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Post by DornKoon on Sept 23, 2023 11:04:12 GMT
This was all news to Brant; he did not fully understand the details but got enough of a gist to understand parts. He scratched Gabs as Moll spoke, feeling the soft vibrations of her purring.
"Of course," he said, shaking his head before letting out a deep sigh. He shook his head before taking a deep breath of air. "Just fucking typical. Null and void, you say? Yeah, sounds just like Ma, alright. Ma, silly, stupid Ma. All the things she did, those weird rituals, the drugs, the pills, the weirdos that came into our home."
The young magus closed his eyes. He was less upset than he should have been about this. Ma was gone; he could do nothing about it, and truthfully, she had not been that present for many years, not mentally, anyway. Yet, he did not recall his Ma ever doing anything he would call heinous unless it were against herself, and maybe that did count.
Yet, Moll's last words lingered... It never goes well.
"Moll," he opened his eyes and looked at her, brow furrowed, eyes serious. "Are you telling me Ma died, not from an overdose as the police told me, but because she destroyed her body trying to unlock magic? Her attempts to unlock something she could never get."
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hollowmaster740
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"From the crumbling remains of our old home, I rise again!"
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Post by hollowmaster740 on Sept 26, 2023 22:12:18 GMT
It's a very difficult topic to discuss with him. The things his mother did were a mystery to her since she got here, but driplets of it were explained by her son, her master, over the course of the day. From what she had heard, including what he had just said to her, she was in a lot of stress and needed to prove something. That she wasn't wrong about herself. She did all of that for a reason... and Moll's insight to all of this might have finally pulled back the curtain of his mother's desperation. This was much more than it turned out to be... but it must be true.
"Yes..." She spoke softly, but sincerely, looking right at Brant. "If everything you said did occur, then it's likely to have happened that way." She softly gripped her arms while she had them crossed under her chest, her trying to hold back some somber feelings while she paid attention to him. "...I'm sorry..."
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 27, 2023 12:25:38 GMT
"Yeah," he turned away from Moll, shaking his head. Maybe he should be sad, but if anything, it made him angry that his mother would have been so obsessed that she neglected him for years. All to chase some weird dream of hers. "Well, she made her choice, and it was clearly so fucking more important than I was. I lost everything when Ma died: the apartment, there was almost no money, and I only have this cottage in the middle of nowhere." He sighed. "Just- perfect"
He absentmindedly picked up the book he had been using for the summoning ritual, dropping Gabs in the armchair again and brushing some dust off the pages before flipping through them. Better to try and focus on something else... he did not feel like lingering on the subject of his mother.
"This book talks about-" He squinted his eyes, turning the book to the side. "Gods, this is so difficult to read- the jolly... grail? Is it a name or a thing? I would have looked closer, but I seriously get a headache from this writing..." Maybe it would have been smarter to read up before attempting a summoning ritual from a weird book. But he had never imagined it would work.
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hollowmaster740
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"From the crumbling remains of our old home, I rise again!"
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Post by hollowmaster740 on Sept 28, 2023 1:43:46 GMT
She could feel the strain in his voice as he vented his frustrations for the time. He's been through a lot, something she could relate. There's pain in the lives they lived, and perhaps it's that pain that will connect them together more as his mystical power is realized. Moll has lived through a terrible time back in the day and it was her curse that made her exist in the world before her body was remanifested. A mark that allowed her to outlast death itself. She will have to show him the way, sometime, somewhere in the place she once was...
But before then, they should redirect the topic. And redirect they did, as Brant got a hold of the book he used to perform the summoning ritual. Her eyes went on to look at his black cat, the one he calls Gabs. She did notice this one, the familiar that was by his side. She'd been watching the woman for quite some time now, and continues to keep a close eye on her. In time, though, they may grow to like each other.
She turned over to the boy again, walking over to see what he was trying to read. From one simple look, she smiled. "Ah, I recognize it. Reminds me of Old English and some esoteric rune language." She takes a look at the book along with him. After a bit, her eyes turned to him again. "Hey... I know your brain's going through a lot today. Let's take a break and relax. If you want to know about the holy grail, I'll tell you everything I can. Okay?" Her voice was almost... motherly in nature. It makes sense as she was a mother twice before.
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 28, 2023 17:48:27 GMT
"No shit", Brant replied, "I think a lot is an understatement for sure."
He glanced at Moll as she was looking at the book beside him. "Holy grail? Is that what it says..." he squinted. "Yeah, suppose it could say Holy Grail." He frowned. "Isn't the Holy Grail that cup they look for in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? I remember that a guy drinks from a fake grail and ages until he dies." There followed a pause until Brant cleared his throat. "But I suppose you wouldn't know who Indiana Jones is."
"Okay," he straightened himself, "let's talk about this grail thing, and also. You're clearly not a ghost, and you're also no demon... unless I have demonic blood, but I doubt it. Still- you could not have been alive for this long, so-" There was another pause as he tried to find the right words. "What's really going on here?"
