RP:Somewhat Damaged

From HollowWiki

Part of the On Stranger Tides Arc


Part of the Through The Looking-Glass: Return To Wonderland Arc

This is a Devout's Guild RP.

This is a Mage's Guild RP.

This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.


Summary: Quintessa goes to Khitti's home in order to get her first lesson in the Black Tides. There's feels and whatnot. It's gross. Khitti also accepts Quintessa as her teacher for the arcane arts in the Mage's Guild.

The Tranquility, Cenril Wharf

Today was supposed to be Khitti’s day off. Anyone that had urgent business that went to look for her at the Sanctum of the Divine or the bakery would be sent on to The Tranquility. But, you never truly get a day off when you’re a parent unless you pawn your kid off onto someone else. Khitti wasn’t going to get that luxury today. No, she was on kid duty. Brand had attempted to teach Dominic how to wield his elemental magic, even just the itty bitty basics, but… it hadn’t gone well. It hadn’t taken long for Dominic to get upset by his father being bossy and he was quick to set the bed on fire. You’d think, considering all the kinks Khitti and Brand had that they would’ve fireproofed something like their bed, much like they had other aspects of the ship, but nah. That fire had spread to the nightstand and the small table and chairs set they had in there. Turns out, Dominic’s as much of a hellion as his parents are.

So, Khitti was left to deal with their child as Brand headed out to get them new furniture. Dominic’s anger had turned to sobbing, sobbing turned to a strange sort of sniffling-hiccuping, and the hiccuping? Well, just as he had before, Dominic started hiccuping globs of dark magic and Khitti was forced to take him up top and hold him over the side of the Tranquility to let him spew the magic into the ocean. Some day, this sort of thing will probably contribute to this world’s brand of climate change, but that was a problem for Future Khitti, if she was even alive then. She waited… and waited… and waited… for his hiccups to go away. A look of unimaginable boredom was written all over her face as she watched the coming and going of people on Cenril’s wharf, one hand propping up her head while the other held tight to one of Dominic’s legs. Hiccup. Blergh. Plop. Hiccup. Blergh. Plop. Dominic didn’t seem to mind spewing up those dark purple, acidic smelling globs. Oh, no. He was far too excited by the fact that he could sort of see his reflection in the water beneath him. Khitti, on the other hand, craved the sweet release of death and a stiff drink.


Quintessa Dragana hated Cenril, she always had even when she was a little girl sneaking away from her father's cabin. The changeling was twelve then, clutching the wanted poster of her then-crush, Kasyr Azakhaer. The five years that had passed since then had not improved her opinion of the city at all. It still smelled of piss, of alcohol, and sea air. That was another thing that kept Quintessa away; The ocean had been a source of dread for the odd girl since she lay mismatched eyes upon it months ago. How frustrated Quintessa was to discover that she had to head to the harbor to look for a ship called 'The Tranquility', but it couldn't be helped. The teenager would have to head to the eastern coast even thought she told herself many times she would avoid going near the sea ever again.

This was when Quintessa sensed something peculiar- a strange dark energy coming from the ocean. The changeling follows the 'scent' of the shadowy mana, her mismatched eyes falling upon the The Tranquility as she rounds the last corner nearing the wharf. Blue and hazel eyes scrutinize Khitti and Dominic on the deck as Quintessa's spiked heels click on the cobblestone path leading to the pier, stopping just short of the gangplank. "Permission to come aboard?" Quintessa calls, curious about how well she would be received by Khitti, especially during such a sensitive moment. The changeling only vaguely knew about the Templar's family but it seemed like she'd be learning a bit more about that today. "This your kid?" Quintessa does her best not to look menacing as she smiles at Dominic but that was kind of hard when you had a mouth full of sharp teeth. "He has your aura."

Even before Khitti got a word out to Quintessa in the affirmative that yes, he was indeed her kid, Dominic’s already waving grabby hands at Quintessa and proclaiming “Nyx! Nyx!” Khitti went white as a sheet (if that’s even possible considering how pale she is) and shushed Dominic as she pulled him back. “No. Onyx isn’t here anymore. And -they- are definitely not Quintessa.” Khitti sighed and held her hand over Dominic’s mouth so he wouldn’t start yelling again and the “adults” could speak. “He is indeed my kid. Probably got a bit of Brand’s aura too, considering it was his elemental magic that came out first.” She paused, squinting briefly, before quickly adding, “Brand’s the other idiot that fell off the roof with me.” Implying that maybe she was also one of the idiots… or maybe Francis, their spider-doggo-son? It’s hard to say. Khitti motioned with her head towards the gangplank as she pulled away from the side of the ship entirely, “Yeah, come on. I already know every inch of your home; you might as well see one of mine, I guess.”

