'95, They/He/She ︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ This is a RP blog for TricksAndThings ︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ All characters are available for RP, please see pinned post for details ︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ Important blog content will be put on the respective blog. This is a place for fun and character development as opposed to plot.
“I think starting off, anything would be fine.” She wasn’t familiar with his village.... At least, she thinks she's not familiar with his village. Being in a cave, you get turned around easy. Either way, it should be new information regardless.
The warden gave the top of his head a quick nuzzle before letting go. Judging by the giggles, she assumed she didn’t squeeze too hard, so she marked that as a success in her mind.
“But yeah, in a couple days I’ll wander around here and try and find you again, so we can go from there. And then there's the book club too.” That was a lot on her schedule, more than usual, but she was happy to have something regular to do. It would probably be time to start placing blocks or landmarks from the cave so she could easily find her way around the surface again.
“You can surprise me with what I’m learning. You can pick what you think is best to start.”
“Oh, a tree would be nice. They have good shade.” Colliope may have been a walking plant, but even plants can get scorched sometimes. Especially when you spend most of your time down in a cave system and can’t see where the sun is.
The reassurance was also nice. It made her smile a little bigger and dispel some of those worries away. She did take notice of the wave, however. While Colliope had no eyes, she did see sounds like a bat would for echolocation, allowing her to safely get around on her own to some degree.
“... I guess fantasy? I don’t mind learning about history, though. I used to have someone who would read me history books, so I kinda knew what was going on at the surface.” Those were fond memories for her, and honestly, was probably the last time she held a book? She couldn’t remember.
“Anything is good to me, really.” She reached out to give James as gentle of a squeeze as she could muster as a ‘thank you.’ “I think this will be fun.”
“Learn to read, huh?” She thought about it for a minute, tapping the side of her head with one of her roots. I mean, she could feel things with her hands, even if it wasn’t as strong as a non-plant based life form.
“I could try to give it a shot, I guess.” She laughed softly. Could she do it? Did she have the determination to go through with it? Colliope didn’t know, but she would at least try. At the very least, she could listen to James and his friend at the club.
“Villagers ain’t normally too keen to see me, so we might not be able to practice in the library. Still, I’ll meet up with you wherever you think is best. I ain’t in a rush, so take your time.” The warden would be lying if she wasn’t a little apprehensive about the process. She was never known to be very smart, and she didn’t want James to get frustrated with her or even get his hopes up. Even still, he seemed to be very kind, so surely he wouldn’t be too upset if she didn’t catch on? He did sound rather excited when he proposed the idea.
“What kinda books would we be starting with, anyway? Do you guys read that stuff about history? Or what about the ones with all the make believe stuff?” She honestly had no idea what kinds of books there were. All of that was explained a very long time ago, and all she really remembered was real books and fake books.
Colliope knew she tended to ramble. Even if James didn’t retain the information, being there to listen to her was enough. She wasn’t the type of creature to quiz others about what she had said, anyway.
“Oh, that all sounds pretty neat.” She smiled broadly, nodding along.
“I never learned how to read. It ain't easy getting those fancy books down in the caves and not too many villagers really want to trade with me! They all lock themselves up in their houses when I’m around. It’s kinda funny.” The Warden snickered, reliving the sounds of slamming doors and hushed, hurried whispers. She believes the expression was, ‘they scattered like ants.’
“If you ever want the company, I would be happy to join and listen, though. I’ve lived this long without learning how to read, so I think I’ll be fine without the skill.” If only she knew the variety of information and stories tomes could hold.
This puppet unnerved Ash in so many ways. She kept forgetting to talk directly to the puppet, but no matter. After seeing both of Misc’s arms appear on either side of the clothed creature, she shuttered before quickly assuming Misc was a creature with multiple arms. It made her curious of their true form, but she wasn’t entitled to that kind of information.
“Yeah, can’t say I’m looking forward to the voyage, but then again, I’m not a fan of most places.” She shrugged absentmindedly. To her, the only thing the desert was good for was the magical sunsets that mixed with the heat waves come late afternoon.
Her apathetic nature drained from her body when Misc asked for a song. Something was bubbling under her skin, behind her eyes, causing a sharp inhale. Was it pride? Flattery? ... Fear? Even she didn’t know, and that was evident from her facial expression.
