Bitchcraft

Alexander hadn't left the centre since the party. He just finally needed to get out and move. With the lighter work load he had he just didn't know what to do. He sighed as he walked into an empty park and looked up at the sky. He wished he could just fix what was ever wrong and be what his mother needed. The only person he felt like he hadn't fully failed yet was Matty but how long would that last?

Charlie was walking into a decently closeby park. Her own plans were  completely rejected. Although she understood why she was still trying to figure out how to help get more information. None of them knew what was being planned behind closed doors at the Rose centre. She shook her head a bit. She wasn't as useless as she thought anymore. She glanced around and noticed Alexander's gem. She would not let him get the jump on her again. She transformed and stayed a decent distance away, ready to summon a weapon at a moments notice. "Hello Alexander." She said in a cold tone. An opportunity arose for more information. And this time she was determined to not have to ask someone for help.

Alexander looked over at the call. He saw Charlie and bristled. Transforming he pulled out his knife and shield. "You really have a death wish don't you." His voice was shaky a bit. He needed to kill her to prove himself but he didn't have the confidence that he could do it.

Charlie saw the knife and she summed her fairy lights. She heard his voice was shaky good he should be nervous. "Maybe, maybe not." She answered as she flicked the fairy lights towards him, she would be getting the first hit this time. The bulbs exploded with a yellow poison. Percy said to run if she ran into anyone but she felt a need to do this fight. "You know, thanks for telling me how I would get someone killed during our first meeting, it motivated me enough to prove you wrong."

(14+16 dmg, 6 dmg (3dmg  for 4 rounds) (mage poison)

Alexander hissed at the poison. He charged at the girl but missed and hit his face into the spike on his shield. Fuck. That hurt. His mind was twisting and turning in all the wrong ways. (1 to hit, 2dmg)
Health: Alexander 72HP poisoned 4 rounds, Charlie 68HP

Charlie dropped the fairy lights and summoned her wand as Alexander hissed before she saw his soul gem begin racing at her before it stopped and she heard a metal clang. She aimed her wand at him keeping herself calm as she did. She shot off a large ray of magic. "Oh not so talkative this time?" She asked egging him on.  (12+16 to hit, 10 dmg)

Alexander glared at the girl. "Shut up." He snapped. And tried to hit her as he got on top of her but missed. (6 to hit)
Health: Alexander 59HP poisoned for 3 rounds, Charlie 68HP

Charlie sent a four bursts of magic towards Alexander as she kept an eye on his soul gem. He got closer and seemed to have attempted to hit her and missed. "Funny, you didn't listen the last time so why should I this time?" She asked as she kept her tone as even as possible, she was hitting harder then normal... maybe she was stronger after all... good. Maybe after this fight she would be able to put her nightmares behind her.  (16+16 to hit, 4x5 dmg (20 dmg)

Alexander grunted at the attack. "Cause killing you will fix all my mistakes!" He tried to hit her but missed. "Mother will see I'm not a failure." He snapped but he was less and less sure about this rvery step of the way. "I just want her to love me." (9 to hit)
Health: Alexander 36HP poisoned for 2 rounds, Charlie 68HP

Charlie noticed as he missed again, she ended off sending 3 small rays of magic at him. It seemed he was all bark and no bite this time. She heard him say killing her would fix all of his mistakes. She then heard him snap more and stayed still for a few seconds. "Killing me will not fix your mistakes because you made mistakes nonetheless." She said in a cold tone still. Oh boy Matty you chose someone with some serious trauma huh? "You shouldn't be having to kill people for your mother's love." She said. They said child abuse probably happened and well good god Alexander thought he had to kill people so his mom would love him.  (13+16 to hit, 3 dmg)

Alexander tried to hit the other again but continued to miss. "What do you know? You weren't raised to be a perfect magi so you could fulfill your destiny! I have to be perfect. I can't join my sisters unless I'm perfect." He said back tears starting to from in his eyes. Nononono he couldn't cry.  (10 to hit)
Health: Alexander 30HP poisoned for 1 round, Charlie 68HP

She felt a knife drop into her hands as she used it to shoot another ray of magic as Alexander missed once more. "No. I wasn't. My life has been anything but perfect. I couldn't even make the right wish. But what do you mean you cant join your sisters unless your perfect?" She asked her voice a little less cold. She saw an opportunity.  (15+16 to hit, 3 dmg)

Alexander just collapsed to the ground. "Mother said I strong enough to be perfect and I needed to be there before I could ascend." He explained just looking at the ground. "Seaford was a special test for me and I failed. I can't even kill the magi mother wants me to kill."

