if only because your half-remembered skills made you one of the more skilled students in the class. You're also fairly sure that she hasn't been going full out, but you don't really have any way to prove that.

There's another student in the course who you've become somewhat closely acquainted with, a rather lovely woman by the name of Gwen, who was apparently taking the course as a means of staying in shape. You don't really believe that she needed to take the course to stay in shape, because her shape hasn't changed at all since she got here, and has remained a very lovely figure. To be perfectly honest, the woman can only be called drop dead gorgeous. She is full-figured and well formed, a desirable package that you've seen more than a few men and women take multiple looks at, with a certain air of untouchability and fire about her, making her seem all the more distant from the advances of others. There's also a certain of air of melancholy to her, but she doesn't seem to be willing to talk about her circumstances and you never pushed.

You've just recently finished your course, and you're fairly sure that you could hold your own in Japan, so that opens up that option. You have kept Shizuna appraised of your progress in learning the language, and from what you can gather from her letters, she's quite happy to hear that you're doing well. Takahata has appeared a few times over the months, either passing through after checking up on the kid, or to discuss theories on who sent the horde of demons after the kid (you still reckon that it was probably a government figure/group, but that's based of your own bias).

All in all, you think that you've spent these last few months rather well.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 2

[X] Write to Shizuna about possibly visiting
-[X] In the meantime spend more time at the Fencing class and read up on Blacksmithing.

Towards the end of your course, you'd started writing Shizuna about visiting soon, as you would be getting good enough at Japanese to survive the visit and, if you remembered correctly, that summer vacation was coming up for the school that she worked at. She had written back suggesting that you come a bit before that, as the school festival was going to be happening then, and it was apparently quite the event.

A later conversation with Takahata would confirm that Mahorafest is quite the bash.

Outside of that, you spent a good amount of time focusing on the fencing class, improving your skills with the thin blades beyond what skill you'd had with them in your previous life. While it feels good to be actually facing others in contests of skill with swords, it feels almost clinical to you, simply because your life's not on the line. You can't help but wonder how messed up you are, considering that tidbit about your mental state.

On the matter of blacksmithing, well, you picked up a few books on the subject but if you want anything more than rudimentary knowledge on the trade, you'd probably have to dedicate a year or so of dedicated study to master it. Still, the bit of studying that you've done has helped slightly, as well as mingled with your own knowledge of weapons, meaning that you can probably transfigure slightly better weapons.

You cast a glance at the books, and realize that you're sort of out of things to do. You went to your fencing class earlier, you read Shizuna's most recently letter, and you finished the books you'd gotten from the library.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 3

[X] Decide on when you'll head to Japan (this includes writing the response itself)
-[X] Mahorafest

[X] Resolve to give a more dedicated study in blacksmithing when we get back from our trip.

[X] Buy a gift for Shizuna, it would be rude not to.
-[X] Maybe a small cake? Vanilla should be fine.

After writing to Shizuna about your visiting her over the course of this Mahorafest (as well as a few days before and after the event), you start to make preparations for your trip. You first made sure to talk to your landlord about rent for then, as he would have been collecting it while you're outside the country. After that you let Ivy know that you'd be more than a few of your future fencing classes, but the stern woman had simply waved you off and told you to enjoy your trip. All that done, you set about packing and getting authorization from the Department of Portkey and Floo Travel for the creation and use of a pair of International Portkeys for your trip there and back.

There were a few times when you were tempted to go down to the Ministry in attempts to get your application expedited, but you decide not to, if only to spare yourself the drama that would accompany your visit. You're also fairly sure that someone in the department let slip that you'd made your application, as you'd received a few letters from people like Malfoy soon after you made put in your application, though you hadn't bothered to read them yet.

{~}{~}​

After making landfall in Japan, you hustled your luggage into the hotel room you'd reserved, and then asked the staff if they knew of a good bakery or cafe in the area where you could pick up a cake or other such pastries. They directed you to a small, family run bakery and cafe called the Midoriya where you were able to pick up a small selection of simple cake slices as a gift to give to Shizuna. You had originally thought to simply pick up an entire cake of one type, but the woman behind the counter had convinced you that individual slices generally made better gifts than entire cake of one type.

