"What Big Teeth You Have"

Mission Link (free form)

Solo Word Count: 8,000 words
Group Word Count: 16,000 words

What Big Teeth You Have...

In the nearby town outside of Sakuramori...

The Umbra Witches had always known how to hide from the light of the known world. They were secret and mysterious for a good reason, but their methods and goals were simple balance in the delicate world. However that made others fear them for their dark arts. Temperance, her true name Selina, had been raised by them and learned their arts well. Still, her home was in the underground castle that were hidden in their abandoned cathedral long lost to the elements and neglect-- but still had a beauty to it.

In her rare time to return home, Temperance had return there to see her family. While all the witches were considered sisters, she knew two who were like her truest aunts compared to her mother. Aunt Cereza and Aunt Jeanne, two witches who were Selina's mentors and caretakers while her mother was away.  They encouraged her to be unapologetically herself and how to use magic. They oddly also supported her rise as a thief as well. Not a traditional childhood, but she had no shortage of love and admirable role models to follow as a witch.

That morning, Temperance waited in the ruins of the cathedral, upstairs to the actual catacombs where the Umbra Witches dwelled. She was told that one of her aunts had a small errand for her, so she was waiting. For the moment, she was placing her Tarot Cards about on the pedistal at the top of the platform, the light from the stain glass illuminating the cards and surroundings in hues of colors.

Curled up at the carpeted steps, Hex napped a bit, her witch's hat worn and obscuring her eyes. The cat felt comfortable being back home, as did Temperance. Little did she know, she would soon meet a new witch-- one who would soon become a trusted ally and sister in all but name.

Keeping to try and not draw too much attention, she was dressed in her civilian disguise-- as she would call it, the fool: A pair of blue jeans and striped shirt, with a yellow vest. Her long black hair was the same, but she had a pair of glasses on that one would identify her as a 'nerd' at first glance.

But as with all things, appearances were deceiving...

WC: 394

It had been some time since the angel of lust had left the mountainous region known as Mount Hakobe and that was partly the reason as to why the black haired woman had decided to travel. Tired of the endless snow storms and frigid cold, Medeia had desired to leap upon her natural desire for exploration which was what had brought her to Sakuramori or more accurately the area surrounding it. She had heard rumours during her travels of a coven of her fellow witches who were said to live in the shadows, hiding from the world as a whole. It was an intriguing story and had more than captured the attention of the Errings Rising mage, enough for her to wander through the forest areas of the town without a care in the world. Not that she was concerned with her own welfare. She had reached a level of strength that other mages could only dream of and the purple eyed woman was more than capable of defending herself.

Dressed in her usual Desierto clothing, Medeia had quite easily made her way through the forest terrain, her spell book attached to her hip and her sickle strapped to her back. It was an easy trek for the dual slayer with her enhanced senses giving her more than enough warning for her to be able to deal or avoid any threats. There were moments where she felt the occasional pair of eyes upon her although whether they were those of beasts or humans were unknown to her. No moves were made against her, which was definitely the smart move to make. Oh, the witch could deal her fair share of damage but she was not a blood loving psychopath and had no interest in mindless butchery.

It was difficult to keep track of time but sooner or later, the mage emerged from the forest to find herself coming across the ruins of a large building, religious by the looks of it. Medeia had to raise her eyebrows at the sight of it, surprised at finding such ruins in the middle of a forest but her curiosity won out in the end and she approached without giving it too much thought. It would certainly be a good place to hide and the purple eyed mage mused that it was worth a look around.

Drawing her sickle in the case of any possible threats, she would then prod open the large door with her sickle, only for the door to just creak rather loudly and then collapse.

“So much for subtlety," she muttered sarcastically to herself, as the sound of the breaking door would no doubt echo throughout the ruin.

(449 Words)

The violent burst in from the door made Temperance almost jump-- the Death Card she had just drawn slipping to the floor from her hands. Hex too jumped from the sound and she went right up to her feet with alarm. "MREEOW!! No one ever heard of letting sleeping cats lay?!" Hex retorted.

"That's Sleeping Dogs lie, Hex..." Temperance corrected despite the grim presence.

The shadow of the 'intruder' stretched far from the sun outside, showing a clear view of the scythe the person had in hand. Despite the startling reaction, Temperance looked from behind her glasses with stern resolve. Was this some angel of death coming to pass judgment on the Umbra Witches? Maybe even one of her aunts trying to pull a prank or test on her. Still, only one group went around trying to 'hunt' Temperance's family.

... That was the Lumen Sages. However, this didn't look like one. Far from it. That and this was a woman. The Lumen Sage were all men-- or so she knew.

Slowly, Temperance moved forward down the steps of the alter to meet the intruder on even ground. "You're not screaming peaceful worship swinging that thing around," Temperance said, adjusting her glasses. From behind the glasses, her stare was more determined-- even if not seen.

Temperance was confident, but still... something about this person screamed differently. Perhaps they were powerful in their own right. Could it be the Lumen Sages did finally decide to wipe out the Umbra Witches...

She felt her fingers twitch, prepared to launch a card at the intruder if things got ugly.

Just as Hex was about to meow in fright at the building tension... footsteps could be heard. The clicking of them echoed in the church as they would turn to see from one of the side passages-- came a figure. A woman, dressed in a white nun's outfit. The moment Temperance saw this, her nerves soothed. She knew who it was.

Slowly the nun walked through the isles towards the central isle between the seats. "Such route children. You should know better," she said in a stern but kindly way. She soon met the view of the stranger, not at all afraid of the scythe. "Now, perhaps you should put that away before you hurt yourself. But if you children intend to play rough..." a hint of mischief sparkled in the glasses behind the nun's face. "I'd be more than happy to play in kind, myself."

Temperance felt more at ease to know one of her aunts was there. "Hello Aunt Cereza," Temperance said with relief.

WC: 433

“I would like nothing more than to play with you but that was not my reason for coming,” Medeia quipped in response to the nun, a brief look of desire crossing the angel’s features. Amused, she would click her fingers, causing her sickle to return to her back, fixing itself there. She saw no reason for continuing to wield it, as the two women in front of her did not seem all that threatening and combat was not her intention anyway. Any tension that there might have been had vanished, at least from her side and she made no further effort to try and appear threatening. Her magical aura would be enough to prove her strength and level of power.

“There is no need to be on guard,” the mage would continue, “I do not wish to get into a spell slinging match with you and I was actually seeking to form a more beneficial relationship with your coven, assuming you are the witches that I have heard so much about.” It was a fair assumption for her to make and Medeia was rather suspicious of the nun’s behaviour. Medeia had never met a nun quite so willing to enter combat before, which was enough to set off an alarm bell or two in her mind. There was definitely more to her than met the eye and that only caused the purpled eyed woman to become interested in her.

Turning her gaze to the rather oddly dressed younger woman, Medeia would smile, “Forgive me if my appearance made you or your companion jump, my dear. I had no idea that the doors to this place were quite so flimsy. Believe me, knocking a door off of its hinges is not my usual method of making an entrance.” After a few moments and a brief glance over the girl’s attire, she would add in a slightly teasing manner, “You certainly have a unique taste in clothing.” It was not meant to be offensive, simply a dry attempt at humour from the Errings Rising kidnapper.

“My name is Medeia, a member of one of the mage guilds and a witch of a slightly different sort,” she then said, finally introducing herself. “My goal, as I said, is to hopefully find some common ground with the Umbra Witches and perhaps come to an understanding. I admit that I know little about your group besides rumours and I would appreciate it if that could change. I do not expect you to trust me just like that but if there is something I can do to earn it then I would be willing to.”