Health: Alexander 24HP, Charlie 68HP

Charlie looked at him and blinked seeing his soul gem descend to the ground and hearing a thump... did he pass out on her? No he began to talk... and oh got the bastard gremlin was spilling his life story. She let her soul extend a bit so she could see better. She most certainly was not off her guard and held her knife in her hands but she listened. "You know being perfect is impossible right?" She asked as he continued to talk more. Seaford was a test for him and his mom wanted her dead. "And ascending means you die?" She was wondering what was drilled into his brain. "... Do you even know why your mom want's me dead?" She asked, she knew the answer but did this bastard gremlin even know? (extended soul sight so she can see a bit, 5 rounds)

Alexander saw his tears as they fell to the ground. "Mother held my soul gem and knew I could be perfect. My soul told her that. Ascension is the greatest honor. We leave all the bad behind and who we truly are becomes one with the universe to keep it alive." He thought for a moment. "Many outsiders call it despair due to how you'll need to let your bad over take you before you can be only the good." He explained squeezing his eyes shut before he looked up at the girl. "I do as am told and mother said she wants you dead. Its not my place to ask she's the one that knows."

Charlie listened as Alexander spoke. She stayed quiet until he finished as she mentally decoded everything She began to twist her soul gem on her wrist. Why was he even telling her this stuff. She glanced at his soul gem to see if it was dangerously dark or if he was about to witch or something. It was a bit dark but not dangerous or anything. "That was because of your wish right? Wishing she could know the true potential of someone?" She asked not even hiding that she learned it from Eb. "It is an honor to your group only then. It is tragic for everyone else. We loose someone we love, a friend, and they are hurt right before it. Hurting to a point of being unable to come back from it. I haven't seen someone despair yet thankfully... but the witches are sad and screaming a lot of the time so I don't think it is a good thing." She said her own side. She glanced at the Yellow Alexander and thought a little more. "Alright then I suppose I will be the one to inform you then on this little reasoning. It's because she is a magi." With matty's reaction to it during the dance and no one else knowing at this point... at least out of the people she asked, it caused her to think maybe none of them knew? She still held the knife in her hands just to be safe though and stayed a decent distance apart.

Alexander looked at her in disbelief. "Thats impossible. She would have ascended by now. She... she knows how important it is for us to ascend and fulfill our destiny." He started tugging at his hair tears now falling. "No your lying you have to be. Mother can't be a magi she told me she learnt the truth to late and dedicated her life to the incubators." She had to be lying. There was no other option.

Charlie did expect the disbelief that she was given. She saw him tug his hair and the tears and she scrunched up her nose a bit. "That is what everyone else thought to. But she is still alive is she not? " So he didn't know at all alright that was good to know. She stayed calm. "I can see souls Alexander. I am not lying, if you think I am lying call an incubator. Her soul gem is a small oval shape over the right side of her chest, or at least it was during the masquerade." She said looking at him. His mother knew she knew. "Think about it for a second, wouldn't it have been better to try to have convinced me to join rose corp instead of outright killing me, I can see souls and I can tell who can or cannot become a magi. And yet she just said I had to die." Charlie was making a point.

"Shut up!" He yelled and curled in on himself. Mother couldn't be a magi. "This has to be fake. You have to be lying. It has to be a lie."  His body shook. "Alice and Crystal died to fulfill their destiny. Mother knows how important it is so why would she not ascend. You have to be lying." He held onto his neck. "I..."

Charlie saw the boy yell then curl up on himself and good god this was too much. She took in a small breath. "If you think I am lying ask the incubators. Ask them if your mother is a magi." She then heard two new names. Alice and Crystal. Oh they must be his siblings. Great so his siblings were magi and his entire family were. She still didn't want to get too close but he was having a break down and litterally anyone who would walk into the park would see this guy crying his eyes out and having a panic attack. "Its... hard to loose family I understand, my parents died in a carcrash after all... but I am not lying about this. Your mother might think ascending as you call it is a good idea. But she seems to have other plans in mind for herself." She said trying to help... good god what has this day brought her. "Come on, stand up and follow me. There is a bakery nearby and I have some money. I can buy you something from there if it would make you stop crying and having what seems to be a magi midlife crisis ok?"

Alexander looked up at the blind girl confused by her kindness. Outsiders were meant to be mean and rude but she was helping him? Offering him treats? He didn't understan. He nodded and got up dropping his transformation. "I've tried killing you. Why are you being nice?" He asked voice sounding small. "Mother said outsiders that won't accept us are always mean and rude." He muttered the last part almost trying to process this all.

