#agatha voisin

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

BIX BEIDERBECKE, L'ÉTOILE FILANTE DU CORNET

‘’He more or less made you play whether you wanted to or not. If you had any talent at all he made you play better."

- Pee Wee Russell

Né le 10 mars 1903 à Davenport, en Iowa, Leon Bismack Beiderbecke était le fils de Bismarck Herman Beiderbecke et d’Agatha Jane Hilton (aussi connue sous les prénoms d’Aggie et d’Agnes). On ignore quand et comment Beiderbecke avait hérité du surnom de ‘’Bix’’. Tout ce qu’on sait, c’est que son père était déjà surnommé ainsi, à l’instar de son frère aîné, Charles Burnette ‘’Burnie’’ Beiderbecke.

Fils d’immigrants allemands, le père de Bix travaillait comme homme à tout-faire pour un marchand de bois et de charbon appelé Otto Von Bismarck. Quant à sa mère, elle était la fille d’un capitaine du Mississippi. Agatha, qui jouait de l’orgue à la première église presbytérienne de Davenport, avait encouragé Bix à apprendre le piano. Bien que Bix adorait la musique classique, il n’avait jamais vraiment envisagé de devenir musicien classique.

JEUNESSE ET ÉDUCATION

Bix était le cadet d’une famille de trois enfants. Son frère Burnie est né en 1895 et sa sœur Mary Louise (qui était surnommée ‘’Sis’’) en 1898. Bix était âgé de deux ou trois ans lorsque sa mère lui avait appris à jouer du piano. Cinq ans plus tard, Bix avait été l’objet d’un article élogieux du Davenport Daily Democrat qui proclamait: "Seven-year-old boy musical wonder! Little Bickie Beiderbecke plays any selection he hears."

Doté d’une mémoire phénoménale, Bix pouvait exécuter des mélodies qu’il n’avait entendu qu’une seule fois. Autodidacte, il n’avait jamais appris à lire la musique.

Lorsque le frère aîné de Bix, Burnie, était retourné à Davenport après avoir fait son service militaire à la fin de 1918, il avait apporté avec lui un phonographe Vitrola et quelques disques, dont faisaient partie le célèbre standard ‘’Tiger Rag’’ ainsi que ‘’Skeleton Jangle’’ du Original Dixieland Jazz Band. C’est en écoutant ces disques que le jeune Bix avait appris à aimer le jazz. Bix écoutait aussi du jazz à bord des navires qui accostaient à Davenport. Le trompettiste Louis Armstrong et le batteur Baby Dodds affirmaient d’ailleurs avoir rencontré Bix lorsque leur navire était arrêté à Davenport, même si les historiens doutent que l’événement se soit effectivement produit.

Après fait ses études primaires à la Tyler School, une école plus communément connue sous le  nom d’École no 9, Bix avait fréquenté le Davenport High School de 1918 à 1921. Durant ses études, Bix avait joué professionnellement avec plusieurs groupes, dont ceux de Wilbur Hatch, Floyd Bean et Carlisle Evans. Bix avait obtenu son premier contrat à la Hayne’s Dancing School en 1921. Il était alors à la tête de son propre groupe surnommé ‘’The Beiderbecke Five.’’

Au printemps de 1920, Bix s’était produit dans le cadre de la Nuit du Vaudeville de son école. Il faisait alors partie d’un quartet vocal surnommé les Black Jazz Babies dans lequel il chantait tout en jouant du cornet. À l’invitation de son ami Fritz Putzier, Bix s’était joint au Neal Buckley’s Novelty Orchestra. Le groupe devait livrer une performance en décembre 1920, mais le concert avait été annulé après qu’une plainte ait été déposée à l’American Federation of Musicians. La plainte ayant laissé entendre que les membres de l’orchestre n’avaient pas leur carte de l’union, on les avait forcés à passer une audition. Malheureusement, Bix n’avait jamais appris à lire la musique, et sa candidature avait été rejetée.

C’est alors que Bix avait été impliqué dans un incident pour le moins mystérieux.

Le 22 avril 1921, un mois après son dix-huitième anniversaire de naissance, Bix avait été arrêté par deux policiers de Davenport. Bix était accusé d’avoir traîné une fillette de cinq ans nommée Sarah Ivens dans le garage d’un voisin et d’avoir eu des relations ‘’inappropriées’’ avec elle, ce qui était considéré comme un acte de félonie en Iowa. Bix et la jeune fille se trouvaient dans une auto dans le garage lorsque deux jeunes hommes avaient entendu la victime crier en passant sur la rue. Bix fut finalement libéré après avoir dû payer une amende de 1500$. Le père de la gamine, un certain Preston Ivens, avait éventuellement demandé au grand jury du comté de Scott d’abandonner les accusations, car il craignait pour la réputation de sa fille. L’attorney du comté avait finalement décidé de prononcer un non-lieu et de classer l’affaire.

En septembre 1921, Bix s’était inscrit à la Lake Forest Academy, une école située à 36 miles au nord de Chicago à Lake Forrest, en Illinois. Même si des historiens avaient prétendu que les parents de Bix l’avaient envoyé à cet endroit afin de le dissuader de poursuivre une carrière de musicien de jazz, d’autres historiens croient que c’était afin de se faire oublier après son arrestation. Bix n’ayant jamais été un élève très studieux (il avait échoué la majorité de ses cours au high school), ses parents croyaient peut-être que l’Académie lui apporterait la discipline nécessaire à sa réussite scolaire.

Malgré toute la bonne volonté de ses parents, les intérêts de Bix demeuraient surtout concentrés sur la musique et les sports. Bix s’était souvent rendu à Chicago afin d’entendre des groupes de jazz dans les clubs de nuit et les ‘’speakeasies’’. Parmi ceux-ci, on comptait un club particulièrement mal famé, surnommé le Friar’s Inn, où Bix allait parfois jouer avec les New Orleans Rhythm Kings. Bix se rendait aussi dans le quartier afro-américain du South Side afin d’écouter des groupes de jazz comme le King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, dont Louis Armstrong était le second cornettiste. Tentant de rassurer son frère Burnie, Bix lui avait écrit: ‘"Don't think I'm getting hard, Burnie, but I'd go to hell to hear a good band."

Après avoir fondé le Cy-Bix Orchestra avec le batteur Walter ‘’Cy’’ Welge, Bix s’était attiré les foudres du directeur de l’Académie pour avoir joué de façon peu respectueuse lors d’une soirée de danse organisée à l’école. Il faut dire que Bix ratait souvent le couvre-feu et passait parfois la nuit en ville. Aux petites heures du matin du 20 mai 1922, Bix avait été pris sur le fait en tentant de s’échapper de son dortoir. Cette fois, c’en était trop. La faculté l’avait expulsé le lendemain, à la fois en raison de ses échecs scolaires répétés que de ses activités hors-campus, comprenant notamment la consommation excessive d’alcool. Le directeur de l’Académie avait informé les parents de Bix de la décision dans une lettre dans laquelle il avait déploré l’alcoolisme de leur fils ainsi que sa responsabilité dans la distribution de l’alcool sur la campus. C’est à partir de ce moment que Bix avait décidé de lancer sa carrière musicale.

LES WOLVERINES

Bix était brièvement retourné à Davenport durant l’été de 1922, avant de s’établir à Chicago où il avait rejoint les rangs du Cascades Band, un groupe qui se produisait sur les navires d’excursion sur le lac Michigan sur les navires d. Bix avait continué de jouer à Chicago jusqu’à l’automne 1923, retournant de temps à autre à Davenport afin de travailler avec son père.

Bix s’était joint au Wolverine Orchetra à la fin de 1923. Formé de sept membres, le groupe s’était d’abord produit dans un speakeasy situé près de Hamilton en Ohio, le Stockton Club. Spécialisé dans ce qu’on qualifiait alors de ‘’hot jazz’’, le groupe devait son nom à une composition de Jelly Roll Morton intitulée ‘’Wolverine Blues.’’ À cette époque, Bix avait pris des leçons de piano avec une jeune femme qui lui avait fait connaître l’oeuvre d’Eastwood Lane. Même si les suites pour piano et les arrangements orchestraux de Lane étaient d’origine américaine, ils renfermaient aussi des allusions au mouvement impressionniste français. Ce mouvement avait influencé considérablement le style de Bix, plus particulièrement dans le cadre de la composition son grand succès intitulé ‘’In a Mist.’’ Lors d’un engagement ultérieur à la Doyle’s Dance Academy de Cincinnati, on avait pris une série de photographies du groupe et de ses membres. C’est de cette séance qu’est issue la célèbre photographie de Bix le montrant avec une apparence impeccable avec son cornet sur son genou droit.

Les Wolverines ont effectué leur premier enregistrement le 18 février 1924. Deux pièces avaient été gravées dans la cire ce jour-là aux studios de Gennett Records à Richmond, Indiana : ‘’Fidgety Feet’’ (une ancienne composition du Original Dixieland Jazz Band) et ‘’Jazz Me Blues’’ de Tom Delaney. Le solo de Bix sur ‘’Jazz Me Blues’’ était particulièrement novateur, selon ses biographes Richard M. Sudhalter et Philip R. Evans, qui écrivaient :

‘’Both qualities—complementary or "correlated" phrasing and cultivation of the vocal, "singing" middle-range of the cornet—are on display in Bix's "Jazz Me Blues" solo, along with an already discernible inclination for unusual accidentals and inner chordal voices. It is a pioneer record, introducing a musician of great originality with a pace-setting band. And it astonished even the Wolverines themselves.’’

Les Wolverines avaient enregistré quinze pièces pour Gennett Records entre février et octobre 1924. Depuis le début de sa carrière, la lèvre supérieure de Bix s’était sensiblement renforcée, ce qui avait contribué à donner davantage d’amplitude à son jeu. Sur neuf des quinze enregistrements des Wolverines, Bix jouait presque sans interruption sans devoir prendre de pause pour reprendre son souffle.

Le jeu de Bix était influencé par plusieurs styles. Bix écoutait toujours beaucoup de musique, du Original Dixieland Jazz Band aux New Orleans Rhythm Kings, en passant par les groupes de King Oliver et des autres musiciens afro-américains, sans parler des compositions de Claude Debussy et de Maurice Ravel. La musique de Louis Armstrong avait aussi été une grande source d’inspiration pour Bix, même si son style était très différent de celui de ‘’Satchmo’’. En effet, selon le Oxford Companion to Jazz :

‘’Where Armstrong's playing was bravura, regularly optimistic, and openly emotional, Beiderbecke's conveyed a range of intellectual alternatives. Where Armstrong, at the head of an ensemble, played it hard, straight, and true, Beiderbecke, like a shadowboxer, invented his own way of phrasing "around the lead." Where Armstrong's superior strength delighted in the sheer power of what a cornet could produce, Beiderbecke's cool approach invited rather than commanded you to listen.’’

On a souvent comparé le style de Bix avec celui d’Armstrong, mais les deux musiciens n’avaient pas du tout la même approche. Bix était non seulement un trompettiste beaucoup plus discret qu’Armstrong, mais il accordait beaucoup plus d’emphase à la mélodie, contrairement à Satchmo dont la virtuosité et le sens du spectacle lui permettaient de se lancer dans des envolées souvent explosives et spectaculaires.

En plus d’écouter les disques d’Armstrong, Bix et les autres musiciens blancs envahissaient le Sunset Café le vendredi soir afin d’entendre Satchmo et son groupe. Selon Paul Mares des New Orleans Rhythm Kings, la principale influence de Bix était cependant le joueur de cornet Emmett Hardy. Ce dernier est décédé prématurément à l’âge de vingt-trois ans en 1925. Bix avait rencontré Hardy et le clarinettiste Leon Roppolo en 1921 lorsque ceux-ci s’étaient joints à un groupe local qui avait joué dans la ville durant trois mois. Mêne si Bix a sans doute passé un certain temps avec Hardy, il est difficile de déterminer dans quelle mesure le style de ce dernier l’avait influencé, et ce d’autant plus qu’aucun enregistrement de Hardy n’est parvenu jusqu’à nous.

Bix semble aussi avoir trouvé une partie de son inspiration dans les compositions d’Hoagy Carmichael, dont il appréciait la personnalité amusante et peu conventionnelle. Carmichael, qui était étudiant en droit à l’époqye, avait invité les Wolverines à venir jouer au campus Bloomington de l’Université de l’Indiana au printemps de 1924. Le 6 mai de la même année, les Wolverines avaient enregistré une pièce que Carmichael avait composée spécialement pour Bix et ses collègues. La pièce était intitulée ‘’Riverboat Shuffle.’’

DES GOLDKETTES À L’ORCHESTRE DE PAUL WHITEMAN  

C’est lors d’un concert au Cinderella Ballroom de New York en septembre ou en octobre 1924 que Bix avait décidé de quitter les Wolverines afin de se joindre à l’orchestre de Jean Goldkette à Detroit. La participation de Bix à l’orchestre de Goldkette avait cependant tourné court, car le directeur musical de la Victor Talking Machine Company, Eddie King, pour laquelle l’orchestre faisait des enregistrements, s’était opposé à l’engagement de Bix, dont il trouvait le style trop moderne. Même si Bix n’était que troisième trompette dans le groupe de Goldkette, son incapacité à lire la musique avait fini par le rattraper. Après quelques semaines d’incertitude, Goldkette et Bix avaient finalement décidé de se séparer. Les deux hommes étaient toutefois restés en contact. Au moment de quitter Bix, Goldkette l’avait invité à polir son jeu et à améliorer ses connaissances musicales et à revenir le voir lorsqu’il serait prêt.

Environ six semaines après avoir quitté l’orchestre, Bix avait réussi à organiser une session d’enregistrement à Richmond avec quelques membres de l’orchestre de Goldkette. L’enregistrement avait été réalisé sous le nom de ‘’Bix and His Rhythm Jugglers.’’ Le 26 janvier 1925, deux pièces avaient été gravées dans la cire: ‘’Toddlin’ Blues’’, une composition de LaRocca et Shields, ainsi que ‘’Davenport Blues’’, une composition de Bix qui était devenue plus tard un classique du jazz. On retrouvait parmi les membres du groupe Bunny Berigan, Ry Cooder et Geoff Muldaur. Un arrangement de ‘’Davenport Blues’’ pour piano solo a été publié par Robbins Music en 1927.

