[Luna] The Shadows That Dance in the Night

[Luna]

[Refs]

Luna made her way over to The Triangle while the sun was setting. Its own light was no longer as brilliant, only staining the sky with a dark blue and an orange tone, the outer rings of its runes barely bright enough to see in the sky. It was still too bright for starlight though. She walked into the restaurant, greeted Izzy as she passed by and went behind the counter of the bar into a backroom. She was off today, so the regulars thought it was strange. Maybe she was on extra hours? Who knows, and who cared. "You wanted to see me sir?", Luna asked as she made her way into the manager's office and set her stuff down on a chair.

Word count 124/4300

[Sparky]

    Unlike the rest of the club, dazzled in neon lights and filled with different types of music, The Bartender's office was warm. Calm. Comfortable. A deep crimson carpet paired with dark wood walls, while an amber ceiling lamp gave just enough light to bathe it in a gentle glow. It all made it very easy on the eyes. The older man sat comfortably behind his grand desk, a glass of scotch in his hand. Slow, soothing classical music set the tone.

    Taking a final swig of his drink, The Bartender looked towards Luna. The glass shimmered under the light when it was placed down upon the desk. "Wonderful to see you've made it, Luna." As he rose to his feet, the light seemed to simply vanish upon his body in a way that normally went unnoticed out on the floor. While he still had color, and the light still illuminated him, the way it did so seemed unnatural. The man's single eye didn't seem to share the same sentiment as his words. 

    "I remember you mentioning that you wished to pursue bounties when you first applied here." Always level and ever smooth, his voice filled the room much better than behind the bar. It was easier to hear a bit of gravel that hid under the buttery, dulcet tones. It almost hid the fact that his footsteps didn't make any sound at all as he rounded to the front of his desk. "To put it simply, you're not ready just yet. You have the tenacity, but you lack in skill." 


Word count 384/4300

[Luna]

[Refs]

"Uhhh, yes sir.", Luna said. She gathered her hair and tossed it behind her so it rested behind rather than in front. She was in her normal wear. Well, normal wear when the air has a chill. A low collar long-sleeved shirt, whose sleeves extended over the tops of her hands. A short skirt with striped thigh-high leggings decorated her lower half as well as a pair of sneakers that were mainly a black and purple.

"I- I know I'm not super great at magic. But I never really.. had a teacher.", she said. "The place I lived in was dangerous, especially for a user of dark magic." Maybe he already found something on her background from Luke or by snuffing around for her background. Who really knew at this point, the man was fuckin' mysterious but he was right she wasn't ready. "The best tricks I know are just ones I kind of figured out on accident."

Word Count 542/4300

[Sparky]

    The Bartender took it all in without a single flicker of emotion. Just as always, he was unreadable, from the surface to his very core. Luna was a curious specimen. Not many looked to plunge the depths of darkness without a mentor, unless they were truly skilled. And it certainly took more than an amateur to be able to make the shadows their home. After she was done, The Bartender measured the girl's words, quietly weighing them with the same cold, calculating gaze. 

    "The first lesson every shadow mage learns, is that shadows are malleable. Formless until you give it one. And unlike water, stone, steel, and even fire- Darkness is a limitless resource, with unlimited potential. Like an endless, unyielding abyss. You've sunk below it's depth but you've only touched the surface." The bartender's fingers danced in the air, folding into his palm. When they unfolded one after another, shadows crept along his skin reshaping their surface. His hand turned towards the girl, a clawed imitation of what it actually was. It flipped and the shadows drew away up into the air, forming into a dagger that shimmered like steel. "You know how to swim below the waves, but there is so much more left to discover. In a sense, I suppose one of the main reasons that I hired you is that I'd like to take you on as an apprentice, and show you how to take hold of the abyss and shape it to your will."


    For the first time, The Bartender allowed Luna to see how he shifted from place to place so quietly- so quickly. His form turned purely to shadows. Just a glimpse was enough to burn the visage into her memory, a haunting form with a hooked beak and a single glowing white eye. The man had sunk into the floor and reappeared at Luna's side before she had a chance to take in much more, but the act was clear, broadly displaying the potential heights the girl could reach. "Will you accept my offer?"


