In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
Post by Cecile Iris du Ange on Aug 31, 2020 3:50:40 GMT -5
Well it had to happen sooner or later, even if she worked hard to change up her appearance; the halo and glowing wings when she used her magic were a dead giveaway. But she hadn't assumed that they would track her down so quickly. Cornered off in a stone-laden town, she found herself in a dead end. Emphasis on the dead part. As she scurried down the alleyway to find a wall waiting for her, she turned around. The redhead faced with four men in dark cloaks with their faces obscured. They were all from the thieves' guild no doubt.
"So, I'm gonna guess the brass is still pretty mad about the whole 'leaving' thing?" She asked nervously while backing further into the corner, her grimoire at the ready.
"Listen here, runt. You had one job, heal our people when we got too hurt, take care of making sure nothing's out of place. Play with your golems and learn how to be of better help. Yet here you are, trying your hardest to spit in the face of our history by claiming YOU of all people. YOU! You think that YOU are going to be the greatest thief to ever grace this earth?" He was getting a little loud.
Turning her head down, she put on her melancholic mode, turning on a dime! "Forgive me my brashness. I'm not worthy to even consider saying such words of grandeur. Lest I find myself traipsed up higher and higher into tasks I could never hope to surmount. There is not even worth in attempting to forgive such audacit-" She was cut off by an axe of fire being thrown at her, narrowly avoiding it as it embedded itself into a wall.
"Oh, I see." She grinned and got that cocky look on her face again before drawing her grimoire. "Woe and upon thee I pray. For backed into a corner, the smallest of vermin find the strength to overcome adversity. Goliath before me ye be, and ye shall fall!" She exuded a mass of power, more of a bluff than anything. But the pale grey light that shot up from her person would be like a little signal beacon for anyone that was looking up around the town today!
"Well Vi, it would seem that we once again owe much to your calculations."
Bijou spoke in a low voice to her partner beside her. They were currently standing on the roof regarding the situation.
"And so our long vigil ends and our hunt begins, shall I do the honors? ----I'll leave any further watching to you."
"My Magic, My Magnificent Golden Parasol."
*Snap*
With a snap of her fingers, a golden parasol golem appeared, and grasping it, Bijou descended down to the opposite end of the alley like an evil Mary Poppins.
"Had you flies possessed the dragon fly's sense of humility, we could have avoided a long day or night of me pursuing you as you flittered about, you biting flies, but well, here we are, are we not?"
Closing her parasol, Bijou lazily swung it outward and released it, where the golem smashed into one of the hooded men and pinned him to the wall with an echoing slap. It was the one who had thrown the axe. As the rest of the brigands swung around, Bijou produced a second parasol and launched it with a flick of her wrist where it opened wide and knocked the remaining three over one another into a pile.
"That dragon fly---"
Bijou pointed at Cecile.
"---is now my dragon fly. This town, if you were ever so stupid to think that you belonged here, is not your town. That ground and that there wall, however, I will loan to you, be grateful... because, should you part with it, I will straight up murder you. Bijou coyly smiled. It was a shoddy veneer that failed to hide a cold anger that had been brewing over the course of the last few hours. A gang war was not in my itinerary, but I can't help but imagine it wouldn't take very long at all. Your move, buzzing insects."
Waiting a moment, Bijou motioned with her chin at Cecile.
"Come here dragon fly, I am picking you up off the curb like the poor friendless and abandoned thing you are. Surely you're grateful. It would be one thing to dirty my pretty boots stomping out the wheezy words of s***-eating flies, but your wings seem a little prettier. You seem like you would be a bit more willing to talk, yes? Because, as you are friendless, these men cannot be any friends of yours. It is flawless logic. Let's talk little dragon fly. I believe we may yet aid one another."
"Ph’nglui, Ph’nglui. In dove leads the way to rats scurrying in the dark. Trapped in a corner the dove takes flight and the cats find their prey."
Margaux grinned.