Another brief look of desire would briefly cross her face, “Unless of course, you wish to come to another kind of agreement.” With the tension gone, her true personality soon came to the surface, already comfortable with the situation that she found herself in.

(484 Words)
(Thread WC: 933)

The presence of an 'angel' would worry most of the Umbra Witches that didn't end in pure gunfire or dark spells to send them to hell. Temperance, being one of the few witches not bound to demonic contract and had to kill angels daily as a result, was one thing. However, it seemed this girl was no sort of angel. She was a witch it seemed and had more interest in the Umbra Witches than to fight them.

The tension in the room soon dissolved, Hex let out a meow as her fur stopped standing up and she adjusted her witch's hat. "Eh... I seen them in worse. Aunt Cereza loves to dress up. Oh-- and one time, Temperance had an outfit made of flimsy ca--"

"Shush!" Temperance hissed, swatting a hand in the cat's direction, but only made her meow in delight. The glasses she wore kept her expression hidden from the stranger.

Clearly sensing she was hearing about the Umbra Witches, and seemed to have no ill intent-- Cereza smirked as she reached for her own robes-- and with a swift pull, the dress went flying. IN place where 'flesh' would of been, blackness stretched over her body, being part of her 'hair' or so said in magic. The blackness took new form, transforming Cereza entirely-- now to reveal her as a kick-ass looking woman in a black skin-tight outfit with guns suddenly at her thighs and on her boots! Her hair was tied back and her glasses changed too, going from a nun to a sexy gun-slinging witch. Clearly her as a nun was an act.

"Hm... a fellow witch. Well then, I suppose a warmer welcome was in order," Cereza said confidently.

Temperance kept quiet for the moment as her aunt, the senior witch talked to the woman known as Medeia, who seemed to be almost the same age as Temperance. Though age was something relative to witches. "Next time, just come in. The door's always open,' Cereza said with a wink.

"Hello Aunt Cereza," Temperance said, ignoring the woman's knock on her own nerdy-looking attire. But clearly even the girl knew, to dress up as a regular witch in public wasn't always wise. "So, you trying to tell me... you want to join the Umbra Witches?" the girl asked, approaching closer now feeling less threatened.

"Newbies gotta groom me and cook me salmon for a week! " Hex meowed playfully, hoping to take advantage of the situation.

WC: 413

“Is that so?” Medeia replied to the cat’s playful demands, clearly amused, “Well, I am not the world’s greatest chef so I am not sure you would want your salmon cooked by me. I would be happy to groom you though, my dear.” The cat certainly had some personality and the angel had the feeling that she would become rather fond of her quite quickly. The angel had always been rather fond of animals and honestly, she preferred their company to humans in many cases. Well, male humans anyway. “You must tell me more about the clothing habits of the witches some time too.”

The nun’s reveal was not at all that surprising either and Medeia’s eyes lit up as she caught sight of the woman’s new attire. “So much for being a nun, huh?” She quipped, her gaze briefly looking over Cereza’s outfit before returning to her face, “The next time I visit, I will make sure to find your door. You can be sure of that.” The witch was oozing with confidence at this point and any tension that she might have felt had completely evaporated. She felt comfortable with the situation and the witches did not appear to quite match the rumours that Medeia had heard. Truthfully though, that was a positive for the mage and she had learned long ago never to take rumours at face value anyway. Humans were prone to exaggeration and deception, usually out of fear of the unknown or to try and boost their fragile egos.

It was then that her gaze turned to focus on the younger girl, who seemed to be a little more serious about the matter at hand. Medeia was rather amused by this too, as the girl’s magical aura did not seem to be awfully strong. Perhaps it was because her aunt was so close that she felt so confident? Or maybe that she had a large group of other witches lurking somewhere close by? Either way, the fallen angel would simply cross her arms across her sizable chest and answer the question asked. “As I mentioned previously, my primary goal for coming here is to learn more about your coven. I am intrigued by what I have heard of you although I expect that half of it is false, given the secrecy of your clan. You do not have to be concerned about me revealing any of your secrets to the law or your opponents, as I have no love for either. If joining your coven is possible then I will gladly do so although I am not going to stand here and force the issue.” She had no idea as to the workings of the coven and was somewhat firing in the dark but she had no desire to cause any tension between herself and her fellow witches, which was the main reason for her soft approach.

(483 Words)
(Thread WC: 1416)

Clearly this young witch/fallen angel seemed very friendly and the last thing that Temperance, aka Selina, thought would be dangerous. Temperance was a lot less defensive now, and Cerza wasn't even threatened as she lowered her guns long ago and made eyes with the young lady. "Well, we would be happy to discuss about welcoming in a new sister. Unless you take any offense us slaying angels on occasion. Don't worry-- they hunt us more than we hunting them," she said. It wasn't clear that she was a fallen angel or not, but Temperance and the rest of the Umbra witches new their share of odd friends in heaven, hell, and in between.

Temperance joined beside her aunt. "The Umbra Witches are an order of the overseers of darkness. While not limited to, but we use dark magic to ... essentially keep balance of the world from the shadows. " she explained.

"Be no fun if heaven had its way all the time... besides, sometimes we just like to play bad," Cereza added, adding to it with playful intent. "Take our little one here," She then wrapped an arm around Temperance, who blushed behind her glasses. "You might know her as 'Temperance' if you follow the news."

The thief Temperance, who had made a growing name for herself as a phantom thief. Perhaps Medeia would know of her by name.

Hex soon joined the rest, cat-walking along the tops of the church benches to look at the new member over. She purred with a welcoming tone as she looked at her.

Cereza gave it some thought as she looked between Selina and the new comer Medeia, and then smirked. "Perhaps you would be willing to prove yourself by helping with our little one with a small errand into the woods." she asked.

Selina rolled her eyes and took off her glasses. "For Fates sake, how long are you going to call me that. I'm 20 years old already," she sighed.

"When you reach 200, then we will consider it," Cereza said with a playful smirk, indicating just how long the Umbra Witches could live for. That only made the poor mage-thief cringe a bit. "Anyway, the task is I'd like you to deliver a few supplies to a friend's house in the woods. She is an elder witch, retired and living peacefully, but our delivers have not been reaching her. Partly due to some 'beast' in the woods scaring off the delivery person. Anyway, I don't suppose you could do me a solid and deliver it." she asked.

"What?" This time it was Hex to throw a catty fit as she hopped up into the air-- and caused her black wings to appear via Aera magic. It probably would make Medeia take interest to not only find out the Hexy cat was also an Exceed-- a fallen one as they were called for their black wings too :P "The special job you want Lina and me to do is play postwoman?! Mrrreow!!"

While not thrilled by the idea, Temperance didn't verbally express it. The cat did the job well on her own.

WC: 522

“Believe me, hearing that another angel is now rotting in hell will be music to my ears,” Medeia replied, “I once lived in the heavens myself but my angelic kin were not too fond of my views about, well, almost everything if I am honest and ended up expelling me. So, by all means, take out as many as you wish. I do not consider them my family any longer and I have buried more than a few during the long years of my life. I just ask that you leave my maid be, should she come to visit one day, as she shares my holy blood and I would hate to see any harm fall upon her. Do not worry, she is just as friendly as I am.”

