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 Charles Constantine✾ on Sept 13, 2020 15:41:48 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 626
total word count 626
[attr="class","glentext"]
Around two days have passed ever since Charles was last at the Black Bulls Headquarters. An unexpected event that became a life-changing experience for the young magic knight. The town of Kikka that had been attacked by an Archdaemon by the name of Sven. The Black Bull spent most of his time there in eternal darkness and traumatizing experience that he can't seem to get off of his head. Not only that, but the group of mages failed to save the town from the shadows of the Daemons with the fall of Vice-Captain Artemis. They didn't stand a chance against them but for some reason the Daemons allowed them to leave the town to give them the chance to fight another day. The first thing he did was to head to the Capital and report what occurred at Kikka. Charles was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. Sometimes he couldn't help, but blame his own uselessness and weakness if he was stronger it was likely he would've been able to do more, he was smart but inexperienced, and only now has he become aware of the things several Magic Knights have gone through. In fact, he was the youngest person in the group that participated in such a life-changing event. The toughest battle in his life so far that he inevitably lost, where his injuries were not physical, but mental. The efforts from him and the group were in vain. Maybe, if Charles pulled through this he will stop acting less lazy and become more serious about his job, after all, he was one of the few people who witnessed the true power of the Daemons and how much a threat they are to the Clover Kingdom. [break][break] After going to the Capital and reporting the events that occurred at the town of Kikka. Charles found himself arriving at the Black Bulls Headquarters, the place he called home, but the real question was if he really deserved to come back here after failing miserably to save a town filled with people. Nonetheless, the young magic knight didn't have much of an option, aside from that he also had to report to his Captain about the occurred. It was likely they also questioned where he was at since he wasn't around the base the last two days, which was something really uncommon, especially from someone like Charles. The silver mage made his way down the hallway to the office where Malcolm and Rosalia were working. Now in front of the door, the first thing he did was to knock the door before either of the two told him to come in. [break][break] Once he was allowed to come into the office. The first thing the Captain and Vice-Captain will see is a young man who they haven't seen lately. His clothing was dirty and damaged, the right sleeved alongside a part of his mantle was damaged, after getting slashed from one of the mana beasts. The look of his face was the usual, but the look on his eyes was different from before. Anyone who has known him for a decent amount of time would know that something was off. Charles placed a letter on the desk, which summed what just happened would likely give an explanation to the two about what occurred and how the young man in front of them ended up the way he is. This entire time he didn't say a single thing and remained silent as his two superiors read the letter, waiting for a reply from their part. As he waited, Charles leaned on the wall nearby silently looking at the ground and thinking about everything that had occurred. If there was a good time for them to talk about it was right now. [break]
The reports were in. Bits and pieces of information had trickled into the grasp of the Vice-Captain of the Black Bulls, as she spoke with her superior, conveying and discussing them. The fall of Kikka was a fact, a bad one, and one that worried the ex-supermodel who’d grown up in her town. Were her “brothers” still alive somewhere there? Or had they died under the rubble of the ruinous city. [break][break] Her gaze danced over to Malcolm before moving back down to look through the last few reports. She sat on his leather couch, in a white crop-top and a pair of jeans (that were a bit too large to actually be hers), facing sideways as she filed through the daily dose of information. No wonder the man was stuck in his office all day. This was way too much stuff to read through daily for one person. She was glad she could help him. [break][break] A small white puff was snuggled up next to her into the side of her thigh and the couch pillow, unmoving. [break][break] It was early afternoon for the pair, as they waited for Charles Constantine to come back from the siege of Kikka.[break][break] To Rosalia, his survival was more important to that of her ex-family, and knowing that he’d survived from the incomplete trickle of information that the Bulls had relaxed her significantly. The fall of Artemis was…The beauty pursed her lips. The two hadn’t really gotten along in Atlantis, but she found that she never wished for the outcome she received. No, no argument of the meaning of being a “Magic Knight” was worth wishing someone such a horrible outcome. For a second the witch wondered how Lydia was doing. The two had been dating, after all. With the fight that they had in Atlantis, however, Rosalia simply waved off the thoughts about the Lioness. [break][break] Then she heard a single quiet set of footsteps in the hallway outside, making her look up and meet her Captain’s golden gaze once more. She then waited for those few little knocks, and remained quiet, letting Malcolm choose when to let Charles into his office. [break][break] Once he did, Rosalia would turn to look at the Silver mage and purse her lips. It wasn’t the sight that threw her. It was the scent. The scent of daemons. It reminded her of her recent missions with Zaven, dealing with the smaller organized armies of daemons. The sight of him….Ah…war. The boy looked like he’d been through hell and back…thrice. And the beauty watched him as he went up to Malcolm’s desk and placed a letter on top of it. She raised an eyebrow at the lack of greetings. [break][break] “Welcome home, Charles.” Her voice was soft, careful, as she stood up, her heels clicking a short distance over to Malcolm as she read the letter alongside him. Sven…his two daemon children…and then the powerful illusion magic that he’d used. She wouldn’t tear her eyes from the paper as she murmured. [break][break] “I take it war wasn’t what you expected when you ended up at Kikka?” She joked gently, noticing the little puff ball on top of the couch twitch. One red eye looked out from under the fur, before looking at Malcolm and then Charles. “You smell like daemon blood.” Rosalia murmured, scrunching up her nose a little, before letting her mana cool the room so that the scent doesn’t drift as well. [break][break] She sat on one of the edges of Malcolm’s desk, facing her friend and fellow mage before asking the first question that was on her lips. “Are you alright?” The beauty grew into a completely different person after the Diamond War, and she’d taken killing people very bad. Now she faced a boy who had gone through something similar to her, but while she had nobody to turn to…maybe she could, alongside Malcolm, try to aid him through his thoughts.