After taking a brief moment to reassure herself, she smiled softly. “I could do that.” She laughed idly. After all, Misc had heard her sing already. The only thing that changed was them asking for her to sing.
“Let’s see...” She mumbled to herself, trying to think of a song that would be complimented by the reverb within the cave.
It didn’t take long for her to start some basic trills and warm-ups leading into her song for the evening: My Jolly Sailor Bold. As the Ghast sang, the walls of the cave rebounding her song of longing, her tendrils began to splay themselves and glow brightly. It was when she sang that Ash truly felt relaxed and at peace, evident of how she began to float higher into the air and swim as if the cave had filled to the brim with water.
She seemed lost in her song, twirling around the bookshelves, careful not to knock off a single trinket from the shelves. Though, as the song came to a close, the mermaid started to slowly descend from the rafters. “My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold. There is nothing can console me, but my jolly sailor bold.”
She held onto the last note with the last of the breath within her lungs, the glow of her body extinguishing themselves alongside her flow of air. It was when she took another inhale that a soft blush appeared on her face from a slight embarrassment at her performance.
It would appear that the Siren in her name is not from a magical ability to draw in people. It was just her showmanship and talent that would lure in unsuspecting ears.
“Heightened perspective can see through illusions...” She mulled over those words, a feeling of terror resting in the pit of her stomach. Learning illusions was supposed to help keep her safe, but it would appear that everything has its drawbacks.
“I guess it’s a good thing Nether creatures are a bottle short of a potion.”
Asherah was now starting to understand the complexities of illusion magic, and it would appear that the more she knew, the more Misc revealed about themselves. Intentionally or not. Thankfully, Ash was more concerned with how her illusion magic would work, so she didn’t quite connect the dots for Misc. After all, she only had hints that they didn’t want to share their true form.
“O-oh, yes. Mr. Puppet, apologies.” She looked pained to acknowledge the puppet, not having a child-like bone in her body. It felt wrong to speak with the cloth, but she would humor them. After all, she does want to be a mother some day.
“That’s understandable.” The hybrid shrugged. “Dark colors do help hide stains and if you are going to hide your form in a place like a swamp, it would make sense to use older cloth. Takes away any guilt.” Asherah was silently checking off boxes for the types of fabrics to find, even wondering if a specific enchantment could be placed on them to repel mud...
Hell, maybe getting some smaller scraps for Mr. Puppet as well. Maybe he would enjoy a fancy hat for specific occasions.
“Just so you are aware, soon we will be setting out for a voyage to a desert village. I imagine we will be gone for at least two weeks, three at most. It isn’t supposed to be that long, not with one of the captains missing-” Ash rolled her eyes, assuming Fisher ran off for one of his more selfish reasons.
“Is there anything of interest you might like? Or had your eye on? Supplies?”
Her giddy attitude started to simmer down, the once bright bioluminescent tendrils settling for a soft glow as she cooed like most Ghast do. The only remaining proof of her achievement being the wide smile on her face.
The mermaid propped an elbow up on the counter, resting her head in the palm of her hand as she listened intently to the words her teacher had to share. An amused look on her face when the puppet was brought out.
Misc was truly an individual of chaos in her eyes, always pulling out one surprise after another from the endless folds and creases in their robes. The availability of a puppet behind the desk was proof enough. Still, she did as she was told and produced the fire charge for the demonstration.
When it turned to a snowball, Ash was in shock and awe. The idea that she would soon be doing the same magic was amazing and almost frightening at the same time. When she reached out to touch the object, she had expected to feel the bitter cold of a snowball, but the puppet was right, it was only an illusion and the temperature and texture did not change.
“So if I cast illusion on myself, I would still be blubbery and warm.” She mulled to herself, rolling the faux snowball in her hands. “So when choosing a different form, I either need to avoid being touched or appear as something believable...” The hybrid hummed, glancing up at Misc. That must be part of the reason for their cloaks, to prevent people from touching their real body.
“I have a feeling I’ll need to practice changing colors a little more before I can move on to textures, but I’m happy to know the next step, regardless.” This task appeared daunting for her, especially with the one-week rest time between uses. Granted, as the muscle grew, her skills would grow and the rest time would shorten.
