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 Echo Jaegar on May 28, 2021 19:29:45 GMT -5
The rain… the rain seemed like it hadn’t stopped since a few days ago when Echo thought he was going to die. On the outside he was still the same old Echo, somewhat kind and nice, yet very stoic. On the inside however you he was lost and hurting. His rage towards his father had never grown so high before and he now felt as if he had to put an end to it. Echo knew his father had to die in order for him to take his family from under the rule of the harsh man. He had thought he would find helping hands when he had met the rogues who called themselves J and A but he was mistaken when they turned him down. Since then his plan had been on the back burner but recent events said that it must be handled now.
Echo found himself in the town of Kikka a town that not too long ago was under attack by dark forces. The darkness that the town now held seemed to call out to a part of Echo bringing him here. However he was not alone as Zeus and Thalia had decided to tag along. They could tell that Echo hadn’t been right in the head since the incident had occurred and they didn’t think it was best to leave him alone to his own devices. Echo had chosen to sit on top of the tallest building in the town and just allow the rain to fall onto his hair and face as he did nothing but look at the ground below. *I could just jump right now… That would end it all right?* he thought to himself as he stared down. Anyone would understand him being upset about his relationship with his dad and what had recently occurred, but Echo was upset because he felt like he was weak just like his father had said since he was young.
Being weak was something Echo hated, he couldn’t imagine living in such a way. The memory of when he went to the grimoire ceremony would cross his mind as he sat there, he remembered it like it was yesterday. When he saw that his grimoire was that of the 4 leaf variety he knew that he was destined to be powerful, he knew that he wasn’t weak as his father had told him so many times. Sadly every time he turned around it seemed as if his father was always proven right… as even now Echo had fallen into serving a man all so he could gain the power he needed. Even these actions had cost him as now he was considered a rogue, and the worst part was he had no idea about anything rogue like. He served as almost a reverse magic knight, simply following orders and aiming his bow when commanded. As his thoughts continued his desire to jump would slowly but surely increase.
As he was up high, his friends Zeus and Thalia were down in the streets below sitting inside a small cafe having a drink and looking up at him from their window side table. Thalia took a drink from her cup before placing it back on the table and resting her hands on top of it. She sighed before saying “Zeus? When do you think Echo will start acting normal again? I miss the way he used to smile…” while staring down at the table. Zeus was looking out the window up at the building Echo was sitting on, he could see him but only barely. He would then turn to face Thalia before taking a drink from his cup and saying “I don’t know Thalia, but maybe its best if we just watch him from a distance for now. Im sure he will be back to normal soon, but we do have to account for the fact he almost died…”
Back up in the sky Echo had made his way to his feet and had stopped sitting on the ledge of the building. He now stood on the ledge still looking down at the ground thinking to himself *I really should just do it! Not like it matters I’ll never be strong enough to duo what must be done… I HATE MYSELF! WHY AM I SO GOT DAMN WEAK NO MATTER WHAT I DO?!?!* Out of nowhere the teen hunter would break out in rage screaming at the top of his lungs, with the scream ending in him crying. As he cried he had moved one of his feet so that it would be off of the building, and if he took another step he would surely walk off.
Post by Velondra Silverlake✵ on May 29, 2021 6:28:37 GMT -5
Drip. Drip. Drop. It had been months and the rain continued without end since the town of Kikka's liberation. Drip. Drip. Drop. She wondered if it was ever going to stop at this point. She couldn't help but feel as if the spirits were mourning along with the town for the suffering, pain, anguish and death at the hands of those infernal monster and the incompetence of those who were meant to protect those who couldn't do it themselves. Worthless. Foolish. Pathetic. That's exactly how she saw the magic knights since the day that the darkness came and it only got worse in the two months that followed under the tyranny of their daemonic overlords. She had held out hope in the beginning just like everyone had but when they were notified they had been defeated and left things started to change. It was only made worse with what she had found out afterwards.
While Kikka was suffering in darkness they held a grand spirit ball. Nobles, commoners, magic knights and civilians they danced, stuffed their faces, drank their fill and were merry all while she and countless others were suffering, starving and dying under the foot of the monsters that overtook the town. How could they live with themselves being able to do that while at the same time knowing that not all that far away people needed their help, were holding out a naive hope that they would see the light again soon? How well did they really expect it to go over when those same people who suffered for over two months found out this fact? Did they really think that the people of Kikka would understand that those outside of the town felt even the smallest fraction of their pain and suffering?
She could understand low morale and needing to boost it up, but, to throw a grand fucking ball while people were suffering was something she could and would never forgive. Something small to boost morale could have been done and the ball postponed until the kingdom as a whole could celebrate together that they lived through that darkness. She swore people were just so utterly tone-deaf to the suffering and feelings of others. She was a normal young woman before that time, she had just gotten engaged to the man of her dreams. Had wonderful dotting parents and three siblings two older twin brothers and a younger sister. It had all been taken from her in those two months. Her parents fought to give her sister the chance to exit the town and died doing so. Her sister was hit by a magic knight while running for help only to be later killed by an angel of death.
Her brothers died of being overworked and illness due to starvation as they gave her everything they had. Her fiance tried to go against the tyranny and ended up on a stake where the famous captain Ardere Kusai's flames set him alight. She could still remember those screams even to this day as if they were still happening in front of her. In two months she had and lost everything. She decided in that instant that things had to change and since those who were meant to, were so incompetent then she would become the very thing she hated before. Laws. Rules. Righteous. It meant nothing at the end of the day because you were still going to be shafted the same. It was those with power that made the laws, that could change the rules and decided what was fair.