Post by Malcolm Watanabe❃ on Sept 17, 2020 13:37:08 GMT -5
Kikka was a fucking shit show...the information they got was incomplete eye-witness reports...or what was left from scoutings...Artemis the Vice Captain of the Green Mantis had gone MIA and was presumed to have fallen in battle. ”God damn it…” He said to himself as he read, knowing Rosa was reading the same thing, her own reports from her outing with Zaven had shown that this was no isolated incident...this was something that was going to continue happening. Why the fuck were there no other captains around to help these places...Zaven couldn’t be everywhere and neither could Rosa...but these places had to be able to make some sort of contact...what the actual fuck happened. He looked at Rosa, her choice in clothing was...appealing to say the least, and then there was the little fluff ball on his couch...he did not know what it was, but he assumed Rosa would inform him later. He was not one to let these types of reports get to him, but he had to consider the well being of the members of his squad. When there was a knock at his door he assumed who it was and then a second later Charles came through and delivered his report personally.
Rosa came to Malcolm’s side and read the report alongside Malcolm...the kid had experienced a harsh battle that will mark this new war in Clover’s history. The man stood up after Rosa said her piece and handed her the paper. He went over to the kid...no that was not the right word for Charles...this boy had gone through hardships...he had seen things that people should never have to endure...no Charles had become a man in his eyes. He gave the man a hug, it was something the little man could try to wrestle out of, but it would be futile as it was like a father and son reuniting after so long. It was something not seen very often from Malcolm, but he cared about his subordinates. ”You did well in surviving Charles...Do not ever doubt yourself, and what you have seen...I remember the harshness of the first time I saw the horrors of war. Come in and take a seat at my desk, tell me about it, in your words...not in some formal report...I don’t give a shit about them. Rosa will be here and she will go over this with you as well, she just got back from fighting the daemon’s armies. He said as he led Charles to the desk chairs.
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Sept 18, 2020 0:14:06 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 1346
total word count 1972
[attr="class","glentext"]
[break][break] Charles would turn to his Vice-Captain, Rosalia as she welcomed back. "Thanks..." His comment was brief, but it meant a lot after escaping what the young magic knight would consider it to be hell. Finally away from the unending darkness of Kikka and the tricks of Sven. The Daemons were surely enemies that couldn't be underestimated, his time in Kikka was proof of that. "Certainly..." He replied once again to Rosalia's joke, it was true. War was the last thing he expected, he knew about the Daemons, but he never expected he would end up in a battle against them unexpectedly, nobody did. Not even Artemis, the Vice-Captain of the Green Mantis who was the most experienced person out of the entire group. The attacks on several places in the Clover Kingdom was the official declaration of war of the Daemons towards the Clover Kingdom. War, something Charles heard, the five-year war against the Diamond Kingdom, something the more veteran Magic Knights went through. "Well... Not really... I'm tired and hungry..." The silver mage stated, but this time it sounded a bit more like something his usual self would say, it seemed like being with Malcolm and Rosalia at least changed the ambiance of his surroundings, which he quite needed. It was true, so many things have happened that he forgot the last time ate. Though both the Captain and Vice-Captain would know that he wasn't quite alright, aside from the fact that he was hungry and tired. [break][break] As Malcolm approached Charles and gave him a hug. He would show no restraint whatsoever and instead hug him back, he remained quiet the entire time, as several tears dropped from his eyes. Finally out of hell, out of the darkness. Looking back they were points were he had doubts he was going to make it out alive. The Captain may be tough, but he also had a heart and ultimately cared for his subordinates without a doubt. What would he be without them? Surely, a part of the person he was before would remain back at Kikka, but thanks to the support he was receiving at least part of it would be able to come back with the rest of his squad. As Captain Malcolm lead Charles to the desk chairs, the young black bull took a sit on one of the chairs. "Got it..." He replied as he cleaned his tears using the sleeve of his shirt. He faced the two of them and began explaining the events from his perspective. [break][break] "Right... So I found myself in Kikka retrieving an item that was handed over to me. As I get out of the place, there's sudden darkness. For a moment I thought it was already night, but it was just day not too long ago and it was too dark, not even the night was this dark. People began screaming and panicking entering their homes. A few moments later I hear the sound of children screaming and it seemed like they were later silenced... Seconds later the sound of mana beasts could be heard around the entire town. I decided to take a look around with my silver owl, I eventually managed to find the beasts and attacked them as they seemed to be going after one of the civilians... I attack them alongside another person, who resulted to be someone I did some missions with. Then..." A pause, Charles's hands slowly turned into a fist which was the most gruesome and traumatic part out of his entire time in Kikka. "I looked at the mana beasts, just to realize they weren't mana beasts... They were children, close to death." All sorts of emotions came from that memory, anger, sadness, guiltiness, etc.. After he realized he fell into an illusion. "It was an illusion... Eventually, we met up with Vice-Captain Artemis, another Green Mantis member that was around, and another civilian who was willing to help us... The Green Mantis appeared to know about a Hospital nearby, our next course of action was to bring those children to the Hospital. Flash forward there, we arrive to the Hospital with the Sven waiting for us. He knew we were coming. The Daemon offers Artemis a deal in exchange for saving the lives of the children and allowing the personnel inside the Hospital to treat them. As that happens, she hands me over a map with the location of a child the Daemon told us to save otherwise she was going to get killed. I make my way there with the Green Mantis and the civilian following behind me. We arrived at a cemetery, the girl inside was in some sort of trap... The girl had information about the Daemons, but we realized that her cage was something like a bomb. Every time a question was asked the girl suffered. Of course, Artemis eventually arrived and we managed to get the girl out of her cage. Though this triggered some traps that would've killed us, Sven decided to protect us for some reason. We encountered one of his servants, Ito. Thankfully, our injuries were treated it seemed like a Blue Rose Magic Knight appeared out of nowhere, likely she met with Artemis or something. He then went away as he said he wanted to fight us at our full strength, one of the buildings was about to collapse because of the explosion the traps triggered. We went into the building only to realize that they were only three people possessed by mana beasts, of course, we killed the mana beasts within them, but those people were now more... We decided to split up, the girl gave us vital information about how to defeat the Daemons. We had to destroy the five wells. Sven finally gave us twenty-four hours to destroy the wells, kill him and his servants or he was going to blow up Kikka. Artemis went to fight Sven, the two civilians accompanying us, and the Blue Rose went to the first well. The Green Mantis and I went to the girl's home and brought her to her mother safely. The mother was thankful to us and gave us this... Charles paused, as he pointed at the ring on his index finger. The ring that subsequently ended up becoming his relic. "This ring... Has strange magic properties I've never seen before. I still haven't figured out its full extent, but the magic it has... It's special. Anyway, after we got the girl back to her home. We went to the Purple Orcas's Headquarters, just to the Magic Knights there were all killed by one of Sven's servants, Lilitu... That's where one of the wells was located. Of course, we realized that the Lilitu was far too powerful and we would've ended up getting killed in vain. We turned back, with that we found out that the wells are the source of power to those two servants. Get rid of the wells and they will be severely weakened. As we made our way to the next well we were attacked by another group of mana beasts, but after we started fighting them, Lilitu appeared and stopped the battle. She informed us Artemis had been defeated by Sven and all hope to recover Kikka was lost without Artemis there was no chance for us to fight those Daemons. They gave us the chance to retreat, with that odd sense of honor they have." The explanation was now finished. They failed to save Kikka and Artemis is now missing in action. All he knew is that she was defeated in battle, but her current status is unknown. For some reason the ring still contained its power even after what happened at Kikka, it was likely it was going to stick with him. A reminder of his failure that will accompany for the rest of his life, but hopes that he may use the power given to him for good in the future, that was the least he could do. "That's it... Maybe I missed some details, but a lot happened..." [break]