Upon finishing your business at the shop, you realize that you have a decision to make.

Do you head back to your hotel room and then visit Shizuna a bit later in the evening? Do you try and phone her and set a time to visit her? Do you just show up at her workplace?

Of course, even with all those choices, you're kind of astounded by the sheer richness of magic just free floating in the air in this place. Probably that stupid huge tree if you were to guess.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 4

[X] Try and Phone Shizuna

Deciding that it might be best to call ahead before jumping right in, you decide to try and find a payphone and if that doesn't work out, you'll hoof it back to your hotel room.

As you start on your way, it's impossible for you not to take note of the various attractions that have gone up for the sake of the festival that'll be starting soon. Strolling through the streets, and only obliquely taking note of the people passing by in their costumes and work clothes, you think that this festival is definitely going to be an amazing event. You have to dodge the occasional excited person, making sure to keep the cakes from sliding around too much in their packaging, and smile at the behaviour.

The boisterous air reminds you somewhat of the celebrations that sometimes occurred in Lüen Almar, the country that you'd lived in before dying and being reborn as an Unkindled, or perhaps of the festive air that had taken over Hogwarts during your fourth year (of course, you didn't really feel it after your name flew out of that thrice damned cup). Then again, most of your memories of those are celebrations for the return of a victorious army rather than a school celebration.

Of course, most of them didn't have rather powerful mages sprinkled here and there throughout the crowd, especially considering that most of these mages seem to be an order of magnitude stronger than the mages and pyromancers that you knew from that time. You could occasionally feel one or two of them pass by you, but you aren't sure as to whether or not they're paying attention to you.

Even as you continue your search, you can't help but occasionally stare at that enormous tree that outstrips the descendants of the Arch Trees that you saw during your life and undeath. Perhaps it's a throwback of some sort, or maybe even an Arch Tree that survived to this day and age, but you can't say for sure. You didn't manage to pass through the land that would eventually become Japan after ending the Cycle, but most places had either been ravaged by the loss of Fire or the encroachment of the Boreal Valley's climate, and were only just recovering when you passed through.

After what felt like an eternity, you finally managed to find and grab an unoccupied phone booth and plug in the number that Shizuna gave you, dialling the extension in as soon as you reach the electronic directory. Listening idly to the dial tone, you're not prepared when the call is answered by a woman's voice, and you almost forget all your time spent learning Japanese, "Hello, you've reached Minamoto Shizuna at Mahora Junior High School, may I ask who's calling?"

It takes you a moment to answer, but you manage to not butcher your first vocal introduction as you reply, "Hi Shizuna, it's Harry, Harry Potter."

"Harry-kun, when did you get in to town?" Shizuna asked, a hint of excitement slipping into her tone upon realizing your identity.

You yourself are quite looking forward to meeting her, so you factor that into your reply, "I got in about an hour ago, and spent most of my time getting set up in my hotel and exploring a little. You definitely weren't kidding about the size of Mahorafest, though. But I have to ask, when do you get off work? I want to at least meet up with you before the festival starts."

"Well, I should be finishing up in about an hour and a half, give or take twenty minutes…"

Taking the initiative, you suggest, "How about…

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 5

[X] …we meet up in front of the Academy?"

A few moments later, Shizuna replied, "That sounds good to me, I'll see you then."

"See you in a bit." You reply, listening for a second before hanging up the receiver and stepping out of the booth, back into the bustling crowd. Even as the people around you go on their ways, a few of them pausing to note your status as a foreigner, making you stand out somewhat from the crowd.

Considering what you've learned about the area and getting around, you can probably spare about an hour or so to do something before you have to meet up with Shizuna.

There's a veritable font of things to do, considering how close to the festival it is, meaning that most of the attractions are doing previews to boost attendance over the course of the event. You could also spend some time exploring, as it's unlikely that you'll be spending every moment with Shizuna, just so you can start spending time farther from your hotel without worrying about getting lost.