“Misc, darling.” Ash sat up straighter, the dreamy look of knowledge fading from her features. “Would you ever consider new robes...? Or at least a variety?” She had seen the condition of their cloth and, being that a new voyage was due, was considering bringing back a few different textiles for them. Maybe to make something a little more fancy for special occasions? Though, with illusion magic, Misc very well could make the robes as fancy as they want, when they wanted.
“Well, I have a solid foundation on color theory now. Especially about what you mentioned last time, using different colors to add depth to the illusion. I have let my new muscle rest, and now-” Ash held up the book she had on three-dimensional objects.
As if on que, the brown cover of the book changed into a deep emerald green.
“Ah!” She shouted in joy, a wide smile spreading across her face as she excitedly extended the book to Misc. The color was much more dynamic and saturated this time than the last.
“Seems like my hard work paid off.” She peacocked, the tendrils extending and glowing brighter as she appeared confident in the improvement.
The illusion held for a while, longer than the few seconds it held previously, but this was still a new skill and after the 30-second mark the color slowly began to fade into the brown of the original tome.
“So what’s next?!” The ghast was excited, rushing towards Misc like an excitable child, fists clenched out of excitable confidence. “What is the next skill I need to learn?”
“Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine. I’m assuming it had to do with faulty coding. Everyone seemed surprised when the egg came around. Especially when I wasn’t just a Ghast or just a Guardian.” The world and the coding behind it was still a mystery to Ash. She knew that well from her experiences on the ship.
Asherah nodded as she listened to Misc’s story. So they were seeking out others, found two unsavory individuals, and then the witch. Then, somewhere along the line, they met their Master... It was quite the interesting life.
They were spawned in the depths of the Arctic and Ash was hatched in the heat of the Nether. Two, near opposite individuals, able to enjoy each others company. It made her feel warm inside.
At the presence of the customer, the hybrid looked up in confusion. Honestly, being on the high seas, you didn’t see slimes that often. To be honest, she thought the slimes that lived in caves or swamps were mindless. Apparently she assumed wrong as this individual obviously had a want for some cake and then continued on.
Still, she held off on asking questions until the slime left, as to not share private information accidentally.
“Seems like you stay pretty busy here.” She could feel her focus leaving the book she brought as she dogeared the page before closing it. Maybe she would work on changing the color of the book this time.
“Do you allow everyone to pay with ship rides?” Ash snickered, moving to stretch her arms and neck before her practice. “Or is that how you acquired this library of yours?”
“Haha, yeah… Endermans rarely come to my booth. Which is a shame since my ice-boots would of been nice to try! Buuuut~ that still doesn’t solve their allergies to sky water. Eventually there will be a solution for their pore predicament.” They drift away words, glancing out to the open swamp, intesispated for one to suddenly show up. They never do. Misc realy should consider a outdoor roof
“What weather conditions I require? We’ll…. I like the rain! :D” Bluntlinly shouted out comical.
Voice soften down as they continue. “But no… I don’t require any condition-… wait… uhm..” They paused from remembering what Asher said earlier. “W-well… my skin does get dry if I don’t baith in fluid accasionly.” Correcting themselves. “Gets dry and itchy. But beside the discomfort, it won’t kill me…. I think? I don’t know!… I never stayed out longer once the oozes starts flowing.” Puzzled and confusion in Misc’s own bodily limits. They never attempt to push it.
Not explaining it further, they continue. “I’m from the deepest part of the sea. Where if it weren’t for the heavy saltwater, everything would of been turned to ice. :^)” They chuckled, leaning back on the counter.
Face gaze down to their own book in head, distracting their own hands on the pages. “So cold doesn’t bother me… but its heat that scares. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve sean Hydrothermal vents before, right next to our Brine Lake, it’s just they can still hurt me. And this new thing on the surface called fire? Uhhhug!” Letting out a quiving shake. Their body language express the heavy dislike.
“The surface holds so many new danger. Not a good condition for my kind.” Nodding their conclusion.