Word Count 884/4300

[Luna]

[Refs]

"Wait? For real? You mean it?" She wasn't on fumes or anything when walking by right? This man was actually going to train her? Oh, she would be such a badass. Even Luke wouldn't be able to deny that. Like, yeah of course she's hot shit right now, but she'll be the hottest shit with whatever the man had to offer to help her get a better footing.

"I- I- Yes! That's awesome! I'd love to!" She caught herself and cleared her throat. "I mean uh, yes, that would be really kind of you to teach me to become a better shadow mage and refine my skills." Though brief, she could have sworn the man turned into a bird but it happened so briefly that she couldn't tell.

Word Count 1008/4300

[Sparky]

    "Please, you don't have to hide your joy." A faint, almost unnoticeable smile tugged at the corners of his lips. As quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Back to business. "During my time as an adventurer, I was a feared and respected assassin. Darkness is as much apart of me as it is a tool. To properly utilize it. You must embrace it with open arms without letting the abyss consume you whole."

    "Darkness is not a volatile element, but it is an unforgiving one. Should you harness it, however, it is a powerful weapon." The shadows wrapped around his body, hugging his skin so close it was as though it'd replaced his flesh. A hardened mask formed upon his face, working itself into a beak. It's single eye was pure white, but it didn't shine or glow. "This is what is known as a shadow form. For lower end mages, it is seen as a representation of ones-self. An amalgamation born of their personality, their soul. Experienced mages can shape their form to their will, but the core of it's form typically stays the same. Back in the day, I was known as the One-Eyed Crow." 

    The Bartender extended a clawed hand, offering it to the girl. "Come. There's much more to teach." 

Word Count 1223/4300

[Luna]

[Refs]

Luna's awe was hard to hide. Like, it was pretty damn cool to watch this man basically make his own carbon fiber suit. Oh, the boys would be mad jealous if Luna could pull that off! Her amethyst eyes sparkled as much as the gemstone itself would. "That.. That is awesome. That is so cool I-" What would her form even look like? Would it be as cool as a one eyed bird man or would she have some dumb shit like, I don't know, a ladybug? A frog? She hoped not.

She registered he was beckoning for her to take his hand so they would go somewhere else to train than his office, which was probably smart. Luna placed her hand on his, feeling the shadow's form on her own skin. The shadowed talons felt...Sharp but didn't cut without force, like that of a real bird's talons. The rest of the Bartender's hand was smooth, almost leathery in feel.

Word Count 1384/4300

[Sparky]

    Her excitement was endearing. Perhaps, even, adorable. It reminded The Bartender of Izzy when she was younger. Which would make the training far more bearable. The talons gently wrapped around her hand and... the two plunged downwards. As though falling straight into water. The darkness embraced them openly, coiling and warping around them and shaping to the might and will of the more experienced Bartender. 

    What surrounded them resembled a shrine. The structure, the ground beneath them, even their bodies themselves were all outlined in white. It was a world in monochrome. The Bartender stepped back from Luna, and opened the floor to her. As he left her side, the obvious difference in experience caused the floor to ripple slightly beneath her. "Darkness, like many elements, is influenced by emotions. Joy, sadness, anger, and indeed even excitement all affect how they shape themselves to your will."

    "No doubt, from your experiences, you have slept and lived in this world far longer than most. But to truly master the realm around you, one must have the confidence, the strength of will, to take the power that belongs to them." The Bartender pressed a hand to his beak and pulled, removing the crow mask from his face. Strands of white trailed behind, before being enveloped by the inky black and before Luna's very eyes, The Bartender melted into the floor, leaving behind a blank mask.

    "Don the blank, and forge your own power." His voice echoed in Luna's ears. "Utilize the space I've crafted for you. Through meditation, become one with the delicate wisps of shadow. Train your body to match the ebb and flow of the void. Sturdy your mind to brace against the force of its darkened steel. Like those that came before us, find what is yours and use it to create an icon to what is most important to you. An idea. A memory. Or perhaps... a person? We adventurers fight for different causes under different banners, and our reasons are as varied as we are. Vengeance. Absolution. Duty. Loyalty. Justice. Love. Strength." 

