littlewitchlilim - Tumblr blog

[littlewitchlilim]

It didn't take much to get on the witch's good side when she wasn't out playing with her victims. Not running scared from her stuffies was the easiest way to her heart, especially with Freddie Teddy perched on her shoulder. But compliments to her wares also did the trick. Especially since not everyone appreciated the more ... unusual pieces in her shop.

The witch's pleasure became apparent as all of the figurines in her shop seemed to come alive, wings flapping and noses twitching in interest. They may have acted like they each had a personality of their own, almost preening in hopes of being chosen by the man who'd entered the shop. The reality was they fed from Lilim's emotions as long as she held onto their little sparks of possibility. She let go of all but the ones closest to the man, gently pushing the elephant with six legs and demonic wings to jump off the shelf and onto the stranger

"Lilim Morrigan, your grace?" She'd never met an emissary before and thus had no idea how to address him. Ariel bowed, so she did her best approximation of a curtsy. "Sir? Your eminence?"

"But um, yes! I am the artist." It felt odd to call herself an artist, honestly. She'd always seen her craft as making friends for others and not just herself anymore. "My torch and kiln are out back."

If asked, Ariel would swear he'd spent the day wandering from shop to shop, district to district, in the name of better acquainting himself with Destarin and its residents. It wouldn't even be a lie, really--but it was not the whole truth, either.

The truth was that Ariel liked to shop. And why shouldn't he? He was a wealthy man, he enjoyed fine things, and there was a whole town's worth of new--to him, at least--merchants and artisans to trade with.

There was already a wrapped parcel tucked beneath one arm when he ducked into the glass shop, but his purse was still heavy with coins waiting to be spent--and from the way he was marveling, delighted, at some of the more unusual figurines on display, he'd be spending some of it here.

"Yes," came the distracted reply to the question addressed to him, but it was half a moment before he turned away from the display. He gave a respectful-if-theatrical bow, grinning as he straightened up. "Ariel Beaumont, Emissary to the Crown of Withermore. Are you the artist, madam? Your work is... bewitching."

[littlewitchlilim]

Giggles escaped the witch as she watched the chaos she'd caused and all it entailed. Usually antics like this were reserved for the night, when she stalked the streets and played her wicked games. To enjoy such delights with the sun out felt like an unexpected little treat. "Tell Pheonix Ironfeather that I'll bite back?" the witch offered with a maniacal little grin.

The expression didn't last on her face for long as she watched the man dismantle her magic before her eyes. It made her feel strangely vulnerable and Lilim did not like it. Could he do that with all of her spells? Or was his ownership of the bird part of why he could snap the thread so easily?

"When it pleases me," the witch responded to the question in a nearly sing-song voice, trying to hide the sudden emotions traveling from her stomach to her chest. Wagging her fingers until her right palm was face up, she muttered a soft spell. Moments later a smoky humanoid figure rose from her hand that left Lilim confused. "You're human? How did-? How did you?" she murmured as if she'd asked the entire question. She'd never encountered someone who could alter her magic in his way. Again, the vulnerability bubbled up. But so did her curiosity.

“Mind the bird, he bites!” Nolan called out automatically at the familiar squawk without turning around, his attention completely focused on the small mechanism in his hands, trying to replace a broken gear. It was when Phoenix Ironfeather let out a triumphant call and promptly crashed into a shelf full of parts that Nolan turned around, eyes wide as he took in the oncoming carnage.

Suddenly a free bird, the metal creature was taking full advantage of its new ability and pushed itself off the shelf and rocketed across the shop with a screech and a graceless tumble into a display case of assorted items for sale.

His eyes widened and a low rumble of curses passed his lips in a foreign language that he spoke so rarely these days that it tasted bitter on his tongue. The chaos that ensued made the obvious case for why the bird had never been gifted the ability of flight by its maker--a fact that Nolan had clearly taken for granted up until now.

