Tavia's Ambitions

Diana

LOOK HOW CALM SHE IS
Original poster
ADMINISTRATOR
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Not accepting invites at this time
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
10AM - 10PM Daily
Writing Levels
  1. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Female
Genres
Romance, Supernatural, Fantasy, Thriller, Space Exploration, Slice of Life
Dear Journal,

It's the first day of spring! The running for next year's Student Council President begins today. Karen may have been able to steal it from me this year, but Senior year is going to be mine! I think my campaign for a Greener School will really inspire the student body. I even joined the Prom Committee and everyone LOVES my Fantasy Garden theme idea! Now I just hope I can find enough time to get a date in between clubs and homework.

I've felt a little weird lately! Auntie says that's normal for a Junior in the face of so much change. But sometimes it doesn't feel like the normal stuff... I keep having these really scary dreams. I'm standing in this beautiful forest wearing my prom dress and darkness is coming in. Not like it just getting dark, but this black void sucking everything up and erasing it away. I try to run but it always ends up swallowing me too. I have crazy dreams all the time, but I guess this one just kinda freaks me out.

Okay, English is almost over and that means school is done for the day! I have volunteer litter cleanup today, so off I go!


Just as Melinda finished scribbled a few hearts on the page of her journal, the school bell rang. As students around her were in a rush to jump up from their chairs and get going, she was taking her time to pack up her bag. She heft the strap over her shoulder, flipping open her appointment book in her free hand. Her first task of the afternoon was going to be helping the janitors and other volunteers pick up the trash that gets littered around school campus. After that, she needed to drop by the AV room to see if she could find some cool video backdrops for some of the prom stuff. Then, it was off to go home and do a butt load of homework.

Melinda was scribbling in her appointment book as she wandered out in the hall, occasionally side stepping students that zoomed past her.
 
The AV room was empty, not even the slightest shimmer in the air to hint at what was about to happen. Then a blinding flash and two figures were in the room. There was a muffled yell as the larger figure. Dressed in chainmail armour and full helm and a sword strapped across his back stumbled back wrestling with his helm trying to pull it from his head in a moment of panic after the teleportation. Markus stumbles into a wheeled trolley holding various boxes and wires and knocked it down, the TV rolling a short distance before he pulled his head free of the helm. "Luna." he said seeing her standing there. Is this the right place?" he asked looking around as if expecting their goddess to simply step out from behind the old projector screen. "Its .. what is this place?"
 
On this witch-kissed morning,
as I trudge northward,
dampness frizzes my hair,
worms its way into my joints.
Beneath winter clouds
draped like dark cloth above the trees,
an unkindness of ravens descends,
bickers over a half-eaten carcass.


At my approach,
the feathered trio complain,
rise to an oak limb,
cackle when my stiff fingers struggle
to free my cloak from a thorny branch,
mutter when I slide blade from its scabbard,
and tilt their heads
when I say a prayer to the Morrigan.


Before joining
my cousins on the battle plain,
I glance again into the ravens’ sullen eyes,
then turn away –
for there’s an ugliness in their stare
that makes me feel
like someone is digging my grave.

PIIIIIIIIIIING

As he scrawled that final little period, James half-smirked at himself. Impeccable timing, the last tone of the day heralding release from this detainment and howling out nearly as loudly as the seniors as they exploded down the hall some rooms down. Their eagerness was a near tangible thing, like a surge of electricity before lightning's strike. And with the resulting thunder, they pounded through the halls with all the fury and force of a double-bass drum. Even as he neatly shut his English folder (Deep purple and black with -several- fantasy-related stickers covering every possible inch of its decorated face), James could feel their energy pounding in his diaphragm.

James arranged his folder amongst its kin in his FMA stylized messenger bag. Twin clicks secured the light load and a graceful toss slung it over a slender shoulder. As his classmates funneled excitedly towards the door, he glimpsed a sea of bodies flowing beyond the threshold, and decided against being swept into the riptide. So it was that while James awkwardly fiddled with the zipper of his white and black star-decorated Volcom hoodie (a snug fit, very fashionable), Melinda went marching beyond with that purposeful gait that he had come to recognize as purely her own. Pale lips found their way between nibbling teeth before he could murmur a mousey 'hey'.