Sur les conseils de Goldkette, Bix avait tenté en février 1925 de reprendre ses études musicales à l’Université d’Iowa à Iowa City, mais son séjour avait été encore plus bref qu’à Detroit. Lorsque que Bix avait tenté de s’inscrire en musique, son conseiller l’avait obligé à choisir plutôt des cours de religion, d’éthique, d’éducation physique et d’entraînement militaire. Comme il fallait s’y attendre, Bix n’avait pas tardé à briller par son absentéisme. Impliqué dans une bagarre dans un bar, il n’avait pas tardé à être expulsé.

Le même été, Bix jouait de la musique avec ses amis Don Murray et Howdy Quicksell au Michigan. Le groupe, qui était dirigé par Goldkette, avait permis à Bix de reprendre contact avec le saxophoniste ténor Frankie Trumbauer. Les deux hommes s’étaient déjà rencontrés auparavant, et les choses n’avaient pas tardé à cliquer, même si Trumbauer avait été averti par les autres musiciens du danger qu’il y avait à collaborer avec Bix: "Look out, he's trouble. He drinks and you'll have a hard time handling him." Les deux hommes avaient été insaparables jusqu’à la fin de la carrière de Bix. Lorsque Trumbauer avait monté un groupe en vue d’un contrat à l’Arcadia Ballroom de St. Louis, Bix s’était joint à lui. Le clarinettiste Pee Wee Russell, qui faisait également partie de la formation, avait salué l’habileté de Bix à diriger le groupe. Russell avait déclaré:  "He more or less made you play whether you wanted to or not. If you had any talent at all he made you play better."

Au printemps de 1926, après s’être joints au principal orchestre de danse de Goldkette, Bic et Trumbauer avaient passé leur temps entre le lac Hudson, en Indiana, et le Graystone Ballroom de Detroit, deux établissements qui étaient la propriété de Goldkette. En octobre 1926, Goldkette avait fondé un nouvel orchestre. Surnommé les ‘’Famous Fourteen’’, le groupe avait pour but de rivaliser avec l’orchestre de Fletcher Henderson, qui était à l’époque l’un des big bands les plus populaires de la Côte est. Le Roseland Ballroom avait d’ailleurs monté une publicité dans la presse locale afin de faire la promotion de cette ‘’bataille des big bands.’’ Le 12 octobre, après une nuit particulièrement endiablée, l’orchestre de Goldkette avait été proclamé vainqueur. Humilié, le principal trompettiste de Fletcher Henderson, Rex Stewart, n’avait pu dissimuler sa déception et avait déclaré: "We […] were amazed, angry, morose, and bewildered". Le 15 octobre 1931, quelques mois après la mort de Bix, l’orchestre d’Henderson avait enregistré une version de ‘’Singin’ the Blues’’ dans lequel Rex Stewart avait imité le plus célèbre solo de Bix afin de lui rendre hommage.

Même si le Goldkette Orchestra avait fait plusieurs enregistrements pour les disques Victor durant cette période, aucun d’entre eux ne mettait en vedette les célèbres solos de Bix. Il faut dire que les disques Victor visaient un large public et étaient beaucoup plus concernés par les objectifs de rentabilité commerciale que par les prouesses techniques de Bix. Les seules exceptions à cet état de fait avaient été les pièces ‘’My Pretty Girl’’ et ‘’Clementine’’, un des derniers enregistrements du groupe.

En dehors de leur collaboration avec le groupe de Goldkette, Bix et Trumbauer avaient également fait des enregistrements sous leur nom pour les disques Okeh. Bix avait d’ailleurs enregistré certains de ses meilleurs solos avec le groupe de Trumbauer, notamment dans le cadre des pièces ‘’Clarinet Marmalade’’ et ‘’Singin’ the Blues’’, qui avaient été enregistrés le 4 février 1927. Toujours avec Trumbauer, Bix avait de nouveau enregistré ‘’Riverboat Shuffle’’ en mai de la même année. Quelques jours plus tard, Bix avait enregistré deux autres solos sur ‘’I’m Coming Virginia’’ et ‘’Way Down Yonder in New Orleans.’’ Même s’il ne lisait pas la musique, Bix avait été crédité comme co-auteur de la pièce ‘’For No Reason at All in C’’, sur laquelle il avait alterné entre le cornet et le piano. En septembre de la même année, Bix avait enregistré au piano son grand succès ‘’In A Mist.’’ La pièce a été intronisée au Grammy Hall of Fame en 1980, trois ans après ‘’Singin’ the Blues.’’

Acculé à la faillite, Goldkette avait décidé de dissoudre son principal orchestre en septembre 1927. Même si Paul Whiteman avait tenté de s’approprier des meilleurs musiciens de Goldkette pour les faire travailler avec son orchestre itinérant, Bix, Trumbauer, Murray, Bill Rank, Chauncey Morehouse et Frank Signorelli avaient décidé de se joindre au groupe du saxophoniste Adrian Rollini au Club New Yorker. Le groupe comprenait également le guitariste Eddie Lang et le violoniste Joe Venutti, deux précurseurs du swing qui avaient déjà collaboré comme agents libres avec l’orchestre de Goldkette. Un autre nouveau venu était Sylvester Ahola, un trompettiste de formation qui pouvait jouer des solos de jazz improvisé ainsi que des pièces extrêmement complexes. Lorsque Ahola se présentait, Bix avait l’habitude de déclarer avec humour: "Hell, I'm only a musical degenerate". Lorsque le contrat avec Rollini avait pris fin prématurément en octobre 1927, Bix et Trembauer avait signé un contrat avec Whiteman. Les deux hommes avaient rejoint l’orchestre le 27 octobre.

Groupe le plus populaire et le mieux rémunéré de l’époque, l’orchestre de Whiteman n’était pas vraiment une formation de jazz même si Whiteman était surnommé le ‘’Roi du Jazz.’’ L’orchestre de Whiteman était en fait beaucoup plus un groupe de danse dont le répertoire alternait entre le jazz et la musique classique, dépendamment de la demande des acheteurs de disques ou des spectateurs qui assistaient à ses concerts.

Whiteman s’était fait connaître pour avoir dirigé la première de ‘’Rhapsody in Blue’’ de George Gershwin en 1924. L’arrangeur de la pièce, Ferde Groffé, avait continué de faire partie du groupe de Whiteman durant les années 1920. Plusieurs amateurs de Bix avaient critiqué Whiteman pour ne pas lui avoir donné la chance de se faire valoir comme musicien de jazz, mais comme Goldkette, l’orchestre d’Henderson était soumis à des contraintes de rentabilité commerciale qui l’empêchaient sans doute de donner à Bix trop de visibilité comme soliste. Certains avaient même accusé Whiteman d’avoir compromis Bix en tant qu’artiste et d’avoir été un des principaux responsables de sa mort. Même si une telle affirmation était pour le moins excessive, il est par contre très possible que les longues tournées et les délais d’enregistrement très serrés de l’orchestre de Whiteman avaient contribué à aggraver l’alcoolisme de Bix. Le violoniste de Whiteman, Matty Malneck, expliquait: "The work was so hard, you almost had to drink {…}. He didn't get to play the things he loved with the Whiteman band because we were a symphonic band and we played the same thing every night, and it got to be tiresome."

Bix était un gentleman et, à l’époque, il n’était pas considéré très poli de refuser un présent, même s’il s’agissait d’un verre d’alcool. Bix étant très populaire, plusieurs personnes lui payaient des verres. Bix étant un jeune homme très bien élevé, il n’osait pas toujours refuser. C’est ainsi que Bix était tombé dans une sorte d’engrenage.

Bix a participé à plusieurs enregistrements de l’orchestre de Whiteman, parmi lesquels on comptait ‘’From Monday On’’, ‘Back In Our Own Back Yard’’, ‘’You Took Advantage of Me’’, ‘’Changes’’ et ‘’When.’’ Bix a également collaboré à plusieurs succès de Whiteman, comme ‘’Together’’, ‘’Ramona’’ et ‘Ol’s Man River’’. Loin d’avoir muselé le talent de Bix, Whiteman semble  avoir commandé des arrangements qui avaient pour but de mettre en valeur ses talents d’improvisateur. Bill Challis, un arrangeur qui avait également travaillé pour les orchestres de Goldkette, écrivait des arrangements expressément conçus pour Bix. Il semble même que Challis ait réécrit des passages complets en s’inspirant des solos de Bix.

UN DÉSASTRE APPRÉHENDÉ

Le 30 novembre 1928, pendant une tournée à Cleveland, Bix avait contracté une pneumonie. Il avait aussi été victime d’une grave crise nerveuse, que certains auteurs avaient attribué à une sorte de ‘’delirium tremens’’ consécutive aux efforts de Bix visant à diminuer sa consommation d’alcool. Le tromboniste Bill Rank avait déclaré:  "He cracked up, that's all. Just went to pieces; broke up a roomful of furniture in the hotel." Il faut dire que Bix faisait face à une énorme pression. Même chez lui à Davenport, il était qualifié de ‘’meilleur trompettiste au monde.’’

En février 1929, Bix était rentré à Davenport afin de passer sa convalescence. À l’été suivant, il avait rejoint l’orchestre de Whitman à Hollywood où le groupe avait préparé le tournage de son nouveau film parlant intitulé ‘’The King of Jazz’’, en référence au surnom de Whiteman. Malheureusement, des délais de production avaient empêché l’orchestre de réaliser le moindre progrès, ce qui avait laissé tout le temps à Bix pour boire. En septembre, Bix était retourné à Davenport. Après avoir constaté dans quel état il se trouvait, ses parents avaient décidé de le faire entrer au Keeley Institute de Dwight, en Illinois. Bix y avait séjourné durant un mois, du 14 octobre au 18 novembre.

Les médecins de l’institution avaient éventuellement confirmé les effets dévastateurs de la consommation d’alcool à long terme de Bix. Selon le rapport, "Bix admitted to having used liquor 'in excess' for the past nine years, his daily dose over the last three years amounting to three pints of 'whiskey' and twenty cigarettes.....A Hepatic dullness was obvious, 'knee jerk could not be obtained' – which confirmed the spread of the polyneuritis, and Bix was 'swaying in Romberg position' – standing up with his eyes closed".

Durant l’absence de Bix, Whiteman avait laissé sa chaise inoccupée dans l’orchestre, dans l’espoir qu’il finirait par reprendre sa place. Lorsque Bix était retourné à New York à la fin de janvier 1930, plutôt que de rejoindre à plein temps l’orchestre de Whiteman, il ne jouait plus qu’occasionnellement. Lors de sa dernière session d’enregistrement qui avait eu lieu à New York le 15 septembre 1930, Bix interprétait la nouvelle pièce de Caermichael intitulée ‘’Georgia of My Mind.’’ Carmichael chantait sur la pièce en compagnie d’Eddie Lang à la guitare, de Joe Venutti au violon, de Jimmy Dorsey à la clarinette et au saxophone alto, de Jack Teagarden au trombone et de Bud Freeman au saxophone ténor. Devenue un standard du jazz, la pièce avait ÉTÉ intronisée au Grammy Hall of Fame en 2014.

Bix avait aussi eu une influence sur Carmichael en tant que compositeur. Une de ses compositions, ‘’Stardust’’, était basée sur une des improvisations de Bix. Le chanteur Bing Crosby, qui chantait avec Carmichael, avait également reconnu Bix parmi ses influences. Cosby avait affirmé: "Bix and all the rest would play and exchange ideas on the piano". Il ajoutait: ‘’With all the noise [of a New York pub] going on, I don't know how they heard themselves, but they did. I didn't contribute anything, but I listened and learned […] I was now being influenced by these musicians, particularly horn men. I could hum and sing all of the jazz choruses from the recordings made by Bix, Phil Napoleon, and the rest.’’

À la suite du Crash de Wall Street en 1929, les contrats devenaient de plus en plus difficiles à obtenir dans l’industrie de la musique. Durant un certain temps, les seules sources de revenus régulières de Bix résultaient de son travail comme membre de l’orchestre de Nat Shilkret sur l’émission de radio de NBC ‘’The Camel Pleasure Hour.’’ Lors d’une des émissions diffusée le 8 octobre 1930, il semble que le talent de Bix pour l’improvisation l’avait finalement abandonné. Le musicien Frankie Cush racontait: "He stood up to take his solo, but his mind went blank and nothing happened". Bix avait passé le reste de l’année dans sa famille à Davenport. Il était retourné à New York pour une dernière fois en février 1931.

Bix est mort à son appartement de Sunnyside, dans le Queens, le 6 août 1931. Il avait seulement vingt-huit ans. Cette semaine-là, la chaleur était particulièrement accablante, rendant le sommeil extrêmement difficile à trouver. Bix, qui souffrait d’insomnie, avait joué du piano jusque tard dans la soirée. Dans la soirée du 6 août, vers 21h30, son agent de location, George Kraslow, avait entendu des bruits dans le couloir. Dans une entrevue accordée à Philip Evans en 1959, Kraslow avait décrit ainsi les derniers moments de Bix: "His hysterical shouts brought me to his apartment on the run {…}. He pulled me in and pointed to the bed. His whole body was trembling violently. He was screaming there were two Mexicans hiding under his bed with long daggers. To humor him, I looked under the bed and when I rose to assure him there was no one hiding there, he staggered and fell, a dead weight, in my arms. I ran across the hall and called in a woman doctor, Dr. Haberski, to examine him. She pronounced him dead.’’

Même si les historiens sont en désaccord quant à l’identité du médecin qui avait constaté la mort de Bix, on est au moins certain d’une chose: il était mort d’une pneumonie aggravée par un oedème au cerveau, probablement causé par son alcoolisme à long terme.  

Prévenus de la maladie de Bix, la mère et le frère de Bix avaient pris le train en catastrophe pour New York, mais ils étaient arrivés trop tard. Ramené dans sa ville natale de Davenport, Bix a été inhumé le 11 août 1931, dans le caveau familial du cimetière d’Oakdale. Ironiquement, Bix avait toujours souffert du manque de reconnaissance que lui avait accordée sa famille, qui ne considérait pas la carrière d’un musicien de jazz comme suffisamment reluisante. Un jour, Bix avait mis tous ses disques dans une boîte et les avait envoyés à sa famille dans l’espoir que celle-ci serait heureuse du succès qu’il avait remporté dans la profession qu’il avait choisie. La boîte n’avait jamais été ouverte.

Très peu reconnu dans son propre pays, Bix était beaucoup plus apprécié en Europe, où le critique de jazz français Hughes Panassié le portait en haute estime. Aux États-Unis, le critique Otis Ferguson avait consacré deux brefs articles à Bix intitulés ‘’Young Man with a Horn’’ et ‘’Young Man With a Horn Again.’’ Ferguson écrivait que Bix ‘’lived very briefly […] in what might be called the servants' entrance to art. His story is a good story, quite humble and right." Bix Beiderbecke rejoignait ainsi d’autres génies du jazz décédés prématurément comme Charlie Parker, Glenn Miller, Clifford Brown, Charlie Christian, Billie Holiday et Jaco Pastorius, entre autres.

