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rainbowfic2021-07-07 09:35 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2021-07-07 09:35 pm
Candy Green #6 [Divide & Rule]
Name: Out of the Shadows
Story: Divide & Rule/Heroes of the Revolution
Colors: Candy Green #6 (Peppermint)
Supplies and Styles: Graffiti (June Challenge) + Eraser + Pastels (also forhc_bingo square “Suicide attempt” and genprompt_bingo square “Falls the Shadow”) + Tapestry
Word Count: 1419
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Some suicidal ideation. Mentions of necromancy?
Notes: Edward Iveson/Julia Graves; Dark Fantasy AU (from the giant list again).
Summary: Julia is prepared to do whatever it takes to bring her younger brother back from the dead.
***
Smoke and shadows wove their way around Julia as she stood, arms upraised, in the midst of the old burial ground at the edge of the woods. The energy burning her fingertips caused her to tremble. It was working. She cast the last of the henbane leaves onto the small fire, then pricked her finger with a darning needle and forced out three drops of blood. The smog closed in, even the flames looking faint through it before they sputtered and died, leaving a spire of acrid smoke that filled her nostrils and lungs. Her senses began to thrum and she could see shapes shifting in the air.
She closed her eyes, steeling herself to utter the final word. She must save Rudy. Nothing else mattered. She raised her head again, and opened her mouth, when, suddenly, drops of something wet fell against her hand and the penetrating, clean scent of peppermint oil broke into the foul-smelling haze.
She coughed and stumbled, disorientated at the breaking of her spell-casting, but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back from the darkness around the tomb. She blinked as the shadows she’d conjured slowly receded, revealing a clear, starlit sky.
“Julia,” said her unwanted spell-breaker. “Stop this at once. You can’t.”
It was Edward Iveson, a member of the local town’s council who had given her the bad news about Rudy. She turned to rage at him, but she remained half caught in her own enchantments, and could not speak. Straggling demons within her writhed and shrieked in her head, or in her ear – she should strike him dead, burn him to nothing, tear him to pieces –
The screaming and pressing, pent up power both died at the same moment, with an abruptness that caused her to stagger against Edward, who caught hold of her.
“I wasn’t too late,” he said, more to himself than to her. His arm tightened around her and, leaning against him, she could hear his heart beating fast. Then he shifted his position and coughed, gently pushing her away, though not entirely letting go. Julia swallowed and tried to speak again, but only began to shiver uncontrollably. Edward moved and then he dropped his long coat around her shoulders, the warmth of it easing the tremors. The smell of peppermint grew stronger.
Julia blinked, trying to recover her proper senses. She caught her breath, her chest tightening with panic, unable to stop the shivering or her teeth chattering. Maybe she was going to die after all.
“I’m sorry,” Edward said, putting his arm around her again, and pulling her in close, to try and warm her further. “I’m afraid the reaction is going to be quite nasty, but I had to stop you. At least you didn’t complete the incantation! Dear gods, you don’t know what you almost did.”
Julia swallowed and finally managed to speak. “I d-do! I knew the price. I was g-going to g-get Rudy b-back!” She effected a weak, half-hearted punch to his arm. “Why d-did you have to interfere?” The short burst of anger cost her and she stopped, leaning her head against his chest.
Edward kept his arm around her as he led her further away from the stone tomb on which she’d built her tiny pyre of ominous herbs. “You don’t know, or you wouldn’t have tried.”
Julia lifted her head. Edward was annoying, but she was warming up in his hold, so she didn’t pull away. She wanted to object again, but she couldn’t get the words out. But she knew it would have been her life for Rudy’s, and she had been ready to make that sacrifice. At least, she had earlier. Now her conviction had vanished. She closed her eyes again, tears threatening. She didn’t think she wanted to die after all.
She said, her voice thick, “Why, why?”
“Once I’d seen which scroll you’d taken, I had to,” said Edward, seeming to understand what she meant. “Julia, that spell would have ripped the soul right out of you and shredded it. Even if it succeeded in calling back Rudy, there’s never been an instance where forcibly putting the dead person’s soul into the living body has gone well. And generally if you perform a rite like that in a site like this, you attract every dark spirit and demon in the entire region. And in the race to inhabit your body, by and large, the average deceased mortal soul doesn’t have good odds.”