In as good-hearted a manner possible, James envied the tide of excitement that always came flooding down the halls after last bell. Hands deep in their respective pockets, he haunted his way along the very same hallway once the initial blitzkreig had slowed to a simple trickle, eyes on the floor; it wasn't their good humor that got to him. Who could really get upset with someone just for being -happy-? No, not that. Maybe he was just jealous.

"Jimmy James Jim! Hey boy, still coming to that -thing- at Sara's?"

Without eye contact, James murmured that he was in fact coming to that thing at Sara's, and would in fact be procuring sodas for said event. The inquirer smiled sweetly and patted his shoulder before twirling off to her next victim; this was his way, the subdued and the muted. So he had his place, and he had his friends. So what was it? Why was it that he looked upon his peers, these friends, and was suddenly filled with such an uncontrollable and disturbing sense of...

...of what? Longing? With a barely audible 'pft', he tossed the errant black silk from over his eyes, striding evenly around a corner and towards the gawking double-doors.

He was excited school was done for the day, sure, but you didn't see -him- barreling recklessly towards the exit, hooting and cawing like Master Chief was in the parking lot handing out MJOLNIR armor sets.

James guessed he was just broken, likely beyond repair, and would have to settle with that.

An otherworldly sigh drifted between his lips, putting a temporary halt to their wayward nibbles. Technically, he needn't hurry home so quickly, but there wasn't much ELSE to do, and he figured that the first step to repair was solitude. He'd probably blog about it later anyway.
 
"Luna."

One eye opened, then another. The young woman had her hands clasped together and against her chest as if in prayer. Instead of chainmail armor and helm, she wore a long creamy white dress that came down to her ankles and soft brown boots. The sleeves were long and buttoned at her wrists, and the bodice was embroidered with dark brown swirling patterns. Unlike her partner, she wasn't armed.

She closed her eyes for several minutes. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale ... Once she was relaxed, she let her senses spread outward. "Mm ..." She wasn't picking up any amounts of divine energy besides theirs but she hadn't expected to. On the other hand, she had a "we're here" feeling. "Yes, yes I believe it is. It is ... just not the right time. We may be waiting for awhile." She walked over to the edges of the room and slowly reached out to touch the projector screen. "Is it ... not fascinating?"
 
"Fascinating?" Markus said kicking the fallen TV. "We're out in an unfamiliar world looking for a goddess neither of know what she looks like in this incarnation and we're early." He sighed before walking over to the door and tried to slide the knob to the side as on the other side the bell rang. "Shh" Markus motioned to Luna to stay quiet as he put his ear to the door, then the halls exploded with people. "Damn.. an alarm then a rush, I think we're in a fortress." his eyes went to the window and the thickness of the walls. As he continued to try to slide the doorknob it twisted and the door unlatched. "Can you at leas try to tell the general direction she in, I don't like the fool of this place."
 
She shut her eyes when he kicked the TV, only opening them again when she heard him walk to the door. She stayed quiet and looked around. What a peculiar alarm! She'd never heard anything like it before. She closed her eyes again and focused. After a few minutes she opened her eyes. "All I can tell is that she is in this building somewhere. I am sorry, Markus, but she is weak. She probably does not even realize who or what she is." No other sources of divine energy at all. How alarming! Perhaps they had come at the right time. If a goddess was not aware of her true identity, she was that much more vulnerable to forces that were aware and sought to harm her.
 
Crouched next to the door Markus cracked it open and peered into the corridor. "Wait what?" he uttered as he was he bizarre and revealing clothes everyone wore.. and the ages of the people filing past. "They're all children." he said waving for Luna to join him at the door his hand falling from the hilt of his sword. He looked at the strange contents of the room and to the children. "We're going to need new clothes if we're going to blend in Luna. If we're going to be watching and waiting I'd prefer not to stick out and be watched in turn."
 
