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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2017 23:19:01 GMT
The Library, opening off the Knight's Hall was clearly a beloved but uncared for
location in Czocha Castle.
Michael had begged and borrowed a few things from the cleaning staff.
"Well" Michelangelo said to himself, "Time to make my mark."
The shelves were a miasma of no organization. Sometimes it followed authors, sometimes
it seemed a shelf was only there for a single subject organized by title, and the
Restricted Area was organized by cobwebs.
"You all deserve so much better than this." Michael told the books.
"So," Michael consulted a school program filled with topics he had never heard
of. "These Guardian majors need Conflux Studies and Magical Defense. Of course,
Alchemy for the Healers and Herbology? Ok, that's a new one."
Pacing the floor, measuring the distances "Technocrats? no Technomancy and Arithmancy
helps the Artificers. Really? Ok, Runic Magic and Ritual Magic for the Curse Breakers.
Finally Beastology-a course I know many need, and Invocation for the Cryptozoologists."
Chuckling, Michael was pretty much in his element. "Cryptozoologist? Didn't
that used to mean code breaker?"
What, no?" Michael turned to one of the mouthy books.
Michael traded his cane for a broom. Using it edgewise, he started marking out
the floor for shelves.
"The preference here is obviously going to be Invocation" A brush stroke.
A small grin, obviously Michael would be putting some of his own tomes in for
the students to explore.
"Let's see Alchemy and the last stand alone will be Magical Theory"
Michael worked out the rest, by focal with the remaining secondaries in between.
"Now, my desk, there, between the Restricted and the stacks. The study tables
can go on the far end."
Michael set to task, sweeping, de-cobweb-ifying and in general making the place
the kind of library that he, himself would feel welcome to study in.
Michael laid his basket and cleaning supplies on a table. "Before the next task
I better make sure I don't risk any student or staff that comes in."
Popping the cork from one of the bottles in his basket, Michael first sipped it.
Then assured it was just as good as his valet promised, swilled the entire bottle.
Fresh vitae, Michael allowed it to pump his muscles, strengthening him. Feeling
that power, that Potence, Michael rearranged his new Library.
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Post by Keeper of Darkness on May 12, 2017 16:16:17 GMT
There was a sound from one of the libraries long rows of books deep within the mythologies section. It was very distinctly the sound of book jackets as they rub together from being removed and placed back on a shelf. It was night, and as far as the staff knew the library was empty except for linger staff finishing off placing exam books back in their proper places.
A few books are slid on to a table just around the corner from Michael.
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2017 21:22:56 GMT
Odd, Michael said to himself.
Michael scanned the library, alert, as silent as he could be. Ears and eyes open.
I wonder what we have here? Michael had been told that the summer vacation had started as so only those few students with solstice studies and possibly those few staff whom called the Castle home would be here.
Michael was surprised as during the entire process, there had been no sign of the dead being interested in the Library. And no ghost or wraith had wandered in.
Finding the table, it's newly cleaned surface not revealing anything. The chairs were still pushed in.
Michael cleared his head, and coughed, "Show yourself." it wasn't a Command, but it was spoken at once in English and in the Lifeless Tongue. Any wraith, and anyone present would hear him.
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Post by Keeper of Darkness on May 13, 2017 1:31:37 GMT
"You know, these books could use an awful amount of cleaning." Helena gently drops another tome on the table. "Read it, Read it, Read it... dreadful, read it, read it, wouldn't be caught alive reading it. Read it, Read it." She was hovering her fingers over some of the bindings, inching her way towards the reference section.
"For a place of higher learning they are in dire need of more interesting and useful books. Perhaps Hogwarts could send over some of their duplicates, that would be nice for the students." She tsks and goes through a book case, then drifts back through again as she makes her way to the table. A book is swiftly picked up into her translucent hand, the other reaches out to pull the chair away from the table. She sits down, thumbing through the pages, reading.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2017 19:05:04 GMT
"Oh My Lady." Michael blinks a few times, I thought she was a wraith at Hogwarts? Could these places be more connected than I thought?
"I don't think you have to worry about being caught alive reading a tome such as that, or caught at all if you so wished it." Michael quipped to the familiar and welcome form of the Lady of Ravenclaw. "Besides, what exactly are your critique of such as what it is."
Coming down the alley between the stacks, Michael observed that many of them, no all of the books needed a lot of care. One thing at a time.
"Let me finish arranging this place to my liking, then I'll make sure the books themselves are cleaned properly." Putting a finger up, "Besides, if I understand it correctly, this is a vacation time for the majority of students so I'll have a while to ensure the books are in good condition."
"All are welcome, of course. And as for books from Hogwarts would you be willing to make the introductions?" Michael quickly set down his cleaning supplies, and approached the table. This next bit was tricky.
"May I try something? I've read about it once and it may make your reading less taxing?" Michael began using friction to warm his hands up, rubbing them vigorously together.