“Who made you?” Without warning, asking the hard questions. If Asher was a defect-as she claims- what was her gaurdians were attempting that made her can only live in pacific condition?
It had to be hard not knowing about your own species. While Ash was in a similar predicament, she knew about Ghasts and Guardians to put pieces together. Misc though, the poor thing didn’t seem to know much about their species at all.
Still, she listened, familiar with the lonely feeling one got when they were seemingly the only creature in the world to have such unique experiences.
“Cold and wet. Interesting. So a desert would be the worst place to put you.” She laughed softly to herself. It was odd to place them in a desert. What with all the sand that would get into their clothes, let alone the drastic climate difference.
But when the topic of her creation came up, she froze mid page-turn before continuing on.
“Ah I wasn’t... I mean... I was told that my mother was a Guardian and my father was a Ghast.” Ash mulled her words, silently deciding how much of this story she was willing to tell. It was painful for her, but Misc had already shared so much. It only seemed fitting to share her story as well.
“It is all very... Complicated. But, long story short, my mother died and my father and his wife were left to raise me. Being in the dry Nether burned my tadpole skin, and being in the warm seas of the Overworld was still too cold for a Ghastling. It resulted in me being raised in a portal, a small cave with only stone, water, and magma. Not a very fulfilling childhood, stuck in a literal closet, but I did learn early on that if I want to survive I need to make a place for myself. I can’t just sit around.” A smile forced its way onto her face as she looked up at her mentor.
“And so, here I am. Learning illusion magic to make a better place for myself.”
“So-” The hybrid cleared her throat as she sat up, “what about you? It sounds like you spawned in the deep ocean, then? And then witches found you?”
A nice spot on the floor against the wall would be just fine. The space felt extra cramped due to her size but she was thankful she was mostly horizontal rather than verticle. It can be difficult squeezing into places when you were 3 blocks tall.
She had settled with one of the books on understanding 2D verses 3D space, assuming this was one of the next tasks she would have to master after color theory and color changing illusions.
“Mmmmm sort of.” Ash hummed as she thumbed through the book, finding where she left off. “My skin doesn’t burn with heat but it can dry out. And if my gills dry out it is incredibly painful. I can also go in water but if its too cold then I basically turn to stone, I can’t move until I’m warmed up again and if I happen to be over an abyss that leads to cold water I’m as good as dead.” The morbitity of the conversation forced her to chuckle to try and break the unease.
“So hotsprings, gysers, and boiling water are the best thing for me. Hot and wet.” The hybrid glanced up and over to see what Misc was doing for a moment before returning to the book to scan over the pages, staying decently warm in her sweater.
“What about you, dear? Any specific weather conditions you require? I know those endermen can’t be near water, not even rain. I bet high humidity makes them uncomfortable too...” Her voice trailed off in thought. She didn’t really know a lot of enderman come to think of it.
Inside the basket was an array of foods. A few loaves of bread, a slice or two of cake, and a little bag of cookies. Defiantly enough to hold off a sweet tooth for some time.
“Mmhm! Just a gift.” It was true that they were still strangers, and this exchange would be akin to a student giving their teacher an apple. However, an apple felt childish. Baked goods felt more adult.
When she was told the location was safe for practice, Ash smiled and gave a short nod, appreciative of the space. The ship wasn’t safe to practice near, both captains were firm that learning magic was a traitorous offense that would result in immediate ‘discipline’ in whatever way Rosa thought best.
Asherah was shaken from her thoughts when Misc pushed aside the basket and went digging in a chest behind the desk. A gift? This individual was someone who truly lived by the idea of equivalent exchange.
“Oh!” Her eyes almost sparkled as she gingerly took the charge and rolled it in her hands. While others might think it was hot, smoldering even, the Ghast took peace in the warmth it radiated.
The idea that someone had provided a gift based on the things she said moved her, making her gift pale in comparison.
“Thank you, Misc. I’m sure I will find it useful.” She clasped her hands over the charge ball to feel its effects.
“I’ll find a place to practice now, if that’s alright?” She didn’t know her way around his cave, but enough floating around should help her find some sort of table to sit at.
The Ghast’s smile broadened when her mentor stepped out from behind the bookshelves, laughing softly. Having a life off the ship was rather refreshing, even if it meant adapting to the climate.