Luna joined him and watched the people walk by. Markus was right. They were children! "Oh my." One of them could be the goddess' mortal form! She turned around and looked at the room they were in. "But there are no clothes here. Just these odd ... machines." Bulky black machines with surfaces that reflected like mirrors. Lifeless. Empty and yet fascinating. She wondered what they did and how they worked ... "Do you think they are friendly or hostile?"
 
"I hope they don't know enough about us to have make up their minds. And I plan to keep it that way." he moved away from the door closing it before leaning against the wall holding his chin in thought. "Luna I don't know what any of those do and neither do you. They could be dangerous." he said as he thought braying a breath but then changes his mind. "No one here will recognize us or what we are or where we're from." He said "And unless you want to keep searching this room I say its time we left it."
 
Io stared at the reflective image, a wicked smile snaking across her lips as she leaned forward onto the bathroom sinks. She brushed a silk curl with an elegant gesture and sighed, straightening herself. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothing. This body just wasn’t the same as her demon form. First of all, her horns were replaced by a delicate smoothness. The flesh was cold compared to the heat that usually rolled through her blood. And these clothes! These damn clothes were so confining. How human women dared to walk around in these, she would never understand. Her demon form was beautiful – so much more so that her current form could only ever be the ugly duckling.

“It’s not fair.” Io growled under her breath, pouting. If that girl – that goddess had never been reborn, she wouldn’t be bounded in a bony husk of a body. Not to say, her punishment would have been any easier if the goddess never been reborn…but still! This was torture!

The bell rang as a shrewd reminder that Io should be finding the girl, Mallory. Or Melinda. Maybe it was Melissa. Whatever it was, she had to keep the girl busy – until Io knew for sure that the girl was her intended target.

She scowled once more in the mirror and exited out of the girls’ bathroom.
 
Luna blushed and stepped away from the machines, closer to Markus. "I understand." She pressed her ear against the door. Her heart pounded with the thrill of something new and dangerous, exciting. But on the other hand, she didn't want to put Markus in anymore unnecessary danger. It was her fault they were here in the first place. "It sounds as if it has grown quiet." She stepped away from the door and looked at him. She smiled. "I am prepared when you are."
 
Markus reached back and took Luna's hand. Pulling her closer he press her arm between his side and his elbow so that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to pull her away from hi without giving him time to react. His other hand rested on the hilt of his dagger as he opened the door further with his foot before moving out into the corridor and Luna in tow heading down the first passageway that looked like it would lead outside.

"So we get clothes, blend in, watch, wait and any sign on the goddess or a demon and we act quickly. I for one don't want want to have any hellspawn hanging around." He almost spat at the though of demons here, but he know if they had been able to enter the realm so could their greatest enemy... after those who cast down the gods and even now made war against their people.
 
Melinda took a pitstop by her locker. She emptied out her bag of all the things she didn't need, and dropped in the books for classes that required homework. Once it was neatly organized, she stuffed her bag in the locker too and slammed it shut. When she was done with her after-school activities she would come back to pick it up.

"Melinda, I gotta bail today!" complained a classmate. A cute little blond wearing a miniskirt that was probably against school policy. She leaned against the lockers as Melinda locked up her combination. "Grams can't watch the twerp so I've gotta do it."

"What, nooo... Who is going to help me with Litter Duty?" Melinda responded loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the hall. It was hard enough getting Brit to volunteer, without her help it would take Melinda an extra hour to do everything herself!

Brit didn't seem at all apologetic either. "Sorry! But it's not like it won't get done anyway, isn't that the janitor's job?"

Melinda rolled her eyes. "The whole point was to raise awareness about littering and help make Mr. Simmons job easier... Though I guess it defeats the purpose when you're the only one who volunteered." Looking completely defeated, Melinda leaned against the lockers and waved a hand to dismiss Brit. Brit gave a shrug and a wave before bouncing off free as a bird!

'No use in sulking... I guess I have to do it!' It would be easier if she kidnapped a volunteer, but Melinda wasn't sure she could convince someone else on short notice.

Huffing, she pushed off to trot down the hall. On sight of Ms Io, Melinda ducked behind the nearest set of lockers. That women had it out for her! Sure, most students were being paranoid about teachers hating them, but Melinda was positive Miss Io couldn't stand her. Her entire life she never had so much trouble trying to pass someone's class, and the woman had only been around for a few weeks!