There's also the fact that as it is early summer, you should probably either drop the cakes off in your room, or charm the box to keep the slices fresh.

You step away from the crowd, moving to stand by the edge of the street and stretch slightly, turning your eyes up to the sun and smiling at the grossly incandescent celestial object.

It is a good day, the only question is how to spend the hour or so you have before your prior obligations come up.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 6

[X] Check out some of the attractions

Having come to that conclusion, you decide to poke around the festival a bit, see what sort of things the students and other groups had come up with for the event.

Ambling off in the general direction of the school, you figure that it's probably best that you're at least close enough to the Academy that if you get engrossed in something, it won't take you too long to get there.

{~}{~}​

You're actually sort of blown away by the various attractions that you seen put together, from the cafes and restaurants, to the things like fortunetelling booths (which you think might be as accurate as Trelawney on a good day) and shooting galleries. You've also seen flyers for what you're fairly sure is a Martial Arts tournament, which begs the question as to how people fit the entire event into a single day.
(Rolling for encounter, rolled 3. Not someone new)
As you meander about, you hear a familiar voice call your name, "Oi, Harry!"

Turning to the source, you catch sight of Takahata in his usual tan suit walking out of the crowd towards you. He has a somewhat surprised look on his face at the sight of you but he seems to be jovial enough, and you reply, "Hey Takamichi, how've you been?"

"Well enough I suppose, but then again, some problem kids have been acting up. It's pretty difficult being a teacher in charge of doling out punishments." The man laughed as he stepped into stride with you, and you note that a few of the students in the area were giving the man wary looks. He gives them a look, and sends a small wink at them, "But, it's good to see you. Have you talked to Minamoto-kun yet?"

"Yeah, I phoned her earlier and we're going to meet up when she gets off work. Picked up some cakes too." You heft the package up so he can see it, getting a whistle from him.

"Midoriya, eh? Yeah, they make some of the best cakes and stuff in the area."

The two of you spend a bit of time just wandering about and catching up, the older man pointing out a few attractions that he said looked promising. The two of you end up splitting up and you decide to make your way to the Academy.

{~}{~}​

As you make your way up the steps, you catch sight of a woman walking out the main entrance and she waves to you. You trot the rest of the way up, grinning a bit as you reach her and say, "It's good to finally meet you, Shizuna."

"It's good to meet you as well, Harry." She smiles at you.

It is definitely a good day.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Interlude - Those Left Behind

Eons ago, when the Cycles of Light and Dark were in their infancy, there was a great battle. One could not truly call it a war, for what war had only two participants and lasted less than an hour?

"Heretic! Dark-shrouded fiend!" Roared one figure, their voice and form androgynous and curious despite the bundles of snakes they had in place of legs. They swung their staff and unleashed a wave of glowing blue projectiles at their foe, rolling away from a blast of black flame.

The other figure, a slight person wrapped in layers waved their hand and wordlessly launched a swirling mass of Dark at the other figure. The orb of Dark drew in objects as it flew towards its target, even pulling in the projectiles of that the first had sent their way. The clothing and armour swaddled figure then replied with a muffled voice, "It was for the best. All things end. The sun rises…"

Just as they said that, the first one sent a blinding bolt of energy at them, but it was intercepted and swallowed by a wave of Dark summoned by a flick of a wrist. As the
Dark splashed into their opponent's abdomen and caused them to double over in pain, they continued, "…the sun sets."

"T-then, just as you said, the sun will rise once more and your reign of Dark shall end." The first shot back as they stood to their full height, launching another volley of crystals at the Dark Lord.

The other participant shrugged, bringing up a shield as they answered, "Of that, there is no doubt. But not by your feeble hands."

"You would stand in my way, even when the Children of Dark are starting to rise?" The first shot back, slithering away from their opponent as they threw a few daggers at their opponent.

The Dark Lord simply blocked with their shield again as they replied, "They are nothing compared to their father. His Pride already attempted to seduce and kill me. I dealt with that one handily."