Julia’s shivering eased, but she felt a weight of exhaustion beginning to fall on her. Talk of her soul being shredded or what Rudy’s plight might have been at such a weird resurrection, or thinking of demons running riot in her form didn’t help.
“I’m sorry,” Edward said, weary. “But you could have endangered the whole town. Necromancy is outlawed for very good reasons. Which is another danger. If anyone else knew, you’d be under lock and key – and the death penalty still stands for it. ”
Julia turned her head, not about to let him get away with the lecture even if she deserved it. All she managed as a retort, though, was: “Why peppermint?”
“I didn’t have anything better to hand,” he said, sounding defensive. “But I only needed something to break through the atmosphere and reach you, and I thought it would do. It may have virtue of its own, but the sources don’t agree.”
“Sources?”
“I keep the town archives,” he said. “Fortunately for you, as it meant I had plenty of works to consult on the subject. Julia, I am sorry. I’m sorry about Rudy; I’m sorry about the rest of your family, and I don’t blame you for wanting to do something so –” He checked himself, and said, “Reckless. Desperate. Truly. But you can’t.”
Julia straightened, despite her unsteadiness. If she’d been stronger, she’d have told him exactly what she thought of interfering, patronising town archivists, but she couldn’t stay upright without him yet. She put her hand up, rubbing her aching head. “I know,” she said, tired enough to want only to ward off more scolding.
“I am sorry,” he said again, mildly.
She shuddered, and he shifted his position, searching his pockets for something – and then passed her a biscuit.
“Eat that,” he said. “It will help. It’s ginger.”
Julia took it. There was no use in arguing with a man who came armed with food just when one needed it the most, or at least, not until after she’d finished the biscuit. Halfway through, with her mouth fuller than it should have been for talking, she said, “Does ginger have virtue, too?”
“It’s just a biscuit,” he said. “Although I suppose it’s possible.” He watched her wipe the last crumbs from her mouth. “Good. Come on. We cannot stay in this unholy place. Who knows what demons you’ve summoned here?”
Julia allowed him to usher her onwards, towards the old iron gate and the path back to the town. “If they come after us, are you going to fight them with peppermint?”
“I don’t think that would work, and all I have else is a lamp and one small protection charm, so we should hurry.” He coughed. “I couldn’t ask for any help. I didn’t want you arrested. Now, let’s go.”
Julia took a final look at the crumbling stone tombs. She had intended this to be her last resting place, but it seemed she had further to go yet. She wasn’t sure how grateful she was. She said a silent goodbye to Rudy and then hung onto Edward as he walked her away.
“I’ll help in any way I can,” he said gently as they stepped out into the woods, surrounded by gnarled, grasping branches. “I told you. I’m a family friend – I owe it to you.”
Julia gave a quick nod, not wanting to talk about the future just yet. It was more than enough to deal with still having one at all when the present already hurt so much. She squeezed his hand in reply, because she knew he’d done more for her than most people would – and at considerable risk to himself. Had he come too late, he could have been the first victim of whatever unearthly horror she might have let in.
She swallowed back tears and said, trying to sound less shaky, “You don’t have another biscuit, do you?”
“Actually, yes,” said Edward, and she decided he was all right, after all. “I believe I do.”
***
Story: Divide & Rule/Heroes of the Revolution
Colors: Candy Green #6 (Peppermint)
Supplies and Styles: Graffiti (June Challenge) + Eraser + Pastels (also for
hc_bingo square “Suicide attempt” and genprompt_bingo square “Falls the Shadow”) + TapestryWord Count: 1419
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Some suicidal ideation. Mentions of necromancy?
Notes: Edward Iveson/Julia Graves; Dark Fantasy AU (from the giant list again).
Summary: Julia is prepared to do whatever it takes to bring her younger brother back from the dead.
***
Smoke and shadows wove their way around Julia as she stood, arms upraised, in the midst of the old burial ground at the edge of the woods. The energy burning her fingertips caused her to tremble. It was working. She cast the last of the henbane leaves onto the small fire, then pricked her finger with a darning needle and forced out three drops of blood. The smog closed in, even the flames looking faint through it before they sputtered and died, leaving a spire of acrid smoke that filled her nostrils and lungs. Her senses began to thrum and she could see shapes shifting in the air.