Once Miss Io's back was turned, Melinda took off running for the AV Room. She needed to hide until that woman left campus, or else she was going to end up with triple homework!
 
James brooded elegantly along his way unmolested. His inner monologue was broken shortly as Brit bounced about down the hall. Melinda had stopped at her locker, but given his linguistic ineptitude, he figured he would just ling by unnoti-

The girl moaned conspicuously about Litter Duty, and for the briefest of moments James conjured the mental image of a satisfied cat and a grey-sanded box. No no. Different litter. Shrugging the light weight of his messenger bag over a slender shoulder, he stood there for a few long moments, ruining his lips with worrying teeth and simply watching Melinda. She was charismatic and energetic, and it drew him to her. Not in that totally creepy possessive way that the quiet guys usually have; truthfully, James doubted he had the -capacity- to be attracted to anybody. She was... soothing. Inspiring. And for whatever reason, he believed that nobody told her so.

Propelled by black and white converse sneaks (with Forever Alone man drawn on the left nose and a moogle drawn on the other), he again breathed the hair out of his eyes and shoved his hands into their respective pockets.

"Hey Mel. I'm totally into awareness and littering. And not littering. Cleaning. Up... of litter...."

It was then that James discovered her to be out of earshot of his soft voice, and that he actually had a dollar in quarters divided between his pockets. Sparing a moment to observe her retreating form, mentally capturing the moment. Get used to THIS sight boyo: Girls running away!

The thought deserved a drink, and so James altered his course, navigating drearily towards the vending machines near the 'caff. He wondered if they had grape gatorade, and upon scanning the selection found a minor victory in that they had 'purple'.
 
Markus held her and shielded her like this all the time, but she blushed all the same. She took the chance to look around, turning back at the mention of demons and hellspawn. "Mm ... Markus ... what will we do if we should find demons before we find her?" It was much simpler when they were home. Demons were rare so close to the fortress. But when confronted, they took care of the demon as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Here ... This was a strange land and the methods they were used to may not work as well.
 
Markus hurried through the corridors ignoring the people who turned and stared at them. "Simple." he said almost knocking a student to the floor as they rushed past. "We eliminate the threat. Its only how, when and where thats changed Luna." In reality, nothing really had, they were in a different world but still fought the same war. Just now, with a goddess in the mix and no backup. The stakes were much higher.

"You two!" the voice can from just in front of them and Markus followed the sound with his eyes to see an adult with a stern look on her face. He stopped but kept his hand clasped firmly around Luna's.

"Uuuh Ms.....?" he said tentatively.
 
"Markus ... how will we find the goddess if we keep--"

"You two!"

"Uuuh Ms.....?"

Luna looked up. The woman before them made an imposing figure indeed. She reminded her of one of their superiors back home. By the tone of her voice and the way the children steered clear of her, she was clearly some sort of authority figure. She kept silent; Markus would handle the talking. In the meantime she used her ability to discover if the woman was a demon or not. The results proved inconclusive at best. She would need physical contact to be sure.
 
Io was still pouting as she walked down the hall. Students had nearly learned to hide from her, which was the way she liked it. Slightly terrified with a hint of loathing. Ah, it was something she could bask in for hours. That, and clamoring adoration from her collective admirers. But today was off. Something just didn’t feel right. It made her feel edgy – angry; it was time to make someone else miserable. In her eye of sight, she recognized James. He was a student in her first period class – always the quiet type, creative – artistic, always writing. His homework was usually quite satisfactory, but not today…maybe he failed a test. Perhaps she found him cheating, plagiarizing an essay, or selling test answers. Oh, the options!

“Mr. May!” The demon shouted across to young man at the vendor. “You will be serving detention for your continued tardiness tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.” Io shrugged to herself, a self-satisfied smug on her face. That is, until she glimpsed a couple of students dressed in rather strange attire.