"The stygian circumference once again meets at the beginning and yet our journey continues on even after these rats have been caged by nothingness. I suppose I will have to show my hand... the stars will it and the dark whispers of other side call out to be fed..."
Margaux pointed to the girl with wings and a halo.
"You there, the one my partner has called dragon fly and that I shall call dove, lest you be torn asunder and thrown into the gaping maw of the other, I suggest you come with us and avoid escaping. You will be paramount to our mission. The numbers shift like light through a prism and yet the constant purple remains. The 12th color will be ours if we cage the bird until she may fly. You will come with us, and if you try to escape you will be destroyed. Simple enough? Though I suppose if you come willingly and answer our questions no harm will come to you. Hmm... let's be sure just in case... though."
Bending down, Margaux began drawing strange symbols that looked similar to a mathematical formula but also like squiggles, lines, and sharp angles.
"Yes, a radian of irrelevance and the infinite spiral. The formula never lies... Ph’nglui!"
Margaux stood up and brushed the dirt off her finger.
"It would seem there was truth in my assumption. No harm shall come to you as long as you follow our orders. Quite simple, no? What?"
Margaux turned to an area where no one was standing.
"No, I did the mathematics and they showed she wouldn't' need to come to harm unless we had to make her speak! Yes, yes of course I carried the one! Ph’nglui, Ph’nglui... who wouldn't carry the one! That's the most obvious part of the problem. Enough! Now you're just trying to rile me up. Stay quiet when I'm introducing myself! Ph’nglui!"
Post by Cecile Iris du Ange on Oct 7, 2020 4:31:12 GMT -5
Were there ever those so bold as to oppose they who were marked by the secretive and clandestine order of thieves globe-wide? If there were, they would be those whose magic stood out among the crowds, they who hailed from the four suit kingdoms, the Clover Kingdom being the number one suspect on the list. Should those who would be so brash as to brazenly declare war through violence, it was they with their own agenda. The few who stood away from the crowds, who defied the natural lay of the land. They who were confident enough to call themselves the villains of the story, and here two came, like saviors upon high.
Just as Cecile was attempting to bluff and make her getaway, from a lack of combat magic and no room for her legions of golems, she was saved. Albeit in a violent manner, but her former colleagues were more than welcome to a fresh beating and yeeting as the saying goes now.
Between the two of them, they could put on quite the interpretive dance show, or poetic justice crime dramas on the stage. That was until one of them drove a man's face into the wall and left the body to crumple. The moment that happened, they both referred to Cecile as a dragonfly and a dove. Which was she?!
Either way, she took the chance to scramble past the men and get over to the others. "Thank ya kindly, I'm tryin' ta get away from these cads. Bit of a..checkered past we got."
"Like hell we're gonna let you get away that easy! DO you have any idea what Boss Alistar is gonna do if we let you by? Tell the next higher up and we're toast! So, just do us a favor for old time's sake and let us kill you Cecile!" They shouted at her while trying to ready spells to charge them.
Of course, Cecile just exuded an aura unlike before. Golden light enwrapped by a cowl of grey before fading down into the darkest of blacks at her feet. Coming forth was a large creature made from two ornate rings of etched writing, its body wider than it was tall, and several eyes that looked about on its one face. The rings opened up and like limbs, they lashed out and knocked away the weapons of magic of her former colleagues.
Of course, whatever happened after that, Cecile would refuse to deal a killing blow. SHe wanted to be the greatest thief of all time, not the biggest murderer.
After that was all said and done, it was introductions time, and one of them said their name was...Villain?
"Oh, tis introductions ye need? Fare thee be warned, for in the presence you reside of she who has been cast from on high. She who will surmount the throne of the underbelly of the world and sit upon that hallowed throne of tartarus. The fallen angel, the herald of calamity for criminals. She who will be the Greatest Hood of Robins! Righting that which hath been pilfered! For she be me, Cecile Iris du Ange! Emissary of the Heavens!"
Bijou raised an eyebrow, looked at Vi, and once again returned her gaze to Cecile.