Once Quintessa was aboard, she’d lead her through the big door that led down into the ship. Were they even -in- the same ship? Magicked up with bigger on the inside enchants, the Tranquility was made to fit that family of three and the one hundred or so bodies that made up the ship’s crew. All sorts of people worked for Brand, as was evident by the crewmembers that wandered about the ship doing their daily tasks--there was even a jawless undead named Jimothy, who waved to Quintessa as they passed by the galley on the first deck. Second deck was home to rooms like the Captain (and Khitti’s) quarters, the situation room (aka the room Brand used for his captaining work), Dominic’s room, and a library. First, they stopped by the kid’s room and Khitti would put him in his crib. The small room as a whole was decorated in a sea theme, which might seem redundant when one’s on a ship until the art on the walls were taken in. All four of them, as well as the back of the door, had a floor-to-ceiling mural on it: on the first panel, it started deep in the ocean in dark greens, purples and blues, and moved on up to the surface where a mermaid with wine-red hair had perched herself on a large flat rock and stared in the direction of the next wall. Continuing on, the surface of the ocean spanned until it hit a harbor. There a very Catalian-looking captain stood, staring back at his mermaid. And finally, the last wall was of Cenril and the Tranquility during sunset, the reds and oranges and browns of brick and stone were a stark contrast to the cold colors of the lonely sea, and metallic gold paint pinpointed where specific lamplights were throughout the city. The redhead’s quick to give Dominic his talking stuffed chicken, a stuffed white rabbit, and a somewhat shabby dark green phrygian-style cap. Thankfully, the kid had tired himself out enough that once he was surrounded by his favorite things, he quickly fell asleep. There’s a brief display of emotion as Khitti brushes his ever-growing black locks from his eyes before Khitti turned around finally to Quintessa and motioned for her to move quietly to the direction of the library.

“So… I didn’t expect you to actually come looking for me here, “ she said, once they got into the large library. “You never really seem thrilled to be here in Cenril.” Quintessa’s demeanor towards the city was not lost on Khitti. Some towns weren’t for everyone after all--Venturil was especially not for Khitti. “But, you’re welcome here if you need a place away from… everything else. Most rooms on this ship, especially the crew’s cabins, are soundproofed for privacy, so it’s not -as- noisy as it might seem. Looking in from the doorway, Quintessa would find herself face to face with a floor-to-ceiling window on the other side of the room (which definitely wasn’t there on the outside if one compared the spots), while the left and right side of her stood to huge bookcases that spanned the entire wall, while in the middle of it all were two couches, a few armchairs, a table and chairs. To the couches and armchairs was where Khitti finally headed, settling herself on the closest chair, her attention on the coffee in front of the nicely cushioned furniture. “Do you want some tea? It’s been a bit of a stressful day, so I was steeping some peppermint while Brand ran an errand.” Perhaps Khitti had taken what Quintessa said to heart during their encounter with the shapeshifters, or perhaps she was just a lot more relaxed in her own home; either way, Khitti seemed a little less hesitant, a little less angry, and a bit more hospitable.


"Nyx?" Quintessa tilts her head at the child, her mismatched eyes fixated on him as she skulks up the gangplank. "Onyx rather..." The young spellcaster wasn't sure who Dominic was referencing but she decided that it wasn't any of her business and let her curiosity evaporate into the sea air. When Quintessa had made her way up to meet Khitti she gave her a nod, remembering the man that had been with her in Forstmaw the day she tried to give her little speech warning everyone about Xicotl. "Brand is his name?" Quintessa allows a smirk to tug at the corner on her month, "Was he the hairy one or the one with eight legs?" A tiny snicker escapes through her nose as she follows the woman, but once inside the changeling was taken aback, ending her amusement quite suddenly. "Wow. It's bigger on the inside..." she mutters, her aura passively reaching out to feel the magic trickling through the very walls and floors of the ship. "You definitely have to teach me -this- spell. They gave me the tiniest office in the Mage Tower and this would surely give me the space I need for my research." Quintessa wiggles her fingers flirtatiously at Jimothy as she passes him, giving him a pointed grin. When they reach Dominic's room her mismatched eyes trace along the murals, idly imagining what it would be like to grow up on a ship. The thought made her nauseous. Why did people like the sea so much?

Quintessa is just reaching out to touch the Catalian-looking captain, her sharp fingernails clicking on the wall when Khitti catches her attention. Her gaze flickers to Dominic for a moment, a strange sense of longing replacing her distaste for the ocean with a persistent loneliness. Quintessa frowns but says nothing, giving the templar a single nod before following her to the library where a third, more powerful emotion eclipses her sadness. "Books," she says, an involuntary smile betraying her affinity for reading before she turns to Khitti to speak to her. "Cenril is... Complicated for me. I've had men try to assault me in this city- multiple times even. I had to murder a bunch of innocent people too, during the Razurath War, only a couple of blocks from here. I burnt down the building where they lived and put the rest in chains so Gevurah and I could experiment on them... I-" Quintessa looks down as a sigh escapes her mouth, "And I'm afraid of the ocean." she admits, "Don't tell anybody. It's embarrassing... But the idea of being stuck out there, no trees or rocks to hide behind... Just water- Water that kills you if you drink it. It's horrible." She shivers just a bit as she explains her feelings about Cenril, not entirely sure why she was opening up like this. Eyes of blue and hazel lift back up to look at Khitti, her new teacher, and she forces a smile. "But I came here for you anyway because I take my studies seriously. You are the Mistress of Shadow Magic- The Baroness of the Black Tides. I'd be a fool not to accept your tutorage no matter where it takes me." Quintessa relaxes a bit after having finally vented a bit about Cenril and being manipulated by the Drow and she nods her head at Khitti's offer of tea. "Yes, please," she says, removing her invisibility cloak and hanging it on the back of her chair. "I've never actually had peppermint tea before."


