On the Pond (Joel, Open)

[neriumoleander]

About a half mile from Grimhilde Manor, beyond the land and in a thicket of overgrown trees, there lies a deep pond. It teems with life. Shimmers with magic and the surface is particularly exquisite under the full moon. It has been Nerium's place, since she was a child. Lonely and wandering her woods, she found the fish and frogs there not to be potion ingredients, but charming companions. Today there is another world there. Ruled by a family of mischievous water nymphs borne of a spell of Nerium's long ago. Magic breeds magic and soon the pond was home to grindylows, ashrays, bunyip, and kappas - even miniature hippocamps. They regard Nerium as a goddess. For her, they are her closest friends - along with the ravens and other creatures of the manor. 



She often floats a canoe to the center to think or reflect on a new spell. Today she is there with a book in hand, and several others resting at the floor of the canoe. She is a bookseller now, during Rose's occasional stints at The Quill, and she must make her role believable. So she's gathered an assortment of books, those highly recommended and sought after. Others considered classics. 

Nerium is unsure how she feels about this boy wizard. He who survived a curse from the the great dark lord. 

"It is in poor taste to attack a child. But his wrong is seeking power for purely selfish gain. One will always be corrupted by the great dark forces if they are not dealt with accordingly. Sacrifice and worship." The water nymphs lean against the side of her boat, ever a captive audience. "Though this so-called hero is insufferable. Who cares of sport when there is magic to learn? Certainly all his brilliance comes from his female friend."

Perhaps Nerium likes the bushy-haired girl. Even if she was born of humans. Her power is the same.  

Comments

[neriumoleander]

Nerium takes the vial with some care, calling upon its energy to test that the blood is truly as he says. It shines gold and silver as the scarlet catches, crackling with deep magic so unlike that of witches. Valuable is an understatement. A siren matriarch's blood is typically spilt in betrayal or mutiny. It can turn a simple spell of passion into something raging and furious. Not to mention it is exceedingly rare. She is impressed, to say the least.

"How did you procure this? A matriarch' blood is not shed - or given - lightly." With a wave of her hands, the vial disappears. "I will accept your gift. Now allow me to hear your request."

[scaledtokill]

"It came into my hands," Robert said. It was the truth, the blood had literally been taken by his hands but that was a story that no one needed to hear, least of all Nerium. All that mattered is that, hopefully, it was enough.

"I'm afraid I'm bringing trouble to town. Normally I wouldn't bother you with this but the trouble might come to you for help. I stole something very valuable from a family of dark witches. They used to be powerful be centuries of... let's call it 'keeping the bloodline pure' have left them with less power and influence than they used to. The latest generation is small and could care less about their magic and more about their Euro-trash lifestyle. They were selling their grimiore and it was the sort of book that, in a moment of altruism, I decided would be better off if no one had it. Grimiores like that are passed down through families for a reason. So I took it and the family would really like it back. Once they come here I'm sure they'll ask you for help getting it back. I would appreciate it if you didn't help them."

[neriumoleander]

"I will extract its story, whether you wish to share it or not." It is a simple fact. It is what she does, reading the pasts and futures, knowing those within the town like others might a character unfolding on pages before them. And the power of a matriarch's blood is wholly determined by how it was shed.

Nerium stands in the canoe, seemingly growing in height as she does so. "You are a fool Robert Flynn." She calls a lightning bolt and it crashes into a tree just behind him with a loud crack. "The tides and currents of Siren Cove are shifting under great unbalances. Its very future is under threat. And you - you anger a family of dark witches and risk leading them here? Did you think you might find assistance? Safe haven? From the family who despises you or the home you left behind? The chaos in your wake crackles through this town like a flames." She makes herself grow further, levitating in front of him, calling forth gusts of wind and another lightning strike, this time just missing the canoe. "It propels the very forces I call around you"

"There is no allegiance among witches of that kind. They do not care of the great dark forces they serve, only corrupted power and excess like the Lord in this book." She brings herself closer to natural size again. "I will promise no aid to you, nor these foreign witches. Let the chaos reign, you've brought it on to yourself. I shall intervene only if this town is brought under threat, and my aid will come then to whomever I see fit."

[scaledtokill]

Robert waited patiently for Nerium to finished with her theatrics and her pronouncements. It was overly dramatic and smacked of almost-desperation. Like she badly wanted everyone to know just how scary she was. It was the sort of mistake that he made early on in his career, laying it on too thick.

"Nerium," he said once she was finally done. "Do I strike you as the sort of person that needs to be further impressed by what it is that you can do? I've come to you precisely because of your power and reputation. The display of power and theatrics is completely unnecessary. I've met a lot of very powerful and very scary people in my lifetime. None of them have ever done anything like that before."

[neriumoleander]

"You strike me as a person who needs be reminded of the ramifications of his actions, yes." She returns the atmosphere around them to normal form and sits casually in the seat of her canoe, resting her hands in her lap, a smug smile at his compliment. "I take it you understand the terms then?"

[scaledtokill]

"Nerium, let me help you," Robert offered. He wasn't entirely sure why he was offering other than no one had really done the same for him when he was starting out. There was more than one mistake he could have avoided if someone had mentored him.

"Eventually you will be the powerful, commanding presence you want to and are meant to be. Even more so than you are now. I know all about how to present yourself to others. I'm not in town long, but I'd love to meet and have coffee a few times and give you some pointers. If you'd be open to it."

[neriumoleander]

Nerium lets out a crackling laugh. "Eventually? You fool of a man, I am every bit the presence I wish to be. You are here, are you not?" Honestly, she'd be irritated were the man not being so outlandish. His attempts at sizing her up. What does he believe she wants? There is none in Siren Cove who would challenge her. She doubts the same could be said for Robert. Her name alone carries the weight of centuries.

She crosses her arms. "Despite some recent misconception that has spread through the men of this town, I am not prone to making social calls for coffee or wine."

[scaledtokill]

Robert shook his head. Either she couldn't see it or she didn't want to. Whatever the reason she was too close to her own situation and too enamored with herself. The arrogance of youth could be exceptionally frustrating at times. Fortunately, Robert didn't have to deal with hers if he didn't want to.

"Very well, I'll leave you to your reading then and thank you for your time."

[neriumoleander]

"Yes, I shall." She returns to her book, casually dismissing him, but after a few sentences she looks up, whispering a few words. A clear store appears in Robert's hands, smooth and hot. "For the Matriarch's blood. You shall be able to summon me with this." Nerium continues reading through the page, Robert already an afterthought. "Whether I come or not will be at my discretion."