And since she couldn't trust anyone to do what was right, she decided she would take that same power that others favoured so much and clung to like some decrepit old man afraid of losing those last few seconds of life. She. Would. Make. Them. Suffer. She still dressed how she had before all the misery in her life but now instead of wearing colourful and bright dresses she wore black and grey dresses a clear sign she was in mourning. She had an umbrella and was heading towards the graveyard to speak to her family as she did daily. The pattering of rain was suddenly interrupted as she heard a scream coming from the top of a building she was just passing, stopping she looked up. Her ruby eyes seeing a young male at the top sobbing "If you are going to jump stop wasting everyone's time and disrupting the town and do it, otherwise, get down here." she called up.
Her voice showing a slight annoyance at the disruption, she had heard enough anguish filled screams to last her more than a few lifetimes. With that, she continued on towards her destination without another word. He wasn't her family. He wasn't her friend. He was likely just another noble that couldn't get the horse they wanted, and so ran off to have a tantrum before they went back to the safety of their bubble. It was nauseating. His actions at the end of the day were his business and nothing to do with her so she just left him to his own devices, he needed to figure out what he wanted to do. She did, however, feel sorry for whoever was going to have to clean up the mess on the ground that he was going to make if he did walk off the building.
Word Count: 902
What a person fights for says a lot about a person. My battle? Well, that's for me to know and for you to die for looking too closely. Curiosity, after all, killed the proverbial cat.
Post by Echo Jaegar on May 30, 2021 2:02:53 GMT -5
After Echo screamed he would hear a voice calling out to him, in a less than kind way. He heard someone down below say to him that if he was going to jump he should do it. The person’s voice sounded like they were annoyed in a way but Echo didn’t care why. He honestly didn’t think the sounds of his cries could be heard over the sounds of the heavy rain. When he looked he could see that it was a woman with white or silver hair, looking around the age of young adulthood. He didn’t know what exactly to say to the woman, as he could barely think straight right now due to his poor mental health. He was clearly upset and angry but why would this woman care? But as Echo looked at her his tears began to go away, and what was already on his face was carried away by the rain coming down his face.
Echo would place his first foot back onto the building’s surface before standing tall and saying “If you don’t care if I jump or not just keep it moving… I haven’t decided if this life is worth living yet, so give me time to think on it!” Before long Zeus and Thalia would also see Echo looking like he was going to jump and the two would run outside the cafe they were in and end up standing next to where the mysterious woman was, although she was now walking away. Upon his arrival Zeus would yell out to the woman saying “Hey that was pretty rude of you.” Before Thalia would yell up to Echo saying “Ok that’s enough Echo nobody is going to let you kill yourself! So hurry up and get down!” Echo heard her words but his focus was still on the woman as she walked away.
He would make another attempt to speak to her again, making his way down the building using bricks and windows to climb down. Once he made it back down to the ground he would run after the woman, as he dripped with rain water. When he caught up to the woman he would grab her by the shoulder in an attempt to turn her around before saying “What the hell is your problem lady? I know damn well you aren’t so heartless that you would say that to someone about to kill themselves? Dont act as if my life doesn’t matter damn it! You have no clue what its like to walk in my shoes! You have no clue what its like to be powerless!” By the time he had said this Zeus and Thalia had caught up to him and Zeus would immediately yell at Echo saying “Echo let go of that woman, you shouldn’t just grab people like that regardless of how rude they are.”
Post by Velondra Silverlake✵ on May 30, 2021 3:45:06 GMT -5
Before the young man could speak she had already walked off, she didn't want to waste her time on someone who would even think of doing such a thing especially in a town that had felt more pain in recent history than anywhere else. "Are you really so pathetic that you want to add more death to this place?" she asked, she hoped that he wasn't as tone-deaf to not know which town he was in and the fate that had befallen it less than a year ago. The actual town almost looked as it once had but that was merely a mask for the true scars and discontent that was beneath the surface. Then again he was likely a noble who cared little about what happened outside of their own little bubble but liked to pretend as if they did. That frustrated her, it was lip service and nothing more.
She stopped hearing another male's voice with an accent, not of Clover. "Rude? No. Abrupt. Yes, most definitely." she said not looking back at them "On the other hand, I could say that he is tactless and rude. This town has seen enough death, it doesn't need more blood on its streets especially by some noble who is throwing a pity party for themselves." she said calmly, she listened to the woman as she called up to the male at the top of the building "You speak for yourself, little girl. People in this town would end up selling tickets to the event." she said walking off once more towards the graveyard, she knew there were a few kind souls left but the overall way of thinking and vibe of Kikka had changed. Two months of being under daemonic rule in a dome of darkness does something to people apparently.
Shee could sense him coming at her, the anger, the recklessness, the intent it was all within his flaring mana. 'What a pitiful fool' she thought to herself. She knew she could snuff out his light before he got anywhere near her and get rid of the evidence due to her magic, but, she wanted to at least believe he had a chance. She turned around willingly the moment her shoulder was touched, her blood ruby eyes looking into his own directly. She looked so unassuming and yet it was like her eyes would be burning into his very soul. "Umbra." she said, the moment she did black feathers appeared almost trapped in a wind vortex she subtly pointed to Echo because he was so close there was no chance of him avoiding it. It would hit him in the chest and knock him only three meters back.
It had enough strength behind it to make him land on his back and feel winded but it wouldn't have done any damage. She moved forward and stood over him, her expression unchanging as she once again looked directly into his eyes. "My problems can not be fixed, so at current I have none. You on the other have several, such as putting a hand on a woman when you don't know them." It was as if she was reading him "I am very much heartless to people like you. Egotistical, self-centred and self-serving to name a few of the traits I can't stand." she sighed and shook her head "I did and I would do it again because if your life doesn't matter to you why would it matter to me in any way, shape or form? We're strangers." she asked him, she knew she had a point in that. "And you have no idea what it is like in mine." she said coldly.