She closed her eyes, steeling herself to utter the final word. She must save Rudy. Nothing else mattered. She raised her head again, and opened her mouth, when, suddenly, drops of something wet fell against her hand and the penetrating, clean scent of peppermint oil broke into the foul-smelling haze.
She coughed and stumbled, disorientated at the breaking of her spell-casting, but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back from the darkness around the tomb. She blinked as the shadows she’d conjured slowly receded, revealing a clear, starlit sky.
“Julia,” said her unwanted spell-breaker. “Stop this at once. You can’t.”
It was Edward Iveson, a member of the local town’s council who had given her the bad news about Rudy. She turned to rage at him, but she remained half caught in her own enchantments, and could not speak. Straggling demons within her writhed and shrieked in her head, or in her ear – she should strike him dead, burn him to nothing, tear him to pieces –
The screaming and pressing, pent up power both died at the same moment, with an abruptness that caused her to stagger against Edward, who caught hold of her.
“I wasn’t too late,” he said, more to himself than to her. His arm tightened around her and, leaning against him, she could hear his heart beating fast. Then he shifted his position and coughed, gently pushing her away, though not entirely letting go. Julia swallowed and tried to speak again, but only began to shiver uncontrollably. Edward moved and then he dropped his long coat around her shoulders, the warmth of it easing the tremors. The smell of peppermint grew stronger.
Julia blinked, trying to recover her proper senses. She caught her breath, her chest tightening with panic, unable to stop the shivering or her teeth chattering. Maybe she was going to die after all.
“I’m sorry,” Edward said, putting his arm around her again, and pulling her in close, to try and warm her further. “I’m afraid the reaction is going to be quite nasty, but I had to stop you. At least you didn’t complete the incantation! Dear gods, you don’t know what you almost did.”
Julia swallowed and finally managed to speak. “I d-do! I knew the price. I was g-going to g-get Rudy b-back!” She effected a weak, half-hearted punch to his arm. “Why d-did you have to interfere?” The short burst of anger cost her and she stopped, leaning her head against his chest.
Edward kept his arm around her as he led her further away from the stone tomb on which she’d built her tiny pyre of ominous herbs. “You don’t know, or you wouldn’t have tried.”
Julia lifted her head. Edward was annoying, but she was warming up in his hold, so she didn’t pull away. She wanted to object again, but she couldn’t get the words out. But she knew it would have been her life for Rudy’s, and she had been ready to make that sacrifice. At least, she had earlier. Now her conviction had vanished. She closed her eyes again, tears threatening. She didn’t think she wanted to die after all.
She said, her voice thick, “Why, why?”
“Once I’d seen which scroll you’d taken, I had to,” said Edward, seeming to understand what she meant. “Julia, that spell would have ripped the soul right out of you and shredded it. Even if it succeeded in calling back Rudy, there’s never been an instance where forcibly putting the dead person’s soul into the living body has gone well. And generally if you perform a rite like that in a site like this, you attract every dark spirit and demon in the entire region. And in the race to inhabit your body, by and large, the average deceased mortal soul doesn’t have good odds.”
Julia’s shivering eased, but she felt a weight of exhaustion beginning to fall on her. Talk of her soul being shredded or what Rudy’s plight might have been at such a weird resurrection, or thinking of demons running riot in her form didn’t help.
“I’m sorry,” Edward said, weary. “But you could have endangered the whole town. Necromancy is outlawed for very good reasons. Which is another danger. If anyone else knew, you’d be under lock and key – and the death penalty still stands for it. ”
Julia turned her head, not about to let him get away with the lecture even if she deserved it. All she managed as a retort, though, was: “Why peppermint?”
“I didn’t have anything better to hand,” he said, sounding defensive. “But I only needed something to break through the atmosphere and reach you, and I thought it would do. It may have virtue of its own, but the sources don’t agree.”
“Sources?”
“I keep the town archives,” he said. “Fortunately for you, as it meant I had plenty of works to consult on the subject. Julia, I am sorry. I’m sorry about Rudy; I’m sorry about the rest of your family, and I don’t blame you for wanting to do something so –” He checked himself, and said, “Reckless. Desperate. Truly. But you can’t.”
