Magician's Assistant
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date ; 25/09/17 . location ; travelling across europe . starring ; @Anthonie Engelbrecht . notes ; minor godmodding of Anton, kept to an absolute minimum but he will be present during these events . |
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| ... | 𝓐s a talented student hell-bent on progressing to the heights of magic and perfection, it seemed that Arkady naturally hit a wall in his fifth and final year at Durmstrang. Many knew there was only one direction to turn if you truly wanted a challenge in Transfiguration, and he deigned to utter the word to any of his classmates for fear of failure. It was one thing having no one expect much from you, but another to have them expect total ineptitude before you've even tried. Despite being vaguely disliked by most at the Institute, his Transfiguration professor had noted his affinity for the subject and held him back at the end of their final class. "Mr Piecyk, I am aware you will be leaving us after this summer. I’d like to wish you the best of luck in the States… It may be – more to your tastes there." He knew what that meant – liberal, pacifistic, weakened with idealism. He was amazed his professor did not realise that he as a European shared the same baseline disdain for most Americans. “I wonder if you’ve given much thought to pursuing Transfiguration further. You could go onto great things. If you’d like to test your skills, perhaps you might consider the... Animagus ritual over the summer months?” Her voice involuntarily quietened at the word, as if someone would be listening to burst into laughter. Ever the people pleaser – and secretly hoping his professor would approach him about it first to save him some embarrassment – Arkady accepted with thinly veiled ecstasy. His mentor hardly mirrored his excitement, but nonetheless made it her burden to guide him to the right source material, and even went to the trouble of giving him strict written instructions on what to do. That summer happened to be simultaneously one of the most hectic of the boy’s life so far. Left houseless and earning his daily bread on his own, Arkady gave little thought to the challenge as the summer began, too occupied with finding his next bed and next job. It was on a clandestine evening that he chanced upon a strange boy around his age – one who would end up becoming a partner in crime as they ventured around Europe with nothing but the clothes on his back. By some miracle, he was also a part of this same strange other world as Arkady, privy to magic and wizarding society. As they travelled, Arkady temporarily forgot about his troubles – his estranged family, the church back home, Durmstrang and his upcoming voyage to the States. He finally felt his age once more, wandering back to those big dreams his once unoccupied mind had fancied. He mustered the courage to speak of the Animagus ritual to Anthonie, showing him the instructions he’d kept close to his heart through every trip and youth hostel. From that point on, their trip doubled as a scavenger hunt of sorts. Finding mandrakes in the wild was a troublesome affair, especially considering what a danger they would be to unwitting muggles. Thankfully as the pair reached Krakow, they happened upon a dingy back-alley. A less than savoury brute of a man sold them mandrake leaves at an extortionate price, though Arkady figured beggars could not be choosers. Figuring the boy could use them, the merchant showed off his extensive wares of Death's-head Hawk Moths and their cocoons, with an even heftier price disguised as a discount. The boy relented and took the offer nonetheless. The process was tedious and demanding. Unable to properly enjoy his food for fear of swallowing or chewing up the leaf, it was enough to make him consider quitting. Once or twice he choked in his sleep, having to start over again as he spat the damned thing out. At points he considered gluing the leaf to the roof of his mouth. Eventually however he managed to keep up his streak, which consisted of regular reminders from Anton that the leaf was in fact still in his mouth. In the meantime, his next problem was acquiring dew that had never seen the sun nor been trodden on by human feet. He waited tediously for a rainy night, crouched in a muddied field not far from Munich. Arek lay in wait like a predator for a drop of rain to grace the leaf of a bush, ready to catch it in a crystal phial for safe keeping. It was not long before the deed was done and to ensure the dew remained potent, he kept it on his person at all times, hidden deep in coat pockets away from the sun for the seven days to come. Soon the time drew near to complete the process, when Arkady had realised a gaping hole in his grand plans. He had remained divided on what his Animagus form should be. He had contemplated everything from a snake (the Biblical connotations were a little too on the nose) to a snowy barn owl (he decided he would rather not be mistaken for a carrier owl). Fearing he had messed the process up with his indecisiveness, a stray comment that had been lingering in the back of his mind suddenly resurfaced. Against his better sense he’d been mulling it over for weeks, wondering what Anton could have possibly meant when he likened Arkady to a defenseless little rabbit. It had been a throwaway comment and a harmless one at that, but that comparison had highlighted a few too many parallels within Arkady than he cared to admit. He was flighty, hypervigilant and unassuming. A nervous prey-like thing. He was a little downtrodden to hear someone he thought of as so effortlessly cool refer to him so diminutively. He tried to shake the thought and focus on something with a little more presence, like a deer or an ocelot, but nothing seemed to stick. He begged the next full moon to grace the sky on a pristine night, and his prayers were miraculously answered. He ran out onto their hotel balcony looking up at the round glowing face above before pulling out his phial and spitting the leaf into it. Carefully he unveiled the dew that he’d been harbouring for seven long days and the chrysalis of a Death's-mask Hawk Moth, dropping them both into the elixir. Immediately, he searched for a peaceful place to keep it amidst their travels. In a last ditch effort, he ripped the floorboards from their places and tucked the phial away beneath the floor. Next was the repetition of the incantation “Amato Animo Animato Animagus” at sunrise and sundown, every day until the next electrical storm. This part came naturally to Arkady, well-adjusted to the routine of morning and evening prayer. He never missed a single recital, always glancing at the sun as it greeted his words. Soon it was time to complete the arduous process; admittedly he was excited to be rid of the challenge. He half-expected to fail and throw his arms in the air, accepting defeat like the good sport he’d always been. The storm did not take long to arrive, and thankfully the boys were still in the same hotel room so as to uncover the phial from its burial place. Arkady, in a fit of adrenaline, cleared their room, pushing bags, tables, chairs and beds away to make room for his transformation. With one final repetition of the spell, he downed the phial in one swig, grimacing at the wretched taste. He had no clue what would manifest given his flurrying thoughts and scattered choices. For all he knew, he could turn into a rhinoceros. With his roommate keeping a wide berth away for safety, Arkady squeezed his eyes shut, allowing himself to fall into the spell, overcome and helpless to its results. A fucking rabbit. You have got to be kidding me. |
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════════════════════════════════════════ ❝ –ʟɪᴋᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʀᴇꜱʜ ʀᴀɪɴ. ❞
perfectionist i ; perfectionist ii ; prodigal charms ; ability 4 ; ability 5 ; wandmaker ; ability 7 ; ability 8 .
sta 10 ; eva 15 ; str 01 ; wis 15 ; arc 14 ; acc 11 .
sta 10 ; eva 15 ; str 01 ; wis 15 ; arc 14 ; acc 11 .