La ville natale de Bix à Davenport en Iowa lui a rendu de nombreux hommages. En 1971, lors du 40e anniversaire de la mort de Bix, on avait fondé le Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival. Six ans plus tard, la maison natale de Bix située au 1934, de la Grand Avenue à Davenport avait été ajoutée au National Register of Historic Places. En 1979, on avait élevé une statue en hommage à Bix dans le LeClair Park de Davenport, en Iowa. En 2017, on avait également fondé un musée à son nom, le Bix Beiderbecke Museum & Archives.

En 1981, la productrice et réalisatrice Brigitte Berman a tourné un documentaire sur la vie de Bix intitulé "Bix: 'Ain't None of Them Play Like Him Yet". En 1991, le réalisateur italien Pupi Avati avait tourné pour sa part ‘’Bix: An Interpretation of a Legend.’’ Le documentaire a été tourné en partie dans la maison natale de Bix, que le réalisateur avait rachetée et rénovée. Le film fut éventuellement présenté au Festival de Cannes. Le Bix Beiderbecke Sunnyside Memorial Committee a aussi érigé une plaque en l’honneur de Bix devant l’appartement où il est mort dans le Queens.  Un astéroide a même été nommé en son honneur en 1989.

Bix Beiderbecke a été intronisé au sein de l’International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame en 1993. Bix a aussi fait partie des premiers membres du Lincoln Center's Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame lors de sa fondation en 2004. Le cornet de Bix a été exposé en 2021 lors de l’exposition "The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure", organisée par les studios Walt Disney.

Caractérisée par son style très doux et harmonieux, la musique de Bix Beiderbecke préfigurait d’une certaine façon le ‘’cool jazz’’ qui a été développé à partir de la fin des années 1940 par des musiciens comme Miles Davis, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan et plusieurs autres. De nombreux musiciens de jazz moderne ont enregistré les compositions de Bix (on compte une centaine de versions de sa composition ‘’In a Mist’’ à elle seule). Le jeu de Bix était si original qu’il était devenu le premier musicien blanc à être admiré par des musiciens de couleur. Louis Armstrong le considérait presque comme son frère et Rex Stewart avait imité ses solos dans ses propres enregistrements. Bix a également influencé des cornettistes blancs comme Red Nichols (qui le considérait comme le meilleur trompettiste de tous les temps) et Bunny Berigan,

Même si l’oeuvre de Bix est très bien connue des connaisseurs de jazz, elle est beaucoup moins connue du grand public. Nous souhaitons que par ces quelques lignes, nous ayons contribué à vous le faire mieux connaître.

c-2023-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l'Imaginaire historique

SOURCES:

‘’Bix Beiderbecke.’’ Wikipedia, 2022.

‘’Bix Beiderbecke.’’ Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2023.

‘’Bix Beiderbecke.’’ Bixjazzsociety.org, 2023.

YANOW, Scott. ‘’Bix Beiderbecke: Biography & Music of the Early Jazz Legend.’’ Jazz Music Trumpet, 15 janvier 2022.

[walpurga-nacht-academy]

(Yuuki belongs to the lovely @anunluckyrabbit! Please check out her blog for additional info!)

Overblot: The Cherry Blossom Harlequin

“Everybody~ It’s time! The one you all have been waiting for is finally here - the one, the only, your bestest friend in the whole wide world: CHERRY!”

Overblot Theme Song

Special Mechanic

Ultra Fan: This witch’s special skill charms attacking units for one turn when activated. Affected units will no longer attack the witch, but rather turn against their comrades. It seems that they were charmed by her song and have decided to ally themselves with her.

Voice Lines

Battle Start: “Cherry doesn’t want to fight, but you’re all bad children so Cherry has to discipline you! Don’t worry! Cherry will make sure you’re all her nice, cute puppets!”

Hit: “Remember everybody! Cherry only does this because she loves, loves, loves you~!”

Miss: “No, no, no! All children need to stand still when Cherry is performing!”

Taking Damage: “Ugh! How could you hurt your precious friend Cherry like that?! That’s not what good kids do!”

Skill Activated: “Everybody~ Please cheer for Cherry! Cherry loves you all so much!”

Win: “Yay~ It’s Cherry’s win! Cherry’s so, so, so, so, so happy!”

Loss: “Why… why do you all hate Cherry…? Even though Cherry always tries her best… it’s never… enough…”

Special Interactions

Blanche Dion

Blanche: Rosalia! This is enough! Cease this immediately!

Cherry: ‘Rosalia’? Who’s ‘Rosalia’? Silly rabbit, there’s only Cherry!

Agatha Voisin

Agatha: It’s… time… to… prune… the... roses… heheheheheheh…

Cherry: Ugh! Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross! Cherry doesn’t like ugly children like you!

Cassandra Delphinne

Cass: Mi-Mi-Miss Morgainne! Please co-co-come to your senses!

Cherry: Huh? What’s this? There’s no one! There’s no one! Only Cherry! Always Cherry!

Special Interactions #2

Vil Schoenheit

Vil: Good grief. This has gone too far, Rosalia. It’s unsightly.

Cherry: If you’re gonna be mean to Cherry, Cherry won’t be your friend! Cherry doesn’t like bullies like you!

Jack Howl

Jack: Grrr! My head is spinning… Drop the act, Rosalia-senpai! What’s gotten into you?

Cherry: What, what, what? Cherry’s Cherry because she’s Cherry! Stop messing with Cherry’s head, you mean mutt!

Rook Hunt

Rook: Aaaah! Reine de la Passion! This light does not become you at all!

Cherry: None of you understands Cherry’s appeal! No one! No one! No one!

Description

The lovely witch invites you to her concerto! The stage is set. Black curtains are pulled to reveal the beautiful arrangement prepared for you. There shall be singing. There shall be dancing. The witch will make sure to capture your heart - entirely.

Please do not leave your seat!

Please do not fight us!

We are merely trying to help.

Now, sit back, relax and enjoy our production of “The Cherry Blossom Harlequin”!

Witch Trial

In the judgement room, tall, large with walls made of white marble, Yuuki is sitting at the ornate bench made of heavy mahogany. It is dark - she can barely see the ground, shrouded by shadows as it is. All she knows is that the room is cold and desolate and frightening. How did she get here? Just moments ago she was on the beach in Rosenhex - the Prefect there, Rosalia, Overblotted. Black ink surrounded her, engulfed her entirely until she wasn’t herself anymore, but a grotesque parody of a Harlequin pulled by its strings. They battled - Yuuki can remember that much. And Alkin was there, some of the dorm members too. In the end, she lost - or so it seemed. She can’t be sure anymore. All she remembers is the mask of the Harlequin breaking and then-

Kit: Hey, hey! Ya better not fall asleep on yer feet! We’re here to judge a crime after all!

The voice - small, high-pitched, and inexplicably cruel startles her. In the darkness, she can’t see anything, until a spotlight suddenly turns on. What it illuminates is the small figure of a familiar face - it’s the creature that has been following her around since the start of the year!

Kit: Yes, yes! I can see ya’re delighted to cross paths with me again, but I’m gonna ask ya to keep yer enthusiasm to a minimum! There is time for ya to sing my praises later!

Johann: Now, now, Kit. You mustn’t be so harsh with our esteemed judge.

The other voice Yuuki recognises as belonging to the other one that has been tagging along as well. He sits there in his large coat, dabbing at his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief.

Kit: Bah! There ya go again, kissing up to others, Johann! Ya have no spine!

Johann: And you are too impertinent, my dear.

Kit: Better that than a coward!

Option 1: Stop! Right now!

Option 2: If you’re gonna keep fighting, can I leave?

→ Option 1

Kit: Hmph! Now ya’ve found yer voice!

→ Option 2

Johann: Please wait but a moment, our dear judge!

Kit: In any case, we don’t have time for this nonsense! We have a sentence to give! So, without further ado, let’s declare the witch gu-

Johann: Wait, dear Kit! We cannot give a sentence without a trial!

Kit: Says who?

Johann: The law.

Kit: Bah! We make the law, Johann! If we say she’s guilty, she’s guilty! I say we prepare the guillotine!

Johann: Not without a trial!

Kit: We’ll have a special, 5-second trial!

Johann: Those are inhumane.

Kit: You’d know.

Option 1: Wait, what’s going on?

Option 2: I’m so lost right now…

→ Kit: What? Ya still haven’t figured out? This is the trial! And ya are the judge! So judge!

Yuuki watches as the lights turn on. A sea of shadows disperses only for another to take its place. In the rows before her, there are countless shadow people of all heights and designs standing there in silence, expressions vacant, except for the eyes - the eyes who watch and follow every movement. Kit and Johann bow deeply before them and then with jolly expressions turn towards the bench again.

Kit: So! Let’s get the show on the road! Whatcha say, human?

Option: What am I supposed to do?

Kit: Funny ya should ask that! Well, ya see, ya just gotta up that large hammer next to ya and yell, as loudly as ya can. “GUILT-”

Johann: Objection!

Kit: Bleh! What now?

Johann: You are influencing the judge, my dear Kit! That is unbecoming!

Kit: Shut up! I don’t want to hear that for a suck-up like ya!

Johann lets out a yell as Kit begins pulling on his tail. Yuuki isn’t sure if she should intervene or not. The whole situation is strange. Looking around her she notices that the shadow people have not moved an inch, simply continuing to gaze at her with terrible, sharp eyes. They don’t care at all for the abuse Kit rains down on Johann, or, she suspects, anything else at all. She wishes they would stop.

Picking up her hammer she raps it once, then twice and finally, Johann is spared. Kit scoffs as he returns to his bench, discontent, and Johann starts dabbing at his forehead again.

Option: Please explain what’s going on here!

Kit: Ya sure are slow today, aren’t ya? Well, that doesn’t matter. Since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll make sure to catch ya up!

Yuuki nods, apprehensive, for it doesn’t seem that Kit has any intention of being wholly truthful. Though she wouldn’t be surprised by that either. Ever since the start of the school year, when she found that old bottle in her room, hidden behind the bookshelf, and released the two by accident, they’ve been nothing but nuisances. No, worse. Pests. They refused to leave her alone - which truly, wouldn’t have been that bad if they weren’t so utterly intolerable most of the time. Kit more than Johann since he was the ringleader.

He’d taunt and mock the rest of the students, quietly, so only she could hear, tell her lies about magic and the world, and sometimes even truths. He’d try to play his pranks, but every time Head Prefect Alkin was near, he’d simply disappear. He was afraid of him, but why that was, Yuuki didn’t know. She stuck close to the nekomata after, and she’d seen less of them, but only until she got back to her room where she’d find Kit rummaging through her belongings like he had any right to do so.

Yes - now that she thought it better, “pest” really fit him well.

Kit: Ya see, ya’re here ‘cause we gotta figure out what to do with the witch that went berserk. “Overblot”? I think that’s what ya humans call it. To us, magic creatures, it’s all the same really! Whether ya die or live - it ain’t our business!

He starts laughing, and Yuuki can’t help but bemoan how grating it is. Luckily, Johann decides to chime in.

Johann: Ahem! Your… status might not be our concern, but this “Overblot” situation is-

Kit: Yeah! Yeah! We get it! Ya wanna feel superior!

Johann: I-

Kit: What? Ya want me to come over and pull yer tail again, huh?!

Johann jumps in his seat, tucking his tail under, but otherwise keeps quiet.

Kit: Anyway, like I was saying! We don’t care about your petty troubles, but this “Overblot” thing is something else.

Option 1: Is it really that serious?

→ Kit: Ya think I waste my breath for any old thing? Huh?!

Option 2: Why do you care about it so much?

→ Kit: Cause we gotta! Otherwise the big boss-

Johann: Ahem!

Kit: Whoops! Said too much there! Anyway, ya heard nothing, got it?

Biting her lip, Yuuki glances over at Johann who seemed to have doubled his efforts in whipping his forehead.

Kit: This “Overblot” thingy that ya humans do is really annoying, ya know? Can’t be having ya all running around and going out of sorts like that! Ain’t good for the magic around here, after all! So when one of ya goes crazy - like that little friend of yours back in Rosenhex did - we gotta step up and fix this shit! Got it?

Johann: What an uncouth way of putting it… But he is correct, Your Honour! This transgression must indeed be discussed and judged! It is simply unacceptable for it to pass as such. However!

It startles her to hear the confidence in Johann’s voice all of a sudden. He’d always been a meek fellow, hiding in her shadow, always helpless before Kit’s mocking or violent outbursts. She couldn’t count the number of times Johann has decided to hide behind her, whenever trouble arose. At the first sign of danger he would immediately be gone, only emerging again when it had passed, and it would frustrate her to have such a troublesome imp wax self-important speeches on bravery when even sparrows could send him in a frenzy of fear.

Johann: Your Honour! I simply don’t believe that sentencing the witch to her death as such is the right answer! Humanity’s beauty lies in your altruism after all! Allowing even the smallest bud time to flower and enjoying the richness of its beauty, even as it-

A book flies by, soars through the air and hits him right in the head. Kit’s cackling is so loud it fills the room completely.

Johann: You brute!

Kit: Serves ya right! Nobody wants to hear yer dumb speeches! Not when we have a witch to execute!

Johann: Spare!

Kit: Execute!

Johann: Spare!

Kit: Execute! Chop her head off and mount it on the walls! Bwahahahahaha!

Johann: Th-That! Your Honour, you cannot allow that!

Kit: Huh? Why not? It’s what she deserves, ain’t it?

He turns to Yuuki. The distance between them seems much shorter now all of a sudden. His eyes make her think of fire, and witches burning on pyres.

Kit: Think about all the grief she put ya through? Ever since ya got in this place, these witches have been nothing but trouble, haven’t they? Being snide and rude and jeering at you - how long are ya gonna keep turning the other cheek, huh? It’s time ya give them a taste of their own medicine!

She thinks back on her first day here. The confusion as she got off The Endor Express, the sight of witches flying on broomsticks up in the air, the journey up the mountain and being told how unless she had magic she couldn’t attend this school. She remembers her first night in the green room after a talking, two-tailed cat told her she’d be his assistant for the time being until they figured out a way to get her back home.