"And you are so proud as to think that you will outlast them all?" The first sneered as the golden mask slipped from their face, revealing that their face was just as androgynous as their voice.

The Chosen Undead scoffed as they approached their opponent, "No, not as the Dark Lord. When the next Lord of Sunlight appears, I shall quietly shuffle away and hide in a hole somewhere. Besides…"

"Besides what?" The first questioned as they glared at the other.

The Dark Lord chuckled as they reached down and grabbed their opponent's face, "You won't be there to see it."

And unleashed a blast of Dark in their face.

{~}{~}​

Many eons in the future, but not so many as to reach the present, in a fortress of ice and silence, a Child of Dark sat in contemplation.

It had been many years since the Bearer of the Curse had passed through, striking down her love and quelling the Flame of Chaos. And as much as she wanted to stay in thought, the slapping of bare feet on the marble floors of Eleum Loyce brought her to the present. The stench of festering, stagnant Dark preceded her guest's approach even as she strode into throne room, revealing her to be an eerily pale woman with white hair and crimson eyes, with creatures shaped from Dark following at her heels.

Standing from her throne and walking to the balcony, Alsanna spoke, "What brings you here, to my domain?"

"Ah, such a… cold greeting, have you tempered your fear into something stronger, dear sister?" The Child of Dark asked as she paused below the balcony, staring up at her sister even as her creations sniffed about the room.

The Queen narrowed her eyes as she replied, "Nothing that is any business of yours. Now I'll repeat my question, what has brought you to my kingdom?"

"Your kingdom indeed. I have come to seek your aid in my own endeavours, to fulfill our father's dying will." The visitor sniffed, disdainful over the state of Eleum Loyce even when speaking to its queen.

Alsanna, either unmindful of her sister's actions or uncaring, ignored that as she answered, "Our father's dying will was one of fearing death. By his will, I and mine shall live on, take your crusade elsewhere."

"You would deny our father his vengeance?" The visitor hissed, her creatures growling and baying as the Dark swelled behind her back, her fingers flexing like claws as she glared at her sister.

There was a tinkling sound as ice formed and crushed the various creatures of Dark, the Queen of Fear having stood to her full height as she replied, "I would deny you, who would live only for the vengeance of a dead man. I will live so that his will might continue to live."

"Humph, what foolishness." The visitor huffed as she turned on her heel and melted into the Dark.

Watching her sister leave, Alsanna let the tension drain from her body before returning to her throne and leaning back into it. Her hand came up to her stomach as she murmured, "I can only hope that you and your future families will live without my fear and without getting dragged into her vengeance, my snowflakes…"

{~}{~}​

A knight sighs as he stares at the shrine, hoping for the ritual to finish and the Fire be linked.

For so long the world had been in decay, and soon it would be healed.

Light filled the windows as hope filled the knight's heart, even as he ignored the figure standing on the roof of the building.

When flames burst from the roof, and then from the cracks rapidly spreading across the whole building, the knight begins to worry.

When the building explodes outwards, flames roaring and surging out from the wreckage, the knight manages a single sentence, "This is quite the pickle…"

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 7

[X] See what she wants to do
-[X] Ask if she wants to drop off the cakes at her place.

"Personally, I haven't really thought of what we could do… do you have any ideas?" You ask, shifting bit as you feel the weight of the surprising number of people watching you. Subtly looking about, you notice a rather large number of teenage girls watching from the windows of the school with varying expressions ranging from curiosity to hunger.

Shizuna for her part seemed to either be practiced in ignoring the looks from the girls or just straight up didn't notice them, instead pondered for a moment before answering, "Well, I know of a few restaurants and cafes in the area that are pretty nice, unless you'd prefer to go drinking somewhere…"

"I'm happy with whatever you think is best," You reply, deciding that jumping straight to drinking might not be the best idea.

She gave a hum and a nod at that, deciding, "Then, I know of a pretty nice restaurant in the area that serves both Western food and Japanese food, does that sound good to you?"

