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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 19:00:22 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 4, 2019 19:00:22 GMT -6
"Your damage is older." He explained and finished off his coffee, setting it to the side. "And you're an older vampire. I'm being cautious. I doubt you'll go through all seven." He'd be surprised if she made it past three, but he was determined to make certain this went right. Brandon's had went well, and there didn't seem to be any lasting side effects there. He was hopeful that Catherine's would go well too. He stood. "They're all willing. I gave them all a chance to back out and they chose to remain." He was careful on that too. They were all in good health, merely ready to go. So they were willing to die by bite. He didn't see the appeal himself.
Grigore took his spot near Tyrus and crossed his arms. "They won't go to waste. I haven't eaten yet tonight." He'd gladly feast on the remains, if there were any. "And don't worry about the mage. I'll redirect you to the...donors." the way he said the word made it clear he found the idea filthy, but if it would appease his daughter, he would allow it. They were all being terribly soft about the entire thing. Humans were food. Some especially worthy ones became fledglings. If you couldn't find one worthy, make your own dhampir and let them become worthy. It worked for him. Well, the older daughter was worthy. The younger one was useless.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 19:17:13 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 4, 2019 19:17:13 GMT -6
"I know that and would prefer not to be reminded of that.. but this seems excessive." She commented plainly, a bit put out by his mentioning of her age. If her mental arithmetic was right, that was roughly seventy pints between all of the donors. If they were to split it two ways it was still well over 30 pints, with perhaps even some left at the end. The idea of it still made her queasy just to think about. It was a think that had never sat well with her, but was perhaps in the end a product of her upbringing among the fae; where life was a sacred thing and from that stemmed the magic, something that you were encouraged to treat as sacred.
"Willing or unwilling, they're here now." Catherine added as she removed her coat and shoes before stepping into the circle. Both had been protection against the frigid night air. Despite what others thought, she could still feel the cold as keenly as others who were more human than she. "I'm not worried about the mage, Father. He agreed to this." She said turning to Grigore, trying to maintain her composure.
Taking a deep breath, she willed her mind to empty itself and remain calm in the fact that the previous night had been without issue.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 19:22:10 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 4, 2019 19:22:10 GMT -6
"Ready?" He waited for her concurrence before he began, the syllables falling from his tongue just as smoothly as they had the night before. Steadily, each rune lit up, surrounding her with a gentle glow as the magic began to grow and condense around Catherine. The chanting would continue for three minutes, though halfway through, Tyrus' eyes opened wide as he realized the magic was beginning to encompass him as well. He didn't dare stop though. This was an old ritual. Once begun it would end regardless of anyone's feeling in the matter.
It was best he keep chanting and directing the magic, though now he was working on directing it away from him as well. It wasn't working. Was it feeding off os both their connection tot he veil? It occurred to Tyrus rather suddenly that he hadn't accounted for that. He had accounted for himself of course. That was instinctual for everything he did, adjusting for his tie to the veil.
He had forgotten to account for Catherine.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 19:34:25 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 4, 2019 19:34:25 GMT -6
Initially the ritual began just like the night before, and the words were just as unintelligible too. Catherine could feel the magic coalescing around her, swirling through the runes in the circle. To begin with it had been warm, comforting even; but now it had begun to take on a more sinister tone. It was then that she realized that there was something wrong, and there was nothing she could do about it. Soon she was frozen by the white hot searing pain as the magic began to run its course, and it was certainly not what the mage had intended to begin with.
Screaming as the pain tore through her, Catherine resisted the urge to scream in pain, but failed miserably. As the spell unwound itself on her, fixing what the magic perceived as a deficit. It didn't take long before all control was lost and powerful magic began to leak from the circle, probing and curious to see what chaos it could create.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 19:40:06 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 4, 2019 19:40:06 GMT -6
Tyrus wrestled the magic to regain control of it, but was rapidly losing. He tried to tame it, eyes wide but couldn't, and it wasn't long before he gave up and pretense of trying to control it. He tried to ground it. The magic took to him like to a lightening rod and poured through him. He screamed in agony feeling something rip, change inside him. Desperate, he forced every ounce of his control to take over the magic engulfing the two of them and forcing it into the ground.
The ritual circle began to bloom with wildly out of season plants and Tyrus gasped as he continued to force the magic through him and to the ground. He would bleed this off. He could do this. He was a conduit for the magic and he let it pass through him and into the ground itself where it couldn't cause as much mischief.
Grigore took a step back, out of the magic and snarled, not liking how everything was changing rapidly. "Mage! Fix this or die!"
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 20:14:31 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 4, 2019 20:14:31 GMT -6
At this rate, the entirety of Mezar would wind up turned into a jungle; something that would no doubt garner the unwanted attention of many.