Khitti || “Onyx is… was… complicated. To make a long story short, and then a short story even shorter, Onyx was the first mate on this ship and they are no longer here. They were an undead child who lived for a very long time and had a penchant for picking out my flaws,” Khitti said, crimson brows furrowing in slight irritation at the thought, though the look soon softened, “And they saved me and Dominic from a fate much like their own.” The redhead sighed, “Even that doesn’t cover half of what happened. I’ve tried explaining things to some people when it comes to Onyx and the Shadow Plane and my vampirism cure and my past in general but it’s just… one of those things you have to be there for to truly understand.” There’s a smirk as Quintessa asked about her husband and her spider, a shake of her head given. “Brand was the one just standing there eating cheese and not backing me the frak up while I was addressing Lionel and his… Lionelness. Francis is the spider. He’s from the Shadow Plane, much like my magic is.”

Khitti || Quintessa went on to describe her fear of the water and Khitti furrowed her brows again, “Do you know how to swim? I won’t deny that the ocean is an unsafe place, but even that will help a little. I might have something else that can help you, should you have to go underwater. Two of the ingredients I needed for my cure was a leviathan tooth and mermaid scales. We were able to gather both of these thanks to some masks that a friend made for me. They were enchanted to allow you to breath in unsavory conditions. They’d originally been intended for the spores that are in a forest in the Shadow Plane, but they work exceptionally well underwater too. Aside from that, you know arcane magic. If you’re deserted in the water for a time, conjure up some clean water. Or learn to, anyway. You have to lean on your magic for more than just fighting and killing.” As if to make her point, she lifted the teapot up and warmed it with a bit of her shadowflames. “As for the people here, it’s… a port town. Rynvale can be the same way. Chartsend a little less so because its fashioned itself as a bit of a tourist attraction. Don’t put up with people’s shit here. But be careful when you do, because there’s some very powerful people in this town and I’m not one of them.” Khitti hated that this was even a thing but the seed of the town’s mafia had been set way before she’d even set foot in the city.

Khitti || The tea was poured in mugs for each of them, Quintessa’s passed over to her. “Anxiety’s always been a problem with me, and sour stomachs because of it. Peppermint helps it. It like to pretend that the coolness of it is not only helping my stomach but my mind as well. Which sounds really stupid now that I’ve said it outloud, so ignore that.” Khitti coughed awkwardly as she took a sip, also using the action to try to block whatever bit of blushing occurred from Quintessa’s many titles that she bestowed upon her. “Anyway. Obviously I’ll teach you. What you have to keep in mind though is that my magic may look differently from yours. It comes straight from the Shadow Plane. Literally straight from the source. And it’s toxic to Lithrydelians, which is why I had to become a vampire in the first place.” In a bit of a ‘duh’ moment, Khitti facepalmed, having forgotten that Quintessa was indeed a vampire. “But, I guess that’s nothing you’d have to worry about anyway. And speaking of the Black Tides, I’ve joined the Mage’s Guild. Not sure if word’s gotten around yet there--I’d rather it didn’t. Basically, I once had access to a third type of shadow element, a sort of black lightning. I intend to get ahold of it once more, and find out if there’s a fourth. It only makes sense that there’d be four basic elements of shadow magic, just like there are natural ones. But, those will come later after I’ve learned them myself.” She paused and took another sip, mulling things over. “And there are things that I can do that you will not be able to, because of my connection to that plane of existence. But, please don’t let that discourage you. This--” There’s another pause as she summoned a portal on the ceiling above them, and out crawled that big cow-sized spider. “--is one of those things.” The white huntsman spider cautiously rappelled his way down by way of a bit of spidersilk and sniffed at Quintessa, curiously. Black runes littered across the white arachnid’s body, shimmering somewhat in the light. “He’s got a whole family in the other plane, though they’re hidden away for now. It’s… a lot less safe over there at the moment than it normally is.”


Quintessa frowns, her mismatched eyes falling to the floor when Khitti asked if she could swim, "I cannot," she admits, finally managing to pull her gaze from the floor. "I didn't grow up around any bodies of water, Black Pond excluded, and you don't -swim- in the black pond." The changeling shivers, memories of the kraken dwelling within coming to the forefront of her mind. This was a fear she needed to conquer, however, so reluctantly she parts her lips to say, "But I would appreciate your help learning how. As it stands if I ever fell overboard..." Quintessa swallows hard, shaking her head at herself "Best not to think about that now." The odd girl looks around, trying to forget she was on a ship right at this moment. Lithe hands reach out to take her tea and she blows softly, the steam rising in the air. "Peppermint? Interesting." Something for Quintessa to research later as a potential potion idea. Slowly sipping her tea, the young spellcaster would use her mug to hide the guilty frown on her face when Khitti mentioned her being a vampire. "Yes, of course," she says nervously, "Toxins don't really affect me. I'd know- I'm writing a book on them." The prospect of studying a new extradimensional poison however was something she was looking forward to, even if she didn't mention it. "And yes, I saw your name on the registry as a new provisionary spellcaster. You going to be taking on more students than me, are you?" Quintessa snickers as she lowers her mug. "But this black lightning magic sounds fascinating! I thought the black tides could only replicate the elements of fire and ice- are you saying there is a way to expand on this knowledge?" The changeling was quite the scholar, so even the mention of something like this inspired her youthful spirit to soak up as much as she could. "You know, I've memorized most of the arcane theory to memory, I could easily help you- What?" Quintessa is interrupted by the presence of a cow sized spider, one who draws the attention of her mismatched eyes, "He's-" the hex blade stares at the arachnid blankly before a large smile dominates her face. "Adorable!" Pale fingers reach out slowly to touch him, to examine the runes on his body.


