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 Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 9:51 am
There had been a changing of the guard. It was evident to anyone who paid attention. Humming to herself absently, Narcise removed a freshly baked batch of blood cookies from the oven. Company was coming, and although in general the Crone did not bother herself with company, she recognized this particular energy signature. Setting the cookies out on the rack to rest, she busied herself sweeping up the already immaculate dwelling. She could have done so by magic, but sometimes a personal touch was more befitting. All the same, a hint of magic dwelt in that broom, in any case, and within minutes the floor was gleaming with a mysterious luster.
Retrieving a fresh sprig of mint from her garden, the Lhiannon Disciple plated the cookies with a deft hand. They were still warm, and would be better this way to present to her guest. Speaking of which... "Hello, Grendel," Narcise said, and with a wave of her hand sending the broom into its closet. She lifted up the plate of cookies, offering it to an apparent patch of darkness in the corner. "Try one. They are better when fresh." The warmth emanating off of the plate added to the allure of the blood cookies... for who enjoyed cold blood?
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 10:33 am
Oh. She was good. The God stepped out of the shadows just as the greeting fell from Narcise's lips and breathed in the enticing aroma of....what was that? Something delicious, by the smell of it. "Hello." Came his deep-voiced reply, his voice rumbling from his chest as his shadows coalesced into tendrils at his back. His gaze roamed The Chrone's home before landing on the ancient Disciple herself. Who was holding out a plate of cookies toward him. Ah. So that was what smelled so good. There was a smirk on his lips as he moved towards her, lifting one clawed hand to pluck up a cookie from the plate. So far as offerings went, this was the most interesting one he'd ever encountered. "Thank you." He took a bite, chewed, and smiled wider. "Delicious. I take it you know why I'm here?" He gave a vague gesture, waving the cookie around before taking another bite.
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 4:03 pm
"You are here because you have assumed your father's mantle," Narcise said, and nibbled on a cooking of her own. The majority were reserved for Grendel, but one didn't want to make one's guest awkward by leaving him to eat in solitude. "You have something to ask me." She set the plate of cookies down on the end table adjacent to the large guest chair by the fire, and gestured to it. "Please, sit down. I haven't seen you in quite some time." Grendel had been significantly younger then. The Crone was not entirely certain that he would remember such a visit.
Her home was heavily warded, enough so that their conversation was quite private. She settled into the smaller yet comfortable chair closest to the fire and finished the blood cookie in short order. Then, she withdrew her knitting needles and yarn from the basket beside her chair. She'd been working on something before the cookies, weaving magic into the weft. As she waited for Grendel to speak, she began to swiftly knitting once more, the length of yarn within her grasp a vibrant crimson red.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 8:10 am
"Yes." He smiled. It was hard not to, remembering all he had accomplished in such a short span of time. The nod of his head to go with it was an affirmation of both of Narcise's statements. When she gestured to the large chair, he took the invitation gladly and moved to settle himself into it while popping the rest of the cookie in his mouth and finishing it off, only to lean forward to pick up another. They were dangerously good, and he hoped he would be allowed to take the rest of the plate home to share with his family. "Oh? We have met before?" He asked. He did not recollect his very brief youth. While she moved to settle down herself, he let his eyes roam around her dwelling. When she took up her knitting, his gaze returned to her, bemused. Cookies, knitting...what an odd Disciple this one was. "Your connection to Caine was severed; without it, you are no longer one of his Disciples. Congratulations." He smiled wider, something mischievous glimmering in his eyes as he leaned back in his chair and popped the second cookie in his mouth, whole, and let it practically melt on his tongue. He waited a moment, savouring the taste, and swallowing it down before he said anything else. "So I suppose the only real question is whether or not you want to become one of mine?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 11:35 am
The Crone gazed at Grendel, weighing him, measuring him. In this young god dwelt much power and the echo of Lilith's blood. In him also dwelt the stink of Caine, and if it were that alone she would have drawn back her lips in a snarl. But this young god... no, he was not all Caine. He was his mother. He was himself. There was, about him, the hint of another's power as well. One that she knew very well. But Narcise knew who had sired the god's children. "Congratulations, by the way. You must bring the children to meet me in due course," she offered, for she had a vested interest in this young ones, as she had in Grendel in his time.
"Perhaps you do not recall. You were an infant at the time. Your mother brought you to me. At that time I held you and gave you a blessing. I should like to do the same for your own children, if you will let me." She spoke as though she had decided what the outcome of this conversation would be, but she had not entirely made up her mind. Not on the particulars.
She might have laughed at Grendel's words, had she not known that this was, for Grendel a great triumph. It would not do to even appear to mock it. This child had grown into a man, and look at what he had accomplished. To finally sever the chain that had bound her to that wretched, despised god was something to be proud of. He was saying the obvious, however. Any Disciple worth their stripe felt it in every fiber of their being. "Indeed. You have done what I could not do."