The news about the young witch’s knack for thievery was not at all surprising to Medeia and the name was vaguely familiar, “I believe that I have heard the name during my travels. A phantom thief who has been causing headaches for the law. In and out like a shadow, leaving nothing behind. You are building up quite the reputation, my dear,” she would say with a complimentary tone of voice, her gaze turning to the young and blushing witch. After a moment, she would smirk and add in a teasing tone, her attention flicking to the cat for a second, “I do not remember anything about a smart mouthed cat though.”

They were a rather sweet threesome and Medeia had to smile at the interactions between them. The affection was clear to see and it was not something that she saw all that much during her travels. A sense of family was hardly a goal of Errings Rising and the elder angel was not awfully fond of many of the members. Yes, she had developed a close bond with one or two, mainly Jennifer, her girlfriend and descendant of Lucifer. Besides Jen though, she could probably count those she trusted on one hand. If anything, she had more allies in other guilds than her own and her influence had begun to sink in elsewhere, into the most legal of guilds, much to her amusement.

When the mention of a task came up, the dual slayer raised an eyebrow, her arms folding across her sizable chest, “I suppose I can help out with this although it does not sound like a test to me. What kind of beast could possibly be lurking around here that could be a threat? An enraged chicken could scare off a delivery person, they are that weak willed.” Still, it would be a fun little endeavour and a chance to get to know the younger, oddly dressed witch a little better.

Her attention was then captured by the cat, a dark pair of wings emerging from his back, which caused Medeia to chuckle. After a few moments of concentration, a dark purple set of wings would extend from her back, giving her a slightly more ominous look, slightly similar to the cat’s. “Snap, little cat,” the angel playfully uttered to the annoyed little beast as she threw her hissy fit.

Turning back to Cereza, she would return to the task at hand, “Is there any information as to what this creature actually is or are we going to be walking into the unknown here? I confess that I have never visited this area before now and am somewhat blind as to what walks within it. Have the delivery men said anything about what spooked them?”

(590 Words)
(Thread WC: 2006)

Temperance, Lina, Little One... even she was growing confused by her many aliases. Still, when it came down to it, she was still her and proud of it. As Hex complained, the new woman Medeia flashed her own wings as a fallen angel. They were clearly larger, beautiful even-- which made Hex show a sour puss of a face. "Clearly size isn't everything..." the cat replied moodily, feeling overshadowed. Hex was considered a 'fallen exceed'. Not merely as because she became a witch's familiar but purely cause of her black wings. Other Exceed they met would call her such-- but she didn't care a little bit. Having been raised by Temperance and the other Umbra Witches, she took pride in who she was, just as any other women in their coven.

Despite the rough entrance, it seemed they all would be getting along in due course.

"I think your friend is fine," Cereza said as she returned to the topic at hand. "Normally, this would be beneath you, but 'grandma' is a long devoted member of the Umbra Witches, so it would be courteous to help her out. I do have an inkling of the 'beast' in the woods.... but what would be the fun to tell you this. This is a trial for you both to puzzle out," she said as she began to walk away like a badass diva. "Do not worry. It's nothing you cannot handle. But this should make it easy for you."

With a flick of her arm behind her-- as if another requip she perform, she tossed out something into t he air.

A bright, red cloak came flying overhead-- which soon landed atop of Lina unceremonial over her head. As she took it off, she looked it over. It was just a simple red coat. She glanced at her aunt's mischievous grin as she turned. "Don't have too much fun in the woods, ladies," she replied and walked away.

Hex looked at the woman as she disappeared into the church-- and to the catacombs below. "Why do I think this is one big joke?" the cat meowed as she looked to Temperance's cloak.

Temperance too observed it and realized she had to go with it. If it was another challenge to prove her ability to the coven, it was necessary. Still, her aunts really loved to give her brain-teasing tasks. She rolled her eyes and tucked the cloak under her arm for now.

Slowly, she approached Medeia. "So... I'm sorry for the third degree. Angels make any of us nervous. We do have enemies-- mostly idiots who only know to be afraid of the dark. That said, I hope we can work together. If you would help me out with this, i would appreciate it. " she said.

With a happy meow, Hex fluttered next to Temperance and with a poof of her wings-- she landed gracefully upon her shoulders to hang on her like she often did. They were ready to go.

WC:500

“Not to worry, I would have been just as suspicious if our positions had been reversed,” Medeia answered, shrugging off the initially hostile reception she had received. “I can understand your need for secrecy and have no desire to bring your coven out into the public eye. I honestly have little patience for most who walk this earth so I will consider your enemies to be mine as well, as it should be. I will be more than happy to bring a little chaos into the lives of your foes, if and when the time comes. For now though, I will gladly help you out with this oh so important delivery.” There was a touch of sarcasm that could be detected in Medeia’s voice in her final sentence but the rest had been completely genuine.

Her wings would disappear in a flash of purple light, their purpose having been served, leaving the angel to look perfectly human again. The gaze of the woman would then return to the young witch, “So which name should I use for you? Temperance or something else? Your Aunt seemed to give the impression that you have quite a few.” Medeia’s purple eyes would then briefly catch the gaze of the cat resting on the girl’s shoulder and a smile crossed her features, “That goes for you too, unless you want me to call you, “Little Cat.” They were a curious pair and the angel was already fighting back the temptation to pry a little into their background.

As she glanced back at the young woman, Medeia could not help but notice just how attractive which caused thoughts of a different kind to run through the witch’s mind. Lust was the realm that the angel had control of during her time among the heavens and had filled her with a desire that could never truly be satiated. The norms of human society meant nothing to the angel and there were a few moments just then where her mind forgot all about the job, instead focusing on the lovely creature in front of her.

It took a lot of self control for her to return to her senses but she managed to hold back her more primal desires, returning to what needed to be done. She would glance briefly towards the cloak and simply raise an eyebrow, “I think your cat might be right about this being a joke. That coat is bright enough to attract anything within a mile of us.” The wearer might as well paint a massive bullseye on their back or place an “Eat Me!” sign around their neck. “I think your Aunt just has an odd sense of humour and is trying to mess us around. Still, I suppose we should get started and see just how big a practical joker she is. You know this area far better than I? Which direction should we head in?” Normally, the angel was obsessed with being in control of any situation but just for once, she was willing to step back. For the moment, anyway.

(513 Words)
(Thread WC: 2519)

With the interest of getting things going, Temperance took this to the road as they headed for their destination in the Sakuramori woods. It would take a bit of time to go there on foot but seemed like a decent day to go for a wonderful walk in the enchanted woods. Reluctantly, Temperance wore the hideous red cloak that Cereza instructed her to wear. With it, they walked down the forest path beyond the safety of the cathedral with the new friend Medeia following them as Hex flew beside them with her black wings.

"Red really doesn't suit you," Hex commented to break up the silence, "You look like a schoolgirl from a sappy storybook."

Temperance didn't turn, despite her glasses hiding her scornful glare. "Thank you for that lovely illustration, cat," she replied.

As they talked, Temperance addressed Media as they proceeded to their goal. She was happy to learn Medeia didn't mind going with them. In the end, the trip would be more challenging than advertised, but if she wanted to join the Umbra Witches, she had to prove herself at any rate. At the question for her name, she realized they never did introductions. "Well, since you are joining the Umbra Witches... My real name is Selina. But my friends call me Lina," the raven haired girl in ruby red cloak said. "But when I am in my better attire-- I would appreciate it if you call me Temperance. A phantom thief who gives their true name in costume is a dead thief," she explained. The sound of Hex's meow at Media's crack about the cat made her laugh a little. "And pardon me. The sassy, crafty cat is my familiar Exceed-- Hex."