She remembers her first day on the job - having to look after a group of witches from a dorm called “Rosenhex”. Tall, pretty, vain girls who simply scoffed at her and turned away, ignoring her completely as they went about their day. She’d have wanted to tell them off, tell them how rude and ugly their behaviour was, but somebody else beat her to it. She was about Yuuki’s age, with long, wavy pink hair and brown eyes, and cuter than any doll she’d ever seen. She yelled at them and told them to apologize, that they were besmirching the reputation of their door, but all she got in return was a sneer and then she was waved off, left behind to clench her fists and grit her teeth. Yuuki thought she had seen her eyes tear up, almost on the verge of crying but when she asked her if she was alright, the girl just snapped at her and then walked off.

And it wouldn’t be the first time that would happen. She wasn’t sure how it would happen, but every time she met one of the girls from that dorm, she’d received a mean remark, and before she could respond the girl with the pink hair - who she learned was called Rosalia and was supposed to be the Prefect of that dorm - would jump in to scold them, only to be ignored. Yuuki would try to talk to her, only to see her dart off, leaving her more confused than ever.

It was a hostile place. She missed her home, her family, her world. And this all just made it worse.

She gulps as Kit gives her a smirk, the corners of his mouth pulling so high, all his teeth are barred. Then he screams in pain and is suddenly gone from before her, having turned around to start pelting Johann with his little fists. The latter releases his tail and raises his arms above his head to protect it from the onslaught.

Kit: Ya cheeky shit! Ya think ya’re funny or something, huh? Ya ass-kisser! I’ll show ya what hypocrites like ya get!

Option: ENOUGH!

They both jump, separating from one another and glancing at her apprehensively. Johann starts to dust of his coat, dab at his forehead, while Kit takes off his hat and wrings it in his tiny, sharp hands. He grumbles under his breath before he starts to talk again.

Kit: Well? Aren’t ya cheeky too? Don’t tell me ya got swept in Johann’s shitty speech!

Johann: How vulgar! It is not so! It is not so at all, dear Kit!

Kit: Hmph! Ya don’t say - then!

Johann: Then?

Kit: If ya’re so stubborn how about ya tell your dear judge, why that is?

Johann gulps. His tail starts to tremble, thumping against the hardwood.

Kit: BWAHAHAHAHA! YA CHICKEN SHIT! CAN’T DO IT, HUH?!

Very well, guess I hafta do it then-

Johann: N-No, th-that-

But he’s silenced almost immediately, having his coat pulled over his head and kicked in the knees. He topples over the edge, and Yuuki hears a thump, but in the darkness can’t see the body or the floor at all. Kit laughs again and puts his hat back on his head.

Kit: He rolled over like a log, that ass! BWAHAHAHA! Serves him right for being a pretentious shit! Talking about sparing witches like that. Ya know why he did it? ‘Course ya don’t, ‘cause yer stupid, so let me explain it to ya!

That old shit wants to save the witch just ‘cause she’s cute! Can ya believe that crap? Only a shithead like him could fall for that kind of stuff, hahahahahaha!

He prods at her, tries to make her join in his rambunctious laughter, but gets nothing in return. Yuuki simply sits and ponders over the situation. Is this the truth? Is all that Johann cares about beauty? She could believe it somewhat. Unlike Kit, Johann had always been a little more concerned with the abstract. He liked poetry, he liked literature, to the point he would ‘reward’ Yuuki with long lectures on books and novels she has never heard about - a particularly favourite series of his being “The Azure Witch.” So the appreciation for the arts was there. But she doubted it extended to humans. Not once has she heard him compliment any of the girls or creatures on campus. Not in the way the domovoy tended to do with fierce glares and loud voices, each defending the girls that lived in their dorms.

No, Johann was merely content to watch the birds, and flowers and trees all around them, writing away in his little notebook until his ink ran out or Kit snatched it away.

Kit: Hmph, ya look like ya don’t believe. That’s fine and dandy, I guess. Ya’re just a dumb human after all. So I’ll tell ya another thing!

What that guy understands by ‘cute’ is really messed up.

Option 1: Messed up?

Option 2: Are you saying it’s different from the usual?

Kit: Yep, yep. It’s- Well, it’s creepy is what I’m telling ya. So ya better not be listening to any of his crap. Ya’re just bound to end up in a shitty position after all! Bwahahahahaha!

Anyway, about all this Overblot stuff-

She watches him inch closer to her, smirking as usual, and signals for her to bend down. When she does, hesitantly, he leans over and starts to recount to her the events prior to the Overblot.

It had been a week or so of being insulted by the Rosenhex witches, ‘rescued’ by their Prefect and left to wonder if there really was any hope of going home after all. The Headmistress, steady and firm, assured her that they were doing everything in their power to do this, but that such sensitive matters required precision and knowledge. It couldn’t be done so quickly. So she had little choice but to resign herself to waiting. Except she couldn’t do that because it was simply silly. So that was why she found herself in the big library, scouring through the archives, and books and parchments trying to find anything, any little clue that could help in her predicament.

It was easier said than done. The library was vast and huge and difficult to navigate and she often found herself lost among the shelves trying to reach one section but winding up in another by mistake. It was troublesome. Especially because neither Kit nor Johann - who of course had to accompany her every time she went there - had any inclination of helping her at all. And she couldn’t rely on Alkin either since he was busy walking the grounds of the school to ensure there was no issue or incident about to happen.

Left to her own devices, Yuuki tried her best to make the most of it each day. It did not yield many results. But on her fourth day of doing this, it did lead to an interesting meeting as she passed by one of the lower windows and heard, almost by mistake, the sound of somebody sobbing. She paused. The crying was unmistakably coming from her right, and though she knew she had no obligation to do anything about it, she still went and poked her head out, wondering just who it could be.

It was the Rosenhex Prefect, laying on the ground, hugging her knees and crying her heart out. Her shoulders were shaking, and occasionally she would wipe away her eyes, though it would not do her much good since the tears would just keep coming. She was hiccuping in between sobs, her voice strained, but even so, she still sounded quite endearing.

Yuuki only had time to let out a soft breath, before she jumped to her feet and turn with tear-filled eyes to glare at the black-haired girl.

Option: Are you ok?

Rosalia: Huh? Wh-What’s it to you?! I’m fine! can’t you see I’m fine?

Option: Uh, you’re crying…

Rosalia: !!!

She furiously wiped her tears away with the white sleeve of her cardigan, making Yuuki back away slightly.

Rosalia: I’m not!! See? No tears! So don’t make stuff up!! I’m not a child! I don’t need to cry just because-

She gulped, her eyes filling up again, then with a flustered face she looked back at Yuuki and yelled.

Rosalia: Nobody asked you to get involved! So stop butting into other people’s business! Just leave me alone!

And just like that she was gone, running away in the small woods outside the library until Yuuki couldn’t see her anymore.

Back in the present, she feels Kit’s small, cold claw pat her cheek affectionately. He grins so widely, she’s surprised his mouth doesn’t split open.

Kit: See what I mean, huh? That ain’t how good kids show their gratitude, ya know? Yelling at somebody for showing concern! Ya agree, dontcha?

Option: …

Kit: So why show her any mercy at all? She’s just a pest! She’s annoying! They all are! Treating ya like crap just ‘cause ya don’t have magic! I say we cut off all their heads! Bring out a guillotine! Or better yet! Let’s all go to a tavern - BWAHAHAHAHA!

Option: …

Kit: Ya get it? Ain’t no need for sparing anybody here! They’re all just filthy witches who deserve the pyre! So let’s just get to it! It’s gonna be fun! Trust me! We’re gonna-

Johann: OBJECTION!

She startles. The one who shouted right then was none other than the same Johann who is now trying to climb over the edge, and onto the desk. He’s grunting and sweating more than she had ever seen him before and it almost makes her worried for him. She’s the only one showing such altruism.

With quick steps, Kit closes the distance and with a certain glee begins to kick Johann’s head and hands, making his climb so much harder.

Kit: Huh? So ya climbed up all the way here? Not bad for a kid like ya! Let’s see how far that determination will take ya!

Johann: Ah! Ple-Please cease this immediately! If you don’t, I will - ack! - I will fall into the abyss again! Ack!

Kit: Maybe this time ya’ll get stuck there, ya-

Option: ENOUGH!

Yuuki uses the hammer to emphasize her point, and it seems to work as Kit backs away until Johann is able to eventually climb up again. He doesn’t seem worse for the wear at all, though he’s shaking like a leaf and trying to fix his little bow, that almost got undone.

Johann: Your Honour! I don’t know what foul words my associate might have used to trick you, but please be kind and show mercy to these witches! To simply execute them like that- It’s a crime beyond any words!

Just think back on the confrontation at the beach, please! That should bring at least a tear to your eyes!

And she does. She remembers the scent of seawater, the sand being stirred gently by the breeze, the look of utter despair on Rosalia’s face. Her eyes have gone blank. She sits rigidly there until the third year old that was addressing her starts to speak again, haughty voice carried by the wind.

Rosenhex Girl A: Well?

Rosalia: Huh? Well?

Rosenhex Girl A: Tch. You’re always so- Are you ready for the Witch Duel or not?

Rosalia: Witch Duel? What?

There’s a scoff and the girl’s glare becomes harsher. Around her Yuuki can hear the rest of the Rosenhex dorm whispering under their breath - the comments are less than friendly. Next to her, Soulis Dergos sighs and pulls his cap lower on his eyes. Up on the cliff, the heads of the domovoy can be seen peeking out. The commotion has caught their attention as well.

Rosenhex Girl A: What do you mean “what”? Are you telling me you had no idea that this was coming? You’ve been a nuisance ever since you came here. Getting special treatment just because you have been on TV, while you keep acting like a brat.

Rosalia: … A nuisance? Is that… Is that what everybody thinks… ?

The look that she gives the crowd makes Yuuki avert her eyes to the side. Alkin told her that she was merely to observe, not intervene. The witches govern themselves. It is not their place to act. But even though she knows this, she can’t help but feel sorry for Rosalia. The day when she caught her crying outside the library building flashes through her mind.

Rosenhex Girl A: Of course. Nobody here can stand you, but it’s not surprising with the way you’re acting. Look at the petition. It’s almost full.

The piece of paper that she produces is filled with names and signatures all the way to the bottom. Rosalia simply stares at it with no discernable expression. The wind seems to pick up in intensity.

Rosalia: Aaah… That’s a lot of signatures…

Rosenhex Girl A: Of course. You would have figured it out too if you weren’t such an idiot and actually paid attention to things around you.

Soulis grunts and the girl shuts her mouth, though Yuuki can see that she had a lot more to say. Rosalia continues to stay quiet, her gaze never wavering from the piece of paper before her.

Rosalia: Aaah… So everybody is mad at me…

Rosenhex Girl A: That should be obvious, given-

Rosalia: Why?

Rosenhex Girl A: Huh?

Rosalia: Why... is everybody... like this?

Rosenhex Girl A: What? Are you even listening to me? Don’t you dare ignore me!

Rosalia: Aaaah… I don’t get it… I don’t get it at all… Why? Why? WHY?

The earth shook. Yuuki could feel it. The tremble travelled through her entire body, the aftershock nearly throwing her off her feet. The girls behind her screamed, huddling together as the scene around them turned black and grey. The sea was raging on, the waves erratic and reaching higher and higher every time they smashed against the cliffs.

Rosalia clutched the fabric around her chest, gripping her magic gem in her hands. Ink as black as night began to coat them, staining the ground beneath her as they dripped slowly. The girl who was previously so confident and haughty had begun to back away too. Her ears twitched and the hair on her tail stood up.

Rosalia: EVEN THOUGH I TRY MY BEST- EVEN THOUGH ROSALIA TRIES- EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY-

I HATE IT!! I HATE THIS!! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT SHOULDN’T HURT!

Rosenhex Girl A: He-Hey, ju-just calm down… You’re… You’re going be-berserk…

Rosalia: SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! ROSALIA ISN’T LISTENING! ROSALIA DOESN’T WANT TO HEAR THIS! IF YOU’RE NOT ROSALIA’S FRIEND, THEN SHUT UP!!

The earth was shaking. She could feel it properly now. Her body fought to stand upright, but it wasn’t long before she sought shelter on the ground. Next to her, Soulis Dergos swore as he tried to get up and walk over to the witch who was now on her knees, still clutching her gem, as ink continued to coat her body.

Rosalia: Aaaaaaaah… But there’s nobody here who is Rosalia’s friend is there? No, no, there isn’t. Even though Rosalia tried her best to get along with everybody… She still was hated…

Aaaah… Ahhhh... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- THAT’S FUNNY! SUCH A FUNNY JOKE! ROSALIA IS LAUGHING! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Soulis: Shit! This is Overblot! Morgainne! Snap out of it! If you keep going down this path, it’s gonna end up badly for you!

Rosalia: AHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT A FUNNY THING TO SAY! AAAAAAAAAH!

Everybody looks so concerned for Rosalia! How sweet! How nice! But you don’t have to worry, because Rosalia is fine! She’s gonna make everybody happy again! Yup, yup! Just wait and see!

But they don’t have to, because the ink overwhelmed her completely, moving and swirling around her until all that left was a strange figure of red and black patterns, red strings pulling at her joints. She moved in spasms as if she had no control over her body as if it had been left in somebody else’s care. Grinning she stood before them as the world was dyed into darkness.

Cherry: See? what did I tell you? Isn’t it all better now that the one and only, your bestest friend in the whole world, Cherry, is here?

There was a fight then, but after she can’t remember much.

Inside the quiet judgement room, the shadow people begin to squirm in their seats. The air feels so much colder all of a sudden. Yuuki shivers, and Kit takes this as his opportunity to talk.

Kit: Guess ya remembered, huh? So whatcha think? Pretty gruesome, right? Ending things like that just because of a dispute. What kind of a solution is that? I’m telling ya these witches are just no good! It’s best that we do away with them right now! Before any have a chance to go berserk!

Johann: OBJECTION!

Kit: Ugh.

Johann: My dear Kit! How can you be so cruel, when it is clear that the child was merely hurting?! That’s why she reacted as such! We should strive to understand her-

Kit: There ya go again with yer speeches! Can’t ya see nobody cares for that, huh? I’m telling ya, these witches should be executed! I should know!

Johann: Why is that?

Kit: ‘Cause I’m older, ya idiot!

Johann: A-Ah! But then oughtn’t you be wise enough to see-

Kit: HUH?! ARE YA TRYING TO CALL ME STUPID, YA LITTLE SHIT?!

Johann: ACK! NO! NO!