"The 'in my shoes' argument is a two-way street after all, so if you are going to use it at least know about the person you are using it on so they can't use it back on you." she continued, she could only sigh at the last part "You do realize what town you are in, right? You do remember what happened here, right?" she broke the eye contact with the other and turned away "When you get a clue we can talk, until then, you have a lot of growing up to do." she said simply and walked into the graveyard and towards where the mausoleums were leaving the trio behind her. She didn't care if they followed her, it wasn't going to change her plans any and it was clear she cared little about what they thought or had to say about her, they were strangers.
Word Count: 762 Total Word Count: 1,664
What a person fights for says a lot about a person. My battle? Well, that's for me to know and for you to die for looking too closely. Curiosity, after all, killed the proverbial cat.
Post by Echo Jaegar on May 30, 2021 5:13:49 GMT -5
When Echo had first spoken to the woman, she did not stop walking away but would simply keep walking. However once Zeus and Thalia popped up she would indeed stop to give words to the foreign swordsman, but she would not turn to face them. It was clear she thought very little of Echo, and probably his companions too. She would say that she was not rude but she thought Echo was rude and tactless. She thought that the town of Kikka had seen enough blood and she wasn’t too keen on having more blood poured into the town’s streets. And after Thalia would tell Echo that nobody was going to let him kill himself, the woman would tell her that people in the town would happily watch it as a spectacle.
However once Echo ran off after the woman that’s when things would begin to get interesting. Once Echo had grabbed the woman’s shoulder and gave her a piece of his mind she would turn around willingly, and gave Echo a nice surprise. The woman would speak the word umbra and seemingly out of nowhere a torrent of black feathers would appear and blast Echo in the chest. The feathers seemed to do little to no damage, however they would blast him 3 meters back and make him land on his back. After Echo flew back and fell to the ground the woman would begin standing over top of him. She too would then give the young male a piece of her mind just as Zeus and Thalia had caught back up.
The woman would say how her problems couldn’t be fixed, so she technically had none. However she believed Echo had many problems and one of those problems was the fact he touched her without knowing her. She contradicted Echo’s earlier statement saying she was heartless but to people like him, followed by listing the negative traits that she believed Echo to have. She also made it clear that she cared nothing for his life, because it wasn’t clear that he actually did. Finally she would reply to Echo saying she didn’t know what it was like to be him, by saying that he also didn’t know what it was like to be her either. She spoke on how the argument he presented was a two way street, and could only be used when you understood the person you were using it on, that way they could not use it on you.
Zeus would draw his sword as he was preparing to attack the woman for assaulting Echo, but he was not sure if he should intervene as Echo was in the wrong. Thalia would yell to the woman saying “What the hell lady! Why would you attack him like that? Zeus do something, you can’t just sit here and do nothing.” Even after hearing her words Zeus would not move after he drew his sword due to not being sure what to do. The woman would then move on to the subject of the town they were in again, asking did he know what had happened here. Of course it was no secret what had happened here in Kikka, almost everyone knew about the attacks that happened not too long ago. Echo didn’t know the details of such crisis but he knew that many had lost their lives.
Echo would look up at the woman before saying “Of course I know what happened… Thats why I came here with plans to die. I would be better off joining all those people in the after life.” After he had spoken the woman would then say that he needed to get a clue and grow up, and maybe then the two of them could talk. After that the woman would walk off allowing Thalia the chance to tend to Echo. The woman walked off heading into the cemetery as Echo would simply watch her. “Echo are you ok?” Thalia would say as she stooped down to check on him. Echo would grin before saying “Yeah I’m fine but I want both of you to get out of here. Me and that woman need to go have a chat in private. Dont worry though I promise I won’t go get myself killed. Something about her has just peaked my interest though…”
Echo would then stand up and rise to his feet before looking at Zeus and holding out his closed fist towards his cousin. He would then say to Zeus “Keep Thalia safe for me and I’ll see you guys at home later. Just be in that guest house waiting for me!” Zeus’ face would turn from one of uncertainty to one filled with hope and certainty, as he would bump his fist with Echo’s before saying “You know I got your back. Even blood couldn’t make our bond any stronger, so if you trust me with this task I shall trust you to come back to us alive.” Zeus would then look at Thalia before waving his hand signaling her to follow him before saying “Come on Thalia we are going home…” Thalia would look to Echo and then Zeus before saying “No this isn’t smart guys! That lady clearly has some problems and we are going to let Echo go talk to her alone after she just blasted him backwards through the air? I don’t think its smart at all!” Echo would look at Thalia and smile before kissing her on the forehead and saying “I promise I will return.” Before he walked off heading behind the woman.
After Echo walked off behind the woman, Zeus and Thalia would walk off too heading their way back to the Jaegar Estate. After Echo ran off behind the woman he would find her at some of the mausoleums within the cemetery. He had no clue what she was doing in a place like a cemetery, but judging from her attire and her words from earlier Echo assumed she was mourning the loss of someone she knew. Thinking further on the subject if she was from this town maybe she had lost several people during the recent attacks. After catching up to her again Echo would take in the feeling of her mana again, just as he did upon being hit by her spell earlier. Once he had gotten another taste for the mana the woman had he could feel the special sensation, the same sensation he had gotten when he meet the rogues A and J, and also the girl Verena who helped him. He wasn’t sure but if he knew correctly this girl was either very powerful or had was in possession of a four leaf clover grimoire.
“Hey what are you doing in this cemetery? Is someone you know buried here?” Echo would say trying to get things a little more hospitable between them. He would then wait for the girl to turn around before saying “I know we are in the rain but I think things can be a bit warmer between? My name is Echo, and who might you be miss..?” Basically making a space for her to tell him her name.
