Post by aquarius on Jan 20, 2022 14:35:10 GMT -7
Stuck back in the early years of the twentieth century with no way home, no way to pay Chase back for stranding them there, Nico had given the group assignments to hopefully get their biggest essentials covered before sundown. And so she and Xavin - now in the guise of a Caucasian man, in consideration of the less enlightened times - the two of them went off to see what shelter they could find their collection of unique individuals.
Passing through the crowded market place, they were frequently jostled and shoved by people only concerned with their own journey. Nico couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be on the receiving end more often than Xavin was, only proving her right about the sexist, racist, and probably some other 'ist' words as well era they were in. The sooner they were back somewhere with wifi coverage, the better.
A hundred different people passed by, seen and then gone in an instant. Each voice distinct for only a few words at most before it merged back into the background babble. But when she heard a Japanese man speaking to another about 'that Minoru bi....', her attention was immediately fixed on the pair. Only for a second, but it was enough time for Xavin to have vanished into the crowd like anyone else.
Nico could either run on and hope to find him, or follow these two men and find... who? If the Leapfrog had brought them back here, maybe she'd find her parents from an earlier journey? That would be epically bad, but at least it would mean a chance of getting home again. And so she rather unwisely chose to follow the strangers.
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She wasn't entirely sure what had happened. One moment she'd seen the two guys walk into a building, the next... Nico found herself waking up inside somewhere. The only light was candle light, but they didn't flicker according to any breeze in the air that she could sense. All she could feel was hard wood against her back, and... cold steel circling her wrists, held above her head. And in the strangely shifting shadows, a voice called out, the darkness somehow turning into the silhouette of an old woman.
"Minoru. You are a grave disappointment to your ancestors. But you will learn, or you will break."
And this was all that was said by this woman for the next few hours, with nothing but torture and torment being bestowed upon Nico. Finally it ebbed though, and a question was asked of her.
"Do you understand why I do this yet, child?"
Nico gasped through teeth that were sore from her jaw being clenched through the myriad agonies she had been subject to, finally finding the air with which to respond.
"The local pet store ran out of cats, and you don't have any other hobbies?"
A sigh was the first response, apparently her torturer was not impressed with this answer. "If the Minoru blood grows so weak as this, I would rather see our line ended than for it to sink so low. At your age your father had already battled his grim shape, but you try to hurt me with words?!"
Nico hurried a retort out before the inevitable next magical agony was delivered. "As long as words are all I have, then yes. And I killed my fath... Aaagh!"
Witch fire interrupted her, flowing into her mouth and out of her eyes and ears. But it ended abruptly. After a few seconds, Nico realised the Witchbreaker was smiling. "Finally, you show a glimmer of promise. I will teach you what your parents did not, I will test you as they should have. I will not, however, show you the restraint and mercy that has made you soft. You will prove yourself worthy of your name, your staff and your power, or you will be ended."
And once more, Nico knew only pain for what seemed like an eternity...
Passing through the crowded market place, they were frequently jostled and shoved by people only concerned with their own journey. Nico couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be on the receiving end more often than Xavin was, only proving her right about the sexist, racist, and probably some other 'ist' words as well era they were in. The sooner they were back somewhere with wifi coverage, the better.
A hundred different people passed by, seen and then gone in an instant. Each voice distinct for only a few words at most before it merged back into the background babble. But when she heard a Japanese man speaking to another about 'that Minoru bi....', her attention was immediately fixed on the pair. Only for a second, but it was enough time for Xavin to have vanished into the crowd like anyone else.
Nico could either run on and hope to find him, or follow these two men and find... who? If the Leapfrog had brought them back here, maybe she'd find her parents from an earlier journey? That would be epically bad, but at least it would mean a chance of getting home again. And so she rather unwisely chose to follow the strangers.
----------------
She wasn't entirely sure what had happened. One moment she'd seen the two guys walk into a building, the next... Nico found herself waking up inside somewhere. The only light was candle light, but they didn't flicker according to any breeze in the air that she could sense. All she could feel was hard wood against her back, and... cold steel circling her wrists, held above her head. And in the strangely shifting shadows, a voice called out, the darkness somehow turning into the silhouette of an old woman.
"Minoru. You are a grave disappointment to your ancestors. But you will learn, or you will break."
And this was all that was said by this woman for the next few hours, with nothing but torture and torment being bestowed upon Nico. Finally it ebbed though, and a question was asked of her.
"Do you understand why I do this yet, child?"
Nico gasped through teeth that were sore from her jaw being clenched through the myriad agonies she had been subject to, finally finding the air with which to respond.
"The local pet store ran out of cats, and you don't have any other hobbies?"
A sigh was the first response, apparently her torturer was not impressed with this answer. "If the Minoru blood grows so weak as this, I would rather see our line ended than for it to sink so low. At your age your father had already battled his grim shape, but you try to hurt me with words?!"
Nico hurried a retort out before the inevitable next magical agony was delivered. "As long as words are all I have, then yes. And I killed my fath... Aaagh!"
Witch fire interrupted her, flowing into her mouth and out of her eyes and ears. But it ended abruptly. After a few seconds, Nico realised the Witchbreaker was smiling. "Finally, you show a glimmer of promise. I will teach you what your parents did not, I will test you as they should have. I will not, however, show you the restraint and mercy that has made you soft. You will prove yourself worthy of your name, your staff and your power, or you will be ended."
And once more, Nico knew only pain for what seemed like an eternity...