isleofavalon | Log: Holy Grail War

🧙 WHO: Caster & OPEN (with a couple of closed TLs)
⚔️️ WHAT: Caster's gone on a grief-induced rampage after learning of the death of her lover back home
🕒 WHEN: June 6th, late night
🗺️ WHERE: The Brocéliande woodland
⚠️ WARNINGS: Violence, Arson, Kidnapping, Death Threats, Magical Torture, Grief, potential Body Horror (Will add more as they come up)

So here it was...the Witch of Betrayal finally showing her 'true colours' to Avalon. After that network post, Caster readied herself for whatever would come of it- the forest fire providing an ominous backdrop.

Since she'd come to Avalon, so many had told her she was a good person- and now, she was publicly burning it all to the ground.

[ooc notes: TL prompts will be in the comments!

I don't want Caster to get killed, but I'm all for her potentially getting maimed/scarred provided we plot first. If you don't think it's IC for your character to not just murder her, send me a message so we can plot how she can remove herself from the situation/have someone else intervene before it gets that far!

She'll be using her familiar symbiosis to fight and leaning toward making the actual description of that transformation slightly body-horror-y, but if you're not comfortable with that then just give me the heads up and I'll have her already turned when the thread starts.

Darin will have his own TL for rescuing him/fighting his own familiar fusion, which I'll link here when it's up- feel free to tag one or both as you see fit!]

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Claire nodded. Caster had been careful with the details, sure, but she was inquisitive and it wasn't hard to figure out a little of what was really up.

"Had some of the gist of it explained, and your post was public. Wasn't hard to put it together that Caster was a pseudonym."

Medea though, is a name she had to think on. She wasn't the biggest buff of Myth and Mythology, not really, but she had read most of those stories growing up. And she'd also seen the classic Jason and the Argonauts movie with those memorable skeletons. So, she gets there eventually, recognition flashing in her eye.

"I know that name," she says slowly, evenly. "But as I recall, Medea was the one betrayed. And did what any woman should do."

Get even.

Edited 2021-06-11 01:33 (UTC)

Well, there were other Servants and Masters here- Claire digging for more information wasn't too great a surprise. But she saw that look of recognition.

"...I betrayed my family and homeland for that wretched man's sake, but- He deserved every vengeance I wrought upon him. And ironically that was what what marked me as a witch, when I made everything he held dear burn."

With that, she glanced back to the dying embers of the inferno she'd brought down upon Camelot-

"Since I could only live as a witch after that, I swore to show them exactly what a witch I could become.

I would say that is all in the past- but we are bound to our legends, in the end. How much can our true natures really changed?"

"You can be better, Medea."

Claire folded her arms, frowning as she had listened to all of that. She knew better than to believe nihilistic, defeatist statements like that. It just didn't track with Caster's previous behavior.

"I don't get all the legends, servants, and stuff like that but I've seen you be nice. Hell, I've seen you act downright cute. Nothing is forcing you to be anything like what you were tonight."

"Cute-?" If she was in a better state of mind, she'd get flustered hearing that compliment. As it was, she was far too tired.

"When Jason betrayed me and left me with nothing...when he abandoned me, all I had left to me was whatever I could use to hurt him. To make him suffer for everything he did to me. I couldn't see anything else.

"It was the same tonight. I learned the night before the trials began that after my death, my partner was killed right after I was- I'd lost my happiness. My wish. What else did I have left but to make Archer suffer every wrath I could call upon?"

Medea lowered the hood of her cloak, letting Claire see her face. Right now, she felt lost, and the grief started to crack into her voice again. Now she'd gotten the chance to get her revenge: "...I don't know what to do now."

Claire leans in for emphasis again, getting to eye level with Medea, reaching her hands out to take the slender woman's shoulders and grip them firmly. Her fingers tighten, just a fraction, to make sure that she's aware of how important a point she's trying to make.

"You turn that destructive energy into something useful, because the best revenge is to live well," she answers in a gentle tone. It hardens a little as she continues.

"Fuck Jason. Fuck Archer. You're fucking Medea, and you probably know more about magic than anyone else here. Merlin included. Why don't you help us fix reality? Your master wouldn't want it to burn, would he?"

One of Medea's hands reached up, resting over Claire's own- and she squeezed it with what strength she still had left. Perhaps, in that grip, she was trying to find something stable.

The praise at her power, though? That was enough to make a little smile come into her face. For all that she and everyone else had described her as some awful, treacherous witch...Medea was a Magus from the Age of Gods. One who had been taught by the Goddess of Magic. She was proud of that power- and even of the way she'd developed her magic in Avalon so far.

Claire reminded her of that, and slowly, Medea nodded. "...I don't think...no, I don't think he would want to see it all burn, at least.

Is happiness something that's not meant for someone like me? I- I wanted the Grail to preserve what happiness I had with him. Even if I save the worlds now..."

Medea trailed off as the thoughts unraveled faster than she could draw them out. Could she find happiness here? Save the rest of the worlds with a smile if there was nothing for her at the end?

"So..."

Claire nods, her eyes focused hard onto Medea's, a thin smile playing across her lips. Clearly, she's getting through. Just a bit, maybe, but it's better to see her former adversary smile than cry.

"Why don't you put your efforts into preserving something he'd want you to preserve? Maybe as that happens, you'll find some other kind of happiness. I know it rubs kinda raw now, but if you've found it once, you can find it again. Even if it's a different kind of happiness, I'm sure there's something out there for you to take pride and joy in."

Medea grew quiet, thinking on Claire's words- there were things she had been working on here, projects she played with and rituals she studied with before everything had got derailed.

She couldn't focus right now. It was as her Claire said, everything was too raw to really see beyond that pain in her heart and the fog in her mind. She did what she could to try and meet her eyes in turn.

"...I'm proud of my Magic. My Magecraft. I always have been." More of a mumble than anything else. "But... now I'm just- I'm exhausted."

"Well..."

Claire blows out a breath, meeting Medea's eyes as solid and steady as ever. She's not angry. Not now.

Whistling, she jerks her head at a nearby bush and her familiar appears.

"The Dog can carry you someplace you can rest then. I'd do it, but I don't think I've got enough gas left in me."

Where would be safe to go, from here? Somewhere close- she knew she couldn't go home, so- Medea's own eyes wavered.

"I'll- I'll find Klaudia, she'll-"

She'd keep her safe- she promised as such before the fight, hadn't she? But as she reached out to lean on the Dog, Medea turned her focus back to Claire. "What about you?"

Did she have the strength to get back on her own?

Claire shrugs. The Dog moves to shoulder more of Medea, giving her a solid, fluffy mass to hold onto.

"I'll take you wherever" the hound says, his voice bland. "Just tell me where."

Lifting her cut arm, Claire shakes her head and sighs. It's bad, but not bad enough that she's in danger of bleeding out. The tight tourniquet she'd tied around it made sure of that.

"Don't worry about me. I fought off an army of zombies alone six months ago. This is just a cut. I'm gonna call Sherry, and she can heal it up."

"...Be careful." It wasn't like Medea had much strength to help Claire, not with the familiar fusion completely sapping her strength.

For now, she'll turn her attention to the Dog. Where was safest- what would-

"Just- get me back to the city- please-"

"I will be. You too. I'll...see you soon."

The Dog nods his head, and with a push, shunts Medea up onto his back. She'll have to hold on, but he's not going to go too terribly quickly.

Claire, on the other hand, starts back to town on foot, taking it easy and reaching into her pocket to make a call.

Log: Holy Grail War

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those skeletons wow

It was the 60s!

I mean yes. Still hilarious!

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