Post by Velondra Silverlake✵ on May 30, 2021 7:28:40 GMT -5
The stark haired stopped at the cemetery gates her hand on the cold metal as she listened to the other woman spoke to her "Ah, I wish I was still that naive and innocent but I am not and if you continue to be, you'll end up in the ground quicker than you may like." she said her voice not giving a hostile warning but it most certainly was a warning. "I did nothing more than defend myself from an aggressive person touching me, I held back as I didn't want to hurt him too much but give him a warning." The trio had no idea who they were dealing with and just how easily she could have just ended the redhead's life for doing something so foolish, especially to a resident of this town. Hearing the blade being drawn she shook her head sadly "Have you discarded your own customs?" she asked the swordsman.
"I understand our customs are so relaxed in comparison but to draw a blade you are unsure if you are going to use is disrespectful to your opponent, disrespectful to the soul of the sword and dishonourable to your family." she said in Zeus's native tongue perfectly, clearly knowing what she was talking about. She was in no way a noblewoman, she was just born into a wealthy merchant family that dealt with trade to far off lands. One of the trade agreements came with her betrothal to a young nobleman from Zeus's homeland so she had to become cultured in his traditions, customs and language quickly as she was going to be moving to live within the land of the rising sun after she was wed. Until then her husband to be had been living in Kikka with her as he helped her learn.
It wasn't normal but this was a cross-culture thing and was what her family had requested in agreement to that cabiat. She had to admit she wasn't happy at first when she learned of her betrothal as she always believed that she would get to choose her own husband, but after meeting him she fell in love quickly. He was gentle, respectful of her boundaries, patient, kind, funny, intelligent, strong to name a few of his traits the fact he was quite handsome and very exotic in appearance was just an added bonus. "Cut your thumb in the edge of your blade so the spirit of the sword is satisfied and resheath it." she instructed him, she knew that what she had asked wasn't exactly uncommon practice. It was done so people wouldn't do what the other had in haste, it was also to remind them why they should draw their weapon.
He clearly had second thoughts and so the blade should have remained sheathed until he knew his intention. "Do you know how insensitive you are coming off? How you would just add more scars to people in a town that is still in mourning?" she asked him in utter disbelief that he could be so tone-deaf to those around him. "You are disgusting." she said her tone showing just how much disdain she held for the young noble "One of you has shamefully forgotten their roots, one of you is going to end up dead if they don't smarten up and one of you is shameless. I'll let you decide who's who." with that she pushed the gate forward and walked deeper into the cemetery leaving them alone to talk as she walked towards the mausoleums only to stop in front of one of the finer looking ones.
"I'm sorry that I'm late." she said her voice but a whisper "I know you of all people wouldn't have been less than pleased at this Kenjiro San but I'm here now." she said as she moved her hand into her flowing sleeve she heard the redhead's voice from behind her. "No, I just enjoy walking in cemeteries while it's raining because I'm bored and have nothing better to do." she said coldly turning to look at him "Do you always give your name so freely to strangers? If you do, I'd stop it. Names hold a lot of power." she informed him. "Let me give you an example..." she paused for a moment "Your name is Echo Jaegar, you are the second son of Lord Johnathan Jaegar and if rumours are to be believed is the least favoured in the family line even though you were blessed with a four-leaf clover." she said to him.
"How can someone with a four-leaf clover be the least favoured? Most families, especially noble families would be over the moon to have someone blessed like you are." She finished, his name was rare so between that and the visual traits it was easy to put two and two together to get his complete name. She was sure that when she was younger than her own family had done business with his, so knew his father's name, but then the reputation of Johnathan Jaegar being a generous man was well known in the kingdom. The thing was she knew a long time ago that it was nothing more than a mask. It was something about the man's eyes, they seemed so cold like there was a hidden darkness within him. She hadn't told her parents, she thought that she would be given into trouble.
Other than her own thoughts and feelings on the man there were rumours because, after all, people liked to gossip about things "Are you really so weak that you still have your father's ire with such a gift from the mana?" she asked him "I understand that you can't always hide your name, by the way, there are times and places that social etiquette comes into play talking to a complete stranger in the middle of a graveyard isn't one of them." she said before going silent "We may be surrounded by the dead but even their tombs have ears." indicating that he should be careful when speaking about anything as there could always be someone listening. Putting her hand into her sleeve once more she brought out a unique looking key and touched it to the door of the mausoleum and the door went semi-transparent "Walk inside." when he did she would follow and the door would become solid once more.
"This is my families and my fiance's final resting place" she said her voice showing sadness as she touched the light crystals turning them brighter revealing six marble tombs of varying styles. "They all died within the two months the daemons ruled Kikka." she explained moving to take a seat on the red oak bench "My mother and father." she said pointing to the farthest left that had sculptures of a man and woman hugging together as if asleep on to of the tombs. "My elder brothers" she said pointing to the two tombs half in the ground but covered in prayers and blessings. "They worshipped gnome so it was only right they were closer to him" she informed Echo. She pointed to the smallest coffin in the centre "My little sister, she was only six." it had a sculpture of a female cherub praying in a flowing dress.
She pointed to one at the farthest back next to a seventh unsealed next to it. There were charms of protection all around it, lit incense with an image and bottle of sake at atop of it "My fiance." her voice was shaking, clearly tears falling down her cheeks. The wounds were still fresh, she didn't know if she would ever heal from them fully. "Now you see why I don't care if a stranger takes their life in some foolish and selfish pity party because I lost the lives of six people that were my entire world." she looked at the only open tomb next to Kenjiro's "That one is mine and I can't lie and say I haven't thought about entering it, but, they would never forgive me. I would be dishonouring their memory and so I live on for them even with all this pain and agony." she said, "So, tell me how is your pain worse than mine?"