Slaying Caine would have given her deeper satisfaction... but being free of her bonds was certainly worthwhile. "I gather there would be more to such an arrangement than you have said?" An advantage beyond mere power to herself and her children, mayhap. She continued with her knitting, her fingers uncannily swift, and beside her another set of knitting needles worked of their own power.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 5:01 am
It did not wholly surprise the God that this particular Disciple knew of his children, though it did surprise him more that his mother had brought him to see The Chrone, when he was far too small to have remembered it. His smile did not falter, but he eyed her carefully, weighing her in turn, just as she had done to him. He measured the truth behind her words and the intent in them. Finally, he spoke a simple "We shall see." Neither committed to bringing his children to see her or denying her what she wished. It would all depend on how the rest of this meeting went. Had she laughed, he would not have minded. His own tacked-on 'congratulations' had been meant as a joke of sorts. He was not unaware of how his Father had wronged her and many others. He listened to her following words carefully and gave only a slight nod. She may have been as ancient as Lilith, but she was not a God, just as Lilith was not. While impressive, her power was still limited, and every Disciple seemed to have some weakness to abolish or a curse to lift. "There is the obvious power you will gain, as you undoubtedly noticed yours are not so robust as they once were. If that is not enough, well then." He held up his hands and spread his fingers wide. "You tell me, what is it that you would like?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 11:26 am
Although a wholehearted agreement would have satisfied Narcise, she was not surprised that Grendel did not give it. After all... he scarcely knew her, and though she knew much of him the same could not be said in return. Perhaps if she bound herself and her children to him he might come to know more of her and her bloodline. "Very well." Pressing further would have been extremely rude and that was not something Narcise was, not to those who were not Caine. She turned to her knitting with renewed vigor, the form taking shape quite recognizable by now. It was clearly baby clothes of some kind, though the form and type was quite ancient. Filled with all manner of protection and blessing spells.
At length, Grendel continued, and the Crone listened. It was true that her powers had diminished. In fact... Caine had intentionally diminished them when he had embraced her, something she had always hated, and had placed a terrible curse upon her children. She had never forgiven him for many things, but that was among the most terrible of them. When the bond with Caine had severed she might have hoped they would become greater once more... but if anything, they had lessened. In turning her into a vampire, he had made of her a lesser creature, and she abhorred him for it. Still alive, Caine mocked her in his deep slumber. "That is quite true."
Here was quite an opportunity, one that she was not so foolish as to turn her nose up to. "You may know or you may not know, that when Caine embraced me, he put a curse upon my lineage. He not only diminished my own power at that time, but also that of my children. With each successive generation, their power weakens... and if more were to be embraced, it would vanish entirely. In fact... it is quite possible that the bloodline would be destroyed. That is not accidental." Bitterly did she regret making any compact with Caine, who was treacherous and greedy to a fault. But he had tricked her, as he had tricked Lilith, and betrayed her to her soul. "When I formed the Lhiannon, I did so by making a pact with a forest spirit in an effort to remove such a curse... but instead, the spirit's power also dwindles with every generation, until it too will be gone as though it had never been there. That has become a part of them. I would ask for a boon, should I choose to bind myself and my children to you: that you heal me and them of this curse. Once and for all. Leave the bond with the forest that makes them what they are, but return what has been stolen."
She wanted her power back in its full strength, and it was Grendel and Grendel alone who had the ability to do that. Caine would never and perhaps by now could not. "If you do this, I will become your Disciple." Without question or regret.
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 12:13 pm
The God listened, and while it would have only taken him a moment to gather the information that she offered, if he wanted, Grendel let her tell it to him instead. He waited until she was finished, reaching for another cookie to chew while she went on about curses, a forest spirit, and Caine's general assholery. None of it surprised the God in the slightest, his expression not changing, except for the small smile he offered her when she finished. "Caine put a curse on many lineages." His voice rumbled deep from his chest. "You are not the first to ask for such a thing." Though her situation was unique, different from any of the others he had dealt with, more extreme. It told him that his Father had felt threatened by this woman, and wanted to exercise control over her, the same way he had controlled Lilith. The same way he had once controlled Grendel when he had proven to be a little too ambitious. The God smirked at the memory. And now, all were free, though while Lilith and Grendel had helped themselves, Narcise would require aid. He remained silent for a time as if thinking it over. Of course, he already knew what he would do. To gain any Disciple's loyalty, he needed to prove that he was not like Caine. "I will remove the curse." He stated, with a slight nod of his head.
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 12:56 pm
Two sets of knitting needles stopped. Narcise set the clothes in the little basket she'd collected the other set in, and proffered this to Grendel. "You may take or leave this gift, but... as you were never permitted to wear what I made for you as an infant, I hope you will take these home for your own children." Why she had not done so before with Grendel's other children... well, between his bond to Ravnos and the workings of Caine, there was answer enough. When one asked for a gift, it was a proper thing to give one in return. Though these little gifts were but a small thing in comparison to what she had requested, Narcise had put ancient knowledge and power into them, blessings such as had once been given to kings and queens of old. Were the children not heirs of such, in their own way?