Charlie rolled her eyes a bit. She noticed the transformation disappear and de-transformed herself. It didn't mean her guard wasn't up. "You have. And now we are even." She said, she heard as he said his mom said outsiders wont accept them and are mean and rude. "People are always going to be mean and rude but my friends are nice when you arent trying to kill and or attack us." She stated as she began to walk. "Sounds like you were taught some messed up stuff though."

Alexander made an annoyed noise about his up bringing. "Outsiders always try to harm us so we have to get a head of them. Its how it is."

Charlie looked back towards his soul gem, her extended sight vanished with the transformation. She heard his annoyed noise and just sighed. "Its probably because of a few of your groups ideal's but assuming everyone is like that is just close minded. " She said thinking a bit. "I mean technically you are doing what you seem to not like. Outsiders coming into your town and harming everyone you know and love. Imagine how I feel right now after your mom threatened my sister."  She said shaking her head a little.

Alexander just looked confused. "We need to be here though. We need to help the incubators." He said softly. "We have to travel around or else we'll fully drain a city of potential souls. Mother told me to push out the group from Seaford and see if we could save anyone. I was able to save Maddie and Blythe but thats it."

Charlie continued to listen and thought for a little bit. "There are other cities too. And what do you mean help the incubators?" She asked still being wary of Alexander as they walked. She then heard him say drain a city of potential souls. "What exactly does that mean?" She asked thinking about it. She heard him say save people and she scoffed. "Why do you need to push us out in the first place? " She wouldn't ask about saving because she could assume its one of their weird mindset things. Plus if Alexander thought for two seconds he would realize some of them never got that offer. "You know your mother sure does know a lot about this doesn't she?" She asked

"We help the incubators in creating new magi and those that are strong enough after knowing the truth stay and help those that don't ascend. They need energy our energy to keep the universe alive." He explained. "Once we run out of potential magi we move on to another city. She's known about magi since she was a teen but didn't know the truth till she was 19." Alexander looked at the other warry himself but he knew if he faught her he would die. He couldn't do that he had to ascend.

Charlie listened carefully to what he said. So they help incubators create new magi and they try to get people who are strong enough to know the truth. And the ones who arent straight up despair? " That doesn't sound bad, but what's with the whole killing thing here? It sounds like you started off doing good work and now its ended up with well killing kids and stuff?" She asked. She knew they needed grief seeds to keep themselves alive. But killing others who are just living well that wasn't redeemable. It sounds like she is hearing a justified version of events. "So... ah you basically go from city to city to... interesting. Any clue if she were hypothetically a magi what she would wish for?" She asked not wanting to fully upset him, she was getting answers and well it was nice.  She smelled the scent of bread and sweets and lifted her hand to point towards it. "Thats the bakery."

Alexander nodded. "Outsiders always cause problems so its best to get rid of them before hand. Mother says its for the best that way we don't have to fight over things." He still didn't like that she kept saying his mother is a magi. That was still impossible. Right? He looked up at the bakery. He hoped it was half as good as Matty.

Charlie sighed a little. "So you kill off or help ascend the current magi of the town then make them start over. You could make a team better by bringing in more people and setting it up in a more organized way, and respect the wishes of others. Fight when needed only? But no." She said with a small sigh as she reached for the door handle missing a few times before opening the door and gesturing for him to walk in. "I have 20 dollars on hand so order what you want."

"Its not my call. It's mother's. I just... I had made sure everything she wanted to happen happened." Alexander explained and then ordered a coffee cake and a bottle of water. He didn't want actually coffee for once.

Charlie thought for a few seconds, insulting his mother more wouldn't work. "Alright I understand. Do you actually like killing people though or like doing all of this... or is it so you can go to your sisters eventually?" She asked ordering herself some chocolate chip cookies and some lemonade.

"So I can be with my sisters. Mother said to find joy in everything so I just know one day I can be with them again." Alexander admitted softly and found a seat for them.

Charlie thought for a few seconds... well this was unexpected to her. "Were... your sister's magi too?" She asked a bit quieter. She noticed he stopped and used her stick to find the chair before pulling herself up to it. Damn tall chairs. "One day you will be with them again though. Everyone dies eventually after all." She said as she looked at his soul gem. She didn't like the guy but she knew what it was like to miss dead family members.

"They were magi and both ascended. I can't be with them if I don't ascend. Just like how Robin and Wren now can never see each other again." Alexander squeezed his eyes tight. "I can't ascend though unless mother said I can. She still needs me and I need to be worthy of being able to ascend."