"It sounds great to me, but, uh, what should we do with these?" Hefting up the container in your hand, you let her catch sight of the gift you bought.

Blinking at the container for a moment, Shizuna smiles a bit as she plucks the proffered gift from your grip, noting the name on the packaging as replies, "Midoriya? Hmm, it would be best if I dropped these off at my place, would you mind if we stopped for a moment at my place?"

"Not at all, shall we?" You reply, nodding away from the school and towards the city itself.

"We shall." Laughing lightly, Shizuna starts on her way down the steps, making you jog a bit to catch up.

{~}{~}​

After finishing dinner, you having tried some Japanese food while Shizuna chuckled at your reactions to the new flavours and ate her own meal (after teaching you how to properly use chopsticks and the etiquette), the two of you simply sticking to water for the evening, the both of you stepped out into the evening air. It wasn't quiet like one might expect, it was loud and boisterous, the people all incredibly pumped up over the approaching festival.

There hadn't been much talking done over dinner, mostly just small talk about the festival preparations and your 'flight' over, the both of you saving deeper topics for later.

At this point, with the warm spring air filling your lungs, you're left with a choice.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 8

[X] Ask if Shizuna wants you to accompany her back to her place

"You want me to walk with you?"

"Pardon?" Shizuna turns to look at you, almost about to head out.

"Do you want me to walk with you back to your place?" You ask, still feeling a bit unsure.

Thinking for a few moments, she nods, and you notice a slight blush on her cheeks as she answers, "Sure, you can help me with those cakes brought as well. Stay calm, he only has a year's experience with the language, he probably has no idea what that sounds like…"

Walking with Shizuna back to her apartment, the two of you get to enjoy the boisterousness of the preparations as you walk, even if Shizuna seems slightly flustered which makes you wonder if she's feeling alright. A number of teens also greet Shizuna, apparently being students that she's familiar enough with for them to be comfortable to approach her outside the school. You just find the atmosphere familiar to that of Hogwarts in full festive swing, everyone bustling hither and thither, calling out raucously and just enjoying themselves.
(Rolling, rolled 89. Who's ready for our hero to take a hit to the feels?)
You almost convince yourself that you didn't hear someone call out that name, that your ears were just playing a cruel trick on you. When you hear the name called again, you have to focus all your willpower just to keep walking without faltering, to keep from shaking from the pain that welled up inside. The third time the name is called, you nearly choke on your own breath.

"Anri~!"

A group of girls meet up with their friend, you can see them from the corner of your eye. You assume that the one they'd been calling out to had been lost in the crowd or in some way separated from the group

A part of you wishes that it could be that easy for you.

Your eyes trace over the girls for a moment, just for the sake of making sure that none of them resemble the Anri you once knew. Despite their dark hair, none of them had the same sort of smoky black that Anri's had been, nor were any of their eyes the same warm gold.

You can't stop thinking of Anri as you walk with Shizuna, only vaguely listening for any thing she might say and answering noncommittally. You had a lot of questions about what had happened to the woman from Astora, whether she'd survived the unleashing of the Flame, what might have become of her if she had survived, and if she'd ended up reincarnating like you. It was that lack of closure that had been the nail in the coffin for Ginny, when she'd realized that neither you nor she were in a relationship where the two of you would be truly happy, and prompted her to confront you with that realization. You and Ginny had broken up shortly after that, but it wasn't the blowout that apparently a number of your fellows had been hoping for, and a part of you had wanted to stomp them a collective new one for that.

Perhaps you'd find some information in this life…

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Arriving at Shizuna's apartment, she invites you in to have some tea and to try the cakes you brought. You don't see anything overtly magic, and due to the sheer amount of magic in the air, you're unable to tell as to whether o not she's just hiding evidence of being magical, so you decide to be careful in regards to those parts of your life.

