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Summer vacation elapses, and sees their storefront doing one heck of a business in the Avalon with the help of their griffin employee. There is a suggestion box for new spells they should invent, some of which have to be long-term projects but others of which are converted into new product fairly promptly.
School starts up again. Darren and Bella are both skipping straight into twelfth grade. (Bella looked into just starting college early, but while she does technically have the sort of resume that can lead to that kind of thing, she can't exactly write an essay about how she saved the life of another person and this caused her to have Moral Character, let alone about how she started a small business - so skipping one grade it is.)
They apply to colleges. They both get into University of Washington and get sufficient scholarships to accommodate both going there.
Summer ensues again.
One afternoon, Bella is over at Darren's, and has fallen asleep - in purring fullform - across his lap on the couch.
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shesepankh
The torturer isn't struggling anymore. Well, he doesn't have much to do it with.
The darkness shudders - but doesn't stop.
Shooooop.
The darkness shudders - but doesn't stop.
Shooooop.
morethanimaginary
"See, isn't that nicer?" soothes Savannah, in false-sweet tones, once all limbs have gone snap and he's stopped annoying her. "Now we can get started! Exciting, isn't it? You sure you don't want to start talking now? Don't worry, I'll give you a breather, you can have some time to collect your thoughts."
castmyown
Darren hisses a curse word, and he starts fumbling for another scroll - what the hell will work against the thing, what on Earth kills it?
Another scroll - ice. He'll freeze the - thing. Whatever it is. He chants, and then - spell goes.
Another scroll - ice. He'll freeze the - thing. Whatever it is. He chants, and then - spell goes.
The shooping darkness does not seem to be freezable. However, it doesn't like moving on the frost that forms on the floor. It stops, and starts edging around it.
The man takes his breather. During it, he breathes.
The man takes his breather. During it, he breathes.
castmyown
Well, that's - something, at least.
Another ice spell, not even aimed at the shooping darkness, but aimed to cut it off from getting to him and Bella. He needs time to think - what can kill - inky darkness?
Another ice spell, not even aimed at the shooping darkness, but aimed to cut it off from getting to him and Bella. He needs time to think - what can kill - inky darkness?
"What do you want?" he asks fearfully.
The shooping darkness turns around.
An extremely optimistic person might think it has given up.
The shooping darkness turns around.
An extremely optimistic person might think it has given up.
morethanimaginary
"Who's your boss? Why does he want to know where the sphinxes are? Why kidnapping and torture, you could have just as easily sat down for tea with the sphinx you snatched."
castmyown
Darren's not extremely optimistic. But - this is something, at least.
He shakes Bella, a little, hoping she'll wake up and - magic fairy princess the shooping darkness away.
(He thinks of which scrolls he should try, next.)
He shakes Bella, a little, hoping she'll wake up and - magic fairy princess the shooping darkness away.
(He thinks of which scrolls he should try, next.)
"We worked for the guy you killed - he was working for somebody - we didn't snatch her, it was the dark thing!"
Bella shifts when shoved, but doesn't wake.
Bella shifts when shoved, but doesn't wake.
morethanimaginary
Well that's unfortunate. Hmm.
"Ah, yes. That thing. Not to worry, we have someone working on it, right this minute." She hopes. C'mon, Dare, don't let your sister down. Kill the hell out of the ink monster. "Got anything useful to tell me, or do I have to force it out of you?"
"Ah, yes. That thing. Not to worry, we have someone working on it, right this minute." She hopes. C'mon, Dare, don't let your sister down. Kill the hell out of the ink monster. "Got anything useful to tell me, or do I have to force it out of you?"
castmyown
Right. Right, okay, then - the ink monster's going to be circling around. Darren has one more ice scroll left, but it's not enough to cover the surrounding area in frost. That's fine, he's got a magic marker. He'll draw out more runes to - get a protective circle of frost around him and Bella. And then he'll try to figure something out from there.
Scribble, scribble.
Scribble, scribble.
"I don't know anything about who he was working for!" wails the guy. "I'm a specialist!"
The ink monster is fast, but either it's not very good at mazes, or it's given up, or it's doing something else.
The ink monster is fast, but either it's not very good at mazes, or it's given up, or it's doing something else.
castmyown
That's - worrying, he hopes it's not going after Savannah, but it's not like he can carry Bella out right now. He definitely isn't going to leave her. So, protections it is. It gives away where they are if anyone that isn't the ink monster shows up, but Darren can handle anyone that isn't the ink monster. Probably.
He finishes the ice spell. One chant later, and the circle around them is a bit more complete. He could finish it with the scroll at this point, but that seems like wasted resources. He'll draw out another spell, and keep the scroll in reserve.
He finishes the ice spell. One chant later, and the circle around them is a bit more complete. He could finish it with the scroll at this point, but that seems like wasted resources. He'll draw out another spell, and keep the scroll in reserve.
"That's what I - was hired for," whimpers the guy.
morethanimaginary
"By dead dude. Mhmmm."
She will have to investigate the paper trail.
"Well, how's that working out for you, jackass? Feel proud of yourself?"
She will have to investigate the paper trail.
"Well, how's that working out for you, jackass? Feel proud of yourself?"
"Oh, God, what do you want," says the jackass.
morethanimaginary
If she had time to work, she'd make him suffer for torturing Bella, and be sure that there isn't anything that she missed, intelligence wise. But there are guards outside who will probably catch on any minute, there's an ink monster that hasn't been accounted for, and an unknown number of people that are running around here.
She does not want to deal with a hostage, or a prisoner.
"Just one thing," she informs him. "You're getting off lucky."
And then she slices open his throat.
She does not want to deal with a hostage, or a prisoner.
"Just one thing," she informs him. "You're getting off lucky."
And then she slices open his throat.
The result is predictable.
morethanimaginary
Entirely.
She takes to the sky, and goes looking for - others. Other people to question, other people to kill, or the ink monster.
She takes to the sky, and goes looking for - others. Other people to question, other people to kill, or the ink monster.
There's the ink monster. Slipping out the door of the warehouse.
morethanimaginary
Okay. Bad that it's alive, Darren hasn't gotten to it, yet. Or he lost. She does not think he lost. She suspects it's going to warn the guards, get some backup, instead. That's bad, they'll have weaponry, they'll be aware that she's invisible and watch each other's backs.
Hmmm, what's a way to turn the tides with the materials she has, when outnumbered...
Out the monster goes.
The door opens. Guards, with guns, come in.
The door opens. Guards, with guns, come in.
morethanimaginary
Yup. Called it.
Where's the power? She's going to need to separate them and - well, she ate the heart of their boss. Let's play with them a bit. She soars on silent wings, searching for a way to cut the power.
Where's the power? She's going to need to separate them and - well, she ate the heart of their boss. Let's play with them a bit. She soars on silent wings, searching for a way to cut the power.