Hex puffed out her chest proudly as she tilted her hat. "Nice to meet you. Mreow!" she replied as she was now comfortable being close to Medeia-- probably enough and willing to be petted by the fallen angel. Hex did enjoy the occasional petting as most cats would, even for an Exceed creature.

At the mention of it being a target on Temperance's back, she sighed. "Yeah I think that is the point. It wouldn't be the first time, but I think the challenge is to find and deal with the threat that is making the delivery impossible. But don't worry-- i worn much worse, believe me. " Selina said.

"Oh-oh! Like that horrible maid outfit with the same nerdy outfit you have? Now that was funny!" Hex mewed mischievously.

"Hex!" she growled in responce, causing the cat to muffle her laughter with her paws.

With the topic of her aunt and this being a joke, Temperance shook her head. "Trust me, just because she doesn't give the whole scenario, doesn't mean she is pulling a joke. She isn't like that. Not with me anyway. " Temperance explained, "She wouldn't waste our time with this unless something was causing problems here. "

WC: 489

“What is wrong with wearing a maid outfit? I am sure you looked lovely,” Medeia interjected with a smirk, having more than enough experience with such garb. It seemed that half of the members were maids of one type or another although the angel had never truly understood why that was. That hardly matched the chaos loving vibe that the princess of the guild tried to create but in truth, the angel had stopped trying to figure out the reason for anything that took place within her guild. It was such a mish mash most of the time and the witch would be lying if she said her loyalty was truly to it. Deep down, the angel was loyal to herself and those closest to her rather than organisations. Selfish? Yes but she was not a fallen angel for nothing. She was either invested in someone or completely uninterested. There was no middle ground with her.

“A pleasure to meet you both,” the angel replied in response to the pair’s introductions, catching Hex with a gentle scratch behind her ear as she flew close to her. Medeia had always been fond of cats and hoped that one day she would come across a spell or enchantment to allow her to take on such a form herself. It was possible, as her magic allowed her to transform enemies into various creatures, yet she had yet to master the art of self casting. “I admit that my knowledge of Exceed is rather limited but does the fact that you two are together mean that you are a dragon slayer, Selina?” The raven haired woman did not have an Exceed herself, despite her own slayer powers and so thought it was a worthwhile question to ask. She felt a twinge of jealousy that she did not have a feline companion herself but she had Armina, her maid and most loyal friend. They had been together for millennia and their bond was unshakable by now.

As the trio made their way down the road, Medeia did not feel on edge in the slightest about the situation. After defeating so many of her kin, the idea of perhaps having to fight whatever was spooking off the delivery men seemed rather trivial to her. “Are you sure about that?” Medeia joked in answer to Selina’s remarks about her Aunt, “She seemed pretty playful to me and I am half expecting this so-called beast to just be her wearing a wolf costume or something. Maybe she just likes getting captured…” It was a rather twisted attempt at humour and there was a glint of desire in the angel’s purple eyed gaze for a moment or two.

Despite her indifference to the task at hand, Medeia still thought it was prudent to ask about any potential danger which caused her to pose a question, “So, besides our mysterious opponent and us. What else is prone to wandering through the forest? I did not spend all that much time researching the locals of this area besides the coven.”

(510 Words)
(Thread WC: 3029)

Hex purred without any complaint as Medeia petted and scratched her behind the ears. The cat loved to be petted and cuddled with people she got to know-- with some few exceptions. She was prideful, but always allowed that kind of treatment from those she trusted, like Selina. "Mrreeewww..." Hex purred with glee.

Temperance wanted to laugh at the comment about being a Dragon Slayer. "Ha, i wish. No... I dare to defy such stereotypes. No, I found Hex as an Egg in a tree outside of the Cathedral. The Witches and I raised her, and well... every witch needs a black cat familiar, " Temperance said proudly.

"AYE!" Hex replied happily beside her.

She raised the hood of her red cloak off as they walked. "Anyway, if my 'calling cards' weren't clues enough if you heard about my work-- I use Card Magic as my specialty." she added, flashing one of her tarot cards between her fingers, showing her the "Temperance" card, of a beautiful yet nearly naked woman hidden by ribbons and cloths-- pouring goblets of fire and water between her.

As they walked, however, they might take notice of a presence drawing closer to them. It wasn't a mere beast, but the sight of the red cloak and the chatter was drawing the attention to them. Still, Temperance talked. "Aunt Cereza might have a twisted sense of humor but if she sent us out here, there is a reason for it. Trust me, you'll need to get used to that if you plan to be an Umbra Wit--"

Temperance caught the presence passing through the trees. With a swift turn to her side and flick of her wrist--- a slash crossed the air near Medeia! It didn't hit her but would feel odd for the 'flash' seen. The 'sharp' projectile was tossed by her hand and soon struck the nearby tree! Medeia would see a card stuck in the tree, which had cut into it as easily as a dagger.

"I know you're back there! Show yourself!" Temperance warned to the presence skulking around the trees.

There was a pause for a moment, but soon movement. It was then it appeared without any hesitation.

The one to appear from behind the trees was a man. Probably wouldn't help Medeia's mood but it was a man all the same. He was muscularly built but wore a simple yet strange attire of a black
tight, shirt with an arcane symbol on his left shoulder. He wore an odd choice of black and white striped pants. He had sun-kissed skin, and to Temperance's perception, roughly about 30s or so with short black hair. However, two features stuck out to her-- his ears were somewhat pointy... and his left eye was strange. While his right was normal, brown-- his right was in fact a strange magic circle, with a tattoo over his brow that said "no future".

"H-hey there! Sorry to startle you! " he quickly said, holding his hands up in a defensive gesture. Despite how he looked, his mannerism was rather... simplistic.

"And who is this Creeper?" Hex meowed, floating in the air above them, blinking at his odd appearance.

As he stepped forward-- they also could see a steel ball from his ankle. "I saw the bright red and heard the voices. I thought I was alone here. it's nice to know I am not the only one through these woods." he said, seeming friendly enough. He soon saw the two ladies, and his attention drew to them... a bit too attentive. Even though Selina was still in her nerdy outfit, the red cloak did highlight much about her despite what she said earlier. It made her features and black hair stand out well. The smile on his face did not go unnoticed. "So... where are you lovely ladies heading to? "

"And there it is..." Temperance whispered to Medeia, hearing the hint of the 'pick up line'. Honestly, she found him humorous than lame for using that old line.

WC: 673

Things had been going so well up until that point but Medeia’s mood soured rather swiftly as she watched the strange male in front of the trio. He was incredibly odd looking and the angel tilted her head as she viewed him, a frown crossing her features. If she had to guess, she would say that he was some kind of doom sayer, probably obsessed with the end of the world or something. It was a laughable concept to the witch, as she knew that such things were never an end but a beginning. A chance for the world to be purified of the weak and useless. It had happened before and would no doubt happen again eventually

“Hopefully not in the same direction as you are going,” Medeia answered, her friendly tone from before replaced by a far colder one. Something was definitely up with this male and the witch’s hand briefly twitched, as though she were a gun slinger waiting to draw her weapon. The ball on his leg also gave her a reason to believe that perhaps he was a crook or prisoner of some kind too, which hardly soothed the mage’s annoyance and only caused her to become more suspicious. Yet, even worse than that was the look in his good eye and almost obsessive look that he was giving them. It was one that she recognised all too well and one that she was prone to giving herself although never to a man. “I suggest you keep your eyes up here and your hands at a safe distance otherwise there is going to be trouble, which you do not want. You can trust me on that.” It was not normally Medeia’s way to be quite so threatening from the start but the angel had her prejudices, ones that had been honed over millennia.