The tea is pretty good and the cakes prove to be delicious, which helps buoy your spirits, even if you are still a bit out of sorts. As the two of you idly chat, Shizuna brings up a subject you'd been expecting when she asks, "So why did you end up seeking me out? You mentioned an aunt and some other extended family…"

"Well, it was more because I was a bit lost when I graduated school and wanted to just sort of get away from what I knew, I thought it might be interesting to see if I had any family beyond the Dursleys. And the truth is, I don't really get on with my aunt and uncle, my cousin Dudley is alright though." You reply as you set your teacup down, deciding that just springing that you're what amounts to a war hero from a cut off magical society might be a bit much, so you bend the truth slightly.

She hums at that, thinking for a moment before speaking up again, "Ah, I understand what you mean, neither my mother or I get along with her family."

A silence settled on the two of you for a few moments, both of you content to sip your tea and enjoy the cake. The two of you end up deciding to break for the evening, and Shizuna sees you off at the door, giving you a happy wave as you set out.

You end up outside, surprised to hear at least a few loud parties still going, as you're rather sure that there's still a few days before the festival proper begins.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 9

[X] Stay out for a bit longer, maybe enjoy the nightlife

Yeah, the night's still young, you might as well enjoy it.

Choosing a direction, you start on your way, humming merrily under your breath at the sight of everyone around you feeling so jolly. Perhaps the full moon really does have an effect on people even if they aren't werewolves. It definitely gives a special air to the festival preparations, the bright celestial object likely encouraging the celebrants to enjoy themselves that much more.

But, the sight of the full moon is still a reminder of tragedy, of the fate of the corpse of Gwyndolin, devoured and desecrated by Aldrich. You still remember the gruesome task of dragging Aldrich to the throne set aside for him in Firelink Shrine, the top half of Gwyndolin's corpse draped over your shoulders. The image of the twisted mass of melted and pulped flesh that had been hidden by the golden mask that had been put on his face, it made you wonder what they'd looked like before whatever caused that injury.

Quashing those thoughts, you turn your eyes to the people around you, all of them cavorting and enjoying themselves. Some people are drinking, others are feasting, and others still are simply enjoying the company of those they're surrounded by.

It's a wondrous night.

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As the evening wore on, and the various parties and celebrations wound down, you found yourself trekking back to your hotel, down a lane with cherry blossoms planted down each side of the walkway. As you make your way down the lane, the hair on the back of your neck raise, you feel as if you're being watched.
(Rolling… rolled 37.)
Swivelling about, you see no one on the lane with you, nor do you see anyone in the windows of the buildings around you, or atop their roofs. Your eyes scan everything around you, analyzing every angle you could be attacked from, a skill you learned as an Unkindled and benefitted from (even if you didn't remember it) during your time running from the Death Eaters.

You turn to return to your hotel, only to freeze when a sound rings out, shattering the silence of the late night even as a pair of delicate looking yet powerful arms wrap around your shoulders.

"Now, what have we here? A pilgrim from the west? No, you're not something so simple. What's brought you to this neck of the woods then?"

The voice is throaty and sultry, and you feel the speaker's breath on your neck. From the corner of your eye you can see a bit of your assailant, golden blonde hair and porcelain skin, what looked to be a black cloak, and of course a pair of elongated canines in her mouth.

It seems you've been caught by a vampire.

This trip is quickly going off the rails.

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 10

[X] Try and talk
-[X] Be polite for now.
-[X] If she tries to attack us or drink our blood, use a Force Miracle and immediately run.
--[X] Try to find a crowd or group of people mingle with. She's less likely to attack us then.
---[X] Try to find Takahata; he may still be up. We could use some backup.
---[X] Failing that, try to find some of the other mages we sensed earlier

You subtly slip a hand into your pocket, grabbing the stick of wood you call a wand even as you try and keep from making overt movements. You swallow a bit of spit before you answer, "Honestly? I'm in town to visit a relative, not here to cause any problems or bring attention to you."
(Rolling, rolled 9)
"Hmm, well, you don't seem to be lying to me, but I have to ask…" She trailed off as her grip tightened around your shoulders, her body pressing up against your back as she angled her face to look at you better. She was beautiful, but your eyes didn't stray from the fangs in her mouth as she continued, "Is that your wand you're grabbing, or are you just happy to see me… Boy Who Lived?"