Word Count: 1,317 Total Word Count: 2,981
What a person fights for says a lot about a person. My battle? Well, that's for me to know and for you to die for looking too closely. Curiosity, after all, killed the proverbial cat.
Post by Echo Jaegar on May 30, 2021 8:57:18 GMT -5
After Echo enter the cemetery behind the woman, and he had given her his name things would take a very strange turn. The woman had made a comment about not giving out his name so freely, saying that names held power. The woman may have been right but Echo being the son of a noble felt it was ordinary to give his name unless he was outwardly doing evil deeds. She would then begin to give a short and descriptive version of Echo and his background. With all the info the woman had one could conclude she had either done her research on Echo, or she had already knew of him somehow. She knew that his father’s name was Johnathan, she knew that he was the second born son, she knew of his four leaf grimoire, and she even knew that his father and him had a very strange relationship.
The woman asked how it was his father could favor him the least, when Echo was blessed with such a gift as a 4 leaf grimoire. Echo couldn’t provide answer because it was something he had wondered for the past 2 years. She questioned if Echo was really so weak that even having the power of a 4 leaf grimoire, couldn’t earn his father’s respect or love. Echo was at a loss for words not knowing what to say or think at the moment. The girl would then say that social standards of giving ones name didn’t need to be followed in a graveyard, before she would pull out a very strange looking key and placed it to the door or the masoulem. After she did this the door would become transparent and able to be walked through. She told boy to walk inside, to which he would reluctantly do. After he walked in she would walk in behind him and the door would become solid once more, stopping others from entering.
After they entered Echo would look around and see all the tombs inside, wondering why the woman invited her to such a place. She would then speak up saying that this was the final resting place of her family and her fiancé, words that would make Echo’s face light up in shock. She would then say how she lost them all during the recent attacks the town had endured, followed by pointing out which tombs belonged to which of her family. Echo would then look at her and say “Im sorry for your loss. I didn’t mean to make you feel any kind of way by my words or actions earlier.” After he spoke she would then point out the open tomb and say that it was to be hers.
She said that she wanted to place herself in it early on several occasions, however she knew her family would not forgive her if she did. Echo would then stare the woman in the eyes before saying “Why are you showing me this? What is it that you want me to learn or understand from seeing this? Is this supposed to be some type of contest to see who holds more pain? You clearly already know about me, and you clearly already believe you hold more pain than I. You may have lost your father but at least he loved you… AT LEAST HE CARED DAMN IT! I was born into a household with no love, everyone but my little brother were turned against me by my father and his hatred! My father, my mother, my older brother, and my kid sister all treat me like im nothing but the dirt under their feet…”
He would stop talking as tears would flow down his face, he would try to wipe them away but they came down faster than he could wipe. He would then look back to the girl and say “If we both hold so much pain and despair in our hearts we should be friends and help each other work through such pains. Or at the very least you show me how to wear my pain and continue to carry on… you seem very strong in character to be able to make it through so much…”
Post by Velondra Silverlake✵ on May 30, 2021 9:57:49 GMT -5
She looked at him from the bench as he asked her a simple question "I'm showing you this because as bad as things are, they can always be worse." she explained leaning forward so her elbows were on her knees, she looked to the roof of the mausoleum for a moment silently as if she was contemplating her next set of words carefully to the one within what was the only place at current she found peace even if it was painful. "What am I wanting you to learn or understand? Hmm..." her ruby eyes turned to him "That as much as living is painful at least unlike the dead we can change our fates." it was a simple yet true fact, living was painful. Every second of every moment slowly killed the one that was still alive. It was true that some had it worse than others and before all this, she had been quite fortunate.
"A contest? No. That would be a waste of air." she said simply leaning back her eyes closing "It would also be disrespectful to the dead. The last thing they need to hear is two adults complaining about their woes when we have what they desire." her voice seemed more at peace as she spoke "Yes, my life was blessed before that darkness but due to daemons and the incompetence of those who were meant to help the town my blessed life was shattered and corrupted." she wasn't looking for pity, she hadn't been the entire time, everyone would die it was just a matter of when, where and for what. Her parents died trying to protect her younger sister, her younger sister was hurt for trying to get help then killed for it later, her brothers starved so she would eat properly and her fiance died due to the crimson lion captain after he tried to help the town.
"Ever think that you are the dirt beneath their feet?" she asked her voice wasn't spiteful, but it did hold a coldness through the curiosity. "You are weak, pathetic, lost..." she continued to tare into him without any remorse for his feelings or how it would affect him. "The strong recognise the strong and your mana... and well..." she paused as she stood up "It's less than desirable, if I didn't know any better I'd have believed that you were born with a single leaf clover" she said honestly as she walked over to him "That is why you are not favoured, that is why you are worth less than the dirt they walk on." she continued explaining stopping in front of him
"I believe you have a well of potential, I just think your pathetic excuse of a self will never find it because you allow your father to keep you on your knees like a beaten dog." she said calmly before she quickly moved her hand and slapped him so hard it would leave a red welt on his cheek and knock him down to the ground hard. "So, are you a beaten dog that will keep down because you are against someone who can snuff out your lives light or are you strong enough to get back on your feet and challenge in a smart enough way that someone stronger will take notice and think twice before testing your bluff little pup Echo?" she would ask him watching his next movements carefully ready to move within a split seconds notice if she needed to. She hadn't used any magic when striking him and she had been careful when she had done such a thing that he didn't land near any of the tombs.
