forum Something Wicked This Way Comes // Private rp w/ Circe

Started May 27, 2019 by @croccin-champagne

tune

One more thing, I swear! Would this be held in like, a hall that weddings and birthdays and shit would be held in, or in Asha's home town?

A hall. It's a public event, all important and all.

Quick clarification so I don't get confused with my post-midnight brain: Asha is the witch, no?

Yuppers!

The ceremony was something Kesari had known would be coming since she was old enough to understand what anyone was saying around her. That was her legacy, that was her fate, to be bonded to a Witch for the rest of her life. She used to be excited for it, couldn't wait to find out who the person destined to be her partner for life would be(platonic or otherwise, she didn't care.). And then she'd grown up.

Now, she couldn't stand the thought. Not with the things she'd done, the chance that she'd constantly be putting someone in danger, or the idea that there'd be another person she couldn't save. Not now, Kesari. Eyes ahead. Keep them ahead. Shaking her head, she fiddled with the top button of her red trenchcoat for a moment, before sighing. Straightening her shoulders, she pushed open the doors to the Hall, not at all looking forward to the sheer amount of people that would be there soon.

Asha let the handmaidens brush out her dark hair and spruce up her makeup. It's not like the Witch cared–she was blind, after all, so it wasn't like she could see what they were doing to her. They even dressed her for the occasion, gowning her in a pure white dress that floated along the marble floors on an invisible breeze, trailing behind her with an extra four feet of fabric. The bottom half of the dress was decorated with a thick cluster of silver gems, sputtering out into nothing by the time the decoration reached her knees. On the upper half of the dress, the white silk faded into a sheer fabric. The top half of her dress was decorated similarly as the bottom, with the thick cluster at her shoulders and neck–it went all the way up her throat–and tapering off into nothing just below her small chest. Her feet were bare, as per her request, and her hair was braided with baby's breath flowers.

Not that she could see any of that, but she liked the feeling of the silk along her skin. The handmaidens finished their fussing and led the Witch through the halls to where she'd receive her destiny. Once again, not like she needed an escort. She could sense all of the living beings in this hall, including the interesting one that just entered. Hmm, would that be my Guardian? she mused silently.

Under dressed and early as always. Kesari tugged a hand through her dark hair, looking around the Hall. If she was being honest, she'd skimmed through the instructoral letter, a bit more preoccupied with not getting killed. Thus, she had no clue what she was actually supposed to do yet. Shaking her head, she looked around the Hall, taking in exits and routes through habit.

Asha was brought to the Elder Witch's chamber. She could sense the handmaidens bowing and scurrying away as the Elder Witch rose to her feet. Asha bowed her head, not raising it until instructed. The Elder Witch rose her head for her with two wrinkled fingers, then ushered her over to the crystal ball. No words were exchanged, but that mattered not. All that mattered was what the crystal ball had to say.
She kneeled before the crystal and placed her hands upon the surprisingly warm ball. The vision assaulted her in vague pictures in her mind. A rising god of old. A figure standing before an altar, arms raised towards the heavens. The world bathed in dark flames. Chaos and unbalance. Then they stopped. She didn't understand, but she nodded and stood nevertheless. The handmaidens came back and escorted her to the Hall, where she would finally meet her Guardian in front of the entire province.

Kesari had been instructed to some sort of altar and told, more like ordered, to wait there. Slowly, and then rapidly, the Hall filled with people. A few faces she recognized, but most of them, she didn't. This wasn't her province, after all. And then the murmuring started, eyes turning towards one of the hallways leading out to the main room, and Kesari followed them.

Asha turned her head in the direction of the murmuring and offered a small but pretty smile. Smile and wave, she had been instructed. Put on a good show for the people. And so she did just that. She smiled and offered a delicate wave towards the murmurs as she was led to some spot. One of the two handmaidens clutching her arms informed her that she was being led to an altar and that she was to stand patiently. Asha felt a presence nearby and turned in that general direction. It was the strange one.