    "Find yours, and you will find your power."

Word Count 1737/4300

[Luna]

[Refs]

One moment they were in his office and the next, they were swallowed into the inky blackness. Despite falling, it never really felt like the ground was removed from her feet. It just felt like a chilled gust of air blowing upwards without really ruffling her attire or hair. They entered some kind of space in there, a bubble of sorts within the shadows. Luna probably could never get used to the feeling of shadows. Then again, the feeling itself always changed.

She blinked and looked at herself, twisting her hip to watch the white outline of her skirt and tail animate as if there was nothing wrong. The outside of this space held brief flashes of soft pastel yellows, other mages using the shadows to pass by. Their forms were just blurred orbs that flitted past at speeds not really all that fast, but the blur of a trail they left behind hinted at some lag for eyes to follow.

She watched the man leave, taking in his words and staring at the mask left behind. A few moments passed and she walked over to pick up the mask, the floor feeling as solid as stone. The mask felt like ceramic, a smooth texture and the echoed sound of it sliding off the floor when picked up fooled her senses even further. She took in the features of the mask, sliding her fingertips over the mask to feel its smoothed surface and refined engravings, both smooth and sharp ones, that would make up its shapes. Luna settled down, sitting cross-legged and trying to figure out the first big thing that really seemed to echo in her brainscape. Her 'banner' as he put it. What, or who was it?

The first answer was Luke. Then it was Ty. Then it was the Lost Boys. Then it was the lost light, Io. Everything within that train of thoughts bounced between person, people, memories, and any feelings she had that centralised around it. Loyalty for being grouped with the pack known as the Lost Boys. Looooooooo- Okay she wasn't quite sure she was ready to use that word yet. Well, okay maybe for one person. Love for Io. Vengeance for Io and the Lost Boys as a whole. That whore Luke was with didn't know what's coming and still won't if they ever crossed paths again and neither will the light-bringers of Blackmarsh. Justice for the impoverished of Blackmarsh. Strength for herself. Duty for herself and the Lost Boys. She had a role too, making sure that their shared braincells didn't stray too far into something stupid.

There were too many things cluttering this banner, she felt while staring at the mask. "It can't just be one thing. That's fucking impossible...", she mumbled to herself.

Word Count - 2200/4300

[Sparky]

    Even after The Bartender vanished, an omnipresent sensation still rested upon her. The sensation of being watched. Of course The Bartender wouldn't let her go unobserved, she was his apprentice now after all. He observed her thoughts, watched her process. Once Luna sat down with her new blank mask upon her face, the sensation of eyes narrowed in upon her. It was a warm feeling, rather than anything clinical. But upon further focus... the warmth didn't just radiate from the sensation around her.

    Infact, the more she thought about what drove her, a warm, gentle aura seemed to fill her mind from the mask itself. It echoed her memories, both of her friends old and new. Of the lost guide, and his words of encouragement. And of the more recent, the advice The Bartender gave, or rather, the direction he nudged her towards. Meditation. Training. Mental Acuity. A whispered voice echoed all around her. So very close, and yet so far away. 

    "One's motives are not always readily apparent. It's a path of self discovery... follow it from the beginning." It stated gently, an encouraging tone tinting the words. "Do not think so literally, remember... Shadows are malleable, and so too must be your thoughts." 

    "The world we inhabit is dominated by the abstract. Harness that."



2418/4300

[Luna]

[Refs]

Luna looked up and then around. He wasn't there. Of course, he wasn't actually there. She should have at least known that. Man was probably meditating in the space, even subconsciously, to keep track of her and make sure she didn't fuck something up. Though she wasn't sure how she could do that when there wasn't much to fuck up. Well, at least in terms of being in life-threatening danger.