Charlie stayed quiet as she thought a bit... oh... oh no. "I... am sorry about what happened... but I like to think if I die I will be reunited with my parents again. That everyone eventually becomes a part of the universe even if it takes more time then others." She offered She heard him say he cant ascend unless his mom says he can... "Do you want to ascend?" She asked. She wasn't using despairing as a word around him since he just said ascending.

Alexander shrugged, he wanted to be with his sisters but also wanted to help here. "It doesn't matter what I want." He took a bite of the cake and was sad by how it wasn't even half as good as Matty's.

Charlie thought for a few seconds before munching on her cookies. It was pretty good. "That's an unhealthy mindset." She said in a blunt tone. "Are you going to try to kill me again after we finish eating?"

Alexander looked at her. "I don't think I physically can but then I just failed again and mother will test me." He looked at the cake. He didn't want another test this close to the last one.

Charlie thought for a few seconds. He doesn't think he can. "Alright. Ah... what do your tests mean?" She was curious. She took a sip of lemonade. Figuring out tests might be good.

"To test if we can still keep going. We fight a witch and then spend two days alone to reflect on our failures. Then we give mother our soul gem and she'll know if we can keep fighting or not." Alexander explained to tired to care who he was talking to really.

Charlie did her best to not seem shocked about it. " A witch by yourself?" She asked quietly. Then they give Kritanta the soul gem... it was probably because of Alexander's wish to make his mom see true potential. She couldn't imagine another person touching her soul gem much less giving it to someone else. She pushed hers up her arm with a bit of anxiety from that. "Cant you choose to keep fighting if you want to?"

"No. Tests happen when we've failed to many times or when we get hurt and need to show we can still keep going." Alexander answered. "It helps understand why we keep fighting or why we can't keep fighting."

Charlie bit the inside of her mouth as he question was answered. So when they fail or get hurt and need to show they can keep going... " Alright then... that is... different. Other groups dont do the same thing. we all work as a team and get over our own issues as a team and learn as a team." She said quietly. She was beginning to make a theory up about what was going on. She finished up her cookies and thought for a few seconds. " I know you don't think everyone ends up in the same place when they die but it might be a better idea to try to think like that instead of causing yourself more grief over thinking otherwise." She said as she sat up straighter.

He looked at her and snorted. "Yeah sure." He looked at the cake and finished it in a few bites. "Why didn't you just kill me when you had the chance? Thats what Percy did to Robin."

Charlie rolled her eyes a bit taking another sip of her lemonade. "I am not going to kill someone crying on the ground calling out they want their mom to love them and all about their failures." She said in a calm voice looking straight at his soul gem. "Plus someone else decided they wanted to. Alexander you were right about one thing. Them protecting me would get someone killed. But it wasn't someone on my team." She said. She didn't talk about her own issues since she wouldn't let herself show her weaknesses around the nightmare she succeeded in facing. "That is unless you want me to go outside and finish the job now. Although it sounds like you would prefer ascending to that."

Alexander looked at her and felt more of his mistakes bubbling up. "I..." So it was his fault Robin died. "I'm sorry." It was soft almost like he didn't know he said it. "In the end it does it matter what I want? I don't even know what I want."

Charlie heard him say he was sorry and her face showed how taken aback she was. She thought for a few seconds before standing up. "I cannot accept your apology." She had a right to say that. She then heard him say it doesn't matter in the end what he wanted because he didn't know. "Your sounding like a friend of mine right now and I really hate it. I cant belive im about to..." She muttered under her breath before looking at his soul gem again. "It matters because what you want also often includes your own happiness, and looking at you your an absolute wreck of a bastard gremlin. Figureing out what makes you happy will make figuring out what you want easier. So figure that out. And if you want something your mother doesn't want then figure it out." She said giving minor advice.

Alexander couldn't look at the other. He didn't want to. "Thank you for the treat." He responded not really sure what else to say. Mother knew best he was supposed to listen to her so why was he really thinking about not listening. He failed this whole time.

Alexander said thank you and Charlie hated it. It felt unnatural to hear. "No problem. Also if you try to follow me or send anyone after me today I will not hesitate to fight." She said. She needed to let Percy know what happened. " I will be going now. Think about what I said. You said you would be tested and stuff well honestly it sounds awful." She grabbed her lemonade off the tall table and dusted herself off more. She was still keeping her guards up and an eye on Alexander though. Honestly might not be a bad idea to go with one of the ideas that were on the board.