Word Count: 613 Total Word Count: 3,594
What a person fights for says a lot about a person. My battle? Well, that's for me to know and for you to die for looking too closely. Curiosity, after all, killed the proverbial cat.
Post by Echo Jaegar on May 30, 2021 11:12:57 GMT -5
After Echo asked why he was shown this the woman would simply tell him that it was so he could know that no matter how bad things had gotten that they could always be worse. Echo thought about it for a moment and he knew that she was right, she wanted him to know that unlike the dead they could still change their fates. She also had a response to Echo saying that at least she started off being in a better position than him. She would agree hat before the tragedy she was rather fortunate, how but due to the events her life was now just as destroyed as his. Echo would then begin to empathize with the girl, feeling the emotions that she felt. After a few moments she would ask Echo a very odd question, one that would change the course of the conversation.
The girl asked him if he ever thought that he was the dirt beneath their feet, to which Echo would quickly said “No, why would I think that?”. The girl would continue on saying how Echo was sad, lost, and pathetic words that made him think of his father. As she talked the boy’s face became noticeably more angry, as her words became more and more hurtful. The woman would say that the strong recognized the strong, however Echo and his mana seemed far less than that saying that it felt as if he had a single leaf upon his grimoire. The words sounded more and more like the words of his father. They dug into his brain and began to trigger years worth of flashbacks of beatings and mistreatments. “STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW DAMN IT! Im none of those things…”
Echo wanted to break down right then and there but it was clear this woman wasn’t done with him. Echo would not know what the woman wanted from him by doing this but he was almost sure she was having her way. Tears going down his face the woman would tell him that she had hope for his potential, however he was too sad and pathetic to live up to said potential. It was clear she knew enough about Echo to the point that almost everything she had said about him was right. She knew that Echo had been holding himself back from reaching true greatness because of his father, that was something that even he knew. The girl would then walk over and smack all earth, wind, and fire from Echo leaving a red mark upon his face and sent him to the ground.
Echo would look up to the girl as she would ask him is he a beaten dog or was he strong enough to fight back in a smart way. After being slapped so hard he was a little slow to react to but he would finally get up and say to her “Im no beaten dog! I am Echo Jaegar, I am strong I know that! If I wasn’t meant to be strong the gods wouldn’t have blessed me with this magic of mine! I know I have potential… but you are one of the first people to ever say that to me. If you truly believe in my hidden potential maybe you can help me unlock it so that I can move to the next level.” His words would drag off as his speech would stop, he would then make his way down onto one knee like a knight would do during a knighting ceremony. He would then look to her and say “I am no dog and don’t take this for me submitting to you. However I am not ashamed to know when I need to ask for help, so I ask you here and now will you please help me? Will you help me discover this potential you believe me to have?”
Post by Velondra Silverlake✵ on May 30, 2021 11:57:23 GMT -5
She listened to his retort to her question, asking why he would ever think such a thing? The answer for her was simple to her "Because you let them walk over you so you must think you are dirt beneath them." she commented, she noticed how as she kept belittling him he grew angrier and angrier with each passing word, she found that as pitiful as the rest of him at current but she would truly need to break him down if he was to get stronger. She was quiet for a moment as he yelled for her to stop it several times before saying that he was none of these things. "Currently you are everything I've said and more, you've done nothing to prove otherwise, in fact, all you've done is proven me more correct with that little outburst." she said, she knew she was poking the chinks in her armour but she needed to.
"You can not allow yourself to become swayed by emotion unless it benefits you, an outburst like that can very much cost you everything because a person will continue doing it." she said to him "You need to forge a strong mask that you can show to the world, one that is far different to who you truly are. Your father is a prime example of that, as much as you might hate him you have to admire the mask he upholds to the rest of the world." she said letting him know this was the first of many things he would need to show strength. "A person who is strong can keep their true emotions, desires, motives, wants and goals under control and hidden when required. I compartmentalize a lot, especially now." he informed him in the hopes he would understand.
"You need to learn how to make people believe your lies and that means you also need to believe them." she looked and round the mausoleum for a moment and smile brightly as if she wasn't surrounded by her dead loved ones 'Forgive me Kenjiro San, but I need him to understand.' she silently sent to her dead fiance "Oh my god, is that you Echo? It's been so long!" she actually sounded like someone he may have known years ago but hadn't seen in all that time "We should go get lunch and catch up, what do you say?" her voice sounded genuinely happy and excited to see him, something that a regular young woman would be. As quickly as it had been there it ended "See what I mean? It's all about acting." she continued that short lesson but would help him with it if he asked.
She listened to him as he stood up even if it was slow declaring that he was no beaten dog, his name and that he was strong, that even the spirits noticed that he was or he wouldn't have been blessed with his magic. Then asking for her to take him under her wing, that was an interesting proposal. She hadn't ever had anyone ever ask her to do such a thing other than her sister when it came to making clothes. She watched as he lowered to one knee and rolled her eyes "You really are hopeless. Taking a knee like that, that is exactly what you are doing. You are swearing allegiance to the one who is towering over you. Do any of your siblings kneel like this to your father?" she would ask, she needed to know this before she decided on whether she would continue forward with his proposal.
Word Count: 600 Total Word Count: 4,194
What a person fights for says a lot about a person. My battle? Well, that's for me to know and for you to die for looking too closely. Curiosity, after all, killed the proverbial cat.
Post by Echo Jaegar on May 30, 2021 12:48:25 GMT -5
t was very clear that the woman wanted to make Echo feel far worse than what he already did, and she was having no trouble completing her goal. Even after Echo said that he was none of the things she said, she would respond by saying he was everything she said and he had done nothing to prove her wrong. How could he prove her wrong, when in reality he knew the woman’s words were true. However he had accepted that but that’s why he was still here, because he wanted help to make those things untrue.