“As you say Dragonfly, now unless my ears deceive us these gibbering pillbugs…”
Bijou sighed as she put a hand to her forehead and shook her head.
“----Bugs may not speak but they *sure* do whine. Am I the idiot? Am I the idiot for expecting brainless subanimals to maybe take a hint?----”
Bijou’s eyes turned a cold glare.
“...these subanimal beings uttered a name… what was it… Alisdumb... perhaps...?”
Bijou crossed her arms.
"Now Dragonfly, is that the name of a leader or a subleader? Are they in the area? Who are these bugs that have taken such idiotic pains as to attempt to crawl at my feet? You seem quite important to them. Are you valuable? Are you a prize we can bait them with? Why are you leaving them there? You know that they will simply get back up and come for you again, yes? Are you some sort of sadist? To torture bugs so is quite cruel~ they said it themselves~ they can never ever return except on pains of cruel and terrible torture unless you hand yourself over to them~ Fufu~"
Bijou raised one open palm.
“So many troubling questions and so few answers. I am tired now. Why don’t you take over Vi?”
"Ph’nglui, Ph’nglui. Even dove's can cry so it seems. Emissary from the heavens, and yet also a thief. So a prince... or princess from on high. I see, I see. "
Margaux scratched her chin.
"Ph’nglui, Ph’nglui. Even dove's can cry so it seems. Emissary from the heavens, and yet also a thief. So a prince... or princess from on high. I see, I see. Well radiance, splendor, and grandeur matter little when confronted with the maw of nothing. Even the heaven's highest are but nothing to that which feeds, devours, and instills nothing. Not even the great spirits can stand before the great reduction... there are no negatives, not even shadows of what was once, only darkness and void. Not even your vaunted holy light can reach the pit, the well of nothingness is too deep to illuminate, to vast to notice even glory."
Pushing her thumb and pointer finger tightly, Margaux pulled them apart to create a marble-sized void rift that floated between her fingers. Grinning, she swept the rift quickly to the right capturing a fly that had been buzzing a heap of garbage. In an instant the fly was gone. Margaux chuckled.
"All obstacles will and shall be removed by the Black Calculus. The numerology of infinite absence... Ph’nglui."
Shaking her hand as if she had gotten something stuck to it, the small rift vanished.
"Very well, I've had enough of introductions. You've heard my name... I am Villain, she who will destroy this world and on it's ashes build a kingdom fit for a Queen.. Ph’nglui, Ph’nglui."
Margaux pointed to Bijou.
"And she is the one I have dubbed worthy of rule. As the calculation has forewarned, she will be the Queen in gold that sits about the throne of ashes and by her touch, the world will be made gold. She is the Dark Midas and through our partnership, this world, it's riches, it's secrets shall be ours. Not even the pitiful magic knights and their prized justice will save this kingdom..."
Suddenly Margaux stopped, looked to her right, and began speaking to thin air.
"What? I'm taking too long? No, no, no, exposition is important for a Villain. It sets the stage so the others understand the vileness. Yes, of course I know we have a job to do. No, I disagree, she must be made to understand. She will become one that whispers. The dove coos and the predator hunts the sound. The predator's must think us as dove's so they come hunting, only to find beasts to be served. Yes, yes. We shall get on with it."
With a sigh, Margaux turned back to Bijou.
"He says we should get moving. We'll use the dove as bait. Let her be as the light bug, send her out to shine with her radiance. They will allow her entrance and as the door is opened we shall sweep in. Remove what needs be removed, take what ought to be taken, and then do as we like with the dove. Though as the gibbering geometricals have surmised, we musn't harm her. At least unless the hand is forced, Ph’nglui."
Margux looked to Ceclie.
"You will take us back to whence you came. We have business with those you used to serve. After, we will decide what should be done. Ph’nglui, Ph’nglui, but make no mistake. There are but to options. Cooperation, or erasure...."
Post by Cecile Iris du Ange on Oct 31, 2020 3:19:58 GMT -5
"These girls are just as nutty as Cece!" Shouted one of the three, whose emerald spear was at the ready to fight.