The bird crashed into several more shelves as Nolan chased it, almost managing to grasp the creature at one point only to be met with metal talons that bite-happy beak he was always warning customers about. It took several more minutes before Nolan had caught the small beast and his fingers immediately tangled into the web of magic that animated the bird, tearing and damaging the spells that brought him to life.

"Fucking bird," Nolan grumbled with a heavy breath as he watched the delicate threads of magic fizzle and snap, the familiar lines going dull along with one he did not recognize.

Looking up to the previously forgotten customer, a woman who'd witnessed the entire ordeal--who'd likely caused it in the first place.

"Do you often tamper with things that do not belong to you?" His voice was tight and low as he stepped forward with the now inanimated bird in his hands.

[littlewitchlilim]

[littlewitchlilim]

"Crirtha?" Lilim had toured the entire continent before eventually landing in Destarin, where she decided to stay. It was the lack of laws that drew her in considering her unusual ... predilections once the sun went down. "Oceans and Air, right?" Some time had been spent in the kingdom, though she'd had to run when it felt the law was a little too close for comfort.

"Weeds to you are necessary to me. They were perfectly fine where they were." The witch huffed, some of her earlier irritation returning. But it wasn't as much of a chore as he seemed to think it was; it was just part of her daily routine to gather ingredients for her spells and potions. But she could admit, at the very least, that being able to find everything in one place would be convenient. Sighing, she continued to use her magic to clear some of the debris. "That would probably be ... okay."

"Sorry, I meant... Crirtha. I work for the Royal family of Crirtha. They sent me here to make Destarin as welcoming as our own city," unfortunately Destarin had not been blessed with similar governance. He hoped that this would change. It would be for the best and he would have been surprised to see people deny it.

"I suppose looking for ingredients in ... Weeds," he gave her a pointed look. This statement would receive no complaints, end of story. "Well, that must be quite the chore."

If he was thankful for her then, he didn't say so, instead moving right where she had moved burnt beams to take a fist full of soil in his hand. The ground always told a story, and if one paid attention, they could read all of it. "Imagine being able to fetch all these ingredients in one place."

[littlewitchlilim]

The witch watched the man's reaction as everything animated. It was difficult to hold onto so many sparks at one time, but she liked to greet her customers this way all the same. Lilim released her magic from the majority of the figurines, though the ones in the front window continued to move. It was the best way she could figure to garner attention to the shop.

She all but beamed at Ying's praise for her creations, leaning down to scoop up Freddie Teddy so he could perch on her shoulder as she worked. "I did! The kiln and furnace are out back, I was just there when you came in and Freddie told me we had a customer. Thank you for not running from my friends." It was a reaction she'd come to expect, but she couldn't be in the shop all the time. Not when she had more creatures to create.

As Ying entered the curio shop he couldn't help but marvel at how well crafted all the glass figurines were.  Wandering up and down the aisles, the necromancer was shocked to see a disfigured stuffed animal moving and watching him.  “That's rather curious.  You don't sense a soul do you?” The necromancer asked as he glanced over at his passenger.  ‘There are no animating spirits in the toys.’  “Huh, interesting,” he commented to himself.

When everything came to life Wei Ying let out an excited, holding his arms up as he spun around in wonder.  He gently reached out and ran his fingers along the edges of some of the closest figurines.  “These are magnificent,” he laughed as they animated, turning to the voice he heard behind him.  “I haven't really had a chance to admire everything but the craftsmanship is exquisite.  Did you make all of these yourself?”

[littlewitchlilim]

While responsible for a great number of issues within Destarin, had the nymph voiced his suspicions, she would have said no. Fire wasn't typically her style when she allowed herself to really let loose on the population. But she followed the stranger all the same as he motioned her.

"The town has people?" Which perhaps was more confusing than she meant it to be. The city was lawless, it was why she'd chosen it for her new life. Lilim had yet to meet any emissaries, was not yet aware of their presence in Destarin.

The witch listened as she took in the mess of debris that denoted where buildings once stood. "And what do I get for my assistance?" Other than the benefits he was already offering, of course. But without even waiting for an answer, she was raising her wand and levitating the larger pieces of wood off to the side.