There is a lot that one can read on the face of a person. But Charles didn’t need to be read. He was tired and clearly had no patience for games. He looked like he needed a good stew, a hot shower and a bed. And for once the Vice-Captain of the Bulls didn’t mean sex. No, she meant rest. [break][break] Rosalia was very surprised when she heard the chair behind her scrape against the ground and she turned sideways to watch Malcolm move, not really expecting what would come next. Seeing that pair of strong large arms wrap protectively around Charles…the beauty sat stunned at the scene. She was rendered furthermore speechless at their Captain’s choice of words. He praised the boy for surviving the war, seemingly recalling his own horrors before he snapped Rosa out of it when he said that he didn’t care about the formal report. She was about to interject but he brought her into the conversation, acknowledging her. There was a silent sniffle from Charles that threw her off even further. Ah fuck. [break][break] As she watched Malcolm lead the boy to one of the desk chairs, the ice witch sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. Something about the amount of care in that man rendered her speechless for a little while longer. Fucking Malcolm. For now, the beauty decided that it would be best if she remained quiet if she had nothing to really say. She wasn’t good at all of this…emotional stuff. She’d never had a family she truly cared for before this one, yet seeing Charles so tired and done with everything stirred something inside of her that the red-head couldn’t put her finger on. [break][break] The witch listened quietly to boy’s story, the detailed recollection of his experience in Kikka…and her expression grew more and more grim. Illusion Magic, probably her least favourite kind. She didn’t understand it, she couldn’t use it and she hated fighting it. Rosalia prided herself on her mental fortitude, but that was the type of shit that she couldn’t defeat, not without destroying a whole city in the process and wasting her full mana. [break][break] All in all, the whole experience seemed like a game to the daemon leading the assault, Sven. He had everyone on around his little finger, even smart and emotional Artemis, whom the red-head had worked with twice before. What made Rosalia’s ruby hues widen instantly was when the Purple Orca’s were mentioned. They were all killed? No…where the hell had Jett been? There certainly had to be a fraction of them alive somewhere. And in the end the Magic Knights could retreat and Artemis went missing. The red-head rubbed her temples as she processed this information. What a disaster. All of those mind games…even she’d have probably been caught up in the disaster. [break][break] “What a fuckfest.” She’d say after a moment of silence. Her cool mana would seep around the room as she grew mildly annoyed at the whole situation, and most of all, at how defeated Charles looked. Rosalia got up from Malcolm’s desk and walked out of the room, her heels echoing around the hallway, and then through the walls from the neighbouring room. The Vice-Captain and Captain shared the last floor of the base. They’d then hear her heels coming back, and a shutting of a door (presumably the one to her quarters) as she walked back into the room, her face barely visible. A large wine-red blanket was promptly wrapped around Charles, and a set of soaps and shampoos were presented in front of him. The scents were three and all different, Lavender, Cherry, Strawberry. He’d be able to smell the cherry on his Vice-Captain’s blanket easily. [break][break] A sigh escaped those glossy lips as she leaned against the desk. “I think…listening to your story…the one thing that you need to hear the most…” Her eyes wandered to the boy, meeting his as she gave him a gentle smile. “It’s not your fault.” She meant it. One of her hands moved to tear through her hair as she glared at the nearby wall. “You did your best. We both know you did. And if all of this illusion magic bullshit you’re telling us is true, then the case it then I’d probably have fucked up just as bad.” Rosalia glanced over at Malcolm. “Their assault was well-planned and it caught not only you, but every Magic Knight in the city off-guard. You did your best. I’m sure those people that you saved know that. Okay?” Her gaze wandered back to Charles as her expression turned soft for a bit. Those blankets were magically enhanced with heat magic to be warmer than usual. And she’d read in books that warmth is the best way to treat someone after their body has gone through something extremely stressful. [break][break] “Mal- Captain…could you maybe make him something to eat? He looks like he’s lost 20 pounds in the last few days and that CAN’T be healthy.” Rosalia was polite and formal in her language…for the most part. She’d enjoyed several meals from the man on different occasions. They were best friends, after all. In a way, the beauty was also the Pot calling the Kettle…as she usually barely ate. But this was her lifestyle for years. The one of a workaholic, constantly high on adrenaline. [break][break]
“In the meantime I could help treat his wounds and let him have a nice hot shower in either one of our baths?” She tilted her head, asking the man what he’d be more comfortable with. Her and Charles in his bath, or the same pair in her quarters. This was a new side of Rosalia, one that she’d never known she had before this. That “maternal” instinct that all women had towards the people they cared about. [break][break] If Charles tried to deny the bath, the food, or the warm blanket, Rosalia would shoot him with an icy glare which would say “don’t you dare.” They would talk more after he was fed, washed, dressed and warm. [break][break]
Post by Malcolm Watanabe❃ on Sept 22, 2020 14:31:14 GMT -5
When Charles hugged him back he felt warmth, not just because of the kid...man he was hugging, but because he knew that the Black Bull had finally just broken down about this...after all that was why he was there in the first place. When Charles accepted to come over to the desk he was wiping his tears and Malcolm had to interject. ”Never be ashamed to cry, it is something that is needed...especially when you go through what you did.” Rosa was quick to actually respond as Charles gave the recount of what happened. Malcolm was never one to really care...or rather he used to not be that way, but now as he was the leader of the Black Bulls and Rosa was his Vice Captain...he felt he had a lot more to protect. Rosa was first to tell him that what he needed to hear most was that it was not his fault, and that he did his best...even going as far as to say that she would have probably fucked up had she been the one to go. The final piece was that she referenced that the attack was well coordinated and the attacks were chosen for location purposes, not just random places. He was about to say something, feeling he finally could when Rosa then went on and nearly called him by his first name before asking him to cook for Charles because of his health. ”Very well...I was just getting to that anyway before he arrived. I will leave him in your care then Rosa.” Malcolm said before getting up and making his way to his adjoined bedroom, after a few minutes the scent of fresh herbs, the sound of popping grease, the smell of frying chicken...Then something sweet and earthy as the Captain cooked for everyone that was in his office that night. It was about an hour of time of cooking before Malcolm came back with three plates, on them; Fried Chicken breast, a homemade sauce, with Sauteed vegetables, placing one plate in front of Rosa, directing her to sit at his chair, one in front of Charles, and the last he held as he sat on the couch. The room became a much more relaxed space as he ate now. After taking a few bites he then sat his plate down and retrieved some wine...it was a cherry wine, something light and fruity that was not too hard on someone like Charles. He poured three glasses before finally sitting back down and speaking his mind.