"Yeah you think I don't know that? Just get in there and get ready for a fight!" Shouted their leader, the one with the fire spells to provide support to the others.
"Sir, can we really do this? they're all...pretty beastly." The nervous third one said, only to be rebuked for it.
"Can you do me a favor?" She asked while looking at Bijou and Margaux, "Can you not flat out kill them? And try to not hurt that third guy the most? He's actually a nice one among the group." She had a forlorn look on her face, even if they were thieves, sometimes the criminal life chose them instead of the other way around. That third guy with the sand magic was one such case.
"Enough! Die already!" Shouted the fire mage who lobbed a few good shots through the air, to which Cecile responded by making her move. She summoned a temporary golem that absorbed the blow, while she ran in. The spear was thrust at her, to which she moved to the left of, grabbing onto it with her bare hand and shoving the tip down while using the support of the grip on it to vault up and plant a knee to the emerald mage's face.
As she came through with that attack, she shoved off of the guy before grabbing that spear, and quickly whipping the fire mage across the forehead with the end of the spear before it shattered from not being in the grasp of the caster!
Say what you will about Cecile, but when you have no sort of magic to fight with, you learn to fight with your golems and by your own hands and with whatever weapons you grab.
"And yeah! Alistar is essentially a boss of the area, it's a whole hierarchy thing, I can explain later. Damon, you get the hell out of here before I change my mind!" She snapped at the sand mage, who used a structure spell to get himself out of the alley and onto the rooftops, leaving the other two for Bijou and Margaux to deal with while Cecile turned away from them and sighed.
"Why can't I ever just have a normal day without someone trying to stab me at least five times? I have the power of the angels but the devil's luck."
Bijou’s face twisted into extremely visible disgust at Cecile’s request. Bijou then slowly opened her umbrella and peaked out from behind it as she observed Cecile and her acrobatics in her battle with the thugs.
“You keep... bugs… as… a hobby...? Erm, on second, better, thought, Dragonfly, I’ll leave them to you, as I feel my finger may in fact slip and give them an erasure that would give my dear Villain here a run for her money. Consider this a trial as I support you from the wings, yes?”
Bijou made a gesture that invoked tiny clapping between her thumb and index finger.
“Yaaaay Dragonfly~ don’t die Dragonfly~ we may need you later Dragonfly~ fight like a commoner would~ use your teeth or something you funny animal~”
What Cecile would say next would puzzle Bijou causing her to lean over and whisper over the back of her hand to Margaux.
“Vi dear, she is mistaken, is she not? Do not demons have the best of luck? I thought that was very much their thing, I want to correct her but if I seem like a fool then I will be very cross. Then I will have to attempt to erase this block after all.”
As the fighting continued, Bijou hardly paid it any mind, dastardly brat as she was. Lightly pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger she began to think aloud.
“So if we subjugate this Allstar fellow then that may be one method, but is it the best one? It would be one thing to clear locusts from my fields for a day, but I would much rather find their nest and clear them all and well for good. Could he be turned perhaps? Do locusts eat locusts? I am now very very curious, hm hm, indeed, I should ask Dragonfly later. She keeps bugs after all as a strange and disgusting hobby…”
Leaving her umbrella at a hover in front of her, Bijou cupped her hands and shouted like a bell.
“Dragonfly~ Are you alive~? You said we would discuss the Allstar later but I would rather discuss him now. Where do we find the Allstar? I’m getting hungry...”
"Yes, indeed. Demons have quite the good luck, which is of course because a true demon creates their own luck... ph'nglui ph'nglui"
Margaux crossed her arms as she watched the others flail about taking notes of their movements, elements, and fighting styles.
"Well if all else fails, we could simply destroy all of them. Or give them the choice to follow us and install ourselves as the new head of the snake so to speak. I'm not sure how these new vectors would affect the seething dimensions of ordinant equations, but it shouldn't take long to add the newest variables. Either way, I'm sure we would benefit, and if the variables prove troublesome, they can always be culled... ph'nglui ph'nglui..."