"Of course not. How unbecoming would that be." With a tick of his tongue, the gardener crossed his arms and motioned her to follow him. There were a few houses that had burned down in a fire nearby. Now that he was with her, he wondered if perhaps she was in any way responsible for it.

"The town has asked me to make something of ... This mess." Mess was the word for the pile of debris, burnt wood and ashes that had replaced a bakery and the houses around. "I think... Well I am only profane when it comes to those things. Witchcraft, I mean " because while he knew his own magic very well, he couldn't have named much more than a couple plants. Henbane and mugworts were now added to it. "With your assistance, perhaps I could manage to... Save your kind some time."

[littlewitchlilim]

[littlewitchlilim]

"At least you aren't arrogant," Lilim huffed when he admitted that he might not know everything there was to know about her plants. It allowed for some of her anger and frustration to flutter away. Not all of it, she was still unhappy about having to travel elsewhere for what she was looking for.

The witch's brow furrowed at the words 'utilitarian' and 'plants' strung together, as if she was supposed to be able to tell what qualified as utilitarian in the plant world. "Are henbane and mugwort going to be among the gardens?" she deadpanned, arms crossing as she considered Francesco's offer.

"Oh but I am certain that I don't. There are things that are dictated by instinct and others that are taught," at least in his case. He remembered walking countless alleys in the castle's garden and memorizing the name of every plant and every little detail about a specific essence.

See, Francesco knew this much : he knew all there was to know about the world of ornamental gardens.

He was, however, not so skilled when it came to plants that were meant to be used for anything other than food. And this was when a collaboration with a witch could come in handy.

"I've been meaning to ... Arrange gardens for the growth of utilitarian plants some for vegetables and well... Some for witches." Of course, Francesco would monitor the project to ensure it would not turn into an eye sore in the neighborhood. "Would that interest you?"

[littlewitchlilim]

"Hold on!" the witch insisted, doing a mental count of all the figurines gathered behind her to make sure it was only one that was lost. But the man who looked so vaguely familiar still hadn't apologized, and so she was less concerned about him than her handmade companions.

Once she'd counted her friends twice, she finally turned to Tennyson as the demanded apology finally came. "And say you're sorry to him," Lilim insisted, gesturing to the pieces of the trinket that were still visible and not stuck to his shoes. She wanted to hear it, but at the same time she needed to really think on the answer to his question. Where did she know him from? It's a flash of memory, associated with blood. Had he shed it, or had she?

"Where do you know me from?" he tried again, the impatience clear in his voice. Material skidded across the cobblestone and he looked down to see the figurines scattering, running behind the woman's ankles like children finding protection in their mother. His foot lifted from the glass, shattered remains still caught in the treads of the soles. A small foot remained, still oddly twitching.

Tennyson forced himself to take a breath, but his blood was boiling with anticipation. What could it possibly be? It was too hard to tell what kind of person was standing before him - one who was clearly upset about what he did. It's just a toy, she'll be fine, this is your first lead! "I'm sorry," he said, slowly, and patiently. Tennyson wasn't about to risk his only sign of hope in weeks over pride. Maybe that could come later, when he had less to lose. "I am sorry for stepping where I shouldn't have... now, please. I have to know."

[littlewitchlilim]

The witch was returning from the kiln in the back alley when she realized she had a customer. Business had been admittedly slow so far, but it kept her busy enough to mostly stay out of trouble. Mostly. When she was out back, at least one of her stuffies remained behind to alert her to visitors, though she'd often come out to greet them only to find the visitor gone. She supposed it was understandable given that her Freddie Teddy was a little ... intimidating to some.

As Lilim entered the shop proper, all the figurines seemed to come to life at once. It could almost be said they appeared to be preening in hopes of leaving with a new owner, particularly when they were complimented by the stranger. "Oh, thank you! Was there any one in particular that caught your eye?" At the very least, she offered a variety of trinkets. Everything from the macabre to simply adorable.