Khitti tilted her head, listening to Quintessa explain that she cannot, in fact, swim. “Of course I can teach you. And you won’t drown or anything, because you’re dead. Undead. Whatever. You’re perfectly safe on board the Tranquility though. This ship has been to hell and back more times than I can count and it’s still standing. Besides, the Captain’s not going to let anything happen to his first wife--and by that I mean the ship.” Khitti smirked somewhat, shook her head, and took a drink. “I’m not surprised about the toxins. A couple vampires I used to know would use poison to weaken their bodies in order to get drunk. I, however, bypassed that entire by feeding from several wasted patrons of the Dancing Destrier , and still managed to make it back to Frostmaw in the same night.” It was clear she was still proud of this achievement, despite the fact that she was human again. “I’ll only take on more students if I’m asked. For the time being, you and finding the rest of these elements are my priority. I -did- speak to Odhranos about having a sort of conference with Tenbatsu Kaji--or the sprite inside of it, rather. I mentioned that you might be interested in it as well… and maybe that Kasyr guy, considering he was staring at it like a creep when we helped Rorin kill that undead dragon in Frostmaw.” Quintessa’s thoughts on helping Khitti with the arcane arts was interrupted and once Francis had gotten a good sniff of the girl, he wiggled his spiderbutt happily and blurbled at her, wanting to be pet. “He is. Francis is a good boy. He likes to drool a little, so be careful. His venom’s acidic.” Once the warning was issued, Khitti turned her thoughts back to the matter at hand, mulling over what the changeling had said, “You teaching me…? We might as well, I s’pose. Brand’s a horrible teacher. He taught me the initial basics to use for the black tides, but teaching others when you’re a natural at magic isn’t really the best. There was lots of arguing to be had.” Khitti tried not to think about it. Things were not always pleasant between her and her now-husband. She put her mug down, olive-green eyes fixating on Quintessa, “So. Your first lesson then. The library might not be the greatest place to teach you fire and ice magic--I have a lot of favorites here and I’d rather them not be destroyed.” Khitti rose from her spot, and Francis let out a whine. “Oh hush. You can come too and watch.” This pleased Francis greatly. Before Khitti would lead Quintessa to the training room on one of the lower decks of the ship, she’d wait for the girl to finish. While that was going on, she’d go to one of the bookcases and pluck a thin tome from it. “Here. This has the means to make things bigger on the inside. It’s not difficult, just… intricate. Be careful with that sort of enchanting magic. I’ve got enough to deal with without having to deal with some sort of magical black hole.”


Quintessa laughs nervously again, "Heh, yeah, I can't drown- I forgot. I guess I'm so used to being alive that I keep forgetting about being undead. I'll take your word on the safety of this ship, though." It was already not bothering her as much as when she first stepped onto the vessel. Quintessa's fingers curl into claws to gentle scratch at the giant spider's hide, messing up some of the hairs on his body. "He is a good boy." The young girl felt a pang of sadness, thinking about the giant spider she had been forced to kill in the Red Skull Arena. "I love spiders. A favorite topic to study in the Dark Forest." Quintessa had been working on a means to control the giant spiders of her homeland but had only managed to enrage them thus far. When Khitti spoke of the Tenbatsu Kaji she snapped her head to look back at her. "The sprite?" Quintessa was indeed obsessed with the magic sword, an artifact that could easily destroy her. "I indeed would love to be in this conference. I want to understand every last detail about the Tenbatsu Kaji." Standing from her seat the changeling is ready to get started, a sympathetic glance shot back at Francis as he whines, moving over to give the book a look over. "Ah yes, space magic. No, I'll be careful. The last thing I want to do is accidentally shunt myself into a pocket realm. So anyway," Quintessa places the book safely into her satchel. "What's the first lesson of the Black Tides? I have to admit, I've neglected that area of my necromantic studies."