Margaux began to tap her feet as she watched the fight. She raised her voice.
"I'm growing impatient, dove. Can you not see the urgency with which I have attested?! My brilliance must not be left waiting!"
With a humph, Margaux began to tap her foot faster.
Maybe this magic isn't meant for combat or perhaps the dove simply likes to toy with her prey. Whatever the case, the time this is taking is becoming quite agitating.
For Margaux, fights were typically over in an instant as her magic allowed her to throw people, items, and even landscapes into a dark void of nothingness basically erasing them from existence. As such, she had little time for games in a battle and believed that enemies should be disposed of quickly and with finesse. Finally, after several more minutes of watching, Margaux had, had enough.
"Very well, dove. If you intend to play with your food then I will take it away from you."
Stepping forward, Margaux produced her grimoire.
"I will do you one small favor... dove, and will not erase them completely. Still, lessons in power must be taught!"
Margaux held out her finger.
"Center times X zero Yellow Zero, Zeal Zero, and Stream."
From Margaux's finger a beam of otherworldy looking black fire sprouted forth. With a swipe of her finger, one of the enemy's legs was separated from his body. He fell to the ground instantly, unsure of what had just happened. With another swipe, Margaux's beam sliced through the second enemy's arm detaching it in an instant. Having dismembered two of the enemies Maragux released her spell.
"There you have it. A lesson has been taught but the lives are intact. I have even done them the small kindness of letting them keep their own limbs. It would be nothing for me to destroy them completely after all. Ah, and as requested your third friend has been spared an agonizing defeat, but make no mistake Dove. My kindness ends here..."
Margaux turned to her accomplice.
"Well, then Dark Midas. Now that, that has been handled I believe we can continue on with our mission. Hopefully, this hasn't been too droll for you."
Post by Cecile Iris du Ange on Feb 1, 2021 3:17:46 GMT -5
She sighed in a wave of exacerbation. Her mind had gone numb for a moment as she looked back over her shoulder at these two. They had such a weird concept of how to view people. Not to mention one of them just sort of deleted part of a man's limb.
Putting her hand up, she opened her mouth to say something. On second thought, however, Cecile remained silent and just looked on ahead at the men, along with the one she wanted to keep safe. What they saw was the aura of a devil. Even though she was a dark angel with the grey aura of wings behind her back, and the shattered halo that orbited her head, Cecile had the aura of a cursed creature to them.
Her grimoire at the ready to heal that imperceptible wound, only to close her grimoire and let her magical aura fade away.
"Just, leave now, okay?" She sent them on their way, before leaning back and speaking to them over her shoulder, "Tell The Bosses this for me though: Angel though I may be, I revel among the Devils. Herald of the nine Orders, and embodiment of the Seven Sins. Envy is my vice, I will take the mantle of the greatest thief to ever live. Greed is my prerogative, I will take everything you have and return it to the world. Wrath is my passion, I will rain the fires of Heaven and Hell on your organization and all of Spade Kingdom. Pride is my folly, I know how small I am, but I will surmount the odds. Gluttony is my weakness, I will indulge in the spoils of your ill-gotten gains. And Lust is my dream, for I will collect my own harem of the sweetest daughters of the noble families."
With her speech done, confusing as it was, she felt a bit of weight off of her shoulders.
One man limped away from the scene while the other two helped to carry him.
Once they were gone, she turned toward margaux and Bijou, "So there's a few things. The organization is essentially like...how do I put this..." She thought for a moment, hands rubbing her temples to try and jumpstart the process.
"It's like an umbrella. At the top, there are a few select people. And they all lead their own organizations of people. From them, there are a select few among those numbers that lead more. Alistar is one of the sixth tier leaders among the organization as a whole. And he's part of the Clover Kingdom outfit.
"Also, can you decide if my nickname is Dragonfly or Dove? I'm going to be so confused going forward."