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hollowmaster740
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"From the crumbling remains of our old home, I rise again!"
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Post by hollowmaster740 on Oct 1, 2023 20:29:29 GMT
Listening to everything he had to say for a bit, about his thoughts on what was going on and... a man named Indiana Jones? She'll have to get to know that one later on, as she figured that was way past her time. The woman focused on his question once she got some room to talk. He wanted to know exactly what was going on. And she was going to give him what he wanted.
"Okay, so... You're right about one thing. The Holy Grail is a very popular item, demanded by many factions across the world, including the known churches of faith. Throughout the centuries there have been many conflicts that have people trying and failing to find the real one. With not much luck, if I remember correctly." She taps her cheek with her finger. "However, this isn't the same kind of conflict, I believe. Back in my time, there were some seers in Ireland that foretold a time when the first of many battles would take place that would determine who would be the one to possess the Holy Grail, and have their greatest wish granted. Whether it be granted by the Grail itself or by some catalyst that uses the same name as the cup, strangely, remains to be seen on my part."
She then points to his hand right hand, which she sees has the crest of his mystical family on it. "That tattoo on your hand is our family crest, acting as a Command Seal. Masters and their summoned Servants have existed for centuries, and it looks like you've joined their ranks. Didn't think that system would be put into something as strangely epic as a Holy Grail War, though. Hm..." She moved to shrug before resting a hand on her hip. "Technically speaking, I'm your Servant. But that doesn't mean I have to do everything you say. My independence has remained intact."
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 2, 2023 10:10:17 GMT
"I- see."
There was a whole lot to unpack in all that!
Not only was the holy grail real, but it was apparently very attractive to many people, so much so that they were having a war over it. Getting one's greatest wish granted seemed like a good reason to go to war, depending on what that wish could be. A very popular item, and if she was here. Brant looked at the mysterious symbol that had appeared on his hand as he bit his lower lip. Reason would dictate that others might have similar symbols if he had this.
"Bloody hell," he muttered to himself. "So that means we are not the only ones. There are others with... servants, that is. A war of any kind would imply several sides, even more, if so many would do anything to have a wish granted. Bet many of them are powerful, with years of experience, would most likely crush me instantly."
Brant turned and looked at the window and the garden outside.
"How does one... win?" He asked slowly, "Win this holy grail war, that is?"
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hollowmaster740
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Post by hollowmaster740 on Oct 3, 2023 3:28:57 GMT
With all of that processing in his head, she let him try to get a semblance of thinking about all of this, listening to him ramble on a bit before being asked once again. All he needed was a simple answer, but it's never that simple. Moll would do her best to help him understand, that's for sure.
"...Simple, all be it harrowing." She held her hands behind her back as she looked at Brant. "Fight. Kill. Survive. And be the last pair standing to achieve the prize. By whatever means we can try." Just saying that gave her a shiver down her spine, but she had to endure. They were in this now, and they were in this together. It was her job now to make sure he comes out on top.
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 5, 2023 12:01:35 GMT
So, it was an all-out war? Made sense in an odd way that he would end up in something like this. He never could stay out of trouble for long. The only major difference was the stakes, but at the same time- the reward was equally greater. He crossed his arms, furrowing his brow in intense thought as he began to pace back and forth in the small living room.
"It is certainly harrowing," he commented after a few minutes. "We can be sure others will attempt to fight us, even if we were to attempt staying out of it. I suppose the prize, in this case, would be a wish."
He stopped-
"Well- this certainly became complicated." His voice, however, did not really show fear at the prospect of going to war, or the idea of killing. If anything, he seemed much more determined than he was moments ago. "Suppose I'll have to train hard if we want to come out on top? So, where do we start?"
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hollowmaster740
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"From the crumbling remains of our old home, I rise again!"
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Post by hollowmaster740 on Oct 8, 2023 14:40:10 GMT
Watching him pace in contemplation was a freaky feeling for Moll. This is an event that Brant was thinking pretty heavy about, especially since this was an all-or-nothing war for an ancient power in the world. He seems to be taking it well... mostly. "Yeah..." She pondered to herself for a minute. Having been unexpectedly drafted into a magickal war, she'll need to be the one to both guide and support her partner for a good while. Who knows what kind of opponents they'll have to face at in this time...
But, at the same time, she won't have much of a difficult time trying to teach him. They got the simple stuff out of the way pretty quick and he's proven to be a somewhat fast learner. If anything, she didn't know how far he was willing to go to actually fight for the Holy Grail. What his grit will lead him to do. It's concerning to be sure. But she doesn't need to fret on it for the time being. Now, we talk strategy.
And right now... "Hm... Well, we'll have to refine your use of wind and fire magick so that you have a cohesive casting style. While we're working on that, I can teach you how to utilize more practical methods of magick, like divination, blessings and curses, and incantations to strengthen your spells." She scratched her face a little bit before picking up her tome and holding it close to her. "There's certainly a lot for us to unpack, but we'll have to do it gradually. No need to rush things much."