Forever Echoes - Wei Ying/Lilim

In the short time that he had been in the city, walking through the trade district and visiting the various merchant shops and stalls had become one of Wei Yings favorite pastimes.  It gave him a chance to see wares from the other kingdoms that he normally was not able to get a hold of.  His favorites were obviously the food stalls.  There was just something awesome about being able to eat so many different types of food.

Dressed in much simpler martial robes commonly found in Cheridi, Ying chatted with a handful of the food merchants that he had met during his time here.  As he walked through the square, he saw a shop that he had never seen before and made his way over to it and stepped inside.  “Isn't this a cute little curio shop,” Ying muttered, ignoring hus invisible passenger who grumped in the corner.

@littlewitchlilim

[littlewitchlilim]

"Have you considered that maybe you don't know everything there is to know about plants that you consider weeds," she all but growled. "Or that it wasn't the sight of a damn duckie that pissed me off so much as loss of my potion ingredients!" The witch pulled her wand at her words, waving it but not using it to focus her magic into another spell. It was something between a threat and a promise depending on how much longer they argued.

Lilim forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths as he confirmed her suspicions and seemed to calm. It began to make a lot more sense when he said he'd been looking for a witch, a hmph leaving her throat before she could stop it. "It's not more duckies, is it?"

"Holy oak, how would I know indeed ?" She surely must have noticed the flowers in his hair. That was the one thing people asked about the most, and he always replied with a smile, because he was not cruel and he preferred they asked rather than assumed. But she had judged best to set ablaze his work, and now he didn't precisely want to play nice.

"If the sight of a duck causes you such ires, perhaps you need something stronger than a potion to set your ideas straight," he retorted. It was not in his habit to raise his voice, also, he rather uttered the words with a grimace, through gritted teeth, than yelled them in her face.

It was probably for the best considering the way she was now throwing a tantrum worthy of his brother's youngest boy.

"I am a nymph," he nodded. Unsure of what it was that calmed her down, he greeted it like a kiss. "Well that's just my luck. I've been meaning to find one of your kind." His smile grew. "Let's start over. I'm sure you're going to enjoy what I have to offer !"

[littlewitchlilim]

[littlewitchlilim]

"Where what?" she asked matter-of-factly, confused by his response to her prior statements. Though that didn't stop her irritation as he destroyed one of her creations. Clearly it wasn't intentional, but that did nothing to sooth the protective surge that crashed through her like an ocean wave. Instinctually, her figurines moved away from the relative stranger and closer to Lilim, eventually settling behind her and using her as a shield.

"Say you're sorry first," she demanded, trying not to let a teardrop fall at the destruction of little Addie. "Say you're sorry and I'll tell you." The desperation in the man was clear, and the witch wasn't sure if the limited information she had would warrant the apology. But she was determined, one way or another.

Blinded a bit by the light of day, Tennyson used surrounding crates and the wall to feel his way up, to guide him to stand. He wasn't ready for the day to start - he needed more sleep. For that matter, he needed others to sleep, to be bold enough to sneak in to a poorly guarded home or otherwise.

I know you. Three words that made the hairs on his arms stand on end, pulling him out of his tired reverie, immediately alert. "Where?" he nearly demanded, stepping forward. He heard and felt glass crack under his feet, and for the first time he seemed to notice the animated figurines. Unique as that was, he could ask about it later. An answer, finally. "What do you mean you know me? How?" Tennyson was standing awfully close to her, desperate eyes alight with anticipation of the answer.

[littlewitchlilim]

"And how would you know?!?" The flowers in his hair and passion for topiaries were a fairly good indicator of what he was, and how he probably knew more than she did when it came to plants. But she was upset and had to resist the urge to put the explosion spell she'd used on the duck back on Francesco. "And I've never been so infuriated! UGH!"

Lilim was stomping her feet. Actually stomping her feet and about five seconds away from a real tantrum. Those usually led to bloodshed. It was only his genuine question filtered through her anger that she was able to take a deep breath and let some of it flitter away. There were other places she could find her 'weeds,' she just happened to be the most convenient outside of the Trade District. "I'm a witch," she deadpanned, arms crossing. And given how she'd already put together a clue or two, she had no issue returning with a question of her own. "And you're a nymph? Dryad?"