Khitti || The girl’s nervousness was just chalked up to a lack of knowledge about swimming, thankfully for Quintessa. She’d get nothing more than a couple of blinks from Khitti. But, Khitti understood. Once upon a time, she’d been in the same boat, having grown up in the mountains. Thankfully for Khitti, there were far less dangers in freshwater than there are in the sea. “Those spiders from the Dark Forest and I don’t quite get along. Unfortunately, they sometimes require a culling to keep them from overrunning the place and they have not forgotten this.” Khitti sighed heavily. She missed the forest and the walks she used to take in it. Even now as a human, the place attracted her like a moth to a flame, much like Vailkrin’s cemetery and the dark forest near the Enchantment. Leading Quintessa down the passages that went deeper into the belly of the ship, she was quiet for a time. Francis followed along behind the two of them, doing his best to keep his spidery appendages in check so as not to bash his spider knees into door frames that they passed. Finally, they’d make it to the training room and once they were in, Khitti shut the door and said, addressing the ship, “Tranquility, dark mode, please.” The walls shimmered in purples and greens before finally going black, and then ultimately the enchantment that warded the room--and those outside of it--from any sort of destruction from Khitti’s magic faded, leaving the room to look as it had when they entered. Weapons lined each of the room’s four walls, a training dummy or two pushed off into one corner when not in use. “Before we start… Why are you so interested in the sword? I can understand someone like you wanting to learn about it, in order to protect yourself from its magicks--if that’s even possible--but it feels like more than that.” Khitti pulled the two training dummies to a spot along one wall, leaving room in between them and it. “This is going to sound really cheesy, but for me, in order to summon up shadows, I imagine the darkness inside. Inside me. Inside this room. Anywhere shadows lurk. Imagine it all around you. Imagine drawing it to you. Holding it in your hand like a tangible object.” As she said this, the shadows within the room began to gather, moving towards Khitti and swirling about before forming itself into a ball in her hand. The shadows writhed and twisted and swirled in her palm, looking like thick black smog. Soon it solidified and she tossed it at the training dummy. The poor thing would lose its arm, as the orb of shadows melted it clean off, eating away at the wooden and metal bits before the arm even hit the ground. “As I said, your magic may manifest differently. Much like Francis’ venom, I think the acidity is purely Shadow Plane-related--and likely the culprit that was killing me, before I chose to become a vampire.”


Quintessa follows closely behind Khitti, her left hand idly resting on the hilt of her katana as she descends lower into the depths of the Tranquility. The idea of needing to cull the spiders makes her snicker again. "I've been keeping their numbers in check," the changeling admits, intentionally not letting on what she meant by that. Capturing and experimenting on the giant spiders was commonplace for House Dragana these day as Quintessa tried tirelessly to find a way to weaponize them. Before the odd girl had much time to think about her plans with the spiders, they had reached the training room and her mismatched eyes gleam with curiosity as she witnesses 'Dark Mode'. "Woooow," she lets slip like a kid in a toy store before Khitti asks her about her sword. "Why do I want to study the Tenbatsu Kaji?" Quintessa smirks, finding that this question had many answers, "I've always wanted to," she begins, "As a student of Sylvan Elf swordplay and the Iaijutsu style of drawing cuts, that sword is a symbol. A masterpiece. I grew up on the stories of sword-wielding heroes and I always imagined one day I would be one of them." The changeling goes on, spilling her guts about her dreams to a woman who had screamed defamations at her not that long ago. It was funny how quickly things changed. "But that only scratches the surface. I want to forge my own sword. I want to examine the Tenbatsu Kaji and see how it was built so I can create my own legacy. I'm sick of riding on somebody else's name and creating a signature weapon is key to that image." Quintessa laughs at herself having got caught up in her explanation. "Sorry, we were here to teach me magic, not listen to me go on about that nonsense." The changeling clears her throat, trying to get serious. "Okay... pull the darkness to me..." Quintessa concentrated on the shadows in the room, her aura subconsciously reaching out, trying to cling to the darkness as her mana pulses outward as a generic arcane energy. "Tywyllwch..." Quintessa slowly utters, her mana pulsing outward once more before a weak vacuum sucked the air in her direction, but not the darkness. Lifting her hand, palm upward, Quintessa imagines the darkness within and her aura reacts, tugging at the dark corners and channeling that darkness into her palm as a shapeless mass of black mist. The hex blade holds this for a moment, still trying to make it become solid.


Khitti || “A sword is just a sword and nothing more, Quintessa. I’m inclined to think that legacies get people killed--or at the very least hunted--but it’s the person that wields the weapon that matters, not the weapon itself.” She sighed, shaking her head, “Despite the fact that I’ve two magical weapons of my own, I don’t think I’ll ever understand the obsession with magical implements. No. -One- magical weapon,” she said, correcting herself. “Tenbatsu Kaji belongs to no one but Cyris himself. I imagine some day I’ll frak up enough that it’ll leave me to find some other wielder. Surprised it’s not happened yet. Sometimes I wish I could just give the thing away and recede back into the shadows where I belong, but it doesn’t work that way. -Fate- doesn’t work that way.” A frown made itself known on Khitti’s lips and she made no move to hide it. Instead, she watched as Quintessa worked on her shadow-manipulation. “You’re almost there. If you find you can’t solidify it entirely, literally bend it to your will in other ways.” The redhead’s own ball of shadows lost its form as she spoke, her free hand coming up to hold the ball between both appendages. She twisted and pulled at it, like a sculptor with clay. “Soon, you’ll be able to manifest and manipulate it without doing all of that work. You just think it and it is.” In a matter of moments, Khitti dropped her left hand, leaving the right to once again hold the orb of shadows. Simultaneously, the orb shifted itself, weaving itself together to form a whip before returning to its natural wispy state entirely. “You are the artist and it is your medium. Mold it to what you will.”


Quintessa continues to manifest the shadows in her grasps, running through her head what mystic phrase she could use to make the dark energy bend to her will. "Cysgodol..." she says, her mana pulsing once more, the shadowy mist swirling violently in her hand. "Cyllell!" Quintessa says the first thing that comes to her mind, the darkness finally solidifying as a short spike that is immediately lobbed in the direction of the training dummy. The dark spike impales the target through the chest before it starts to slowly dissolve much like Khitti's. "I did it!" She says, her aura dying back down to mystical silence. Quintessa's blue and hazel eyes appraise the templar for a moment before placing a hand on her hip. "Easy for you to say," the hex blade teases, a smirk on her face. "You've got the most amazing weapon of all. If I could just hold it once... feel the weight of the blade and the softness of the cotton covering the handle. To swing it- Do a few katas." Quintessa sighs like a teenager with a crush. "But I doubt that sword would let me touch it. I'm too corrupted. Too chaotic."