”Sometimes...things don’t always work in our favor...while you were gone, there were several other smaller attacks, I even sent the Vice Captain here to find Zaven Blake to take care of four threats I thought would eventually become a huge issue. I remained here and fought daemon forces hiding in the forest outside the base...I also grew up as a mercenary...there was a battle I remember fondly as it was a turning point for me and actually made me a cynical asshole for a time.” He said as he took a drink of his wine, he did NOT like the taste of the fruity drink, but he did not show any signs of it either. ”It was the battle of Scarin Gate inside of the Diamond Country frontier...we were being paid in their currency...crowns are what they called them, regardless. The battle was memorable because we were bait...we were placed inside of a city to lure in an army...under the guise of a ceasefire...I didn’t know that at the time, but in any case we did our job flawlessly. We were paid to act as bodyguards and if need be...a main fighting force, but as soon as we heard that the main forces made it inside for a ceasefire...the gates were closed and the city was set aflame. It was a trap for the higher ranking enemies and us...our band of mercenaries were known as the best of the best...The Raging Dragon Clan...Block by block the fires raged towards us, ballista and trebuchet rained fire on our location...even the diamond “soldiers” that were there were expendable...all because of the choices of a lone general. We buried ourselves in the town square, and pretended to be dead using illusions. When morning came and the fires burned out there were only forty of us left...out of the three hundred that came in. That lone general came to inspect and look for bodies after killing his enemies. We waited and ambushed the general, we killed him, but at the further cost of twenty five more men...including my mentor. I know the story is definitely skewed and different from what you experienced, but the fact is the same...The choices you make now because of what happened to you...will shape your life for...decades to come, and I do not want you to go down the path that I did...I just want you to know I… He looks at Rosa. ”WE are here to help you.” He finished with that same goofy ass smile of his that showed just how cocky the leader of the Black Bulls actually was.
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Sept 23, 2020 1:53:47 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 1026
total word count 2,953
[attr="class","glentext"] [break][break] "Aye... Thanks, Captain." His reply was different from his usual different self, but it showed how he grateful appreciated the help from the two of them. Captain Malcolm acting like a father figure and showing the caring side that the barbaric Captain of the Black Bulls rarely showed, but it also proved that he had a heart too. The same thing went for Vice-Captain Rosalia whose personality was usually as cold as her magic, once again proved that her heart hasn't been fully frozen or was instead getting warmed by the happenings of someone who went through something similar like she did when she was younger. [break][break] "I know... Thanks, Vice-Captain..." Charles nodded as Rosalia told him it wasn't his fault. He knew that, she was right, but the fact that he heard it from someone made him feel much better. He was tricked into doing against his will, the Daemon did it for his own enjoyment in order to see what it would take to break a human, especially someone as young and experienced as Charles. The Black Bull had his fair share of combat, but what he went through never compared to anything he went through before. That experience was fight thieves and mana beasts who were nothing compared to the power of a Daemon. Captain Malcolm said the truth, he was no longer a teenager, this experience turned the silver mage into a man, a person who went through hell and made it out alive. Now well aware of the true danger that the Daemons pose to the Kingdom. Certainly, he was lucky, he had support, unlike Rosalia who never got support and ended up becoming a shell of her former self after the war against the Diamond Kingdom. "He treated that as a game. Sven had the advantage this time." Proof of how twisted his mind was, treating the lives of children as a game and everything was just for his own amusement. Added up with his strange sense of honor that he shared with his servants. He was a master in the art of deception, anyone who wasn't careful will fall into his illusions and go through the same thing he went through. [break][break] Charles raised an eyebrow as Rosalia almost called out the Captain's name, or at least that's he believes he heard. Another thing that caught his attention was how he said to cook him something. Was he good at cooking or something? This just raised his curiosity even more and if he was a good cook how will the Vice-Captain know? "W-Wait, the Captain knows how to cook? Is the food good? He asked curiously, as then Rosalia mentioned how he looked like he had just lost 20 pounds, which made him laugh a bit, due to the fact it sounded like something his mom would say. "Huh... Well, I haven't eaten lately that's true, but I don't look that skinny do I?" He said as he looked like his arms and stomach, trying to figure out if there was any change. "...Maybe its the mother instinct they say all women have." The silver mage knew he couldn't stay in such a depressive mood, perhaps a small change of pace could make things slightly better after all Captain Malcolm was going to cook for them which is not a daily occurrence and something that Charles never thought will ever happen. "It's fine, I can do that my- Y-Y-Yeah, that's fine." Just as he was about to say he could take a shower himsef, his eyes looked at Rosalia. A death stare was what he was receiving, as he saw that stare he interrupted what he was about to say the request for his own good. [break][break] An hour later the Captain will arrive back to the office with food ready, the aroma of the food was already making his mouth water. Fried chicken with a homemade sauce, vegetables. Charles took a sit as Malcolm served him his plate which smelled fantastic, he was the first to try it out. His eyes widened to surprise as the food was good, better than expected. "This chicken breast is great... It's better than I thought..." He said with an astonishing voice and look on his face, the sauce made it even better. Today his opinion on Captain Malcolm would've changed drastically not only on the type of person he was, but the fact that he was a good cook. Eventually, the other two sat down as Malcolm began to talk about his experience and what Rosalia and Zaven had to deal with. "Other small attacks, huh... The Daemons seem to be more organized than I thought... While three major places in the Clover Kingdom were under attack, planning other small scale attacks on the outskirts of the Kingdom to gain terrain was a good idea which could've brought them some strategic advantage and put them on a corner, but it seems like thanks to the efforts of Rosalia and Zaven they managed to stop them from gaining more terrain even if they were small scale attacks. "What will their next move be..." He took a sip from the wine that the Captain brought him which was soft, he wasn't a fan of alcohol, but the sweet fruit taste was perfect for his liking and was a good combination with the food. Malcolm went ahead and talked a bit about his past as a mercenary, something that was unexpected from someone who is now the Captain of the Black Bulls. A life changing experience for him in a similar that the recent events was a life changing experience for Charles. Even though the situations were different, the outcomes were similar, which is the point Malcolm wanted to get across, which in return he did. "I understand, yeah... I appreciate it, to both of you. Seems like you two aren't as you appear to sometimes, hah! Well, I guess the same thing can be said about me." Charles laughed alongside Malcolm as he shrugged, certainly the company of the two things improved his situation better and the fact that he wasn't alone made him feel less sad. [break]