Yuuki had seen Kit fuming before, but not like this. He looked ready to scorch the earth in his wake. She raps the wood with the hammer to attract their attention and that seems to help calm him down somewhat. Though she might have spoken too soon as she notices the wide grin that passes over Kit’s face. When he speaks his voice is chipper and benevolent, and it makes her certain that he is up to no good.

Kit: Ya know, now that I think about it - ya might just be right there, Johann, old boy.

Johann: Oh? I-I beg your pardon?

Kit: Yeah, yeah. I think I got all carried away there for a moment and acted uncouthly.

Johann: O-Oh? I-Is that so? My, that truly shows how wisdom does come with age after-

Kit: Yeah, yeah, yeah - age and all that. But ya know. I’ve been thinking here, with my wise brain, that we forgot one important thing. Don’t ya think so?

Johann: An important matter? Just what on earth-

Kit: Well! Ya been talking about making things fair, and thinking about the other’s feelings and all that cra- I mean, all those good points. And it just occurred to me that we’ve forgotten to speak to one person. The most important person I’d say!

Johann: The most important?

Kit: Exactly! The star of the trial itself - The Harlequin!

Johann: You cannot possibly-

Kit: BRING OUT THE WITCH! LET’S SEE WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY ABOUT ALL THIS!

Johann: Ack! Kit, my dear, just-

But it is too late. The ground begins to shake and tremble, and Yuuki has to hold onto the desk in order to make sure she isn’t thrown off her chair. Johann isn’t as lucky, and soon enough he falls to the ground on his belly, his arms raised above his head. Kit shows no signs of distress, no fear or even apprehension. Nimbly he begins to dance, joyously laughing, as a platform descends from the abyss. On it the Harlequin, a grotesque vision of black ink and colourful patterns, sways from side to side, the chains she is bound in clinking away as they bump against one another.

Yuuki inhales sharply, clutching the handle of the hammer in her grasp. The Harlequin is staring right at her, and when the platform finally stops moving, so that they are on the same level, though at a reasonable distance she throws up her arms and starts giggling.

Cherry: Hellooooooooooooo~ Long time no seeeeeeeeeeee~

Option 1: Ye-Yeah…

→ Cherry: Awwwww~ Are you shy? You don’t have to be! Cherry loves you no matter what~

Option 2: You’re in a good mood.

→ Cherry: Of course Cherry is in a good mood! Cherry’s seeing her bestest friend ever, isn’t she? It’s so nice it makes Cherry tingle with excitement~

Kit: Ya’ll be tingling with terror soon enough, BWAHAHAHAHA!

Johann: Kit, my dear! What is the meaning of-

Kit: Shut it! Ya wanted a fair trial, I’m giving ya a fair, trial. Ain’t I?

It’s gonna be so fair, it’ll end in a bang! BWAHAHAHA!

Johann: Aaaah! I think this is not-

Kit: Witch! Yeah! I’m talking about ya! Look over here, would ya!

Cherry: Hmmm~? Yuck! What are you supposed to be? Cherry doesn’t like ugly things, you know?

Kit: Grrrrr, ya little- Ahem! Forget about that and just answer us all some questions, will ya? Yer life kinda depends on it, ehehehehe! Though even if ya keep quiet, I guess I can spin it to my advantage- Ooops! Guess I said too much there!

So, witch, tell us!

Cherry: Tell you? Tell you what?

Kit: Why ya Overblotted! Of course!

Cherry: Overblot? Who did? Oh no! That sounds bad! Hm? But what’s Overblot again?

Kit: Trying to lie won’t help ya!

Cherry: What? Are you calling Cherry a liar?! Cherry would never lie! Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever and ever! Only bad kids lie! And Cherry has never been a bad kid!

Kit: Oho? Those are bold words there, given what ya had done on that beach! Ain’t that right, human?

Option: You put everybody in danger…

Cherry: Huh? Danger? Danger how? Cherry was just playing with her friends! Cherry loves doing that more than anything in the world! Being friends with all the children is Cherry’s greatest wish! How could that be wrong?

Johann: E-Exactly!

Kit: Huh? So ya found yer voice at last?

Johann: Ack! We-Well, it is not about me, but rather about our accused, so I must intervene…

Be-Because as you can see, my dear Kit, there was nothing cruel about her actions at all! They were done out of love-

Kit: Misguided!

Johann: Um, well, th-that’s true- But it’s still love and thus-

Kit: Geh! If were to hit ya in the back of yer head just cause I feel like it, would ya still considered it love, huh? Hm~ Then again knowing ya- BWAHAHAHAHA!

Johann: AAAAAH! KIT! PLEASE DO NOT GIVE OUR DEAR JUDGE AND WITCH ANY ODD IDEAS ABOUT ME! I AM A DECENT IMP OF GOOD UPBRINGING!

Cherry: Oooh~ How cute! You two seem like good friends~

Kit: Blegh, hardly.

Johann: Um, I am afraid things are more complicated than that, my dear…

Cherry: Hm? Are they? You joke around and laugh together, don’t you? That’s what friends do! Cherry knows because she has seen it on TV all the time! It’s really, really, really cute!

Option: Seen it on TV? Don’t you mean you’ve experienced it yourself?

Cherry: Eh? Experienced myself? Hahahahahaha, you really are cute! Cherry loves you a lot for that! Thinking that things like friends exist in real life is really, really cute!

Yuuki pauses. The Harlequin is smiling, with no sign of mockery or viciousness present, and yet she can’t help but feel like there’s something wrong underneath.

Kit: See! What did I tell ya? Her head’s really screwed on wrong. Who would ever think of saying this but demented witches? So we should just-

Cherry: Huh? Cherry isn’t a witch! Cherry is really cute, and witches are all ugly! They say mean things about you, and treat you like trash! Cherry has never done anything like that! No, no! Cherry hates bullies more than anything!

Option: Is that why you always intervened on my behalf?

Cherry: Huh? Oh, oh, you mean that? Hm~ Well Cherry felt bad for you because you were treated like Cherry used to be before she became the one in charge! Everybody always made jabs and mean remarks at Cherry, even though she always did her best to make friends with everybody!

Johann: Yes! Indeed! We can see clearly that she did not mean-

Cherry: That’s why Cherry got really angry at the beach. All those bullies ganging up on Cherry to tell her how much they all hated her. Hmph! How mean! How rude! Cherry is a good girl! How dare they treat her like this? I had to punish them! I had no other choice!

The room breaks in a murmur. The shadow people all band together to exchange what she presumes are their impressions of the case so far, though she can’t be sure. The distance is too great for her to make out anything, and even if she would try to strain her ears it would be useless. Kit already began to speak.

Kit: Aha! So we see the real reason!

Johann: The re-real reason?

Kit: Are ya stupid? Or just acting? BWAHAHAHA! Not like there’s a difference in the first place! But ya heard her loud and clear! She didn’t care about friends or any of that crap! She just wanted revenge! Like a witch would!

The shadow people begin to speak louder, and now Yuuki can catch fragments of their conversations. The words “evil”, “unnatural”, “pathetic”, “dangerous” seem to echo over and over again. She swallows as the intensity with which they are uttered seems to increase.

Johann: No! There must be another explanation too! We should-

Kit: Ya should shut up! The witch herself admitted it already! Did ya not, huh? Witch?

Cherry: Hm? Did I?

Kit: Didn’t ya just say you wanted revenge on those witches, huh?

Cherry: Oh? I did!

Kit: So ya wanted to hurt them!

Cherry: I did!

Kit: Make them pay, right? Skewer them alive? Drown them in water? Burn them on a pyre?

Cherry: I did~ I did~

Kit: AND THERE YA HAVE IT! THE BARE AND NAKED TRUTH! ALL THE WITCH EVER WANTED - ALL THAT WITCHES EVER WANT - IS TO KILL AND MAIM YA! ‘CAUSE THAT’S THEIR EVIL NATURE!

The court erupts in screams. They all seem to agree with Kit, their passion translated into wild euphoria that sends a shiver down her spine. Suddenly, the shadow people seem more human - she sees more defined traits, more details and she looks away before their faces come into focus. She’d rather not find out if any of them look familiar.

Next to run Johann is panicking, breaking out in a sweat and wringing his handkerchief in his hands.

Cherry: Huh?! Everybody is angry at Cherry? But why? What did Cherry do?

Option 1: You admitted to your faults, remember?

→ Cherry: Faults? Cherry did?

Option 2: You said some awful things…

→ Cherry: Awful? Cherry would never do that! She’s a good, good, good girl!

Kit: KEEP QUIET, WILL YA?

Yer sentence is about to be passed!

Cherry: Sentence?

Kit: Yep, yep! Our esteemed judge over here is about to pronounce yer punishment: EXECUTION! BWAHAHAHAHA!

Cherry: Hehehehe~

Kit: Oho? Ya’re laughing? Sure ya get what’s about to happen, witch?

Cherry: Hm? What is that?

Kit: Ya’re about to be guillotined!

Cherry: That won’t happen, ehehehehe!

Kit: What?

Cherry: That won’t happen because Yuuki is a good kid!

Option 1: Huh?

Option 2: What do you mean?

Cherry: Hehehehe, it’s just like I said! Yuuki is a good kid who wouldn’t hurt others! Cherry has known this since that time you cheered her up back then outside the library!

Option: You remember that?

Cherry: Of course! Cherry was soooooooo moved! Nobody had been that nice to Cherry ever since she came to this school! They all sneered and laughed at her… Cherry thought you would do the same when you saw her crying, so Cherry felt really mad that you saw her like that!

But you didn’t, and that made her really, really, really happy!

Cherry wants to be loved by everybody, so Cherry won’t be hurt again! If Cherry has love, Cherry feels like everything would work out! That’s why all the children should love Cherry and be Cherry’s friend!

Kit: AHA! THERE YA HAVE IT!

Cherry: Hm?

Kit: Making demands from people like a spoiled brat! Is that what a good kid would do? No! Not at all! Good kids keep quiet and don’t lash out at others! Only witches do evil things like that!

Yuuki keeps quiet as Kit turns to her, his grin reaching from horn to horn as his tail swishes back and forth menacingly. Behind him the court has erupted into a cacophony of screams and yells of outrage, everybody calling out for blood. The word “Execute” is repeated consecutively, until she can’t recognize it anymore. But the anger, the fury - those are pouring from every direction and leave her dizzy.

Kit: Well, ya heard the people! It’s time to give the witch her just deserts! Time to execute!

Johann: Wait just one more minute-

Kit: We’ve waited enough! It’s time to make the choice! There’s only one right answer, so make sure ya pick the right one! BWAHAHAHAHA!

In the chaos, Yuuki grips her hammer tightly and glances all around: Kit continues to smile at her, assured of her victory; Johann has covered his eyes with his palms, trembling; the crowd continues to yell for blood, figures distorted; and the witch - she seems not to care or even be aware, merely staring at her with a serene expression.

Yuuki gulps. She clears her throat, raises her hammer high in the air and prays she has made the right choice.

Option 1: Execute the witch.

Option 2: Spare the witch.

Are you sure? There is no going back.

[jhoudiey]

Second batch of OCs done, from top left clockwise they belong to @girl-in-the-tower @araminta-lemontea @anunluckyrabbit @twistedikon Thanks for letting me borrow your children.

[azusawrites]

🪡 There are many dynamic I can think of, so I’m letting you choose 👀 - @anunluckyrabbit

Thank you for the ask~! 💙 I've been left to my own devices, so here are a bunch.

DIANA-SAMAR

The first ones who came to mind - they share some similarities, given that they both care about the environment and are quiet by nature. Diana has a tendency to act like a big sister to those around her, so she would most likely have the same attitude towards Samar, regardless of whether he accepts the care or not. Since they're both rather cunning they would have a lot of talk about, and I can see Diana inviting him over to Monarchia to enjoy the company of the creatures and nature in peace.

For some reason, I can imagine them having very monosyllabic conversations and instead spend of the time in silence, with maybe Falguni interfering and trying to start a conversation, haha!

BLANCHE/KORE-MASON

Another fun pair that immediately came to mind! Blanche tends to be more reserved than Riddle, but quite strict as well, which I feel would make her an interesting target for his teasing. Though most of her reactions are very subdued, with the most obvious being when her ears go completely straight and her tail twitches when she's surprised. I also feel like they could bond over their abusive families, especially their poor relationship with their fathers, or at least sympathize with each other. Blanche tends to take his pranks less seriously, mostly because she thinks it's undignified to react too strongly.

With Kore I imagine a similar thread of children with bad childhoods finding a kindred spirit. Kore's a bit more naive when it comes to other people's intentions, so she would be easily tricked by whatever prank he's pulling. She'd get mad at first, though since she doesn't hold a grudge, she'd get over it rather quickly. She appreciates his other magic tricks much more and is very fascinated by the magic pockets that he has since they give him so much room to store things there. She might even ask for a custom one, like a sort of backpack and try to pay for it with vegetables.

ROSA-ADEUCE

A trio that is mostly set together for comedy cold. Since Rosa is a celebrity in the Rose Kingdom, and both are familiar with Sherbert Street, they'd immediately know who she was. Ace would try to endear himself to her so he could have a celebrity friend to 'spoil' him with gifts and such, but Rosa immediately sees through it and treats him the same as she does Cater - which is to say, with a lot of scorn and distaste. Deuce doesn't do much better since he asked her for an autograph as Cherry (it was for his mom, but he failed to mention that detail) so they're currently on her blacklist.

It gets way more comedic, however, once she and Jack start dating since Ace still tries to become her friend, thinking they would get close due to their association with Jack, except that it proves to be not the case at all. Jack comes to tell Ace a lot that he needs to leave his girlfriend alone, haha.

MARCIA-AZUL

They're fun because I see them as the sort of business rivals turned associates when the need strikes. They're mostly very 'pleasant' to one another, though wary, and while Azul is good at planning ahead, he tends to be taken aback by how shrewd and shameless Marcia can be with her negotiations. When they do collaborate, it's more likely than not that they just end up trying to pull a fast one over the other one and do their best to come out on top. It rarely works since they just end up self-sabotaging themselves and creating more problems than they initially hoped for.

BLANCHE/AGATHA-ROOK

Rook's interest in non-human students wouldn't... go well, haha. Blanche tends to just mostly ignore it even if it makes her uncomfortable and avoids him whenever on campus. Sometimes Riddle has to intervene and ask Rook to leave, which tends to work for the most part, though it does make Blanche less fond of Rook. The bigger problem is Agatha who becomes downright aggressive whenever Rook is near her. She is a pretty private person and doesn't like it when people are loud, which Rook tends to be quite often.