Khitti was truly happy, when Quintessa managed her own form of shadows and aided in the destruction of the poor training dummy, and it showed. She clapped her hands with enthusiasm, unable to stop herself from beaming proudly at her student. This was going a hell of a lot different than things had with Celaeno and Khitti couldn’t help but note that. The other girl had been unlike Quintessa in one very specific field: fighting. She hadn’t wanted to do it, despite needing to learn even just to protect herself. But, in the end before Celaeno had fled Lithrydel, Khitti would’ve been better off teaching her kid to fight--who’d still been an infant at the time--rather than the girl. There’d always been a nagging feeling that maybe Khitti had been the reason for Celaeno’s disappearance. She had never planned for rigorous training for the girl and yet… even just trying to highlight Celaeno’s need for self-protection proved to be too much. Times were different now, however. Khitti’s doubts on whether or not becoming Quintessa’s teacher was a good thing were melting away ever so carefully as she interacted with the Dragana girl. “Very good. You’re learning quickly. Keep practicing like that at home and you’ll be even greater with it in no time. You don’t even need to attack anything. Just create the orb, solidify it, and return it to its natural state, over and over again. Just don’t overdo it. In a fight, if you blow through your magic in seconds, even as a fledgling, it’ll wear you out. Just be mindful of it and you should be fine.” She paused then, and shook her head at Quintessa, “Quintessa, that sword is more of a curse than a blessing. I never asked for it. Never wanted it. And yet, it came to me anyway and has chosen not to leave. I respect it and Seika and Cyris, and what they all stand for. But it is every bit as burdensome to me as vampirism was. I expect that’s why Cyris gave it to me though. To pay my dues for becoming human again. I got my freedom, now I have to help others get theirs.” Before the conversation can go much more into a downward spiral for Khitti, she chose to move on, “You’ve learned the basics now of shadow-manipulation. It’s necessary to continue to the others. Allow the shadows to form in your hand again, but only a tiny bit. Like a wisp of smoke curling upwards from smoldering logs of a dying fire. The rage I told you to harness. Focus on that now. Focus on what makes you angry. Feel it sparking the shadows. Feel it burn and let it take shape. You know how it works in arcane magic; it is very similar to it.”


Quintessa beams, soaking up all the praise that Khitti would offer her. It felt nice to have actual encouragement that wasn't twisted up in a way to simply manipulate her. "I can tell," the changeling says, feeling the tiredness settling in. Quintessa keeps wondering in the back of her mind if she should be concerned about poisoning. "I'll have to learn how to manage my mana better when utilizing the spells. Efficacy is life or death out there." Bringing her hand back up the young spellcaster closes her eyes, trying to channel the shadows once more. "Tywyllwch." she begins, the word coming out much more commanding than before and the darkness quickly swirls into her palm, eating away at her mana quickly. "I'm not certain why Seika and Cyris do the things they do. Gods and their motivations are a mystery to me, I confess." As she speaks she allows the shadows to build, "They have always frown upon me ever since my birth. Ever since my true mother abandoned me on my father's doorstep and he tormented me for 15 years." Thoughts about her father always inspired hate and her aura responds in turn, raising the temperature in the room a few degrees. The changeling pictures his face and the shadows begin to lap upwards, transforming into a dark flame that burns up her arm. Quintessa grins, watching the flames as they grow. It turns out the hex blade responded well to using emotions in her magic. "Fantastic." she mutters.


Khitti watched as Quintessa spoke of the gods and her parents and how when speaking of her father was the key in sparking the shadowflames. “I don’t know why they do what they do either. I don’t know why the gods helped me become human again only to punish me. It feels like a punishment anyway.” She paused and frowned, her thoughts getting off onto a bit of a tangent as they were wont to do. “I expect I’ll get more of the same in the future, though not by the gods.” Khitti was also wont to introspection as well, and it was starting to suck her in again. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Quintessa. I can assure you though that you’re not alone in the ‘Terrible Childhood’ department. And you’re definitely not alone in anything else now.” The frown remained planted on Khitti’s lips as she shifted to the day’s final lesson. “For the moment though, you need to focus on that loneliness I assume you felt, as I did, growing up. Feel the shift of loneliness to cold detachment. Think of the void that threatens to tear you apart should you allow that loneliness to engulf you again.” Khitti summoned up an unstable ball of shadows, its natural state, as she focused on her own loneliness. The feeling of abandonment that was likely soon to come whenever things between her and Lionel were laid bare. The sadness she felt for those she’d lost, to death or otherwise. The shadows began to crystalize in her hand, shifting from darkness to grey-tinted snowflakes to finally a grey-tinted spike of ice. Khitti stared at it for a moment, then threw shadow-ice spike, as if it were a spear, at one of the dummies, a frustrated shriek leaving her throat. The ice embedded itself into the dummy’s chest like a stake, then melted away entirely. “The things you feel now won’t be as strong when you’re fighting. You’ll create these without the need to conjure up that much emotion. Don’t push yourself with it; the mental drain is far worse than the physical.”