As the moments passed, she would whisper to Temperance, “Any idea who or what this male is? I have never seen anyone quite like him before and something does not seem quite right. Do you have a lot of lunatics walking the paths?” Her dislike for the male was impossible to miss and a roll of the angel’s eyes would be more than enough proof. On another day, she might have just blasted him out of the way with her magic but given that this was Temperance’s mission rather than hers, the purple eyed woman reluctantly kept herself from doing so.

Returning her gaze back to the bizarre male, she would then ask, folding her arms across her chest, “Have you by any chance been scaring off people who have been walking the trails? It would not surprise me in the least, as you could probably scare anyone off with a glance.” The sound of her voice was so deadpan and an eyebrow rose as she waited for an answer from the figure but she was already beginning to access her magic, just in case things went downhill and the male became hostile. Not that she was being all that hospitable herself.

(511 Words)
(Thread WC: 3540)

Despite the bizarreness of the man's attire and odd physical features, he didn't appear particularly menacing. If anything, he was a bit simplistic. Not to call one stupid, but he did seem to verge in that direction. Hex already bought it as she saw the man and perched herself on Medeia's back, her paws secured to her shoulders to hang out with the new girl. "He looks like a weirdo to me, " Hex mewed between the three of them.

Selina had no indication of Medeia's preferences or opinions on men in general, but she wasn't too worried as the man casually approached them. Still, at Medeia's snide comment to the man, it was indeed causing him to look a bit off-guard from the attention. "Oh-- sorry? Is it my eye? It's hard for people to tell where I'm looking-- but you know? Anyway, I mean no offense, but you two are lovely. I mean you could be a model-- and you," he stopped at Selina in the red cowl and her nerdy attire and glasses. For a moment, he seemed a bit confused as she did indeed dress in a way to advert gazes. No one suspected the nerdy type to be a badass after all...

"Eh, I meet worse," Selina said to Medeia regarding other strangers whom might walk the woods. Clearly Medeia's opinion of odd people would change if and when she saw her usual hangout "The Black Cat" Lounge. It was a den of the dark and otherworldly, so you saw people there like demons and vampires on occasion.

"Hey there-- the Name is Free! Nice to meet you," the man said, dragging the large ball and chain behind him. Despite it, he moved swiftly with it as if it was just an odd accessory. He probably was pretty strong. At the question about scaring people away, he looked ignorant to that as well. "What? No, I would never! I ain't some monster wanting to eat people! I'm just your average, friendly, neighborhood one-magic eyed man." he said innocently.

Hex glared at him with zero enthusiasm behind Medeia's shoulder. "Suuuuurreee, you are..." she purred cynically, her eyes and hat what stood out of her.

As Free looked curiously to the talking cat, he was growing more and more curious about the threesome of ladies. "So where are you all off to? No place dangerous I hope. These woods are full of beasties, you know." he said with his hands in his pockets to look cool and casual.

His mannerisms was clear he was trying to impress them-- but it didn't do any such luck on Selina, and especially for Media and Hex. Temperance, while not giving up her desire to be polite merely nodded at him. "You need not concern yourself with us. I know these woods well. The three of us are fine. We are just off to 'Grandmother's house' to deliver her some goods." she said, and turned to leave down the road.

However, as they would go, the man tried to catch up-- yet keep his distance to walk along their side at the side of the road. "Grandmother's house? By chance is it that house inside the large elder oak deep off the beaten path? South of here? " he asked.

While seemingly harmless, he wasn't exactly one to take a hint to not bother them. Still, it wasn't like he was being hanis or mean as well. Just a little socially... inadept. "Maybe... " Selina commented.

"Oh, I know here! Odd how she likes people to call her Grandma. Sweet woman! Always offers me yummy treats when I am out hunting!" he said. "I mean, it's clear you two are capable. Still, won't you let me accompany you there? I wouldn't be much of a man if I left two beautiful ladies alone in these woods. They are home to some fearsome beasts!" he explained.

"Really, don't do us any favors..." Hex replied dryly, further siding with Medeia.

Poor guy just either didn't get the message or was just too kind to really accept it. Either way, it wasn't like he was being uncivil too.

WC: 695

The more he said, the less Medeia was willing to believe that he was speaking the truth. There was something about him that rubbed her wrong and she was in complete agreement with Hex’s suspicious attitude towards him. The fact he kept following them down the path did not exactly help either and there was a part of the angel that just wanted to turn around and tell him precisely where he could go. Yet, she just about managed to keep her impulses at bay, more for Temperance’s sake than her own. It seemed the younger witch could tolerate him so she supposed that she would have to as well. The guy would have made things easier if he would cut out the attempts at being casual and cool but he just seemed to be one those males who had an ego the size of a country. He was about as cool as a Desierto desert and Medeia was sorely tempted to tell him just that. At least he was not overly flirty, which would set her off and would no doubt result in the end of her sickle striking something rather sensitive which would bring the raven haired angel no shortage of pleasure.

A smile did cross Medeia’s features though, finding the flying cat’s occasional sarcastic remarks amusing. Hex seemed to have a similar personality to her in some ways, which the ancient angel certainly approved of. “You took the words right out of my mouth, Hex,” she replied to the cat’s last comment, a chuckle escaping her lips. It might have sounded cruel but the raven haired woman honestly could not have cared less. She was no reason to be polite to a strange male who almost seemed to be stalking them, a pastime that Medeia had plenty of experience with. He did not seem all that good at it though and she was unsure as to whether he was trying to deceive or was just kind of dense. It was difficult to tell the difference but he did seem to just be simple rather than menacing but people wore many masks, just as her fellow witch seemed to.

“So, Mr Hero,” she would eventually ask the odd fellow, “Should we encounter any fearsome beasts, what exactly can you do to help us deal with them?” Her tone was overflowing with scorn and sarcasm, not honestly expecting much of an answer from him. As Hex hung onto her shoulders, the purple eyed woman would then turn her head to the side and whisper into the cat’s ear, “Perhaps we could use him as bait for the monsters?” It would be tricky to tell whether she was joking or not and Medeia gave little away. The idea was not a bad one in her opinion although when she thought about it a little more, a diversion was probably unnecessary. One magical attack from her could probably deal with whatever was in the forest. She was by no means a lightweight magic wise.

(504 Words)
(Thread WC: 4044)

Temperance kept quiet for a bit but kept walking. The man with the magic-circle eye seemed to be trying to be polite and he made decent points. He just wanted to be a gentleman to them, which was semi-sweet but starting to become bothersome. Honestly, Selina had been in these woods before and had been able to fend for herself with ease.

The man, Free, at the question what he could do-- puffed out his chest proudly like some story-book hero. "Oh, i got a few tricks. I am very strong. I got the muscles to prove it. Wanna see?" He offered about to reach for the hem of his shirt--.

"THAT--" Selina stopped with a hand, making him look silly with surprise, "-- won't be necessary. Listen, Thank you for your concern. But we really are good and I know the way, so thank you."

Despite Hex's and Medeia's hashing at Free, Temperance kept calm and civil all the same. His cheerful and confident expression faded and naturally, he didn't reveal his muscles-- thankfully. If there was a 'predator' among the forest, beyond his stupid attempt to hit on ladies, he was far from dangerous. Just annoying.