The beauty found Malcolm’s caring side to be…annoying attractive. She knew him better than perhaps anyone, maybe excluding Zaven. The way he held Charles protectively and comfortingly in those large arms was…the witch glanced away briefly. It was personal. There was something very mature about her Captain in these circumstances that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. [break][break] When it came back down to talking about Sven, Rosalia’s eyebrows crinkled when Charles explained that the daemon had treated this whole war as a game where he had the advantage. He held the white pieces on the chess board, went first in mankala, had drawn the king of hearts in the macao game. It was ridiculous how well-prepared that daemon was. She would keep it in mind. [break][break] The younger boy then asked if the Captain knew how to cook and if the food was good, and Rosalia found herself scratching the back of her neck. Malcolm’s cooking skills were always good. She enjoyed the meals he’d prepared for her and the squad prior. “Well yeah, he’s cooked for the squad before, but if you haven’t eaten any of his stuff yet I’d assume that you were on a mission at that time.” The beauty wasn’t technically lying, the man’s chicken wings were finger likin ’good. The Captain and Vice-Captain pair, being best friends, were prone to spending more time together than the leadership of any of the other squads, so there were evenings when they’d stay up later working on reports. It wasn’t uncommon that Malcolm would flex his cooking muscles sometimes. [break][break] “You may not think you look skinnier, but my modelling background lets me notice the little intricacies of human skin and physique.” Rosalia scratched the back of her head as before bringing a finger to the side of his face and pressing gently against Charles’ left cheekbone. “This one is more visible than before, which means that your skin has lost a layer of fat or two. And it’s done it too fast. Your skin doesn’t have that healthy glow it usually does.” She pulled her finger back and sighed. It was an unhealthy habit, noticing how much one weighed. How much she weighed. If she had gained a kilo or lost one. Apparently she could apply her keen eye to other people as well… [break][break] When Charles attributed Rosa’s actions to “motherly instincts” however, Rosa was stunned. The what now? He’d stumped her. She didn’t have those did she? Well, she was definetly a woman but she wasn’t a mother in any sense of the way. Her ruby eyes would stare at Charles, as their owner sorted through her thoughts. “Uh…w-well…maybe..right?” A bit of color rushed to her cheeks and she glanced away from the boy for a brief moment before the topic of a shower came along. He’d agreed, and for once, the witch gave a male a proper scrub with no intention other than to clean them. [break][break] Once the pair had returned to the Captain’s room, with Charles smelling of lovely lavender, much to Rosalia’s grin, the scent of food was spreading through the floor. It was kind of mouth-watering for the beauty who had skipped eating all day today. When he directed her to sit at his chair however, the witch bit the inside of her cheek before obeying. It was a comfortable black leather chair that was clearly meant for someone larger than her. And it smelled of that mix of alcohol, cigarettes and warm musk that she always found to be intoxicating. Fucking Malcolm. The witch moved some of Malcolm’s papers aside so that she wouldn’t get anything dirty before making herself comfortable. She then proceeded to happily chow down upon the food presented to her, looking up once the brown-haired male started speaking. She nodded when he said that she was taking care of the small rogue attacks with Zaven. [break][break] “It was tough, but we persevered.” The witch grinned before taking another veggie between her glossy lips and taking a sip of the particularly sweet wine. She didn’t like wine, but it was sweet, so it would do. A little laugh escaped her when Malcolm called himself a “cynical asshole.” He’d retained some small part of those qualities even to this day, but to those that knew him, they knew that he acted like a dick cause he cared. At least most times. There were times where he was just an ass for fun. And she wanted to slap that damn cocky grin off his face…“Whatever the case, we shouldn’t let them make their next move…” She added in response to Charles’ comment. [break][break] Then he spoke about his first war as a mercenary, a story that made her pause eating and leave her fork on the desk as she listened. That general made her blood run cold, and a softness took the usually hard face of the Black Bull’s Vice-Captain. She was angry for him, but she pursed her lips and hid it well. Malcolm was sharing this story in order to encourage Charles that everything would be okay, that everything we went through made us who we were. And he ended his story with the purpose of saying that he...they (he referenced her so suddenly that it caught her off-guard) would be here to help Charles. It was true, but then there was that damn grin that made her glance away once more rather quickly. Her eyes then settled back on Charles before moving to Malcolm’s golden gaze. “We’re here for you alright. If you need anything, just ask.” She added in the end with a large grin directed at the two males. “We can take you to a bar to find a lady, if that would help you relax?” And…there was the typical sex-loving side of her once more. The beauty knew that most people didn’t let off steam the way she did, but she wanted to offer to help Charles either way. Who knows, maybe some particularly pretty blond would catch his eye at the bar. [break][break] Rosalia did cock an eyebrow when their young silver-using ally said that Malcolm and she weren’t quite what they usually appeared to be. “What do we appear to be?” She perched her chin onto the palm of her hand as she smiled sweetly. Now she was genuinely curious. [break][break]
Post by Malcolm Watanabe❃ on Oct 7, 2020 15:26:18 GMT -5