She told Echo that he couldn’t allow himself to be swayed by his own emotions unless it gave him some sort of benefit. She would use his own father as an example of what she meant. Speaking on how to the outside world the man seemed like a good father and a generous man, but in reality he was nothing more than a monster. She said that Echo would need to be like his father, putting on a mask to show the image that you wanted to show to the world. She would continue her lesson by giving a bit of an acting demonstration.
As the conversation went on Echo understood what the woman meant more. However even though the woman was just starting to seem kind and helpful, she would quickly return to being a down putting person as she told Echo he was truly hopeless as he had taken to one knee to ask her for her help. Echo would scoff before he spoke saying “I am not submitting myself to you, I said that already! I just know that I need help, and clearly you know more than me, and you are more powerful. So I ask that you help me get stronger so that I can eliminate the one thing that’s stopping me from living up to my potential… I want you to make me strong enough so that I can kill my father, and take claim as the heir to my house.”
Echo was very blunt with what he wanted, and with how he felt. He knew that this girl could probably kill him in no time flat and with very little effort, but he figured that asking her for help in a place filled with her dead loved ones would perhaps soften here heart and make her want to help him even if just for their sake. Tears rolling down his face once again he looked up to the woman and said “No my siblings don’t kneel to my father like this… Only me because I was always told that…” He would stop talking when the thought finally hit his mind. *Is this… what she was trying to show me?* After coming to his realization he would stand up, coming out of his kneeled position saying “I understand now I think…” He would wipe his tears away before continuing to speak.
“Im done being the beaten dog you and my father think I am. Im not gonna bow or kneel to anyone anymore! And I will kill my father so that I can regain my honor and dignity, regardless of who stands in my way. You were right I am pathetic until I do that but I will redeem myself by getting it back.”
Post by Velondra Silverlake✵ on May 30, 2021 13:38:15 GMT -5
She listened to him yet again stating that he wasn't submitting himself to her even though she had told him why it would be deemed in such a manner, but it didn't seem as if he had caught on in that moment. That he was doing it because he realized that he needed help and knew that she knew more than him and was clearly far more powerful than he was. He was at least smart enough to know that if nothing else. She listened to what drove him and sighed "You foolish child." she said walking back to the bench to sit once more. "There is another thing that the dead can't be or do..." she said her eyes locking with his once more "They can't be punished and they can't suffer." she said her voice cold
"Why kill when you can subjugate? Let them suffer the humiliation, pain and indignities that they have forced upon you all these years?" she would inquire her head cocking slightly to the left. "You can get your father to rename you, heir then after a few months he can pass the title of head of the house for claiming health, retirement or other reasons" she said with a dark smile "All the while he will be your puppet, kneeling at your feet." she wondered how the other would take to her version of revenge. Sure, death was simple, clean and easy but there would always be rumours especially within the family itself. This way it was clean, business would remain the same just under a different iron fist. "Also, keep your goals under your mask if you say them to the wrong person, well, you can guess the kind of issues you'd run into." she'd remind him, it was reckless, to say the least.
It seemed like midway through an explanation it finally clicked what he was being taught. She clapped her hands slowly "Well done. The first step passed, however, there will be times that bowing is required." she informed him "To deceive or due to another culture where it is a custom. The last thing you want to do is insult someone, it could end up with losing your head and not in a good way." She looked at her fiance's tomb and smile lightly "Always weigh when you are sincere when doing it and when you are doing it because it benefits you." she continued "If the latter do it and be smiling on the inside that you will be the one getting the last laugh if it's the former smile because you haven't lost yourself to the void." she said calmly to him.
"Find other ways to give fealty to your father, after all, he is still the head of the house and respect must be shown even if it is just for show." she instructed. "Stay on your feet if you can, bow low from the waist but keep eye contact, slowly start decreasing just how far you will bow and see how far he accepts. Stay at that point until you are ready to enact your hostile take over." it was going to be a slow burn but the payoff would be worth it. "Now, is there anything you desire in your life other than being the head of your family?" she would ask, this one was going to be interesting to hear because everyone desired something "Power, wealth, respect, loyalty, having a certain person by your side?" if she knew this perhaps she would be able to help, if not at least instruct him a bit more.
Word Count: 602 Total Word Count: 4,796
What a person fights for says a lot about a person. My battle? Well, that's for me to know and for you to die for looking too closely. Curiosity, after all, killed the proverbial cat.
Post by Echo Jaegar on May 30, 2021 14:27:40 GMT -5
Once Echo had seemed to catch on to the first part of the lesson the woman would clap, a sign that he had indeed learned what she was trying to teach him at that time. After he finally caught on she would then lay out a new and some would say a better version of his revenge plan. She thought it would be better to subjugate his father and his family the same way they had done him all these years. Echo thought her idea wasn’t bad, but deep in his heart he knew that he would never truly be satisfied unless he killed the man with his own two hands.
She would also remind him on the use of a ‘mask’ when talking to people that he would consider an outsider, as certain things should be kept to himself and this revenge plan was one of those things. She had also made it a point to correct Echo when he said he would never bow or kneel again, saying that it would be required sometimes. Echo understood what she meant when she spoke, but he thought that it would be clear he didn’t mean for things such as cultural reasons.
After a bit more of the woman trying to educate the young hunter, the conversation would take an interesting turn when the girl would ask Echo what is it that he wanted besides to be the head of his family. Echo hadn’t ever thought about it much, but now that the question was asked he figured now was as good a time as any to think. His arms crossed his chest as his right hand rubbed his chin, showing the face of a serious thinker. He looked to the woman and smiled before saying “Isn’t it obvious?” His words dragged off before he would go and sit on the bench next to her, but keeping as much distance as the bench allowed.