His greatest crime however is that he remarked upon her scarier attributes, rather than fawn over how 'cute' and 'adorable' she is. Rook keeps pointing out just how sharp her teeth are, and how vicious her gaze is and it's getting under Agatha's skin every time he points out these things. Rook was definitely threatened at least once with explosives.

VITA-MALLEUS

Another interesting duo, mostly because I could see them trading quite a lot of barbs and sharp-tongued remarks with each other, though not specifically meaning it. In Vita's case, she's just enjoying 'playing' with another person as she always does, though also making sure she doesn't go too far since Malleus is, after all, a prince and she wants to make sure she does not bring any shame upon the Shroud name. Malleus himself finds it rather amusing to see how bold she can be with her teasing, and since he figures that she treats everybody, in the same manner, he appreciates being seen as a person, rather than an object of fear. And he does find amusement also in the fact that he can talk to an intellectual equal with her. They would have an oddly functioning friendship, to tell the truth.

[girl-in-the-tower]

SWITCHY EMOJI I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND FOR AGATHA, VITA, DIANA, THEO AND KORE. PLEASE.

OK, SO LET ME YELL ABOUT THE WITCH AND THE BEAST AU THAT LIVES RENT FREE IN MY HEAD.

Thank you for the ask!! ❤

Vita is basically Phanora Kristoffel, lol.

Joking, kinda. Basically to take things in order, I imagine Diana, Agatha and Vita as one team, and Theo and Kore as their own team within the Order of Magical Resonance which is a group by magic, for magic and of magic. They deal with all sort of odds jobs that involve the misuse of magic, except that they are by no means a legal organization. Their members are without a doubt all rather odd, but they get the job done at least.

TW: dark themes under the cut

Vita Dies

A powerful necromancer, who also happens to be a witch. She’s of an old family that specializes in this craft. A beautiful but deadly woman who practices the art legally and ethically wherever it is permitted. Because witches in TW&TB live longer than normal humans nobody is sure for how long she has been alive. She deeply enjoys being cryptic and teasing towards mortals and mages alike, though for the most part seems to be aligned with the interests of the Order.

Her connection with the Order is shrouded in mystery, though many speculate it has to do with another young mage who joined with her at the time. The boy looks ghoulish and sinister, and seems to be suffering from the effects of a Witch Curse being placed on him. Vita denies being the witch in question. However she does seem to be responsible for the young Undead that follows the ghoulish boy around. It seems that the two were brothers once, but upon his death the older brother asked Vita to revive his by using necromancy. Since the law permits first-grade relatives to make such decisions she agreed to it, because she was impressed by his insistence even after she informed him of the consequences. 

She runs her Undead on auto so they have full consciousness and can make their own decisions. She makes sure to maintain them regularly so their bodies don’t decay or their souls lose their humanity. They are practically indistinguishable from regular humans, which is due thanks to her status as a witch imbuing her with more magic than a regular mage would possess. 

Her mage makes her extremely strong, but she prefers to leave the fighting to her servants. Still if need be, the cursed runes will appear on her body like in the case of any witch and she will not hold back at all. A witch’s power is fearsome after all so she usually uses it only if her servants find themselves overwhelmed.

She also has ties to another young mage whose fiancee she revived after the woman was killed due to a magical beast going haywire. The two have a very tense relationship and rarely come into contact, the only connection between them being the young woman who acts as Vita’s Undead servant.

In this AU she would most likely go by her full name instead, so everybody would call her Iovita.

She is currently in a relationship with the young ghoulish boy who asked to revive his younger brother, and who also happens to be her apprentice. Because a witch’s kiss can temporarily dispel the curse, her lover switches between his human form and his cursed form. She says she prefers his cursed form, because it is more “bewitching”. 

She is usually called in for missions involving necromancy or strong magical opponents. 

She avoids contact with the Paladin Corps since they are the natural enemies of witches.

This is what she would wear in this AU:

Agatha Voisin

A young woman who asked to be the witch Iovita’s apprentice. She is a normal mage in most aspects with a penchant for dangerous alchemical potions and poisons. Very little is known about her life prior to meeting her Mistress but according to her, she’s an orphan whose family was murdered by a witch, so she sought to apprentice under one in order to learn how to kill them. 

She’s rather quiet and contemplative, and her demeanour towards others is very much influenced by Iovita’s own attitude. Though, while she tried being mysterious and confident she comes off as more awkward and aggressive. She especially does not like her fellow apprentice and the witch’s lover, though seems to be get on well with her Undead. 

While, she does not seem to have any talent at necromancy she is quite good at corpse maintenance, being able to stitch together most parts and organs with relative ease. She finds this sort of job fulfilling since she can see to he duties in peace.

She did not plan on getting attached to Iovita in the slightest, but since the witch has always looked after her as her own, she couldn’t help but become soft. She claimed that she took Agatha in because her logic of seeking out a witch master in order to kill another witch amused her greatly, so she agreed to teach the young girl whatever she can learn. That happened when Agatha was barely 14 years old so ever since then she’s considered Iovita her family.

Her magic is quite strong, though she’s terrible at close quarters combat preferring to cast spells from a distance. She usually likes it when they are given jobs that require sleath since she’s good at that.

The witch she’s hunting is a powerful one, who is said to kidnap people and cook them in her cauldron before eating them bones and all. She claims that she witness her family being devoured, before the witch released her saying that “there still needs for time to pass before the meat is tender enough.” Agatha thinks this means that the witch expects her to return and that’s when she’ll finish her off. 

Before meeting Iovita she lived together with another mage who was able to commune with the spirits of the dead. She still calls on him since he’s a very crafty man with many connections who can procure her all sort of objects.

This is what she would wear in this AU:

Diana Arrow

A young Undead under the control of Iovita. She used to be a common mage who was involved in the care and conservation of magical beasts, before one of them went haywire and killed her. Though she was able to receive some care at the hospital her wounds were too severe and she died of blood loss and complications, but not before making a deal with a witch who agreed to bring her back as an Undead. The reason behind her choice, despite knowing that souls resurrected cannot be reborn, is that she wanted to see her fiance one last time and apologize to him. 

She’s a quiet woman and loyal to her witch, carrying out her orders to the letter without a single complaint. Because she’s put on auto she was able to retain her consciousness and original personality, so her connection to her lover was not severed. Like most witch’s Undead she is very capable and skilled and takes care of the physical stuff her Mistress cannot be asked to do. 

Her weapon of choice is a pair of magically infused brass knuckles that have been gifted to her by her Mistress. She’s become rather proficient at handling them due to training sessions with her Mistress’ other Undead servant. 

Her fiance, a fellow mage like her, was horrified to see her brought back from the dead at the cost of her soul entering the Void. It took a long while for them to patch things up again, and it mostly worked because he was also glad to see her return back to him, though he never wants to admit to this since it would mean putting his own selfishness above her soul.

When she’s not away on missions at her witch’s request she looks after magical beasts or spends time with her fiance. He’s a shrewd man who is trying to convince her to abandon Iovita since he believes nothing good can come from associating with her. He’s currently in the possession of a grimoire that offers him witch-like powers in exchange for killing the person dearest to him, so Diana sacrifices herself every time so he can pay the price. Because being a witch’s Undead makes her impervious to death, she resurrects almost immediately every time, though it doesn’t make it easier on him. 

Since she’s a good fighter, she’s able to depose of most enemies before Iovita has to interfere. With beasts she tries to knock them out instead of killing them since she cares deeply for their well-being. 

She hides the fact that she’s an Undead from most people, since few places consider it a legal practice. Though her lover has once proposed that they be Undead together, she rejected the idea. She wants him to be reincarnated and live a peacefully life even if that means they’ll never be able to meet again.

This is what she would wear in this AU:

Theo Yule

A seasoned mage and a long time member of the Order. He joined them in his youth after he ran away from home due to a falling out with his family. He is not a very social man, preferring to keep to his own tasks and matters. It makes him somewhat at odds with the rest of the Order, but since his work has always been exemplary, few find it possible to complain.

He mostly does solo work, handling cases that involve the mishandling of magical artifacts like grimoires and such. As an expert in the field his advice is always sought before people proceed with their investigation. He owns several of them as well, and carries a suitcase around with him when on jobs that contain most of the tools he requires.

He’s very much like a stereotypical noir cop with his alcohol abuse and smoking habit and rudeness, treating others very contemptuously whenever he speaks to them. He seems to have a very particular dislike for rich people and those well off. 

Because of his quite nature and tall stature he intimidates a lot of people. 

In this version he would only go by Theo, forgoing his last name entirely.

He’s been tasked by the Order to look after a young girl with an unusual situation which requires constant monitorization. He was against the idea at first but with time he grew somewhat fond of her. They have become something of a family and though she assists him on his cases he always makes sure to shield her from actual danger and gore. He would prefer it if she lived a normal life, far away from this chaos but given he peculiar condition he knows it’s impossible.

His attachment to the girl has started to make the Order wonder if it came down to it he’d abandon his beliefs and ideals to stand by her side, but even Theo isn’t sure of the truth behind this notion. Though deep down he feels like he would.

This is what he would wear in this AU:

Kore Hightower

A young girl of indeterminate origins who also happens to be a vessel for a witch. Kore can’t remember anything about her life before she was transformed into a human host for and by the creature. According to several sources she might have been part of magical ritual which involved human sacrifice along with the rest of the family, though it is unknown just to what end. She’s been a host for around a year or two it had been estimated, during which she was known as the “Strangling Witch” for the way she would choose to kill her victims. 

She was freed from that control by the Order who unable to extract the essence of the creature from her, decided to keep her under surveillance and make use of her abilities instead. Though the creature has been sealed inside, she still can access some modicum of its power making her a formidable foe to non-witches.

She’s a novice in magic and it does not come easily to her so her guardian decided to teach her some basic spells and self-defense techniques in case of emergencies. She assists him on his cases partly because she wants to feel useful, partly because she wants to atone for her actions while under possession.

Though she can’t remember the period she was under the creature’s control she still feels imense guilt for her actions. Every year she goes to the cemetery where the victims are buried to pay her respects and ask for forgiveness. Because nobody but the Order knows who was behind the killings, people have no idea who she really is and merely see her as a pious girl. She avoids talking with the locals there out of guilt.

During her time as the Strangling Witch she killed around 38 people, though the number is thought to be likely much higher.

Her honest and kind nature makes her get along quite easily with others, though she has trouble getting close to them, since she feels like she doesn’t deserve to be happy or loved after all that she’s done. She’s recently befriended a young and kindhearted man whose rich family hired her guardian to take care of some business relating to magic. The two became fast friends and even perhaps more, but Kore is hesitant to explore that possibility since she doesn’t know if the creature can or cannot take control of her again. The two do keep in contact through phone though and even go on dates together occasionally but have yet to define just what exactly sort of relationship they have.  

She gets along really well with the Undead under the employ of a fellow Order member, though she seems unaware of their true nature. 

This is what she would wear in this AU:

[alexar60]

Veux-tu connaitre la fin du film?

Il n’y avait plus personne dans le wagon lorsque je découvris sur une banquette une cassette vidéo. C’était une de ces vieilles VHS qui ne s’utilise plus et sur laquelle on pouvait enregistrer. Par curiosité, je pris la cassette et la rangeai dans mon sac à dos. Puis, je quittai le métro, remontant à la surface par l’escalator de service. Malgré l’heure, le soleil brillait encore dans le ciel, éclairant une rue toujours animée. J’avançai entre les piétons pressés et ceux qui profitaient du beau temps pour faire du lèche-vitrine. Une fois dans mon appartement, je pouvais souffler.

Je pris le temps de lire mon courrier, de cuisiner, manger et même de nettoyer un peu mon trois-pièces avant de me rappeler la présence de cette cassette. Dès lors, j’ouvris le meuble sous la télévision et, après avoir branché le magnétoscope, j’insérai la vidéo dans le lecteur. Ensuite, je m’assis au bord du canapé au cas où la cassette n’était pas intéressante. Le son grésilla légèrement. Des chiffres furent soudainement lisibles, c’était un chronomètre : cinq, quatre…trois…deux…un. Enfin, je regardai ce qui semblait être un essai artistique.

La couleur en noir et blanc apporta une ambiance pesante au film incompréhensible. C’était d’abord, un couple qui marchait main dans la main dans une ruelle. Ils étaient habillés comme en 1940, la jeune femme avait une permanente au-dessus du crâne tandis que l’homme portait un chapeau à la Humphrey Bogart dans Casablanca. Soudain, l’homme entraina sa compagne dans une ruelle isolée et la collant au mur, il entreprit un langoureux et intense baiser.

Il n’y avait aucune transition entre la première et seconde partie du film. C’était un patchwork de scène de rue, toutes aussi étranges les unes que les autres. Une femme assise sur le trottoir en train de regarder la pluie tomber, un pigeon mort écrasé sur la route, un homme qui marche vite et bouscule les passants, un enfant qui regarde une statue, un bouchon sur un rond-point…Puis on passa directement à la troisième partie dans laquelle j’entendis le vent souffler pendant qu’une porte s’ouvrait sur l’extérieur La caméra avança offrant une incroyable vue de la mer. Au loin, une jeune femme portait sur la tête une couronne de bougies et lançait un filet dans l’océan. Elle se retourna, mais je tressaillis en découvrant qu’elle ne portait pas de visage. Ensuite, la caméra se dirigea vers les vagues qui se transformèrent en un lac puis en une baignoire dans laquelle une jeune femme était allongée. Du sang coulait le long de ses poignets. La caméra quitta la salle de bain par la fenêtre et se dirigea vers l’orée d’une forêt pour suivre trois hommes habillés dans une tenue noire, dont le masque en pointe rappelait le Ku-klux-klan. Ils marchèrent à travers le bois et croisèrent d’abord un couple totalement nu faisant l’amour contre un arbre puis, une femme dans une longue robe noire et aux cheveux noirs. Elle se tenait au-dessus d’un rocher et ne réagit pas à la présence de la caméra dans son dos, jusqu’à ce que le caméraman s’arrête. Alors, elle se retourna, montrant un visage caché par ses cheveux longs. La neige tombait. Elle fixa de ses yeux à peine visibles la caméra avant de dire : « Veux-tu connaitre la fin du film ? » Tout à coup, elle fit un pas en arrière, tombant de la falaise. La caméra resta face au vide puis le film s’arrêta subitement.