Listening to the two of them was fun for him, Charles apparently had forgotten that Malcolm did in fact cook for the squad on a few occasions, which was fine...he did not cook much anyway unless it was for himself or for his usual...visitor. When they both spoke about his similar experience and then about the missions with Zaven and Rosa...Malcolm began to piece a few things together. He saw what was going on from a tactical standpoint and he was about to speak when Charles made a comment about them, and Rosa followed up with a question of her own. Apparently Charles saw something in the two that well, for all intents and purposes...made the captain nearly blush. He knew he was seen as a hard ass to most people, and while before the shattering he was a lazy motherfucker with no real inclination to do anything...since the shattering he now found himself to be a more caring individual...at least for his squad. He wanted his people to flourish after all. ”Regardless of what ya think buddy, I do a little cooking here and there and I do care about you and the people of the Bulls...even if I seem like I don’t care a lot of times, also I want to make sure you all succeed so while I know you had to do a small little run with Zaven Blake...the Shadow of Dawn can only teach you so much. I will help train you if you feel you are ready to take that next step Charles...of course not until I know you are healthy again, Vice Captain says you look like shit, probably in a much nicer way.” Malcolm said as he scratched the back of his head. Right now he felt like he was the middle man in this round of conversation.
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Oct 8, 2020 22:42:16 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 920
total word count 3,873
[attr="class","glentext"] [break][break] A side that the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Black Bulls rarely showed. The Magic Knight Squad known to be filled with misfits wasn't really just a squad, it was now a family. Charles has people that care for him, Malcolm showing the side of a proud and caring father and Rosalia showing the side of a mother who was worried about the well-being of her son. It sounded quite funny at first, especially after knowing those two for a while, but often the ones that may appear to be rough in the outside were the ones with the biggest hearts inside. This was proof of it. T [break][break] The topic moved to Sven. Kikka was like a board of chess to him, Artemis being the Queen, the strongest piece in the game of chess that was inevitably defeated by the Arch-Daemon. While the rest of the group were nothing but pawns that stood no choice towards Sven, not even the two servants he brought with him. They were no match for them and were forced to retreat, leaving Kikka in darkness. There was no other choice, it was clear most of the group was mentally drained, tired, and even traumatized by the events that took place. Staying there was basically suicide, their deaths would've been in vain. If it wasn't for Sven's strange sense of honor the silver mage and the rest of the group will probably be at Kikka, desperately fighting for their lives. [break][break] Rosalia would later mention that Captain Malcolm cooked for the squad before and it was possible that Charles was in a mission at the time, or maybe he was too lazy to get up and eat with the rest of the squad, being unaware of Malcolm's cooking skills. "Or maybe I was asleep in my room, too lazy to go eat... Damn." Charles expressed regret upon hearing that he was a good cook, if only he was aware of that, he would've probably joined them just for sake of eating good food. The fact that he missed out on something could possibly be amazing for so long made him regret staying in bed for longer than he should've stayed. [break][break] The actions from the Vice-Captain just seemed like something like a mother would do. Charles didn't see much of a change in his body and felt like he looked the same. Even though he may be skinnier after what occurred, it seemed to like him Rosalia was making a bigger deal about it than it was. "Well, I guess you could be right about it." She had a point on that, she used to be a model so she always made sure to take good care of her body, so it was very easy for her to tell such things. The experience and added up with the motherly instinct Rosalia could've possibly shown at this moment, she seemed worried just like a mother or even sister would be. She was even poking his cheek like one. "I can't really argue back against that..." A blush would later come out as he pointed out Rosa's motherly instincts coming out, the blush pretty much proved him right, but he saw that as good and caring quality from the Vice-Captain. It seemed like Zaven and Rosa had to go through their own struggles fighting off Daemons, though not having to fight in the dark sounded better. Maybe someone with shadow magic and great sensory abilities like Zaven wouldn't mind as much as he did, hell even he would probably even feel right at home. "Sounds less of a pain in the ass than fighting in the dark, but still, I don't think they didn't go down without putting up a fight." [break][break] The story of Captain Malcolm's past was something interesting, but it was likely that everyone in the Black Bulls had some sort of story that defined them, and made them who they are, the same thing applied to him and maybe even Rosalia that was alongside the two males. After he finished his story, the two seemed to repeat the same thing, but this time Rosalia added up something more unusual into it. "Thanks... Uh, I'm fine, I don't think I share the same tastes the Captain may share or any other person inside the squad does." He replied, politely denying the offer if anything he would prefer to just stay at the base and relax in his room. [break][break] "Well, not sure. There's something different, I guess. Don't worry about it." He replied to Rosa's comment and later returning to Malcolm who told him he could train him when he's in a better state of mind. "I'll maybe take that offer... Honestly, after what happened to Kikka, I guess I would have to get into shape. Oh, well you think you're better than Captain Zaven?" Charles raised an eyebrow, curious on who was stronger, though he did it out of his own amusement he wanted to see the Captain's thought on that. "That's a nice way to put it, eh I guess it's true. Kikka was a pretty much a shithole..." It was true, he just got out of a hell hole, so the statement had some truth behind it, nonetheless Charles would probably take the Captain's offer to train at some point. After all the Daemons were becoming a bigger threat to the Kingdom day by day and the least the silver mage could do is to be some sort of use. [break]
Rosa glanced back at Malcolm and gave him a little smile as he spoke. She couldn’t help but shake her head at the man’s crude way of agreeing that Charles looked…pretty bad. All things considered he looked significantly better after the shower and now that he was eating the color of his skin seemed to be returning. It made her exhale. Rosalia was worried for the members of her family after all. She needed them to be happy and healthy. God forbid that daemon placed some kind of curse on Charles that neither she nor Malcolm could cleanse. The thought made her blood boil. She’d have to wait and see, spend more time with Charles over the next few days and make sure he could function normally and wasn’t sick. [break][break] When the boy expressed that he probably missed Malcolm’s breakfast cooking for the squad cause he probably overslept, it made the ice witch giggle. It was a typical Charles thing. Perhaps he’d finally learn the benefits of waking up early. Getting the worm, so to speak. He was a good boy. The mage’s eyes wandered over as she inspected him. He’d make a fine man someday, if only he took himself a bit more seriously. “You can only learn from that experience darling, next time you’ll know not to miss out, the Captain is quite skilled.”