The plants bloomed and died in rapid succession several times over, before a darker and more destructive energy took control. They were now plunged deep within Catherine's own connection to the veil. Upon her birth, it appeared that the cosmos had aligned in such a manner as place her into the veil; allowing her to draw on a nearly inexhaustible source of magic. But every magic came at a price, with hers' being difficult to control at best and impossible at worst.
Pulled and buffeted about by the magic, Catherine felt as if she were to be torn in two. Her mind was everywhere and nowhere all at once, scattered far and wide across the veil's own span. For one with her particular psionic talents, it was fear incarnate. Visions of persons and places she had never seen flickered across her mind, threatening to overwhelm her and drown her in their depths. In a desperate attempt to end the pain, she reached out again and tried to regain control. Walling herself off from whatever horrors had invaded her mind was a difficult task alone, but attempting to bring the magic back into submission as well was herculean. But it was either do such or die.
Gasping and breathless as the pain continued to rip through her body, Catherine felt something in the course of the magic change. The tide was turning and it appeared to be in their favor, but now her only thought was how tired and unbearably hungry she was.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 20:22:00 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 4, 2019 20:22:00 GMT -6
Where were they? This was insanity and he forced himself to stopped trying to ground the magic, aware now only of a deep hunger. He was aware of the visions, uncomprehending of what was going on. What was he seeing? Desperate, Tyrus stopped grounding and forced himself to begin containing, to begin forcing the magic to behave once more. It felt like an eternity before they were free of whatever that had been. Too close to the veil. that was all he knew.
But he found himself on his knees at his ranch, a deep hunger in his belly the likes of which he had never had and with a sharpness to the night he hadn't had before. What happened? He licked his lips, paused, and ran his tongue over his teeth. Was that a fang? And why was it so noisy, like...the donors. They wouldn't shut up. He put his hands to his hand, holding it tightly and groaned. "Shut up. shut up!"
Grigore watched this, watched carefully to see if there was an end to the madness. The mage had changed, he realized and a delighted grin stole across his face as he realized exactly how the fool had managed to change himself. Oh this was entirely too perfect.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 20:41:34 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 4, 2019 20:41:34 GMT -6
There was only one thought on Catherine's mind as she staggered back onto her feet, and that was feeding. Exhausted and spent she moved to the edge of the circle, as if testing to see if it would release her. The magic was now gone, leaving now only rude lines carved into the dirt of the ranch. Grinning to herself with amusement, Catherine stepped over the lines and quickly found the donors. She would make the mage pay for his miscalculations later, but until then she could easily occupy herself with a meal or three.
Grabbing one donor, it wasn't long before she was lost seeking the sweet final beats of their heart. Soon she was onto another, eager to sate her hunger and slake her thirst with this next victim.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 20:48:27 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 4, 2019 20:48:27 GMT -6
Grigore hauled Tyrus to his feet, seeing his daughter didn't need him and grabbed him by the jaw, forcing his mouth open. He released Tyrus's jaw and pulled him over to one of the donors. Callously he shoved the mage into the human. "Eat. Take a bite. Drink deeply. You're feeling a hunger pang aren't you? Something tearing deep in your stomach that you know normal food won't quench?" He tilted the humans head to the side. "Bite. There. And don't make a mess of yourself."
What was he talking about? Tyrus was hungry yes, but he didn't need blood. The mage stared in horror, the quickly cast a spell, just verifying that this was clearly all in his head. He yelped and cast it twice more, just to be sure. "What. I'm a vampire! What the hell!" He hadn't been a vampire five minutes ago. He hadn't been one at all before the ritual. At least he still had his magic, but what kind of feedback had that been!
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 21:01:15 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 4, 2019 21:01:15 GMT -6
Tossing aside the fifth donor, she regarded Tyrus with an expression that was an equal mix of boredom, exhaustion, and annoyance. "I warned you." Catherine said bluntly. She could still reach the magic and hadn't seemed to suffer any ill effects from the feedback loop Tyrus had gotten them stuck in. "But apparently at some point decided that my concerns were invalid." She drawled wondering briefly if the hell had been worth it. Sure enough she had been made whole, but had the magic exacted it's price from Tyrus for her own selfish desires? Catherine wasn't certain.
"Did you enjoy touching the sun little mage? Because it seems to me that you forgot something."
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 21:07:38 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 4, 2019 21:07:38 GMT -6
"I shouldn't have. I could have sworn I had taken all the variables into account." He was so hungry. Was the hunger constant. "I can't believe. This should have just healed you! Even feedback shouldn't have resulted in turning me." He couldn't see where that was even a possibility. His hunger was growing and he eyed the donor uncertain. He had grown up seeing people feed of course. It was a bit different having to do it yourself. He wasn't quite sure where to begin.
Grigore didn't give him much more of a chance to dither, calmly slicing the donors neck to draw blood. Draw to the rivulet of blood it had drawn forth, Tyrus acted on instinct, drinking deeply until his meal dropped. The hunger had faded and he stepped away, very uncertain now. "At least...the shouting has stopped."