Quintessa let her gaze drift away from her spell, the shadowflames burning close to her flesh as looks at her teacher. "It seems like everyone has stuff that they- Ouch!" The changeling pulls her hand away from her dark fire, her carelessness causing a burn to appear on her palm, though not a terrible one. Quintessa sighs at her novice mistake but doesn't dwell on it as she brings up her hand once more. The heat that had once been hanging in the air is suddenly cooled as her aura switches into a chilling mist. "Loneliness." Quintessa exhales, thinking back at all the nights she had cried herself asleep all alone. How much worse that loneliness became when she started actually hanging around people. Thinking back to the time she was the odd girl at the Mage Tower, the new foreign girl from Vailkrin with the weird teeth and eyes that Karasu had befriended. Remembering her best friend Karasu made Quintessa feel the emptiest of all. That whole relationship had faded into nothing, hadn't it? With one last sigh the wisps hovering around her hand transform into tiny black crystals, each spinning around chaotically in the frigid maelstrom that was the changeling's aura. With a flick of her wrist Quintessa directed her shadow-ice-sickles to rain down upon the test dummy, each small piece shattering against the surface of the target. With her hand still leveled out the hex blade lets her spell dwindle before sputtering out, the temperature of the room returning to normal. "Yes, that makes sense. I should add these spells to my morning katas so I get used to the feeling of them. I won't know how to fully utilize what you've taught me until I use it in tandem with my sword."


Khitti nodded in agreement with Quintessa’s assessment, “Once you’ve practiced more, we’ll try summoning it around your sword, as I do with mine, with the hopes that at some point, you’ll be able to do all of the current three at once. It was some time before even I was able to do that--and initially, it was only because of a shadow-boosting item I found at the time. You will get stronger with it though. It may take time, but you’re taking to it very quickly.” She reached a hand out, offering to inspect the burn Quintessa inflicted upon herself. “I have a salve for that too. Brand gave it to me ages ago. He specializes in fire, so he needed it at one point himself. He gave it to his woman because she’s as much of a hothead as he is and tends to burn herself sometimes when she gets angry.” His woman being Khitti, of course. “There’s not much left in the jar, but it’s easily purchased. I get it refilled by way of Meri’s fiance. He’s a botanist. Er, and by Meri I mean my sister. She’s the head of the Adventurer’s Guild.” Once she’d inspected the burn enough to make sure it’s nothing severe, she’d make it known that the lesson for today was over. “Tranquility, dark mode off, please.” The enchantment shimmered again and Khitti opened the door, heading back upstairs into the ship, expecting Quintessa to follow her. “Another thing I might be able to teach you is shadowstepping. You seem in tune enough with the shadows that you might be able to do it also.” They’d make a pitstop at Khitti and Brand’s quarters, to which the girl would even be allowed inside. The only evidence of all those kinks the couple had was a small statuette of Delisha on the dresser, otherwise it seemed like a perfectly normal room for a totally normal couple! “Seika, be nice,” Khitti said, heading inside towards dresser, the sword floating over from its space in the corner where it’d been propped up at. “Go on then. She knows you’re a vampire. Seika’s well aware of the company I keep and won’t hurt you.” Khitti motioned with her head towards the sword, permission given to the girl to pick it up. It was a show of trust with the girl that Khitti did not give often to others anymore. “You’re not corrupted, Quintessa. You’re just different and you had a bad life like everyone else around here. Fate is not a kind mistress. She never has been and she never will be. But no… I don’t think you’re corrupted. I think you’re angry and alone and scared and just want a place to belong.” With an ‘aha’, Khitti found her salve tucked away beneath some of Brand’s shirts in the top drawer. She’d wait until Quintessa had satisfied herself enough though before handing it over.


Quintessa tried to keep up with all the different names Khitti was saying but revisiting all those old feelings made the changeling feel uneasy and distracted. "Meri's fiance is a botanist?" Quintessa vaguely remembered this couple from Lanara's Snowflake Ball; They were best dressed if she could recall correctly. The changeling had briefly shared a stage with the two of them. "I have need of a botanist..." The odd girl listens intently at the prospect of learning to shadow jump, trying to imagine what it would be like to do so. Think of the combat applications! "I would very much like to try shadow jumping." Quintessa says with a smile, happy that Khitti was so enthusiastic about teaching her things. She felt like a proper master... or would she prefer mistress? Quintessa doesn't know. Her distractions are immediately forgotten in the presence of the Tenbatsu Kaji, however, and her mismatched eyes gleam with wonder at the legendary object. "C-can I really?" As the changeling approached, Seika would no doubt be able to sense that Quintessa was quite living and not a vampire at all, the curse only superficially present in her being. Hesitantly, Quintessa wraps her delicate digits around the hilt and brings in into her grasp, blue and hazel eyes taking it all in. "The design is superb... This is the most beautiful weapon I've ever seen... Can I-" The changeling looks hopeful as she locks eyes with Khitti. "Draw the blade? Just to look upon it." What Khitti said about her not being corrupted, about just being a victim of circumstance made her shrug. "You might be right..." Quintessa admits, looking back at the templar's sword. "I've never had much of a place to belong. Anger and loneliness have always been my constant companions, if not -only- companions at times."