"Very well. I will bind myself to you and take you at your word." She did not go into further detail about her own feelings about Caine's actions. It was evident enough how she felt about his tendency to place curses upon his own followers. It was a way of keeping them in line and utterly despicable. Though Caine had never been true to his word, Grendel was, beyond being his own person, his mother's child as well. There was much to be said for such connections. "Is there some ceremony you require? Some vow?" Something beyond what she had already said.
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:55 pm
Perhaps something that the Chrone said struck a chord with Grendel. He knew why he would not have been allowed to wear whatever she had made for him as a child, and it all boiled down to Caine's arrogance and his control. Knowing that there had been an item made for him, and that Lilith had brought him to be blessed by Narcise in the very brief time he had spent as an infant, well... He accepted the gift and nodded, a wordless agreement that he would do as she wished. He could sense what she had imbued them with and could tell they would not harm his children—quite the opposite. The God shook his head. "You need to accept the bond, preferably willingly. I do not wish to force it upon anyone who does not want it." He stated as he stood and moved closer to her, setting the basket down on the chair behind him. The shadows at his back writhed as he stood before her, and he reached out to press the flat of his thumb against her forehead. "But first, let us see about this curse."
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:02 pm
Within Grendel's eyes Narcise perceived understanding. He certainly knew what his father was like. Had circumstances been different... ah, but they had not been. This young man had not grown up knowing that his family circle was a bit larger than he imagined. Although she was not kin, not truly, there was between herself and his mother a kinship of circumstance and kind. Of age, of the millennia of their existence. Grendel was the child of the Dark Mother, just as he was the child of the Dark Father. Both lived in him. Warred in him. Strove in him. But he was neither one nor the other. He was himself, just as she was herself.
He was far more empathetic than many gave him credit for. The Crone nodded her acknowledgement of this proffered gift. Although he had said that the curse could be attended to first, Narcise did not act against her own word. "I do accept it... and will become your Disciple." Her tone did not betray even the slightest hint of irony. He might have been young, in relative terms, but he was powerful and had gained wisdom at the cost of deep suffering. It was written in his eyes, for she knew the look of one who had known too much pain. After all, her own eyes had once held that look.
Now, she waited. A breath. A second. Soon she, and her children in turn, would be free of the curse that had blighted their lives. Caine had wanted to bring her low, but she had not submitted. She'd given him no obeisance, no such oath as she now gave Grendel, though the words were simple and carried no magical chains with them. Rather, she felt herself refreshed in her god's presence, like a great oak whose withered roots had found sustenance and drink. It was a shadow of what was to come.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 5:33 pm
Grendel had been taking on the Disciple's curses, the ones that passed down to their entire clan, on a case by case basis. He knew, by now, exactly what he was looking for. Each one seemed to have a signature, sealed by Caine to their very essence. In this case, however, it seemed like there would be something extra, something incredibly personal, and it was that which he sought out now as he delved beneath Narcise's surface with his power, to first find that barrier that Caine had put up to reign her power in. It would be separate from the other curse, the one that weakened her and the members of her clan each time a new member was embraced. That one would be easy to find, and easy to mend. This other one, however...it was a little more tricky. Intracately woven. A shield of sorts around her very essence that worked to dampen her powers. He clicked his tongue in distaste, having no real understanding for it other then the knowledge that Caine had likely been afraid of her and had weakened her so she would not be a threat. But what good was a weak Disciple to Grendel? "This may feel a little uncomfortable, perhaps even painful." He murmured in warning, his eyes glowing brighter though he stared at nothing. The curse did not just surround her essence but was tethered to it, and he needed to sever that connection and burn it away. Which was exactly what he did. Narcise may have felt a searing pain, one that grew exponentially, from nothing to something so intense it would have brought a weaker vampire to their knees. It was not the kindest way for Grendel to remove the curse, but it was the fastest. It would only last seconds, though those seconds may have felt like they drug on and on, before the pain withered and died, like the flames in a hearth, and then a release, like a broken dam, as her true power and potential broke free. Grendel met that power with his own. they collided and he pushed against it, tethering a bond between them, for when Narcise grew stronger, so did he, and by making her his Disciple, so to did she share in power offered by him, a mutual benefit to them both. So long as she accepted this bond, it would be easy, as painless as receiving a gift, for that is how it should have felt. With both her personal curse broken and the bond set, he was nearly finished, though there was one other curse to free her of. He was able to break that one easily enough, and though it might affect her very little, her children, the members of her clan, may have found new strength, that which had been lost yet should have always remained a part of them. Finally he pulled away, his hand dropping back to his side. "It is done."
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