"No it does not ! Urine is terrible for plants," he countered. "Now who's the pillock here? Golly gosh, I've never seen someone so infuriating," in the past few days, at least.

He looked at the burnt charcoal that had replaced his beautiful topiary with severity in his eyes. His expression didn't soften at all as she declared that those things weren't weeds to her. Well that he would have guessed on his own.

It was as she mentioned potions that he paused. That was a noble purpose for a plant, as unsightly as the plant was to him. "Potions ? You're a witch then?" He should have guessed this much from the fire, but then he had seen elemental creatures do the same thing.

[littlewitchlilim]

"Yes, valuable!" the witch huffed, though it quickly turned into a growl as he spoke of the plants that she could no longer collect. "Dog urine helps it grow, you- you uneducated fucking pillock!" Lilim didn't know if that was strictly true or not, but if he thought them to be mere weeds, maybe he'd believe her. Letting go of the fire to allow it to finish burning out, she turned more of her attention on Francesco. "Not just weeds. Not everyone. I needed them for potion making!"

"Stealing my verbiage too?!" Alright, he shouldn't have been so upset about it.

"Valuable ?! The whole bush reeked of dog urine and it was a sight that even a swine would have declined," with a scoff, the gardener still took a careful step back. The fire was getting warmer by the second and he did not want to end up being torched alive. "Back in my home town, those plants are seen as weeds. I did everyone a favor and now you've destroyed it !"

[littlewitchlilim]

"Not you, them," she hissed in return, like that made all the sense in the world. The words were aimed at the figurines. Even in lands with an abundance of magic, Lilim was accustomed to her creations being met with terror and was trying to mitigate the man's reaction. The clay and glass animals did listen to her, when she had a mind to pay attention. it was when she wasn't that things tended to go tits up. Which was why she was calling them back despite her curiosity, though a few seemed to recognize the latter more than her magical orders, continuing to climb on the vaguely familiar man.

"I know you," she finally offered simply, head tilting as she tried to place from precisely where she recognized him from. "Kinda sorta. I recognize you, but I don't know you."

Tennyson couldn't take it anymore with the hostel. The only time he could get any semblance of sleep was during odd hours in the day - hours where there was hustle and bustle about, around suppertime and as early risers were beginning their morning rituals. It was wearing him out, and he was exhausted. He had but one pack and since he arrived to the city with nothing but the clothes he woke up in, it wasn't as if he would have to leave much behind.

He was so exhausted that he didn't rightly care where he ended up. Perhaps he was aiming to find refuge at any acquaintance's homes he had met so far, but along whatever journey he was attempting to make, he must have stopped to rest and stayed there, only stirring at feeling something pushing against his leg.

It had him rise quickly, eyes squinting in the morning's sun. The woman that stood before him wasn't quite coming into focus, even with his hand over his forehead to shield from the bright light. "Alright, I'll leave this instant..."

[littlewitchlilim]

"And what sort of illiterate worm puts a topiary where perfectly good henbane and mugwort were growing?" she snarled right back, channeling her irritation into her magic and increasing the heat of the fire. Orange and yellow licking flames changed to green and blue with tinges of white. The stranger was lucky Lilim was focused more on the offending topiary than him. "I needed them! You replaced something valuable with something that's just pretty." The fact that it was shaped like a duck only seemed to heighten her irritation.

Alerted by the sudden smell and sound of burning fresh wood, which really had a different resonance as dry wood, as you may know, the nymph let go of his shovel to find the source of such a worrying scent.

There weren't many people and things he loathed, but an arsonist and an arson both had made the list. He could understand thieving to feed oneself, for instance but what could be the purpose behind the crime that was happening right before his eyes. And that's when the most unlikely of things happened : the nymph got upset. "What sort of illiterate worm did this to my topiary?"