"Yep-- we're all good. Nice meeting you, pervy forest stalker!" Hex meowed and waved a paw at them while Medeia moved further.

With their point clear, they continued down the road and left Free, looking a bit stupefied for the flat-out denial. He looked partly stunned for being turned down, but he didn't follow them any further. Perhaps he was the 'person' repelling deliveries... but he was hardly dangerous.

However, as they left him behind, the man began to think to himself. "Hmm... those ladies still are pretty cute, but how can I get their attention better? I mean, I was charming and stuff..." he said. While the clear obvious thought of the attractive fallen angel was on his mind, and even the nerdy one looked cute to him, he could tell he was unwanted. A part of him couldn't let that go. That and a part of him really didn't want the 'chase' to end there. If there was one part about him was he didn't give up easily.

Then a 'lightbulb' went off in his head-- which was probably seemed more clearer to most than him. "I know! I'll go ahead and help out the Grandma. If I can show I am helpful, I'm sure ill get points with those girls. And who knows.. maybe one may fall for my rugged charms, for sure," he said to himself.

Using sharp senses and with the added benefit of his strange magic-eye, he found a shortcut that cut through the woods. Despite his size and the giant iron ball to his leg-- he easily lept into the tree tops and hopped away like a ninja while the ladies were now well into the path.

WC: 483

Relieved to have finally shifted the odd looking male, Medeia’s shoulders relaxed somewhat as the trio continued towards their goal. Now that he was gone, she was able to ponder over the conversation that had just taken place and could not help but wonder if perhaps he was what had driven the delivery people away. He could probably do that based on looks alone and the witch’s suspicions were building up. The angel could not shake the feeling that they had not seen the last of him either and so she made a very simple promise to herself. If he did show up again then she would not be quite as restrained. There was only one stalker who was travelling through the forest today and that was her with the idea of being hunted enough to make her want to throttle someone, a rather violent thought for her.

As they walked, the raven haired woman could not help but start stroking her sweet passenger again, unable to stop herself from petting the beautiful cat. Hex was an adorable Exceed and even Medeia was a little taken aback by how quickly she had become attached to her. The longer she spent in the company of Selina and her feline partner, the more Medeia wished that she had an Exceed herself. So much so that she eventually just had to speak up, “Alright, you must tell me where you found Hex’s egg.”

The trip was actually a rather quiet one and the trio had yet to find anything that could potentially cause trouble besides Free and the mage was becoming just a little uninterested. However, things would soon change as a loud roar would soon be heard from close by, followed by a group of shadowy silhouettes moving throughout the trees. It was fairly difficult to see just what the beasts were at the moment but they would make add a little entertainment to the trip regardless and the mage would slip her sickle from her back and take it in hand. “It looks like maybe it was not Free after all who was scaring people off although I am pretty sure that he could do the job well.”

With a small smile, she would then utter, “Warrior Of The Equinox!” Causing the gems attached to her sickle to shine brightly, increasing her magical damage and allowing each strike from her weapon to deal the full force of her magical power. She saw no reason to use anything other than her weapon and as her eyes caught sight of a moving target, the angel would hurl her sickle like a boomerang, flying true and causing a painful howl to echo throughout the air as it struck its target. With a flick of her wrist, the sickle would fly back to her hand and she would turn to Selina, “Let us have a bit of fun, shall we?”

It was only after her attack had been successful that one of the beasts actually came out of the trees, a bear, clearly unhappy at the death of its kin. It was not the only one either as more silhouettes started to emerge.

(529 Words)
(Thread WC: 4573)

With the man behind them, Temperance walked along with still that hideously bright red hood on. And despite her reluctance to strangers before, Hex had now gone quiet and content as she rested upon Medeia. She grown to like the fallen angel as she was actually quite nice and sweet to those she trusted. Hex leaned into Medeia's hand and purred as she scratched and petted her. "I don't suppose you got a saucer of milk by chance, then this would be purrrrr-fact," Hex mewed, in a calm bliss from her petting.

Even though she was an Exceed, she appeared more like a classic feline more often than not. She was aware of what she was but enjoyed the love of any cat. Selina rolled her eyes at her friend's enjoyment of Medeia. "We'll see if Grandma has some when we get there." she told the cat. IT was then that Medeia asked where she got Hex from anyway. That took her back. It was an adventure when she found the egg and worked to hatch it. "I found it when I was a little girl. Her egg was in a tree outside of the Cathedral. I... found it, luckily." she said-- skipping the part how it fell on top of her back when she was a klutzy little girl. She certainly was trouble when she first hatched but she learned to love her perky and curious personality quickly.

The trip down memory road stopped at the rustle and growl of beasts nearby. It appeared that the man, Free, was right about rowdy beasties in the woods. Hex's purring stopped as she looked over Medeia's shoulder to see the animals. "So much for a catnap," she replied dryly.

Medeia was quick to act having a scythe appear and using its magic to swing and strike the enemy. It was impressive and Temperance had something similar... but she kept that to herself for now. She saw no need to spend too much of her own magic upon these beasts. "Not bad," she commented with a smile. Still, with the Red-Riding cloak on, she drew up a hand-- and from it, fanned out a series of cards. Tarot Cards, much like the one she threw to draw out the cheerful stalker from before. "But you lack some flare," she teased a bit as the cards glowed with a variety of colors.

As one of the bears ran to attack her, Temperance whipped her arm forward and threw a variety of cards out on the ground in its path. The moment they hit-- they erupted with flashes of light-- light magic from the cards! The bear was slashed by the barrage of sharp cards, and blinded by the flashes.

Temperance's cards held many magical powers-- not pertaining to just her magic, but well on their own. While many of her fellow witches used enchanted guns or such, Selina had been more interested to use the teachings to use the strongest form of Card Magic. Though as a child she was klutzy, she had been practicing how to use cards for years! They could do anything!

WC: 521

Amused by Selina’s comment, Medeia would chuckle as her next foe came raging towards her. She would simply dodge to the right of the large beast and swing her sickle, catching its flank with a nasty gash and causing it to become immobilised. Spasming in rage and confusion, it could only look on as the angel swung a second time, removing the beast's enormous head and leaving it as little more than a feeding ground for flies and insects. She held little sympathy for the creature, as it had attacked them without any provocation whatsoever. It was an error that it had paid for with its life and as she spun the blade to remove the blood, she did not give the deceased animal a second thought.

Expecting Selina to be able to handle herself, the elder witch would swiftly turn around to see another bear sizing her up. It was a bit more wary that the other two she had defeated so far and did not just blindly charge in. Medeia simply smiled and fired a sphere of liquid gold at the creature, with the wild beast having no idea what to do about it. The yellow material would strike the bear as it reared up to try and frighten her with its size but the moment it began turning to gold itself, it was the bear that began looking fearful. Its eyes widened in horror before the monster turned to solid metal, unable to do anything now. Chuckling, the woman would walk beside the animal and say, briefly turning her head towards her fellow witch, “I think he looks better as a statue. Would you agree?” After a few moments, she would then strike the now inanimate object with her sickle, causing it to shatter into pieces.