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Post by Keeper of Darkness on May 18, 2017 18:50:59 GMT
She quietly sets the book down and turns in a light footed manner towards him, he peeked her curiosity, "Make it less taxing?" She wasn't truly aware it was taxing in the first place, but she was game. Some spark about him gave her a fresh view of 'life' or what was 'life' and she didn't feel scared at all of his presence.
Her form floats a little closer to him, studying his hands, then looking to his face. Waiting to see what he does.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2017 19:33:41 GMT
That was a confirmation, she was willing. Should he try it? Michael had read about the power many times from different places. He knew the theory behind it, and had used the reverse in dire circumstances. Gripping his hands tighter, Michael looked into her eyes.
Quietly-so as to not draw attention to it, Michael stood straighter, taller even with his stone grey visage allowing the full effect of his being.
"First the veil." Michael had felt it since arriving on the grounds. The veil between worlds here was low, very lower in fact than even the surrounding country side. But he knew it could go lower still. As the veil dropped both those like the Lady Ravenclaw and many others he had seen wandering about the place would be able to cross over,
manipulate things as they had before in the world of the living. It could also allow the dark others of the shadowlands entry, and to especially attack himself. No matter, he offered, she accepted and as his intentions harmed none: "So do I command!"
Michelangelo's focus was so intent, so brazen that no thought, no hint of failure was allowed. Michael was a master of the dead, and his Shroud Mastery was more than sufficient to push the veil even lower in His library.
A few moments later, and to Michael the Lady's form seemed less translucent, less sad if you will. That was enough to tell him the first part of his plan was at least partially successful.
The effort, the expenditure of will was always draining, always worth it to be with one who had known death's embrace and yet had their passions, their losses still propel them as a being. To share with one such as that was a great reward.
Barely standing upright, Michael's form was back to his normal disheveled and carefree visage. "My lady, take my hands. They should be warm enough now."
Holding them out, Michael felt the open wounds he had created by chuffing his skin. The blood, his vitae had been pushed almost to them, but he still held back. Positive that like the ancient Egyptians, like he had done in reverse: surely wraith could consume into their being the gift of vitae. And now, he waited. Forcing his blood to turn from the physical to the spiritual essence of itself. Which he would release as a trickle, as calmly and smoothly as possible.
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Post by Keeper of Darkness on May 19, 2017 19:59:02 GMT
Her delicate hands reached out to take his, she was a little hesitant at first and then rested them gently into his hands. There was a little glow in her face and in her eyes, she truly seemed astounded and taken by the moment and breathed out a slightly cool sigh caught between a happy feeling and wonder. "This is nice, it has been so long. Her delicate fingers raise his fingers to her cheek where she gently brushes her face against his hand. "I'd do anything to be mortal again, to experience what I was denied by my mother." She forgets about the books, resting her face against his fingers with her eyes closed.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2017 20:16:17 GMT
Michael let the Lady, no she was really a girl and like this a young girl at that. Michael let the girl guide where his hands, his fingers were. Two different greys, The grey of the dead and the grey of the grave, together Michael felt that in another life they would have made a perfect pair. For now, they made a perfect statue. Michael knew he had an hour or more till the damn wall between them started to strengthen again. But until the veil was too strong for it, he was content to stand here.
Once the power had taken effect, he felt the hunger of the vitae loss. Yet, he was perfectly sated and content to stand here for as long as the girl needed. In that dead, calculating part of his mind he noted that once he forced the vitae into essence he had no real feeling for it it was still flowing, or if it had been consumed at all. Maybe that was why his forefathers never really explored such power, the rituals they used now didn't convert the blood, but forced it and it's full effects onto the unwary.
Michael's own mother had made sure he was shown the ways of the flesh, arranging for escorts and courtesans, really they were just another set of instructors. The only thing he had ever loved was his books. They didn't judge, they didn't demand, they simply were, and were open to him when he needed them. To be denied something, by someone that was supposed to be intrinsic seemed wrong. It wasn't his place to say though, and he found himself here keeping the warmth in his hands, letting any of the remaining essence flow between them, with the Lady seemingly more alive now than he had been in decades.. a statue of two greys.
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Post by Keeper of Darkness on May 19, 2017 20:25:35 GMT
The perfect moment was very deeply special and it was clear it was meaningful to Helena, though right as she finally started to revive feelings inside herself again the pulling sensation was already starting to creep in. Hogwarts was pulling her back again, as it always did. He didn't know she had been there since his arrival, watching him as he worked. The length of time her tether allowed her to leave or travel was always a few days and if she was lucky a week at the most if she fought it.
He would see her form shimmer slightly, as if a very subtle pulse of invisible energy was pulling her away. Her grip around his fingers become a little tighter as she tried to stand her ground. The perfect moment was turned into pain, seen in her eyes, as she started to battle with whatever it was that binds her to the Hogwarts tether. "I'm sorry, I will return when I can... I will speak to the librarian." Her soft lips give gentle kisses to his fingers as her body leans forward, it is as if she was trying to move against a tide sweeping her away. "Let me be, I want more time. Don't make me go back..." Her body starts to fade and her fingers waiver between physical and nothing.
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