“I want power! The power so that no one can ever make me feel beneath them. I want power so that nobody can stand against me and claim that I am weak ever again…” His words trailing off again. Echo knew that he could be powerful if given the proper guidance, and so far this woman was as good of a teacher as any he had gotten since going down this dark path in life. As he thought more about the woman and her methods, his mind would linger back to the Collector. The Collector was responsible for Echo meeting Zeus but that was it, he hadn’t done anything substantial in the months Echo had worked for him, but this woman had done far more than him in the few minutes they had talked.
Echo knew that if he did join this woman as her student, or anything of that nature the collector would feel some type of way. Knowing this Echo knew that he would probably have to kill him too. “I agree with your plan for my father and my family, death is too simple of a punishment for him. I rather see him spend the rest of his life in a cell suffering, just like I suffered my whole life being the victim to his abuse… but today Echo the victim died when you knocked me on my ass with that slap. And it is also the day Echo… no you said I need a mask right? So I will make not only a mask but a new me separated from the old me. From this day I shall be nothing more than a number, I shall be Zero.”
Post by Velondra Silverlake✵ on May 30, 2021 15:03:50 GMT -5
She watched him as he contemplated his answer like a deep thinker, she knew it was obvious everyone that went down this path wanted power, they never wanted to be victimized again and would do anything they needed to so it would never happen again. That no one would lord over them, that they would be feared and respected, that they could never be viewed as weak. That just seemed like standard stuff but she would accept it for now as he was clearly still learning his footing. "You are wishing to rule alone or does the future king have a queen in mind?" she inquired, she watched his body language to tell if he was lying. She was quite new to her current walk of life but like a shark, she had been born swimming and adapted quickly to become a predator, even if people didn't see her coming.
"I'm glad to see you are seeing sense, once you take over he will be your dog and you can teach him just how it felt to be broken and at the whim of. I am glad to see the victim has died and been officially reborn as a deceiver on this day." she said standing once more "Sometimes people need a good slap to see sense." she said with a soft laugh, even though the other wouldn't be able to tell the difference this was indeed sincere. It was the first time she had genuinely laughed since before the darkness fell, part of her felt at peace but at the same time, she felt disrespectful for laughing as she was around her loved ones. Eventually, her laughter stopped as he asked a question "A mask for everyone to see and separate self for your chosen path" she said to him as she walked forward and shook her head to his name.
"I would have to disagree with your intended name, only someone weak would allow themselves to be called 'Zero' so try again, think of predators, things that move within the shadows or even things that strike fear." she smiled and leaned into his ear and whispered a single word "Eclipse" she said with a calm tone before stepping back "You are blessed with light correct? Well, even though the moon blocks out the sun to make an eclipse the sun is still so powerful that looking to an eclipse with unguarded eyes it can blind you" she said moving to her sister's tomb "I think it suits you better than Zero." she said calmly "Also in that short time of darkness a lot of bad things can happen, you should only need a short time to do the same." she said to him wondering how he would take to the name of his new birth.
Word Count: 467 Total Word Count: 5,263
What a person fights for says a lot about a person. My battle? Well, that's for me to know and for you to die for looking too closely. Curiosity, after all, killed the proverbial cat.
Post by Echo Jaegar on May 30, 2021 21:22:47 GMT -5
After Echo told the woman what his goals were, she would then move to ask if he had a “queen” he wished to rule with to which Echo would say nothing at first. After a few moments of looking at the white haired woman he would smile and laugh saying “Do you really believe im interested in something like love, or a relationship? Of course I have no intent of having a queen… Why do I need a queen? If the king doesn’t move neither will his subordinates, so I think the king is the only piece I actually need in this chess game.”
His speech would go silent as he looked at her. After the question of him having a queen had come and gone the woman would say that she was proud that Echo was learning and that he was being reborn today the way he needed to be in the first place. She would tell Echo that he was going to reverse the roles of victim and abuser, so that he could feel a pain worse than death would allow. Echo still wasn’t sure if he was going to go with this completely, but it was a start to say the least.
A mask for everyone to see, and your true self for your chosen path… those are the words that came from the woman’s mouth. Depending on how one wanted to take it this could be seen as her telling Echo that although a mask was needed, that there would be times when showing ones true self was ok to do. Echo had somehow found what he was looking deep inside himself, for thanks to her. And not only did he find that, but he also found a stranger for the first time who actually believed in his potential and believed he could become something else… someone else.
After Echo had told her that he wanted his new name to be Zero the woman would disagree with the name he had picked. Echo was going to ask what she thought was wrong with the name, but she would explain it before he had the chance to ask. She would tell him that only a weak person would allow themselves to be called a name like Zero, telling him that he should try again to pick a better name. Echo would begin thinking but as he did so the woman would begin to voice her own idea for his new name.
She would ask him if he indeed have like magic, as she so believed to which Echo would say “Yeah I do? What of it?” After he spoke she would speak on how the sun was so powerful that even when it was blocked by the moon during an eclipse, looking at it with naked eyes could still blind a person. She was in a way comparing the power that Echo could one day hold, as matching the power of the sun itself, and that is why she believed Echo’s new name should be Eclipse.
The name wasn’t bad at all and Echo actually liked it. “So Eclipse huh? Thats the name you picked for me? Fine… from this day forward Echo is dead to the outside world. In order to reach my goals I must wear a mask, ad separating the new me from the old. I must become someone else… something else. So I shall be reborn as Eclipse, the man so powerful that nobody can completely block my shine!” And so just like that Echo had felt like he had rediscovered himself, making way for him to become who he was always meant to be.