[break][break] The recollection of her series of missions with Zaven made her purse her lips and glance away, lost in thought for a bit. “They were annoying, I admit, one was a seductress, the other an illusionist, the third a butcher who took without asking…” The recollection was a dark one, the images…well if she could burn them out of her brain, she would. A shiver went down her spine as she gave the pair of men a strained smile. “Safe to say I’ll be careful who I sleep with for a while.” Rosalia rubbed her temples nonchalantly. Fucking witches needed to pull themselves together. She needed to pull herself together. Rosa was a warrior for god’s sake. War and Magic should’ve been her bloodline. Then again, she was never raised as a witch.
[break][break] When Charles politely decline the idea of going out and getting drunk, the witch tilted her head and pouted a little. Rosalia wanted him to have some fun, being alone after a traumatic experience…was a traumatic experience. A part of her wanted to throw out a bunch of other options to Charles about the squad could spend time with him…but she knew the silver mage well enough. He just wanted to sleep and relax. In the end, she just nodded and let that go.
[break][break] All in all, the younger boy took up Malcolm’s offer to train him as Rosalia ate quietly, lost in thought. Kikka had been her home for almost 20 years. Had it really fallen into such ruin? “It’s a pain that it’s that bad there. I grew up there for the most part. People from there are mostly nice…” She remembered all of the people she’d worked for to survive and shook her head. The price of war…was a cruel one.
[break][break] After a moment of silence the ice witch placed her plate and utensils on the table. She was curious as to how to phrase that very particular question that had been bothering her for a while now.
[break][break] “You two…this comes from a different direction but, do you think that Chisana would handle the Vice Captaincy better than me?” her ruby eyes moved to her grimoire. It was a thought. She knew that the younger boy wanted Malcolm’s spot. And he’d quite likely try to get to it through hers. “He represents the fighting spirit of the Bulls better than I do, no?” There was a need for genuine opinions here. From friends. Rosalia adored Chisana and Charles, and wanted both of them to be happy, but she’d prioritize the squad’s overall business over either one. If Malcolm and Charles thought she was doing a good job with public opinion, paperwork, missions and whatever else, then she’d continue trying her best in being the Vice Captain of the Black Bulls. If not, well…
Post by Malcolm Watanabe❃ on Nov 2, 2020 17:08:35 GMT -5
Malcolm listened to the back and forth for a few minutes. The refusal of a night out drinking, the realization that the captain could cook, and then the acceptance of training. Malcolm shook his head and reached over to grab his drink and down it with haste, it seemed that this little chat was just what he needed in the long run. He was about to say something to Charles, but Rosa decided to ask a question that shook him like a bomb for a moment as he legitimately did not know how to answer that question off the bat without seeming suspicious. He sighed and placed his plate down before finally looking at Charles and then to Rosa.
"Do you hear yourself Vice Captain...I do realize where you are coming from, but you worked your ass off to get here where you are now. I think that your self-confidence in this matter is the issue. You are plenty strong, hell I would not mind having you by my side in any battle. You are what the bulls needed, and as for Chisana getting captain, he will have to work a LOT harder in order to no only overcome you, but also he is lying to himself if he thinks his puppets can touch me." He laughed for a moment before looking at Charles. "What about you little protege, do you have any qualms with Rosalia as your Vice?" He asked before sighing and finishing his plate. He would tidy up a bit and take the dishes to his sink in his room, leaving the two alone for another moment or two. He could see that the two of them had a connection like little brother and sister.