She sighed and returned her gaze to the mask. How the fuck does one think in abstract??? Man, this was harder than she thought. To be fair, Luna never expected this shit to be a walk in the park either. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, resting her fingers from one hand over the beak of the mask just to feel its smooth, cool texture. She let out a slow exhale, clearing her mind along with her lungs. Her breathing slowed as the mental images of everything cluttering the banner smoothed out, like a sheet with wrinkles getting ironed.

Follow from the beginning...

But also don't take what he says literally. She had to remind herself to only take things partially literally. Figuratively for like at least 95% of that. Her brows knitted whenever thoughts grew complicated and overlapped with each other. When she caught onto that though, she forced herself to stop and her expression relaxed.

Her thought process went back, starting with her earliest memories. They were a clusterfuck storm of emotions. They weren't exactly the happiest memories, but she also didn't have the best upbringing. Io did his best. There were obviously some good memories, but her early life was a struggle. Survival.

Her mind centralised on Io as a black smoke began to form over half of her face, a hole over one eye. It didn't really have much of a shape other than a wispy blob. He was everything for the Lost Boys. He was everything for her too. A father figure, her first mentor, their protector and guardian. Even in his grave, she didn't help but feel he was still taking on that role. What exactly was her stance with him? The word itself faded into her mindscape, piecing itself into her "banner". Love.

The group he brought up, adopting orphans that would fare no better in an orphanage of Blackmarsh, the band of misfit kids that learned to throw punches in the face of danger transitioned into her focus. Every last one of them that stayed. Those whose own lives gave out so early. Those that kept into the fight through thick and thin. Those she knew had her back despite their own fights amongst each other. Loyalty. Family.

Everything flowed smoothly into itself as she took her pace. The shadow now extended over her face in full and slowly formed over itself. Its surface was still very wispy, but it seemed to be taking some kind of shape. A rounded end instead of a pointed one like the bird mask took form in the middle over where her nose and mouth would be. Its texture was still roughed, an accurate assay of how fully she could grasp this concept The Bartender presented.

Word Count 2951/4300

[Sparky]

    The Bartender felt a sense of pride as the mask began to form. It validated his choice. While her powers may have been unrefined at first, and she needed a gentle nudge to guide her in the right direction, Luna took to it faster than most. His daughter was an exceptionally skilled mage, and he loved her more than anything in the world, but her affinity for the arts he had to offer was lacking. But Luna, she was the perfect fit to pass on the deadly arts he had all but mastered. 

    As the mask began to take shape around her, so too did the area around her begin to shift and react to her will. Before her, a seed had taken root. The true symbol of her determination. The Bartender knew that as her training progressed, the seed would blossom into something new. Luna's new developing blank carried with it a soft comfort, built from her memories and bonds. A gentle warmth that pressed to her skin.

    Not wishing to interrupt her meditation, The Bartender stayed silent and awaited her next move. 

Word Count 3135/4300

[Luna]

[Refs]

Luna figured, while going through her own life story in her head, that she wasn't really just figuring out the importance in her reason to exist to do whatever it was The Bartender was going for. She was finding what she was. An identity to a degree, sure. But it was also something more. Clarity. Clarity of a vision, clarity of one's self.

Her thoughts transitioned to something more recent. Her big move into the city, with Luke. A new page, or leaf, chapter. Whatever you wanted to call it, it was a fresh start for her. From a gross fucking pit of existence to something brighter and freer, that's where she was now. Freedom.

The mask was still rough in texture, taking on a matte appearance while it was still refining, but it seemed to form a pair of ears at the top now. Her thoughts recounted an exploration of the city, getting a job at the Triangle, meeting the staff there and expanding her circle of friends after who knows how long. Adventure.

Her mind blanked from there. The mask, now solid, but not fully formed. Where could she go from here? Luna rewound the tape in her mind. She focussed on everything around her then. She centralised it on herself now. Who was she? What was she? The faunus' tail flicked with annoyance. It should be such an easy question, right? She was Luna Marquise! One of the Lost Boys! The shadow intel of their group that would hint on when those Blackmarsh elite fucks would try to come by with their shitty assault raids. But no. That didn't feel right as an answer. A simple word just started to echo in her mind but grew louder and louder in a grand cacophony. ...who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who?Who? WHO?!