Julia straightened, despite her unsteadiness. If she’d been stronger, she’d have told him exactly what she thought of interfering, patronising town archivists, but she couldn’t stay upright without him yet. She put her hand up, rubbing her aching head. “I know,” she said, tired enough to want only to ward off more scolding.
“I am sorry,” he said again, mildly.
She shuddered, and he shifted his position, searching his pockets for something – and then passed her a biscuit.
“Eat that,” he said. “It will help. It’s ginger.”
Julia took it. There was no use in arguing with a man who came armed with food just when one needed it the most, or at least, not until after she’d finished the biscuit. Halfway through, with her mouth fuller than it should have been for talking, she said, “Does ginger have virtue, too?”
“It’s just a biscuit,” he said. “Although I suppose it’s possible.” He watched her wipe the last crumbs from her mouth. “Good. Come on. We cannot stay in this unholy place. Who knows what demons you’ve summoned here?”
Julia allowed him to usher her onwards, towards the old iron gate and the path back to the town. “If they come after us, are you going to fight them with peppermint?”
“I don’t think that would work, and all I have else is a lamp and one small protection charm, so we should hurry.” He coughed. “I couldn’t ask for any help. I didn’t want you arrested. Now, let’s go.”
Julia took a final look at the crumbling stone tombs. She had intended this to be her last resting place, but it seemed she had further to go yet. She wasn’t sure how grateful she was. She said a silent goodbye to Rudy and then hung onto Edward as he walked her away.
“I’ll help in any way I can,” he said gently as they stepped out into the woods, surrounded by gnarled, grasping branches. “I told you. I’m a family friend – I owe it to you.”
Julia gave a quick nod, not wanting to talk about the future just yet. It was more than enough to deal with still having one at all when the present already hurt so much. She squeezed his hand in reply, because she knew he’d done more for her than most people would – and at considerable risk to himself. Had he come too late, he could have been the first victim of whatever unearthly horror she might have let in.
She swallowed back tears and said, trying to sound less shaky, “You don’t have another biscuit, do you?”
“Actually, yes,” said Edward, and she decided he was all right, after all. “I believe I do.”
***
no subject
Also, Ominous Herbs is the name of my new rock band.
no subject
And thanks for all those novelty beads! (Wow, such a lot, what was I on that week or so? lol)
no subject
1. https://33.media.tumblr.com/50c698f746a3dffe5ecc2e1ca4dcc664/tumblr_inline_o0gt4x0Wtr1rb98fp_500.gif
2. dog tag
3. https://i.pinimg.com/564x/82/59/26/825926d02a4a924f849a0f69744a5780.jpg
4. “I daresay Freddy might not be a great hand at slaying dragons- but one has not the smallest need of a man who can kill dragons!” ― Georgette Heyer
5. All lies and jest, still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest. - Simon and Garfunkel, The Boxer
6.
http://media.tumblr.com/e883129a75747d9e6dcec4916102021f/tumblr_inline_mi5abyFWEi1qz4rgp.gif
7. The wave of the future is coming and there is no fighting it. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh
8. http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9n716LMsc1qfvso1o2_r1_500.gif
9. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/09/52/ee/0952ee1180cf162c2bf088c135f08571.jpg
10. Rue, who when you ask her what she loves most in the world, replies, of all things, “Music.” ― Suzanne Collins
11. Nothing ever becomes real until it is experienced. - John Keats
12. A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away. - Phyllis McGinley
13. “He has no right to threaten my boyfriends. I'm eighteen. An adult. I don't need his help. I can threaten my boyfriends myself.” ― Richelle Mead
14. https://38.media.tumblr.com/38db3629c4af8d984f61ce3818df7861/tumblr_nbk1k8zUyb1s8kxvlo2_500.gif
15. modern
16. keep breathing
17. "If those harbor lights had been just half a mile inland/who knows what I would have done." Martha's Foolish Ginger, Tori Amos
18. bean
19. best job ever
20. https://40.media.tumblr.com/9787ad4b59345e271fa832d520b6b3d7/tumblr_inline_nlksrcjb2H1t5kgip_500.jpg