Je restai ébahi, un peu mal à l’aise par la projection. Il n’y avait rien de compréhensible. Je sortis la cassette, constatant qu’elle n’était pas à son terme. Alors, je la remis dans le magnétoscope et la visionnai en accéléré. Cependant, il n’y avait que des petites étoiles luisantes sur un écran noir. Dès lors, je sortis de nouveau la cassette pour la ranger dans sa boite et la poser sur la table. Puis, je repris mes occupations habituelles avant d’aller me coucher.

Le lendemain, je réalisai avant de partir que la cassette avait tout bonnement disparu. Je n’eus pas le temps de la rechercher et partis de suite au travail. Si la journée précédente était magnifique, celle-ci annonçait un vrai temps de merde. On pouvait voir au loin des nuages si noirs qu’ils transformaient le jour en nuit. Je rentrai dans mon lieu de travail pour n’en ressortir qu’en fin d’après-midi. Et c’est là qu’arriva quelque-chose d’étrange.

En effet, pendant que je me dirigeais vers la station de métro, je vis sur le bord du trottoir, une jeune femme blonde assise et regardant le ciel. L’éclairci laissa tout à coup place à une averse. Elle restait assise observant les gouttes tomber. A cet instant, une voix m’interpela : « Veux-tu connaitre la fin du film ? ». Juste en haut des escaliers, je découvris une femme habillée d’une longue robe noire comme dans la vidéo. Elle descendit les escaliers, entra dans la station mais elle disparut quand je voulus la rejoindre.

Durant le trajet, je m’interrogeai sur la vision de cette femme ainsi que de celle assise à regarder la pluie. Je trouvai la coïncidence étonnante. Une fois arrivé à destination, je me précipitai dehors afin d’aller au plus vite jusque chez moi. En sortant du métro, un cri me surpris. Une femme venait d’hurler un : « Mon dieu ! » lorsqu’une voiture écrasa un pigeon abruti. L’oiseau gisait sur la route et n’eut pas le temps de souffrir car une autre voiture ne put l’éviter et l’acheva.

Je ne m’arrêtai pas pour regarder l’animal mort. Aussi, j’accélérai le pas, bousculant un peu tout le monde sur mon passage. D’ailleurs, j’entendis étrangement un quidam me crier : « C’est bon, tu vas la voir, la fin de ton film !». Au coin de la rue, je longeai un square et aperçus un jeune garçon qui admirait la statue d’un général de Napoléon. Un dernier rond-point et j’étais arrivé. Je traversai entre les voitures qui ne circulaient pas à cause d’un bête accident. Avant de fermer la porte de l’immeuble, je crus voir entre deux autos garées, la femme en noir. J’eus à l’esprit sa phrase : « Veux-tu voir la fin du film ? »

J’ai cherché partout sans trouver la cassette. Un rapide message me déconcentra. C’était mon meilleur ami qui proposait de prendre un verre le soir. Je ne l’avais pas vu depuis longtemps, alors, j’acceptai. Je pris une douche et sortis le rejoindre. Il n’était pas seul dans le bar. Il était avec sa copine du moment et une jeune femme brune, qu’il se dépêcha de me présenter. Lucie était très jolie malgré son air tristounet. Nous discutâmes longuement au grand bonheur de mon pote. J’appris qu’elle venait d’une ville portuaire, la même que celle de la copine de mon pote. Elle me plaisait beaucoup et cela semblait réciproque. Je ne sais plus comment la discussion dériva sur la religion mais elle expliqua que Sainte Lucie portait une couronne de bougies. Dès lors, je réagis en repensant à la vidéo : La mer, son lieu d’origine et sainte Lucie. J’eus du mal à croire ce que je venais de réaliser ; la cassette semblait annoncer l’avenir. Derrière la vitre, j’eus la sensation de voir cette femme aux cheveux noirs qui demandait si je voulais connaitre la fin du film.

Je quittai le groupe un peu avant une heure du matin. Devant mon domicile, je découvris une ambulance. Malgré l’heure tardive, des voisins étaient sortis regardant le véhicule. Une femme pleurait. « Rien de grave, j’espère ? » demandai-je bêtement à ma voisine de palier. « La fille du troisième a tenté de se suicider » murmura-t-elle. L’adolescente avait beaucoup d’affection pour ma voisine si bien qu’elle lui avait laissé un message d’adieu après s’être ouvert les veines dans la baignoire, pendant que ses parents dormaient. Encore une fois, je repensai à la cassette. J’attendis avec ma voisine, cherchant à réconcilier le couple malheureux. Je les laissai aussi suivre l’ambulance, en espérant que la gamine s’en sorte. Il devait être plus de deux heures du matin passé lorsque j’entrai chez moi. Tout à coup, j’entendis : « Veux-tu connaitre la fin du film ? ». La femme en noir était au bout du couloir. Elle me fixait du regard malgré les cheveux qui recouvraient son visage. La lumière s’éteignit brusquement, elle avait disparu quand je rallumai.

Deux jours passèrent avant de recevoir un appel de Lucie. Elle m’invita à passer le weekend dans un manoir pour un jeu de rôle. Nous avions cette passion commune. Quand la voiture s’arrêta devant mon immeuble, je vis mon pote et sa copine en descendre pour fumer une cigarette. Je les rejoignis transportant un sac que je déposai dans le coffre. Mon pote conduisait pendant que j’occupai la place de passager. Quant aux filles, elles prirent leurs aises sur la banquette arrière.

Je fus étonné de découvrir le magnifique château dans lequel nous allions jouer. Il se trouvait en Basse-Normandie du côté de Cabourg. Après avoir déposé nos affaires, nous fûmes invités à écouter les règles du jeu. Il s’agissait d’un scénario à la « Agatha Christie ». Nous avions un temps limité pour trouver le tueur. Autrement, l’un de nous serait zigouillé. Nous tirâmes au sort nos rôles, j’avais celui d’un petit notaire de province qu’on faisait chanter. Dans le jeu, j’avais à la fois un mobile de meurtre mais je pouvais aussi être victime. Les éliminés devaient vêtir une bure pour les différencier. Plus tard, je compris qu’ils jouaient un nouveau rôle.

Je partageais ma chambre avec Lucie. Il m’était difficile de refuser surtout que mon pote et sa copine voulaient rester ensemble. Je conclue qu’ils avaient manigancé l’affaire. Toutefois, notre première nuit fut amicale. Nous apprîmes à nous connaitre et nous apprécier. Nous dormîmes dans le même lit. Cependant, je me surpris à me réveiller lové contre elle. Elle en sembla ravie lorsqu’elle me souhaita le bonjour.

Une partie du jeu eut lieu dans les jardins du manoir. Je suivis une piste m’éloignant vers un petit bois. C’est avant d’entrer dans la forêt que j’entendis marcher et discuter. Plus loin, trois hommes en tenue signalant qu’ils étaient éliminés, avaient décidé de se promener en attendant leur réapparition dans le jeu. Je fus étonné de retrouver la tenue exacte de la cassette, des habits de moine avec une cagoule d’inquisiteur. Aussi, je décidai de les suivre à distance. Ils traversèrent le bois, marchant tranquillement. Soudain, un râle détourna mon attention. Je remarquai des mouvements derrière un arbre. Dès lors, j’avançai et quelle fut ma surprise de voir mon pote et sa copine prendre leur pied en pleine forêt. Leurs vêtements gisaient à même le sol.

Me rappelant soudainement la cassette, je pris une direction qui ressemblait à celle de la caméra. J’avançai sans réaliser que des flocons tombaient sur mes épaules. Je marchai découvrant au bout la fameuse falaise où la femme était tombée. J’approchai mais ne remarquai rien de particulier. Soudain, un vent surgit de nulle part et me poussa légèrement, suffisamment pour que mon pied glisse. Je dévalai la falaise comme une boule à pleine vitesse. Arrivé au sol, je sentis que ça n’allait pas. Et je m’évanouis en découvrant la fracture ouverte de mon tibia.

Lorsque je me réveillai à l’hôpital, Lucie était assise à côté avec mon pote. Je découvris ma mère qui, inquiète, traversa la moitié de la France pour me voir. J’avais été opéré, la jambe en l’air, le bras droit plâtré et un collier cervical autour du cou. Je prononçai quelques mots jusqu’à l’intervention d’une infirmière ; elle demanda de me laisser tranquille. Dès lors, je m’endormis mais un souffle me réveilla aussitôt. Je regardai sur le plateau à roulettes qui sert de table de repas et vis une cassette posée dessus. Une silhouette apparut derrière la fenêtre. Elle avait la forme d’une femme aux cheveux longs et noirs. Elle soupira quelques mots avant de s’évanouir : « Veux-tu connaitre la fin du film ? »

Alex@r60 – août 2021

[fools-of-wna]

Nicknames (1) | Calla Megrez

OCs belong to @anunluckyrabbit, @walpurga-nacht-academy/@girl-in-the-tower and @bakujho!

Yuuki Tsukino: Arctic hare

Rosalia Morgainne: Lemming

Blanche Dion: Snowshoe hare

Marcia Pyroeis: Wolverine

June Himalia: Great skua

Diana Arrow: Polar bear

Cassandra Delphine: Ermine

Agatha Voisin: Harp seal

Vita Dies: Snow fox

Yoru Crowley: Peregrine falcon

[armyx]

Univers visuel

Lorsque l’on me parle d’inspiration, la première chose qui apparaît, le premier nom me venant à l’esprit (et qui est peut-être vu comme classique pour certains ou redondant comme choix pour d’autres, mais qui reste malgré tout pour moi indétrônable), est Hayao Miyazaki. Ou plus simplement, les univers qu’ils créent. Il n’y a qu’à voir les plus connus avec Princesse Mononoké, Ponyo sur la falaise, Mon Voisin Totoro ou encore Le Voyage de chihiro ou Le Château Ambulant, où l’on peut voir le personnage Hauru allongé dans un lit, dans une chambre remplie d’objets tout droit sortie de l’imagination. Et c’est sûrement ce côté-là que j’admire le plus dans son travail, le fruit de toute cette imagination justement. Tant sur le scénario que sur les décors, les costumes, les espèces créées et autre qui je pense, traverseront le temps.

C’est également au travers de dessins venant de comptes Instagram, tel que @loisvb (dessins sur tablette dans un style un peu cartoon), @heikala (porté davantage sur l’aquarelle, qui me fait rêver par sa maîtrise), ou encore @willwestonstudio (qui est à mon sens très précis et clair dans ses dessins du corps humain), que je trouve, non pas une source d’inspiration mais peut-être même davantage à savoir une source de motivation permanente.

Parmi mes lectures, se trouve aussi un auteur. C’est lui qui pour la première fois, m’a fait découvrir un univers nouveau. Celui de la science-fiction. C’est avec Barjavel que j’ai pu ouvrir de nouvelles portes sur un tout autre type de monde où là aussi, pratiquement tout est possible. Dans  La Nuit des Temps par exemple, ou Le Grand Secret.

Dans l’univers des romans policiers, on voit une autre sorte d’imagination, plus malsaine si je puis dire. On entre dans des réflexions plus tordues, puisque l’on est dans les pensées de psycopathes, de meurtriers, mais là aussi, l’imagination et le style de certains auteurs reste incroyable. Je pense par exemple à Fred Vargas, Jean-Christophe Granger ou la célèbre Agatha Christie.

Ainsi, l’une des qualités qui ne cesse jamais de me surprendre chez l’homme, et ce quelle que soit sa fin, est son imagination qui semble sans limite.

Alix Chevrin

[walpurga-nacht-academy]

BHJHBHKBJKGKHKH

Make them hurt, Aggie! 

Thank you!! ❤️ ❤️

I... heard... that... the... stupid... amoeba... and... the... dumb... chowder... are... coming... over... for... a.... sleepover... It's... only... fair... I... get... to... be... there... as.... well... ehehehehehehehe.... - Agatha

Another guest is here!

Now there are four...

[astrognossienne]

the signs as medieval and modern era witches (female)

aries: joan wytte

taurus: moll dyer

gemini: angéle de la barth

cancer: marie leveau

leo: isobel gowdie

virgo: matteuccia de francesco

libra: la voisin

scorpio: walpurga hausmännin

sagittarius: lisbeth nypan

capricorn: tamsin blight

aquarius: agatha southeil

pisces: mother shipton

[walpurga-nacht-academy]

ELIKSIA DORM - BIRTHDAY VENUE

SCENE I

PUPPET: [Upon this blessed day, we bring to you an offering that seeks to satisfy your whims. On behalf of us, servants, we present to you the one which the fates considered worthy: THE GREAT GRIM.]

AGATHA: Great... Grim... Ehehehehehehehehehe...

GRIM: Don't laugh!! What's even so funny about it?!

AGATHA: The... dumb... cat... says... a... lot... of... stupid... things... so... it's... really... funny...

I'm... glad... that... they... sent... you... here... of... all... people... I've... been... needing... cat... hair... for... my... experiments...

GRIM: E-EXPERIMENTS?! NO WAY!! I'M NOT LETTING YOU USE ME FOR ANY SORT OF-

GYAAAAAH!

AGATHA: Ehehehehehe... you're... so... loud... even... though... I... only... took... a... little... tuff... Scaredy... cats... like... you... are... fun... to... play... with...

GRIM: GRRRRRRRR!! YOU-!!!

AGATHA: Well... then... let's... get... started...

What... did... you... bring... me... as... a... gift... huh... ?

GRIM: BOSSY!! You're just gonna ask for it outright?! Is that all that you wanted from me when you called me over?!

AGATHA: That... was... the... puppet... so... don't... put... that... on... me... If... I... could... I... would... have... spent... the... day... only... with... Big... Sis... and... Big... Bro... but... since... you're... here... you... have... to... entertain... me...

GRIM: Listen, human-

AGATHA: I'm... not... human... though...

GRIM: H-Huh?! You're not... Then, just what are you?

AGATHA: ........... Doesn't... matter... so... just... get... on... with... the... present... I'm... curious... to... see... what... a... cat... gets... people... for... their... birthdays... ehehehehehehe...

GRIM: Hmph! Well, just so ya know, I've put a lot of thought in this so you better be prepared to be amazed by my genius! Ta-Da!

AGATHA: It's... a... tuna... can...

GRIM: WHY ARE SO SOUNDING SO UNIMPRESSED?!

AGATHA: Not... to... mention... that... it's... empty... too... All... the... tuna... inside... it... is... gone... Just... some... small... morsels... are... there... It's... basically... just... trash...

GRIM: DON'T CALL IT TRASH!! AND IT'S ONLY EMPTY BECAUSE I GOT HUNGRY ON THE WAY HERE!! IT'S WAS FULL WHEN I LEFT RAMSHACKLE THIS MORNING!!

AGATHA: Geh...

GRIM: YOU THREW IT AWAY??