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 9, 2023 11:40:27 GMT
Yeah, it made sense for him to work on the wind and fire magick, better to be better at something he was already potentially good at than to struggle with something else, more so if it was as part of a war. Brant was no stranger to a fight, he had gotten into several of them, both in and out of school. Yet, something on the scale of a war was a very different thing.
Then again, what would he even wish for if he won? Not that he did not want to wish for things if given the option, but this seemed to be something deeper than money and power.
He sank down in one of the armchairs, and moments later Gabs had left her spot and climbed onto his lap, kneading a few times, making herself comfortable before lying down. Brant absentmindedly began to scratch her behind the ears. If anything, her presence was enough to calm him down, even in the face of all this weirdness.
"So, this war... will it have other people like you? Servants... did you say?" Brant asked, "And are they all dead people? Dead relatives, or can it be other things? Just so I know what we might come up against."
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hollowmaster740
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Post by hollowmaster740 on Oct 10, 2023 15:37:23 GMT
Moll took her time processing what exactly they were dealing with in terms of how the war will play out. She was pretty sure that she wasn't the only one helping out the summoner who brought her here. The seers that spoke to her way back when told her that many legends would come back from the void to aid those who call them, though it still felt a little vague. She doesn't know how far these 'legends' would go; what kind of people would be chosen for the conflict. Certainly not gods...right?
She walked over to one of the other armchairs and gently sat down, relaxing herself as she held her tome in her arms. Her eyes moved to watch Brant as he asked her about the war once again, the woman nodding to him in response. "Yes, technically all of those assumptions are right. I was told that there would be many legendary figures that would be summoned as Servants to aid their Masters in the war. How far it goes is something I'm unfamiliar with. I'd imagine that would include both historical legends and mythical legends. Though, I'm pretty sure gods are out of the picture, as they would possibly break the system if they were involved."
She ends up chuckling a little bit and looking down slightly. "...Looking back, I'm pretty sure my life ended up becoming one hell of a legend. After my life's end, the whole of Leonardtown still feels under the influence of my curse. I can steel feel lingering energy from the area... It's what kept my spirit tethered to this world for so long."
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 10, 2023 16:57:02 GMT
Brant was looking down at Gabs as Moll talked; the cat was rolled up, and only her ears moved as a sign that she was not, in fact, sleeping but paying attention with her eyes closed. He ran a hand along her soft fur, feeling the vibrations of her purring. The comforting presence always helped him focus and clear his mind. He was right. There would be others, and she spoke of figures of legend... historical, mystical... THAT was a lot to take in.
"There is a rock, and they say you cursed the town from it. I also heard that they made a movie inspired by you, The Blair Witch Project. It's... really not that good, to be honest." he said slowly, "We talked about you all the time during Halloween in school. and it was usually followed by people making fun of me because I had the name Dyer, which- ended with me punching someone in the nose and getting suspended." He closed and opened his hands a few times as he said this.
Then... it dawned on him...
"Wait! Wooh wooh! Back up, back the f-uck up!" He looked to Moll with wide eyes. "You just said gods, as in actual gods? Are..." he paused. "Are you telling me gods are real?! Like- Thor and Zeus..."
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hollowmaster740
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"From the crumbling remains of our old home, I rise again!"
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Post by hollowmaster740 on Oct 10, 2023 23:14:27 GMT
She clearly remembers this part of the legend, the words he spoke giving her small flashbacks of what happened then. She remembered the cold feel of the winter's touch on her skin, the harsh solidity of the rock she knelt on. It made her shiver in both disgust and regret. Moll wasn't in the right mind when she did what she did, and perhaps she will have more time to reflect on that as a human being now. She will have to give him a good lesson in the nature of humanity, should they ever visit where that rock rested in the town.
Then he grew shocked at the existence of real gods in their world.
That gave her a pretty good implication that he needs a pointer on history, even though he probably wouldn't be very bright on it from her observation. At least, from what she had just heard. Her eyes darted back to him, wide-eyed slightly before speaking. "Oh...Yeah, of course! They've existed for several millennia, in fact. The thing is, they've since been reduced to more variable Divine Spirits since they've lost the majority of their worshipers over the centuries. However, despite that, they're still VERY powerful and are not to be underestimated."
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 11, 2023 16:46:38 GMT
"I see. Good to know." Said Brant, sinking back in the armchair. "Who knew? Gods are real. Makes you wonder what else is out there, vampires, maybe? Yetis? The goat sucker?" He let out a sound that was a combination of a sigh and a groan before leaning forward and putting his hands on his head. "This is so messed up, and yet it does make sense... I guess."
He fell into silence for a good few minutes, collecting his thoughts on these new and world-shattering revelations. He had never been one to put much stock in religion, even if his mother had been somewhat religious, and many at school used to go to church all the time.
"Okay, it won't do for me to piss myself about this," he sat back up. "As you said, gods might not even be summoned, so it won't do me any good to think too much about it; ifs and buts won't help us." He ran a hand through his black hair before clearing his throat. "Sorry, I'm fine now. So, what's the plan?"
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