Grigore laughed. "Congratulations Catherine on your fledgling."
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Rituals
Nov 5, 2019 9:08:47 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Circe on Nov 5, 2019 9:08:47 GMT -6
Catherine wanted to strangle Tyrus, his thoughtlessness having nearly killed them both or at the very least rendered them insensate. But instead remained quiet and watched with disinterest as one of their group struggled with the new terms of their existence.
She said nothing to Grigore, but instead smiled wickedly at the mage's own misery. "Oh no, the voices do not stop on account of feeding." Catherine informed Tyrus. The voices would only stop when he learned to shield himself and it became an unthinking act. "My father's or perhaps I should say mine now... produces telepaths and others with powers of the mind." She explained as she moved closer to where Tyrus stood.
The magic often worked in ways that had never been intended, sometimes drawing out one's own covert and deeply hidden desires. Tonight's ritual had seen fit to restore what had not been there before. For Catherine it had been much more than just her fangs; the ritual had changed her for what it believed was the better of two halves, the vampire. For Tyrus, it was a complete change altogether patterned off the only vampire in the ritual, Catherine who was in her own right a daughter of the first's lineage.
"Consider yourself lucky, blessed even. You really didn't loose anything." Nor had she, her own connection to the veil was still as strong as ever and the magic was still there waiting for it's mistress to call on it.
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Rituals
Nov 5, 2019 12:29:00 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 5, 2019 12:29:00 GMT -6
"Oh no, I'm incredibly lucky. I could have died." In a way he had, but not permanently, apparently. He toed his dead meal with his boot and frowned. "I know exactly how lucky I am. Magic has nearly killed me a great many times." some time he had survived only thanks to having a healer on standby for a particularly dangerous spell. He poked at his fangs with a thumb and frowned again. This was...not exactly something he had ever planned on. Especially after his parents passed away. He had been quite certain that with them gone, the idea of him being a vampire was going to be passed over entirely. And now he was a vampire.
It took half a second for the political ramifications in the court to hit him. He dropped his head in his hands and groaned then lifted his head again. "Congratulations on pulling the last of the old court literally into your lineage. I'm not calling you Sire." That was not happening. "Though I would love help figuring out how to shield my mind."
Grigore laughed. "Daughter, this has worked out perfectly." Tyrus would be dependent on them while he attempted to figure out mental shielding. He would also be a prince of the court and not merely a former prince without a court. As far as he was concerned, this was a better outcome than what he had hoped for. He could tell the difference in his daughter. Perhaps he had some use of her as a dhampir, but he coudl create more dhampirs. The ritual he had decided on was put off indefinitely now, in favor of his now full vampire child.
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Rituals
Nov 5, 2019 12:51:08 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Circe on Nov 5, 2019 12:51:08 GMT -6
"And you would have deserved it too." Catherine remarked crossing her arms over her chest. "I do not think congratulations are in order yet... you still have a great deal to learn."
She was sorely tempted to just leave him alone to figure it out himself, after all he has claimed many times to be vampire in everything but physically. But, it seemed that this punishment was more than enough to make the mage remorseful in his actions.
However, he was asking for help with something he didn't under for the first time in as long as she had known him. That alone gave Catherine reason not to give into the temptation of abandoning the mage to learn on his own.
Expression softening, she placed a hand on the other. "You have no need to call me sire, and I will help you.. but it isn't an easy thing to learn." Catherine explained. The gifts of her family were both a blessing and a curse at times, often more of a curse than anything else.
"But my father is right, this is the best outcome." He would have the full backing of the court, as well as that of the ruling family's. No longer would Tyrus be a prince in exile, without a home court. But instead a full blooded prince of the new court with the all rights and favors of it.
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Rituals
Nov 5, 2019 13:01:57 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 5, 2019 13:01:57 GMT -6
"I probably deserved it regardless, putting everyone there in danger like that." It was a foolish mistake and he should know better. That was what he got for not having someone look over his work as well. He needed more than just his PA. He needed a colleague, and finding one was difficult at best. He needed a second set of eyes to look over his work and the only ways he knew how to do that were to get married or to have an apprentice. And he really didn't have time for either.
He gave her an uncertain smile. "Thank you. I'll do my best to learn quickly. I'm...going to have to shift a lot of things to manage this." Could he be a vampire and be the administrator of Broadmoor? He wasn't at all sure it was possible, but he had no doubt he was going to give it a shot. The hours would just be a bit on the difficult side. He didn't actually trust his deputy to be able to step up, just yet. The woman was good, yes, but he didn't know if she was good enough.
He didn't know if his opinion on it mattered either. He was going to have to put most things on her shoulders now.
Grigore smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "You'll be introduced to the court once you are capable enough to not have a meltdown. Get to that state quickly." And preferably in that state without the aid of a magical tool. "Daughter, I leave your child in your capable hands." He turned and left and Tyrus wrinkled his nose.
"Still not so sure about the being your child bit."
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