Khitti || “Callum might cost a bit for his services--if he does indeed charge you--but he’s good people. And he’s good at what he does. I’m sure he’ll help you. And if he does charge, well… I’m sure the Dragana coffers are not as light as a feather,” Khitti said with a smirk. As for Seika, the sprite knew full well Quintessa wasn’t dead. She’d kept that secret from Khitti since the day the templar and the changeling had first met. But, Seika had sensed similarities between the redhead and her student. The chaos. The rage. The need to be her own person. Seika would not be the one to tell Khitti this, if indeed Khitti ever found out about the girl’s lack of undeadness. Were Tenbatsu Kaji blessed by any other “good” god besides Cyris, it might’ve been a different story entirely. “Yes yes. Draw it. Swing it a bit. Just don’t mess up my bedroom. Brand and I do that enough in our spare time.” The smirk returned, but faded soon after. “I do understand what you mean though. For all the wisdom I spout, I feel the same. It doesn’t help when people like Rorin throw that stuff in my face either. I know he’s just an idiot kid most of the time, but it’s hard not to listen to those doubts those kinds of words plant in your head. He has no concept of anything in between good and evil, despite what he’s seen with Lionel in the Warrior’s Guild. He, like most people, only see things in black and white. He’ll never understand what I’ve become and what I do and he’ll always lord it over my head.” Her thoughts are interrupted as she heard what sounded like Brand having returned finally, barking orders to his crew before heading down towards the situation room and shutting the door. “I should go see if Brand was successful in getting us a new bed,” she said, lifting the covers to indicate the scorch marks on everything beneath. “Kid set the bed on fire. Got pissed off at his dad. Like I said, Brand’s a terrible teacher, but someone’s gotta do it.” Khitti shrugged. “You should go home and rest. Try not to dwell too much on the emotions the spells turned up. They’re there for you to use, to fuel your spells, but don’t forget that things are different now, and you have some people that care about you.” Well, Quintessa had Khitti at least. Probably that Kasyr dude.


Quintessa slides the katana in her sash next to her mundane sword and slowly draws the Tenbatsu Kaji, savoring the sound on the metal sliding against the sheath. Once the steel was free she lets the hum of the blade ring out for a bit before giving the sword a quick horizontal slash. Quintessa is in love with the sword already. The changeling's aura wants to embrace the sword, to read it's magic, but without Saika's consent Quintessa's wispy tentacles wouldn't be able to come closer than an inch to the purified blade. "Seika," The swordswoman says, addressing the sprite that lived inside, "It's nice to properly meet you. I'm a big fan." The hex blade runs her fingers along the false edge, wishing she knew what kind of power was poured into this sword that made it so powerful. "I'm glad it was under good circumstances. I'd stand no chance against you." Quintessa coos to the object as one would a lover, both hands now gripped to the hilt as she brings it above her head in a 45 degree angle. Swiftly the changeling brings the blade down, careful not to hit anything before returning the sword to her sheath. "I'll not bother you any longer. Thank you for letting me hold you." The sort of reverence Quintessa was feeling took her by surprise. There's no way she'd become a follower of Cyris, right? The Tenbastu Kaji is removed from her sash and returned to its resting place and she turns to take the salve. "Thank you for that as well, and for the salve. Not being able to use magical means of healing is perhaps the most annoying thing about being a vampire." She couldn't help but smile at the mention of Khitti's kid setting the bed on fire. "You know, I could help tutor the child if you want. Magic is the kind of thing that needs a basic foundation, and although I'm not qualified to be a teacher yet there are many things I can pass on as an Arcane Stewardess." With the mention of Quintessa going home she chuckles. Which home? Vailkrin or Xalious? "I'm really glad I came here today." the changeling says, trying not to appear too sentimental, "I appreciate everything you are doing here... It's nice to feel..." Quintessa sigh, not wanting to say it. "Anyway, I'm out of here. I've been hearing strange whispers coming out of Vailkrin of late anyway and I should address them. I'll catch you around."


Khitti couldn’t help but feel the slightest pang of jealousy towards Quintessa, if only because of how much she cared for the sword, despite her not being its wielder. It was something Khitti couldn’t, and perhaps would never, truly feel. Weapons were weapons to her. To be used by killer and hero alike. They were a means to an end. Seeing this first hand, Khitti wondered if it would provoke Tenbatsu Kaji to leave her, just as the sword had left Kelovath years ago. What would she do then? Would she still have her holy magic? Would she still be Cyris’ servant? The whole scene brought more questions and all Khitti could do was stare at Quintessa as she spoke to Seika. Seika could sense these doubts and fears, of course, and she’d likely speak to Khitti about it later. But, for now, Khitti was left with her thoughts. “I’ll think about it. I’m sure Brand would be glad to be rid of the responsibility. But then again, I think he needs the challenge. He gets to live the easy life with this captaining gig. He could stand to do something now and again like this.” She shrugged, studying Quintessa as the girl attempted to show her feelings, but ultimately could not. “I’m glad you came here too. Maybe next time it should be you teaching me. I s’pose I’ve got a lot to learn about the arcane.” When Quintessa went to leave, Khitti’d bite her own tongue, leaving the changeling to take off without some sort of assurance of things. The girl had things to do and Khitti wasn’t going to get in the way of it.