It was never going to be a difficult fight but it broke up the monotony of the trip a little and had helped get the taste of that perverted Free out of her mouth. She was unsure of how many bears there were but it made little difference to her and as a sudden roar from behind captured her attention, the mage would instinctively turn to sand, evading the attack of her next aggressive foe. It was an ace in the hole spell for the dual slayer and a useful one indeed. Her newest foe would tilt its head in confusion, only to howl in anger as Medeia reappeared behind the monster and struck it in the leg with her sickle, followed by a second and more powerful strike. It had been some time since she had last actually taken part in combat and the angel was rather surprised by just how easy it was for her now. She had reached a stage where she just reacted without thinking and it was quite enjoyable if she was honest. Maybe she should take part in it more often, whenever she was not seeking other pleasures anyway.

“How are you doing over there?” She would then call out cheerfully, planting one final blow onto the wounded creature.

(515 Words)
(Thread WC: 5085)

Hex jumped off Medeia as she got gruesome and up close with the beastly bears. She remained in the middle as Selina and Medeia took care of them. As media made one into a statue, Hex commented. "Mrew... it beats the disembowelment from the others..." the cat commented, both she and Temperance not fond of it. For Temperance, she merely was using her cards to divert them away. Animals at most, didn't attack for whims but for survival and food reasons-- or if they felt threatened. As such, the beasts she encountered, she was more for pushing them away and making them retreat. Not that she didn't judge Medeia for needing to use lethal force to defend herself.

Nice statue. I prefer that to your other method..." Temperance teased a little as she drew her final cards.

Another array of cards were thrown at the remaining bears, just two of them. The cards this time struck onto the bodies, but with another snap of her fingers-- the cards exploded with flashes of fire. The single combine use would severely wound a normal human person. For this case, the burns and blasts was just enough. The bears gave a growl of anger-- and promptly retreated into the woods. As the smoke cleared and the cards vanished back into Temperance's deck, she sighed, trying to upkeep the balance in the woods all the same.

"All done here," Temperance said, a little disappointed they got delayed in their trip...

***

Meanwhile...

The man from earlier, Free, jumped through the trees of the woods and was able to reach the house of "Grandma". He had been there before and had dealings with Grandma. So he knew exactly where to go. He reached the giant house built into the tree and knocked on the door. "Ello? Anyone home? Grandma? " Free called, "Sorry to invite myself in but was wondering if you needed any help today--"

His strong knock caused the door to open. His peek inside the natural but clean house made it clear that she wasn't home. A bit concerned, Free entered the house-- him being too tall that his head pretty much skimmed the low ceiling of the house, and how he had to duck under the doorframes to get inside. "Grandma? Sorry to barge in, but do you need any help today? Also, I think you will get some visitors today." he called out and went to check the other rooms. Sadly, no one was home.

But Free knew that sometimes she would leave to collect herbs and things, but forget to lock her door. NOt that there were many threats in the forest, especially one a particular elder witch would have problems with. Still, he figures he would wait for her so he could help her out. He was a welcomed guest of her's at times. Still, it wouldn't look good as the two girls and the cat drew closer and closer to Grandma's house.

WC: 496
TWC so far: 5619

As the remaining bears fled, Medeia would smile and return her sickle back to its rightful place, attaching to her back as soon as it touched her. The skirmish had been a nice little break and the witch certainly felt more invigorated than she had before. There was nothing quite like the thrill that came from a fight, well, besides the obvious and the purple haired woman was pleased with the outcome. She could detect a slight hint of disapproval in the tones of her companions and her response was rather simple, “Sometimes an example needs to be set.” Control was her ultimate purpose and desire after all and sacrificing a bear or two in order to instil that feeling of ownership over them was a worthy price to pay. They would certainly not return any time soon.

With that, the trio would proceed to make their way through the forest, in search of this house that was supposed to be somewhere among the trees. Medeia still felt slightly dubious about the task and a small part of her even now still thought that it could all be one large prank or if it turned out just to be Cereza being the one who was waiting for them there. The thought of joining the coven kept her moving forward though and she amused herself with the notion of just what secrets she could uncover as a member. She had experimented a great deal with witchcraft and had created many useful objects, as well as the rare feat of creating life. Three of her magical offspring walked the earth, spread out among the various guilds, some aware of their beginnings and one who was not. She adored her children and was proud of all three of them, even if at least two did not share the same alignment as her. Still, it was always useful to have family in the enemies camp, after all.

As they walked, the raven haired woman would gently pluck Hex from her usual spot and resume her stroking from before, knowing precisely where to scratch. Oh, how she adored the spunky little feline and Medeia had to admit that it was going to be difficult to say goodbye to her when the time came to return to the guild. As she toyed With Hex, a new spell idea came to mind. If she could not have an Exceed herself then perhaps she could find a way to transform herself into a feline? It was a curious thought and one that would have to look into later.

What eventually pulled her from her thoughts was the sight of a sweet little house that slowly came into view. It was a pleasant looking place and the angel had to smile at the sight, turning towards Selina, “It is probably for the best if you do the talking here. I would hate to start off on the wrong foot again with another member of the coven.” She was comfortable with the idea and had no real issue with stepping back for this.

(514 Words)
(Thread WC: 5599)

Temperance rolled her eyes at it but knew well enough that Medeia had to do what she had to do. It did make an example of the beasts and they knew enough to avoid them from now on. Still, it was quite a mess. She made a mental note not to use the same route when returning home or run into the corpse of the bear. Hex didn't complain long-- especially how Medeia soon picked her up and started to pet her lovingly. The fallen Exceed didn't hesitate to start purring and nuzzled into the woman's embrace.

Hex's approval, while innocent, was always a good indication of her judge of character most of the time. From what Selena felt, Medeia would be a great addition to the Umbra Witches. She didn't know much about her, but her character was a good one, even for being a 'former' angel.

The trek the rest of the way didn't take long as they soon arrived to the house, built into the elegant growth of a tree. She wished she seen more houses and buildings like this, built into nature like this. As they approached, Medeia suggested that Selina do the talking. She rolled her eyes at that. "I think you will be just fine if you just knock this time," Selina half-joked with a smirk at her. Hex had long let go of the concern about her too.

With that, Temperance approached the door and raised a fist to knock. She banged on it thee times, to announce herself. "Grandma? It's Temperance from the Umbra Witches. Hello?" she called out.

Meanwhile, inside, Free was in there and heard the knock on the door. His sharp ears picked up the sound-- along with the subsequent 'meow' of Hex outside too. He knew who it was. The fact he was alone in there, with the two ladies outside now-- was not good for him. He came with the hope to help out the elderly grandma-- and now was caught there alone to give them the wrong impression! "Er-- crap! This is not good!" he gasped.

As Selina knocked once more-- the sound of the squeaky door opening could be heard. Free, in the bedroom was concerned-- and did the only thing he could think to do. Hide!

The man quickly jumped into the bed and pulled the covers up high-- despite his huge frame barely making it convincing even as he pressed himself into the mattress. He pulled the covers up to his nose-- and found the 'nightcap' she likely wore.

By then, Temperance opened the door. She was a bit worried about why the door was open like this. Even for an ex witch of great experience, it wasn't wise to leave your door unlocked. She looked around, but didn't see any struggle or upturned things. "Hello? Anyone home?" Selina called out, hoping she was home.

She, Medeia and Hex would be able to enter as Hex also hopped out of Medeia's arms onto a nearby table to stretch her legs. The cat looked around, curious. "Maybe she is taking a cat nap? Old people do need to sleep more..." Hex commented.

"Hex..." Selina said disapprovingly.

"What?"