Kesari raised an eyebrow, studying the girl in front of her. Her Witch. A small flicker of that child like wonder she'd felt thinking about this day when she was a kid flickered to life, and she didn't squash it down this time. Instead, she gently pushed it aside, to focus. The Witch seemed unable to focus directly on her, and she would have chalked it up to nerves or a disinterest in the situation as a whole, if not for her eyes.

The Elder Witch stepped up to the altar as well, coaxing the audience to quiet down. Once the Hall was filled with silence, she began the introduction of the ceremony, beseeching the gods of old and the Witches before them, calling for blessings of the Divine, and such and such. Asha's gaze was a little unnerving as she never really could tell if she were staring or not, but she didn't turn from her Guardian.

Kesari didn't take her eyes of the Witch in front of her, though she did keep an ear on the long-winded rites beside her. The length of the necessary rites was starting to get to her, just a bit, and she was beginning to feel anxious standing still and in open view for so long.

Finally. The blood oath. Both Witch and Guardian were handed a dagger and instructed to slice their palms. Asha held out a hand and let the dagger be pressed into her palm. Her fingers curled around the hilt, feeling the material and weight. A force of habit, but it was useful.

This better be a clean blade. Kesari thought to herself, accepting the dagger and studying it. Her lips twitched downwards just slightly, but she pressed the blade to her palm.

Asha did the same with surprising accuracy considering her lack of sight. The Elder Witch instructed them to slice their palms and clasp hands so that their wounds pressed together.

Kesari cut into her palm with a quick and clean slice, nothing in her expression changing as she waited for the Witch to do the same. She figured waiting would be best for both of them, quicker and neater.

Asha sliced her palm with just a small wince, then held out her hand for the other woman to take it. She already knew what her oath would have to be. It was the same as all the other Witches, and she had listened to many other ceremonies such as this one for as long as she could remember. Though, her lack of memory pertaining to her childhood and early teens didn't exactly leave much room for what she could remember.

Kesari took the Witch's hand, making sure the cuts were in contact with each other. Taking a deep breath, she waited for the Elder Witch's signal to begin her Oath. "With this Oath, I bond myself to you, in spirit and soul." I'm so sorry. "With this promise, I pledge to protect you until death. My life for yours, I will guide you and stand beside you, through whatever the Universe throws at us."

(lmao, you did good)

Asha nodded, then recited her Oath at the Elder Witch's signal as well. "With this Oath, I bond myself to you, in spirit and soul." Always the same at the beginning. "With this promise, I pledge to fulfill my destiny as a Witch. I shall carry out my very purpose in this life. I shall not let anyone keep me from this purpose, nor shall I let doubt or fear stand in my way. Only death can keep me from fulfilling my destiny, and even then, I shall come back stronger than before to finish what I've started. With this promise, I shall be the best Wich I can possibly be–and more."

Kesari nodded, the hope from earlier swelling in her chest, despite her attempts to smother it. She focused her eyes on their clasped hands, watching as the white-gold light signifying the Bond twined itself around their hands, wrists, and up their arms, to stop over their chests. With one final flash, it was gone, but the Bond was there, set in place.

The Elder Witch announced their Bonding, and the audience erupted into applause. Asha smiled at her Guardian, her blind eyes crinkling at the corners. She didn't listen to the Elder Witch as she did similar prayers and blessings as in the beginning. She worshiped no one but Life itself. It provided her "eyes" to the world, after all.

Kesari blinked in slight surprise at the smile, but offered her own small one in return, despite her hunch that the Witch couldn't see. She waited for the blessings to finish before giving the Witch's hand a small squeeze and letting go.

"Let the celebration commence!" The Elder Witch announced. The audience pushed back their chairs, and so the dancing and feasting began. Asha sighed some, swiping a finger over her wound. The cut healed up, but it left a permanent scar–a matching scar that her Guardian would have. The mark of their Bonding. "Asha Kayode," she said, quiet enough for only her Guardian to hear.

"Kesari Leon." Kesari returned, in a low voice, as she looked around at the celebration. She slipped a scrap of cloth form one of her many pockets to wrap around her hand. "It's….a pleasure to meet you."