She cursed internally, identifying Tavia’s champions outright. She was torn. She could She couldn’t blow her cover; she needed the goddess in exchange for her freedom, and that wasn’t going to happen if anyone found out she was a demon. It was best to stick to her role until she figured out how to cut these two out of the picture. For good.

“You two!” She called out.

“Uuuh Ms….?”

“What’re these costumes doing out of the drama department!?” Io crossed her arms, her brow furrowed in irritation. “I’m issuing detentions, which will be served in my classroom tomorrow morning.” And with that, she walked off in search of the girl, her stomach in knots.
 
Markus didn't like the sound of detention. His mind going to being chained in the basement of whatever prison this place contained. Only the work classroom made him believe this was not indeed the case. Still there was something off about this woman. She had to be the one in charge here... so if they were going to remain undercover they would have to play along. He pulled Luna still closer and answered.

"As you wish... we're just new here and are unfamiliar with the rules. But I assure you these... costumes are our own. We just though it would be fun to wear them." in his mind he offered a silent prayer that his bluff would work. "Don't worry." he whispered to Luna before addressing the teacher again. "We will wear more appropriate attire in future." Markus longed to use his accustomed method of stating his rank, name and mission but doubted it would be any good here.
 
This struggle had been going on for ages. It had all begun over the control of the Pursuits that made up the powers of the Goddess of the Soul. The conflict was originally between the Monks of the High Isgauls against the forces of a shady figure simply dubbed Uno. In order to defend the core of the Goddess, it was agreed that the usages of Portals had to be used. Since the culture of Tavia was more advanced than that of Earth's this "magic" was already a science. However, the ability to control the exact landing point was not yet perfected, the core would wind up in a random sequence strand of reality....In this case Earth, exact location, one of the states in the fly over region of Middle America.

Now that the back story is out of the way...Meanwhile, somewhere in the fancy blue tunnels that make up the portal energies...


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Stino stood face to face with his long time foe, Uno. The Demon had come a long way from being one of the lowest servants to the master of most of the demonic beings on Tavia. Though, that being said, the term demon was a rather generic one that referred to a number of beings that didn't support the rulings of the gods and not all of them listened to his whims.

"How many times must be continue this pointless feud?" Stino asked dryly. His dark brown robes fluttered in the wind that always blew in the tunnels.

"Until one of us is buried." Uno said.

"But we've been at this for more than 30 years. Let's face...You're never going to find the core; after this long." Stino responded.

The demon then growled and extended it's long arms with sharp nails towards Stino.

StinoGlenhill.jpg

Stino in response raised his infamous Staff of Scouting, that had one of the Purists embedded in side of it. This staff allowed Stino to blast the demon's arms and send them flying right back at him! The demon then slapped itself.

"Enough with the parlor tricks." Uno responded. Stino just yawned. Growling again, the demon decided that now was the time rip open an exit from the realm tunnels. Using it's claws, it ripped a whole into the bluish light. A white flash then engulfed both of the combatants.

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The place that they had ended up in smelled of chemicals. Stino tried to see what was going on but the room they were was rather dark. The only thing that he make out was a series of photographs hanging. They had ended up in the Audio Visual Department of Theodore Roosevelt High, the very school that the Core of the Goddess attended.

Uno then took advantage of Stino's distraction and grabbed a hold of the middle aged wizard and sent him flying through the revolving door that was used to keep the dark room sealed off from natural light. Several students would be sad that their photos would never develop.

Stino ended up being tossed on a black colored lab table. His rubbed his sore back; luckily he was used to be tossed around.

"Alright, now you asked for it, you sonnabitch." Stino said while clenching his teeth. Raising his staff, he entrapped Uno in a blot of energy and tossed him around. Without putting much thought into in, Stino accidentally slammed Uno into a computer screen. What happened next, surprised the wizard. Uno began to scream in pain. His body began to twist and turn. It was slowly becoming absorbed by the Internet Explorer icon that was present on all the school's computer. Apparently this world's technologies had not become used to magic, so in order to balance things out, magic would become entrapped in a neutral zone; aka the internet.

In a matter of seconds the hooded foe disappeared. Rubbing his temples Stino groaned as he got back up on his feet. "I'm so not cleaning this place up."