The mask itself crumbled apart, breaking and falling, turning into smoke whenever it came into contact with any other surface. Luna just sat there, eyes open and bothered. Who was she despite having known her life story about as good as anyone else in her old circle?

Word Count 3487/4300

[Sparky]

    Ah... that's not good. Expected, but still not good. It was the worst part of introspection, the existential crisis of what one was. A common roadblock that one needed to overcome. As the mask crumbled away, the warmth faded. Once more Luna was left in the cold isolation of the dark temple. The Bartender would have to once more direct her down the right path. 

    "Close your eyes, child..." The gentle voice stated. "...Control your breathing and find your solid footing. The question of who one is... a timeless question, one that some spend years discovering. Do not let the weight of that question overwhelm you. Instead, look at it from a different point of view. Instead of who you are, ask who do you want to be? You know what you fight for, but why?"

    "Many adventurers face great battles for the good of others rather than themselves. Others fight for the sake of conquering their demons. Child, these are lofty ideals but remember you're still young. If you cannot answer the question, don't let it hold you back. It is a process that takes time, and deep self reflection, as well as the courage to face one's deepest thoughts, fears, and desires."

    Beneath her, the floor roiled in an abstract, unnatural manner, completely in tune with her unstable emotional state. Luna was so close, and yet her goal was just out of reach. The Bartender did his best to offer what little advice he could. It may have seemed contradictory at points, telling her how and then saying it wasn't necessary, but the path of self reflection was indeed an arduous one for many. The older gentleman knew how important those thoughts must mean to a person, and so The Bartender wished to give her the tools to understand how to find what she looked for, while also comforting her mind with the truth that... even if she didn't find it right away, that didn't make her a failure.

    While the sheer force of her will was impressive enough to form the initial makings of her mask, The Bartender had hoped his training advice would be considered more deeply. "Simply sitting upon the floor, staring at the ground does not make progress..." It chastised "... you carry a great burden. A weight placed upon your shoulders from a life long passed. One only has to look at the way you carry and conduct yourself, trying to remake your own personality to fit an image that is not your own. Tell me... is this really what they want from you?" 


Word Count: 3917/4300

[Luna]

[Refs]

Luna snapped out of it the moment the voice reentered her head so it wasn't just herself questioning things. He was right. If she was able to answer who she was right now, that would be amazing but that would also set her into stone rather than let her make that mark herself. That had a word, right? ...Fate? Destiny? Prophecy?

She shook her head and got up with a huff. Luna walked around a few paces, forcing herself to take in a breath and exhale slowly. The environment around her stabilising into a solid floor instead of rolling around like it was bubbling. The noise in the room quieted to a low rumble that seemed to threaten to make itself come back out. Everything was about as normal as it would get despite an underlying threat.

Luna walked around in a large circle, clearing her mind and looking around the space as a distraction to see if there was anything else new. To no one's surprise, it was just an empty room. After a few more moments, Luna went back to what felt like the center and sat back down while crossing her legs over them.

They?

Who were they?

They could be anyone. Io, the lost boys she lost contact with, Luke, Izzy, anyone. But what if.... the question was more, is this really what she wanted from herself? She shouldn't bend so far back to please everyone. There had to be some kind of line where they accepted her as she was in her own elements too.

She closed her eyes with furrowed brows. There was a fine line to tread and she had to find it. She knew the side of herself that others may not take a liking to. And she knew she had to can some of that for work or when meeting new people to not overwhelm them. She took another deep breath in and exhaled, relaxing her expression and going back into her train of thought.

When her mind settled back into the train of thought, the mask reformed. IT was still crude, but it didn't crumble apart this time as she kept herself from overthinking things. She kept her thoughts simple, thinking of elements that made her into who she was rather than try to sit and mull on who she is without them.

Word Count 4310/4300

Breakdown:

SPOILER: Click to show

Shadow Affinity 6

Spell - Word Count

Shadow Form - 300

Shadow Illusions - 600

Shadow Latch - 300

Afterglow - 400

Black Moon - 200