It takes a good amount of effort to keep from ripping the wand from your pocket and firing off a miracle at her when she called you that, but you figure that, given her features, she probably was European. It was also around that time that you realized she was talking to you in English, so you brush that off and reply, "I could say it's not my wand, but that would be a lie. Care to explain what you're doing on what I know to be the turf of a powerful mage?"

"Oh, which mage do you mean?" The vampire asked coyly, her eyes half lidded as she watched your for your reaction.

You keep your face as unreadable as you can as you reply, "Takahata Takamichi, and I've no doubt that he wouldn't be too happy if I ended up a dried out husk on his stomping grounds, if only because the clean up would cost him."

"Ho, so you know Takamichi then… never figured that would happen, different circles and all that…" The vampire muttered, her grip loosening slightly as her expression became a bit more calculating.

You shrug, noting that her grip on you is utterly unchanged despite the shift in your stance, and snort, "Well considering that you know who I am, then I'm sure you know that I seem to be unable to have anything even resembling normality in my life for too long."

The vampire chuckled at that, "Heh, cheeky brat. But, you're not necessarily wrong about me not wanting to cause trouble, so how about a deal? We meet up, oh say, second day of Mahorafest for lunch and talk a bit more about this whole situation, I know a pretty good restaurant~."

"Are you saying I wouldn't have to sweep your ashes up off the ground?" You reply, already considering the implications of the bargain.

The bloodsucker's grin stretched across her face, more akin to a baring of teeth than a smile as she answered, "Hardly, I'm far above the level of the vampires you learned of at Hogwarts."

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 11

[X] Deal

You look her in the eyes as best you can as you answer, "You have yourself a deal."

"Good, good. I'll see you there," She then rattled off the name and location of the restaurant, and let her arms unwind from around your shoulders as she stepped away from you. You roll your shoulders a bit as the weight is removed form them and hear her speak up, "Oh, and the reservation will be under McDowell, you got that?"

"Got it." You mumble that, not bothering to turn around as you hear the light tap of a step, and then everything is quiet. You take a few deep breathes, allowing the frustration of not only being caught, but also being coerced to the vampire's will, to surface. It feels like there is fire burning beneath your skin and you shake slightly and you can swear that you feel your skin cracking, but you quash it and the fire returns to embers. There's nothing you could have done in that situation to keep it from escalating, you rationalize, and had you simply done as you had in Lothric, you may very well have ended up dead.

You scan the area quickly, ascertaining that the vampire's no where to be found and deciding that perhaps you won't linger outside tonight, considering how much trouble you'd gotten into already.

You twist, and the world twists away, there's a muffled cracking sound, and you're in your hotel room.

You're tempted to go right to sleep, but there, sitting on your bed is a simple envelope. The writing on the envelope however, should be an impossibility, mostly due to the fact that you thought yourself likely to be the only living person with knowledge of the written language of Lords. The words on the envelope seem to bore into your eyes as you consider your choices.

To: The Ashen One

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What are your plans until Mahorafest?

[ ] Write In

 

[Lord Trent Blackmore]

Flicker 12

[X] Read It Now

You are so done right now.

You grab that letter and tear open the envelope, pulling out the paper inside and unfolding it. Your eyes scan over the paper, still caught somewhere between pissed off and disgruntled.

Ashen One,

You suck at being stealthy, you know? Seriously, you might want to work on that.

Keep those peepers popped~.

-A concerned relic.

What the hell.

What sort of asshole write's a letter as condescending as this? Secondly, who even wrote the bloody letter?

Sighing through your nose and resisting the very tempting urge to rip up the letter, you toss it onto the table in your room and decide to just turn in for the night. Changing into your sleepwear, you flop onto the bed and try and dig yourself under the covers, and only vaguely succeed.

You feel your conscious slip away, and in a way, your glad the day is over, if only to escape the cascade of bullshit at the end of it.

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What are your plans for Mahorafest?

[ ] Write In