It was then there was a large creak sound from one of the nearby rooms. Selina removed her hood as she turned to Medeia, wondering if she heard that too. Hex's ears went up at the sound and soon jumped back to Medeia's back as they would make their way to the bedroom where the sound came from.

Cautiously, Selina opened the door. "Grandma? You in here? We heard something," she called out as she entered.

"Er... Come iiiiiiiinnn," a rather gruff 'sang' out. It was enough to make Selina's face cringe in question. It barely sounded feminine. With a look to Medeia, she opened the door and they stepped inside.

Inside, they saw the rather large lump in the bed, covered up in the comforter of the bed with only half of its head shown, the covers pulled up over their nose. It clearly looked nothing like a small old woman worthy of the name 'grandma' unless it was some kind of crossdresser. Even more so, they could possibly guess WHO exactly was under the covers.

"F-forgive me for not answering... I fear I am a bit under the weather," the covered up person spoke in that same strained voice. "Do stay back. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold..."

A blank look was plastered on Selina's face as she had removed her red hood and turned to Medeia, wondering what her reaction was. On her shoulder, Hex watched with an equally observed look of 'I cannot believe this is really supposed to fool us' look. "Mreow... Seriously...?" Hex meowed next to Medeia, sure she could tell as well.

Selina bit her lip a bit, unsure how to proceed. Still, considering the hilariously ludicrous situation, they might as well mess with him a bit till the jig was up. "Well, its a good thing we came, Grandma. We were asked to check up and bring you something, since some large, muscularly womanizer was stalking the delivery of women on the road. Not a very bright guy too..." she commented. "But don't worry. He was no match for us. "

The disguised Free didn't say anything as he just hummed in response, probably hiding his disapproval.

"Yeah, he kind of smelled like wet dog, too..." Hex heckled too as she crawled up on Media's shoulder to hop onto the bed where the disguised fake Grandma was. As she did, she pawed her way forward and onto his covered body. As she did, she 'kneaded' her paws against the legs as many cats would do-- but the difference was, her claws would dig into the quilt and pinch the skin-- this time deliberately for as long as the big doofus of an imposter would keep up the act.


WC: 992

The angel was unimpressed with what she was watching and her arms would fold across her chest, purple eyes gazing rather coldly at the figure in the bed. Something strange was clearly going on and her slayer enhanced senses were beginning to nag at her. When she thought about it a little deeper, the whole trip had been rather strange and the idea of it being a prank just kept coming back. If that was the case, Medeia was no longer amused and the look in her eyes would be more than enough to show that. She wanted answers soon or something rather unfortunate was going to happen which would make what happened to the bears look like nothing. For the moment, she remained where she was and let Hex do her thing but her tolerance was wearing thin. There were few things that she despised more than fools and stupidity.

“He had the IQ of a stone pillar,” she eventually said, agreeing with the general consensus that Temperance and Hex had come to about Free. Her words were far sharper than normal while her gaze never left the hiding figure. It was blatantly obvious what he was trying to pull although the witch was slightly concerned about just what he had done with ‘Grandma’. She doubted that he had hurt her but still, the possibility was enough to annoy her even more. “Although I am sure that even he would be smart enough to know that trying to deceive us would only end up with him in the hospital.” It was very much a threat and one that she would have no problem with carrying out. Still, if Hex was getting some fun out of the situation then the least that the witch could do was let her have it. Besides, there was a twisted part of the angel that wanted to see how long he would try and keep his stupid deception up, despite the obvious danger to him.

This had probably been the daftest job that the witch had ever been on and she was uncertain about just what to make of it at this point. Perhaps this would be one that she would refrain from talking about with the members of the guild, as most were not interested in anything other than violence or rucking. Mind you, meeting Selina and her sweet little cat had certainly been worth the price of having to deal with the annoying dog who was taking them for fools although in future, perhaps she would consider turning down Cereza’s bizarre tasks. Unless she knew the whole story anyway. Completing a job to become a member of the Umbra Witches was acceptable but if this was going to become a constant? Well, she would have something to say about that. She was an angel, not a courier, after all.

An idea struck her at that point and a rather dark smile crossed her features, “If you are feeling under the weather then perhaps I should take a look at you? I have an entire magic dedicated to healing and I am sure that I could make you feel better.”

(528 Words)
(Thread WC: 6127)

Clearly they all had a general idea that the 'grandma' was the wolf in sheep's clothing, more or less. Media's talk of how dumb he was and her cold, grim feel she was giving off was no less deserved and obvious. Temperance kept her cool more but her partner was likely not one to tolerate such foolish behavior. She and Hex were more like to put him into a position where he was, like before mentioned, dig his own grave.

Free was sweating from under the blankets at the grim indication-- even the offer to help heal. Ironically, he did think he would LOVE to have her heal what ails him-- but that was the last thing he should have been thinking of! "N-no thank you, dearie!" Free called to her, trying to be polite. "It's just a little bug I'm sure and I will be just fine. You should probably not stay too late before it gets dark. "

All the while, Hex continued to pinch his leg and rising upward as the cat prowled the bed, deliberately to make him uncomfortable. As she got closer, her cat-eyes were piercing at the head of Free, the only part of him visible in his grandma disguise. "Grandma... what big EYES you have," the cat meowed softly as she treaded closer.

"Er-- the better to SEE you with, my dear," the grandma said, keeping his painful tone under wraps as Hex's claws stabbed into him.

Temperance fought to keep a straight face as she saw where this would inevitably go. Only the small bit of a smirk showed on her face as she saw Medeia's dark and ominous expression, which was to her a bit cute. All the while, Hex prowled up his body and continued to pinch him. "And what big ears you have-- like me!" Hex applied, also self complimenting her large ears sticking out from her witch's hat.

Free bit his lip from the pinches, now growing annoyed by the cat's claws. "Why, the better to HEAR you with, sweetie kitty..." the fake grandma voice said, though his teeth showed a bit due to the annoyance and grimace of the claws on his abdominal.

That small detail wasn't unnoticed by Hex as she drew closer, now on 'grandma's chest, and looked closer. "Grandma, what big TEETH you have," she said, the pinching of the claws getting too close for comfort.

"Why... I, uh--- oh to hell with it--" the voice changed. Annoyed, the 'fakema' jolted up and tossed the covers aside, alarming Hex as she meowed by the move. Free was now upright with arms out annoyed at the cat as if to grab her. "-- THE BETTER TO BITE YOU, MY DEAR!!"

SHRIK!!

Before Free could grab Hex- a series of sharp objects came flying out of nowhere! The burn of slashes over him repelled him as something caught on to his skin and clothing--- and threw him up to the wall. The next thing he knew, the man was now 'nailed' to the wall against the bed-- pinned in place by a series of tarot cards.

Temperance was quite the quick-draw with her cards as she now had her hands out from her red cloak, having tossed them as if they were effortless. Now her amused look was replaced by the sharp glare behind her glasses she hid. "Alright, big, bad wolf... the jig is up," Selina stated flatly, not about to tolerate someone hurting her cat.

Hex let out a soft meow as she tossed off the covers that had covered her. She shook her head as she got free and pranced over to Medeia for comfort and safety.

"Wha...?!" The man growled, surprised, "How did you know it was me?!" he asked as he hung their, even the weighted ball and chain he wore dangling from the wall.

Hex had rejoined her spot on Medeia's shoulders, but hearing that, her expression would almost be just as dark and displeased as the angel's. "Wow... he really is a few card's short a deck, isn't he?" the cat meowed.

WC:684
TWC: 7295