AGATHA: I... already... have... shiny... tuna... cans... in... my... room... so... I... don't... need... more... And... I... hate... tuna... to...

GRIM: Then why do you keep the cans?!

AGATHA: ............ I... like... human... objects... They... always... wash... up... at... bottom... of... the... ocean... which... makes... it... fun... to... collect... them... all... But... humans... always... get... angry... when... I... take... them... and... say... that... I... am... stealing... them... But... what... do... corpses... need... with... human... objects... anyway... Not... even... the... ghosts... care...

GRIM: He-Hey! Wait a second! What do you mean by corpses...

AGATHA: Shouldn't... you... worry... more... about... yourself...

GRIM: Huh?! What do you mean by that?! And why does your expression seem 40% more evil?? Sta-Stay away!! I'll burn ya if you come any closer!!

AGATHA: Coming... to... a... party... with... no... present... is... really... rude... you... know... ? It's... supposed... to... be... my... perfect... day... but... still... have... to... meet... with... people... I... don't... like... It's... really... the... worst...

GRIM: And what is coming closer to me going to accomplish?!

AGATHA: You... need... to... give... me... a... present... since... it's... my... birthday... But... since... you... brought... in... only... some... trash... I... will... settle... for... something... that... I... would... like... instead...

GRIM: Huh?! And what's that?! Don't tell me you're going to cook me?! O-Or use me as one of your experiments?!

AGATHA: EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!

GRIM: STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!

SCENE II

GRIM: HEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!

AGATHA: Stop... struggling... already... and... be... a... good... cat... You're... going... to... rip... my... birthday... uniform... if... you... keep... moving... around... so... much...

GRIM: THEN STOP SQUEEZING ME ALREADY AND LET GO!! This is getting uncomfortable for me too and I can't move around at all! Also!! You're very cold!!

AGATHA: The... ocean... tends... to... be... very... cold... sometimes... so... my... species... develops... thick... skin... to... deal... with... it... Just... like... you... have... cute... fluffy... fur...

GRIM: Hey!! Don't start petting me all of a sudden!!

AGATHA: Why.... not... ? The... shrimp... from... Night... Raven... always... gets... to... cuddle... you... and... pet... you... It's... not... fair... Animals... tend... to... get... scared... of... me... so... this... is... the... first... time... I... got... to... hold... a... cat... since... coming... to... land... Your... fur... is... really... nice... and... soft... and... it... helps... me... relax... to... hold... you... like... this...

It's... my... birthday... so... I... should... be... allowed... to... do... what... I... want...

GRIM: Gyah!! That is seriously not ok!! I'm not a cat!! And you're way too forceful with these squeezes and it feels like my insides are gonna be coming up!! Ugh, I can already taste the tuna...

AGATHA: Ehehehehehehehehe...

PUPPET: [Shall I proceed with the game?]

GRIM: Game?? What game?!

PUPPET: [All guests are required to play a game with the girl that is being celebrated as per instructions. You have been informed of this when you were recruited for the position.]

GRIM: Huh?! I don't remember that, yanno!!

PUPPET: [I shall now proceed to ask a question that Agatha Voisin will answer and which THE GREAT GRIM will be tasked to interpret.]

GRIM: HEY!! DON'T IGNORE ME!!

PUPPET: [A plain white coffee mug of your own design sits ready for the kiln and is staring at you in blank anticipation. You have chosen to use a blue glaze to paint it and now you must decide on the pattern. Which pattern do you paint in blue on the mug?]

GRIM: Geh! What sort of weird question is this?!

AGATHA: It... should... be... a... cute... polka... dot... pattern... of... course...

GRIM: POLKA DOT?! That's something else for a mug... And I didn't think you'd be the kind to like cute things...

AGATHA: Everybody... likes... cute... things... That's... why humans... get... so... attached... to... them... If... something... is... cute... they... won't... throw... it... away... any... time... soon... and... cute... humans... get... a... lot... of... attention... and... nobody... treats... them... badly...

GRIM: Eh?! You got all that from a polka dot pattern?!

AGATHA: ....... Ehehehehehe... I... bet... that... you... picked... something... dumb... didn't... you...

GRIM: HUH?! DUMB?!

Obviously, if you're going to paint something, it should be with the Great Grim's face on it!

AGATHA: EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! Just... like... I... thought...

GRIM: HEY!! EASE UP ON THE PETTING!!

SCENE III

PUPPET: [Please proceed to the last part of the interview.]

GRIM: HUH?! There's more?!

Eh, it's a piece of paper with a question on it...

"If you could not have chosen your current dorm, which would have been your second option?"

AGATHA: Ehehehehehehe... Being... anywhere... but... in... Eliksia... I... can't... imagine... that... This... is... the... dorm... that's... most... suited... for... me... no... matter... how... you... think... about... it...

GRIM: Ugh, I can tell... There's so many strange potions and elixirs all around that it's making me nervous... I can't feel comfortable in this sort of place at all...

AGATHA: Is... that... so... but... when... the... cauldrons... are... lit... up... it's... really... pretty... you... know... ? Of... course... some... might... explode... but... that's... nice... too...

GRIM: He-Hearing talk about it is sending shivers down my spine!! I can't stand it!!

AGATHA: Ehehehehehhe....

But... if... I... had... to... pick... another... dorm... it... would... have... to... be... Grimmaire...

GRIM: Huh?! Seriously... Wait, which one was that again? The one with the books... right?

AGATHA: That's... right... The... library... of... Grimmaire... is... one... of... the... largest... school... libraries... in... the... world... and... they... constantly... get... rare... editions... of... books... since... they... have... an... internship... deal... with... the.. Ministry... too...

Whatever... lost... books... there... are... there... should... be... a... copy... in... Grimmaire... as... well... But... you're... not... allowed... to... consult... them... without... special... permission... from... the... Headmistress... and... the... Prefect...

GRIM: Books... ugh, that must mean a lot of reading...

AGATHA: It's... not... for... dumb... chowders... at... all... ehehehehehehe...

But... I... would... like... to... study... there... since... I... bet... I... could... learn... more... about... the... human... world... that... way... There's... a... lot... of... stuf... that... I... would... like... to... visit... but... since... my... body... is... like... this...

GRIM: ........ GYAH! DON'T JUST HUG ME LIKE THIS!!

AGATHA: Ehehehehehehehe... I... hope... that... one... day... I... get... to... show... Big... Sis... and... Big... Bro... how... much... I've... learned...

Then... we... could... all.. go... on... a... trip... together... eheheheheheh...

[*]

PUPPET: [Congratulations. The interview portion has been completed. Please proceed to the last event of the celebrations. A bottle has already been prepared for you.]

GRIM: Finally!! Hm? That's a bottle of something fizzy... Just my luck!! I've been so thirsty after everything!!

AGATHA: That's... not... for... you... not... drink... just... yet... First... you... have... to... shake... it...

GRIM: Shake it? Like this... Hm...

[champagne pops]

GYA! THE TOP POPPED OFF! It's spilling all over! Let me... IT'S SO BITTER!

AGATHA: Ehehehehehe... it's... champagne... after... all... I... like... the... bitterness... myself...

GRIM: Ugh! You're just getting weirder and weirder!! Never mind! Since this is over I'm gonna take off with the cake! Gyahahahaha!

AGATHA: Ehehehehehehe... He... really... is... just... a... dumb... cat...

[jhoudiey]

walpurga-nacht-academy: 👁‍🗨 for Amon and any of the WNA girls?

Lets play a game of how long Amon is allowed on WNA campus before the Nisse Tomte roll his ass down the hill in a barrel...

Rosalia: He had heard about her Witch's dance and thought she'd be much more... impressive than she is, finds her forgettable.

Blanche: An easy target, and will likely give him the exact reactions he'd be looking for. Hasn't been allowed to torment her as he would want because the noise is disturbing to others as well.

Marcia: He thinks she's hilarious and loves her dedication to the hustle. Offered her madol in exchange for taking part in some of his experiments, which she graciously declined.

June: Her finds her strength very exciting and very likely got kicked off of campus for pushing her buttons to see it at it's full potential. He finds her a bit unhinged and loves how easy she is to set off. If he were straight he'd have a huge crush on her.

Diana: He finds her very disconcerting but also very interesting. He likes the animalistic energy, but suspects she'd fight back too much to be of any fun.

Cassandra: Who? Not interested.

Agatha: Thinks she's hilarious, she has a lot of spunk for someone so small and would love to test her limits because he suspects she talks a bigger talk than her walk.

Vita: He would kill to get her hands on her magic, and loves her energy. Like, anyone else with a strong personality and an impressive magic he wants to completely destroy her and watch her squirm. He finds her incredibly intimidating in the most complimentary way, and loves to watch her command others.

[azusawrites]

OC LIST

Twisted Wonderland

🐗 Kore Hightower

story: Mirror Märchen

tag: kore hightower

ship tag: goldtower

Theo Yule

Antonia Corvine

tag: antonia corvine

🍓 Rosalia Morgainne

tag: rosalia morgainne

ship tag: wolfbeauty

🐇 Blanche Dion

tag: blanche dion

ship tag: rosedoll

🧹 Marcia Pyroeis

tag: marcia pyroeis

🐸 June Himalia

tag: june himalia

ship tag: harvestapple

🐊 Diana Arrow

tag: diana arrow

ship tag: wildocto

🦋 Cassandra Delphinne

tag: cassandra delphinne

ship tag: silverfey

🧪 Agatha Voisin

tag: agatha voisin

🕷 Iovita Despoina Dies

tag: vita dies

ship tag: blackflame

Tokyo Revengers

🍨 Chiemi Tomoe

tag: chiemi tomoe

ship tag: lovefool

Kemono Jihen

🦴 Mitsuru Morita

tag: morita mitsuru

Genshin Impact

🧶 Vionnette Lesart

tag: vionnette lesart

🛎️ Charlotte Agmundr

tag: charlotte agmundr

Obey Me

🎬 Clare Weir

story: GOETHIA

tag: clare weir ship tag: witchbane

ship tag: witchdream

ship tag: witchking

ship tag: whitewitch

Boku No Hero Academia

💉 Kiyoko Seiki

story: rust and stardust

tag: kiyoko seiki

ship tag: pink gin

ship tag: pink absinthe

ship tag: pink lemonade

Bungou Stray Dogs

💎 Hasegawa Yasuko

tag: hasegawa yasuko

[girl-in-the-tower]

Ok, so I’ve been planning my next few months for the past week to take into account my writing schedule and I think I finally came up with something that might be feasible! In other words, this is an announcement of what my (hopefully achievable) goals will be!

The first section is fics that are in the process of being complete or in the editing process already, with only the third and fourth being in the planning stages! The word count is all over the place for these ones, lol, but hopefully I’ll be able to keep it somewhat consistent.

The second section was pretty much born out of a need to try out flash fiction after I’ve been binging it for a while. The themes and characters chosen were things or themes that just appealed to me! Titles are still undecided for this section, so instead I decided to include the sentence that made me think I should give this a try! I will try to keep to the proposed word limit simply because I was to challenge myself.

The last section is something I’ve been thinking of for a while now, simply because summer does inspire a theme of love in me, haha! It’s centered on the WNA girls and the various relationships (romantic and platonic) that they share with the canon characters. They’ll most likely going to be rather short, very descriptive and primarily fluff! 

Upcoming

❀ something in the way she knows - R18, ship fic, Azul Ashengrotto/Diana Arrow

❀ at the foot of this mountain, i only see clouds - T, gen fic, Malleus Draconia & Kore Hightower

❀ don’t go, don’t go so easy - T, (unrequited love) ship fic, Ace Trappola/Kore Hightower

❀ day to night to morning - R18, ship fic, multichapter, AU, Kalim Al-Asim/Kore Hightower

❀ you gave me a lily, but now it’s a field - T, gen fic, fluff, Kalim Al-Asim/Kore Hightower

Flash Fiction

✒ Cater: “He’s told that summer is best enjoyed together with others. Cater begs to differ.” - 50 words

✒ Lilia: “Lilia believes that love can be measured in heartbeats.” - 100 words

✒ Idia: “The Sun is falling.” - 750 words

✒ Jamil: “They find the snake’s skin, but not the tail.” - 1,000 words

Vignettes - Kisses

☀ Jack Howl/Rosalia Morgainne, theme: beach kiss

☀ Riddle Rosehearts/Blanche Dion, theme: first kiss

☀ Sebek Zigvolt & Marcia Pyroeis, theme: blowing kisses

☀ Epel Felmier/June Himalia, theme: frustrated kiss

☀ Azul Ashengrotto/Diana Arrow, theme: proposal kiss

☀ Silver/Cassandra Delphinne, theme: hand kiss

☀ Sam & Agatha Voisin, theme: head kiss

☀ Idia Shroud/Vita Dies, theme: victory kiss

[librairiemelodieensoussol]

Edition France Loisirs en bon état comprenant 2 titres de Agatha Christie 598 pages 2007 L'Affaire Prothero ou L'Affaire Protheroe (titre original : The Murder at the Vicarage) est un roman policier écrit par Agatha Christie publié en octobre 1930 au Royaume-Uni. Il est publié la même année aux États-Unis et en 1932 en France. C'est le premier roman mettant en scène la détective amatrice Miss Jane Marple. Résumé Retraité à St. Mary Mead, le colonel Protheroe y vit avec sa jeune épouse. Son caractère emporté le rend impopulaire dans le village. Il est retrouvé un pistolet dans la main droite et une balle dans la tête dans le bureau du pasteur alors qu'il avait annoncé vouloir vérifier la régularité des comptes de l'église. A côté du corps, on a trouvé une note confuse qui disait seulement : "6h20 du matin. Cher Clément, je suis désolé, je ne peux pas attendre plus longtemps car je dois...". Sa voisine Miss Marple mène alors son enquête. Elle cite sept suspects du crime et, pour trouver le meurtrier, elle fait appel à l'aide du pasteur Clement dans l'enquête de ce mystère, qui implique tant d'autres mystères inimaginables. #oiseaumortvintage #melodieensoussol #butindechine #retourdechine #librairie #libraire #librairiemarseille #librairieindependante #librairiedoccasion #librairieenligne #livresdoccasion #onlinebookstore #bookstore #livrerare #vintage #vintagebook #agathachristie #missmarple #themurderatthevicarage https://www.instagram.com/p/CiDe5V_sTk9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[girl-in-the-tower]

It’s the Chaos Quintet lol!

Shipping Meme Template: Yuuki

Free to use! Sorry for the drawing, I was using my phone instead of my lapto.