“I brought you some baked goods.” She delicately placed the basket on the front desk. “As thanks.”
“I just came back to practice some more and was hoping you would let me do it here.” There was more to it than that, but that could be saved for a rainy day. “Unless you want privacy.”
The woman hummed as she looked over the same old rags Misc always seemed to wear. She swore she saw different colors on the cloth, but it was always placed the same on their body, stitches and all. Was that an illusion too?
It had been a little over a week since Asherah’s last practice. Eight days to be exact. She made sure to wait eight days specifically, so her teacher wouldn’t accuse her of coming back too soon. Still, during that time she had sought out any bit of knowledge she could about illusion magic or sight. After all, she couldn’t just wait around.
“Misc!” Ash called as she neared the cave they had shown her when she helped put away the learning supplies. Last time the cave was a little cold for her liking, so she made sure to sunbathe extra long and wear a few more layers this time. In times like this, she wished she could eat lava like her Ghast counterparts.
“Misc, darling. Are you here?” The levitating mermaid had a small basket with her this time. Some treats from a local baker to give as thanks for the lessons.
Misc tilts their head curiously. Processing what’s been said slowly. Sensing a little unexplained bubbles inside them. “Golly gee! Thats ofly nice to say! (’//ヮ//’) ” They smile in response. Mentality wanted to continue to protest, however decided to go agent’s that thought, for the sake this Lady could take her rest. After all, there’s nothing much Misc can do than leave her practice alone.
“Why, thank you! You’re exquisite and humble! Oooooor trying to get more brownie points from me; your teacher. >v<” Catching on thier behavior. Jokingly on the last part, but still nevertheless funny if true.
Misc does not mind if they are helping. It looks like asher will know where they live. “Hope you don’t mind the family of bats in my cieling. Or the dampness… my den is located in front of the swamp afterall. :P” They commented before grabbing the last item. The thought of how well Asher will fair in Misc’s biome crossed thier mind. Only time could tell.
As much misc want to ask more about of Asher, the thought of Master crossed thier mind. When they were asking bunch of questions, Master gotten tired and ill. Asher just started her illusion, so Misc is disciplining themselves in keeping the curiosity in.
“Maybe I am, or maybe I just like the company. Pirates aren’t the most intellectual, I’ve found.” The hybrid laughed dryly as a few specific people came to mind. Fisher being one of them.
“Bats are fine. Dampness is also alright, but I won’t be able to stay long. Wet heat is the best thing for this body. Worse comes to worst, I’ll have to go warm up someplace after I leave.” With all the supplies in her arms, she managed a shrug as she floated around after Misc.
While she did not mind talking about herself, the silence was nice to some extent and helped with her headache. However, the longer the silence lasted, the more anxious Asherah became as she fidgeted with the items in her arms. Eventually the anxious energy became too much, and she had to break it. Softly humming, the Ghast felt more relaxed on their journey to her teacher's home.
Misc tilts their head curiously. Processing what’s been said slowly. Sensing a little unexplained bubbles inside them. “Golly gee! Thats ofly nice to say! (’//ヮ//’) ” They smile in response. Mentality wanted to continue to protest, however decided to go agent’s that thought, for the sake this Lady could take her rest. After all, there’s nothing much Misc can do than leave her practice alone.
“Ah yes, I’ll have to practice regularly.” The woman reached up to rub at her temple, where the pressure initially started with her first attempt at magic.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I plan on visiting regularly. Not that you have to babysit me, I just shouldn’t be practicing magic near the ship.” She mumbled the last part, seeming a tad anxious at the mention of the crew.
She was startled at the sudden commotion as Misc stood from the pile of books and toppled over, but couldn’t help but giggle at the fall, double-checking that they were unharmed. After all, Misc had just spent some time saying how weak they were, and she still needed them functioning to at least some degree.
“A chair may be more comfortable, next time.” She smiled warmly, as she began to help pick up the fallen goods.
“If you aren’t sick of me yet, I can help you put these away? I can reach the top shelf.” Ash felt playful as she laughed again, an almost genuine smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she continued to stack her arms full of the various tools that were brought out on her behalf.
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