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Nov 4, 2020 1:40:01 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 800
total word count 4,673
[attr="class","glentext"] [break][break] "Mhm... And this was one of many experiences." Replying to Rosa's previous comment, that the Captain was quite experienced, the same thing went for his Vice-Captain. He could only imagine the things the two had to go through in order to achieve such rank, they were much older and usually, age came with experience and the silver mage was younger than the two, but still, Charles had gone through a lot, not something someone around his would normally experience. His Vice-Captain later gave a brief recollection of her most recent mission with Captain of the Golden Dawn, Zaven. [break][break] As Rosa brought up that she was from Kikka, the Black Bull took an interest. The Vice-Captain didn't talk a lot about her personal life, for good reasons. Charles sometimes couldn't feel, but think that her life was full of mystery and a lot of things were kept hidden. "You were from Kikka, huh... I'm sorry." That's all he could really tell her, he felt guilty and the fact that she probably had loved ones in Kikka made him feel pressure on his chest, for some time. All of those people will remain trapped in darkness and he had some of the blame. They were so many people there, hopefully, they can be saved one day... [break][break] There was a moment of silence after the trio of Black Bulls finished eating from the food that was made by their Captain, which was surprisingly good and well above Charles's expectations. The silence was soon broken by Rosalia who asked the question to the two men inside the room. The question itself was rather unusual and it seemed to have shocked Captain Malcolm aside from himself. Malcolm was the first person to comment on it, his comment only made him laugh. The Captain was on a whole other level after he witnessed him fight Rosalia it was clear he was holding back. After all, Captains were on a whole other level and only another Captain was able to rival them. Malcolm then asked the silver mage if he had any interest like Chisana in becoming the Vice-Captain. "I have one... My only qualm is that she seems to believe she isn't worthy of the position of Vice-Captain, which is not true." Charles replied rather lazily, he wasn't serious about the fact she had a qualm with her, but if anything his only qualm was that Rosa didn't believe she was worth for the position of Vice-Captain and that Chisana was a better option. [break][break] As soon as Malcolm left leaving the two alone, the Black Bull placed his hand on his chin, she helped him before, right now it was his turn to return the favor, somehow. "If you weren't capable you wouldn't have taken the Vice-Captain test, or you wouldn't even be a Vice-Captain at this very moment, Rosalia. Hah, being a Vice-Captain is more than just knowing how to fight, sure that's easy. Not everything is about fighting spirit, and if that's your worry, don't you think Captain Malcolm already does that? While you give a different feeling from the squad. Personally, I don't have an interest in becoming Vice-Captain, but if I were one, I wouldn't act like going on my way to fight people. I will just assist my Captain with what he needs and give him advice. You're good as you are, you wouldn't be in such a position if no one believed in you, plus I like you as my Vice-Captain and I'll rather have things stay that way." Charles scratched the back of his head and fixed his sitting position before looking at his Vice-Captain again. "If Chisana becomes Vice-Captain, at least I hope you don't make things easy for him, otherwise I'm going to get annoyed." Charles gave her a smile the best way he could, he wasn't really in the condition to, but he felt like the least he could do was borrow his Vice-Captain some of the confidence she seemed to need, he owed her that much, the same thing went for Malcolm. Nobody knows the type of dark path the silver mage could've taken if it wasn't for the company of the two. [break][break] "In conclusion, Vice-Captain... Keep going... I think that's the best thing the two of us can do now... If I stopped right now, I think I would've descended into the darkness... For all you know, if it wasn't for you two, the Charles everyone knows would've died back in Kikka. I owe you two that much." The Black Bull briefly looked down, and let out a brief laugh, until laying back down again and letting out a sigh. Maybe he still changed, this wasn't really like him, but he felt like he had to do something. "This isn't really like me..." [break]
A small smile and a gently wave would show Charles that Rosalia’s childhood from Kikka was not particularly pleasant. “It’s not your fault. Bad things happen all the time, we can just hope to be better prepared for them when they reach us.” She took another bite of the food before putting her plate away and asking the one question that had been on her mind for so long… [break][break]
The red-haired beauty bit her bottom lip as she heard Malcolm’s plate touch the wooden table and turned to look at him cautiously. [break][break]
Every word that left his lips was true. And she even found herself blushing gently when he said he’d love to have her by his side in any battle. To a woman whose life was dedicated to the country, there was no greater compliment than hearing her Captain say such a thing. When he continued to talk about Chisana, the ice witch shook her head. The black-haired Shengxiao was a good person deep inside, she knew that, but he was also very very driven. [break][break]
Malcolm would then get up and take their plates away, leaving her alone with Charles. She didn’t expect the response that the younger mage would give her either. Her head would tilt to one side as she listened to his words. Her lips formed a thin line for a bit. [break][break]
Rosalia wasn’t quite sure about what to say to the two gentlemen in the room and she exhaled softly. “Thanks guys.” Perhaps this was what she needed, a bit of reassurance that she was doing well. Somehow there was always a seed of doubt in the back of her mind about her skill as a knight. She had way too many rumours about her, wasn’t taken as seriously because of her previous career choice, had a whole squad that disliked her strongly…But she worked hard. She stayed up filing reports, went on missions and tried to fix the reputation of the Black Bulls alongside everyone else. She cared for these people as if they were the family she never had. It made her happy that these two felt like she had value. [break][break]
A gentle smile drawled upon her lips as she watched Charles lay down onto Malcolm’s couch. It was a very comfortable furnishing indeed, and she loved doing reports on it occasionally. “Alright then, no giving up.” Her eyes moved to search for Malcolm on instinct.“You gonna nap in the Captain’s office Charles?” The beauty inquired as she looked back at the boy in front of her. She moved the bed covers she’d taken from her room and placed them over him. They were a soft dark velvet, and smelled faintly of cherries. Her voice would go naturally quieter in case the silver-user did indeed decide to rest here. If that was the case, she’d move to gently remove her heels and drop them gently on the carpet. [break][break]
“War changes us. You kind of wake up the day after, look at yourself in the mirror and don’t recognise the person you see. I took an year off of the Blue Roses after the Diamond war and by the Dragons…yeah I’m nothing like I was before.” She laughed softly and relaxed on the chair, bringing her knees close to her chest as she dropped all formalities and closed her eyes briefly. This entire place smelled like Malcolm. Fucking hell. [break][break]
“You can worry a bit over everything, but don’t fall into the hole. Don’t change your entire view of the world into something dark and lost…there is still some hope for it, within the Knights definetly.” Her ruby hues moved to meet Malcolm’s briefly and she pursed her lips before sighing. [break][break]
If he’d say he wasn’t sleeping, she’d try to leave for a bit with the excuse of having to wash her hands, so they could have a man-to-man chat. [break][break]
On the other hand, if Charles chose to rest, the beauty would shoot Malcolm a warm smile and brush past him gently before going to her own room.
Post by Malcolm Watanabe❃ on Nov 23, 2020 15:38:32 GMT -5
Malcolm came back not too long after and as he stretched and yawned he noticed that the other two were starting to wind down as well. Even enough that Rosa went and draped a blanket over the male as he laid on that couch of his. Malcolm just shook his head and chuckled softly before looking at Rosa and giving her a wink as long as Charles was not looking. Then he just went to his desk and pulled out a large bottle of liquor and poured three glasses.
"This is for the three of us, for an unshakable bond that is the family of the Black Bulls. We will always watch each other's backs on and off the battlefield and if the end ever comes we will be there to see each other to the other side." He said it not to be passive or to be a real depressive asshole, but he was just trying to finish out the night as he knew it was getting late and Rosa had been looking like she was ready to get out of the room, Charles was laying on his couch. "Otherwise you both can stay in my room for the night. Rosa you can have my bed, and I will sleep at my desk. If you both wish."