Crusch was ecstatic, the feeling in her legs nearly went numb. It was a feeling she hadn't felt before, something so phantasmally distant that it was nearly enthralling. When was the last time she'd ever felt so…so…
The words left her, it wasn't because she simply didn't want to say it but that there was nothing to say for before this, such a feeling was non-existent to her. Gildal shot her a glance of pride and smiled, raising his hands as he was the first to break the silence among the crowd.
Clap
Clap
Clap
He clapped loudly within the silence, slowly prompting others into the sway as soon Crusch was flooded by a round of applause. Her head spun, why were they clapping?
'You're becoming a witch, don't you remember?'
No, no, why were they clapping for her of all people? Crusch was dazed for what felt like an eternity, throughout most of her life there hadn't been much of anything worthwhile that she'd done. She wasn't a failure, no, yet neither were her achievements anything worth a standing ovation or was it because she'd never acquired one? Odd…
She'd finished school even with her backtracking financial situation, complicated family matters and mental barriers, she, Crusch had defied all odds. Wasn't she supposed to give up? Wouldn't she not have been evicted from blame if she did? After all, there were so many excuses, so many reasons why she shouldn't have made it? Yet she did, how miraculous….how miraculous was she?
There were no ovations for that though, there were no cheers, her graduation had been empty and lonely, her aunt wasn't around to see it happen as a few weeks before she'd graduated did she decide to move in chase of a better job; packing her stuff and leaving Crusch with enough saved money to keep herself afloat for a month or two without a job. Her parents weren't around either and the claps, although pointed towards her, never felt like they were her's.
"Ludmilla"
Crusch blinked, it was the name so alien yet familiar now.
'Right…'
Once again, these weren't her applause. She slowly walked forward amongst the ovation, beaming, her father seemed proud and her mother too. Soon enough Crusch was right in front of them, her father nodding and moving to the side as he made way for the woman who'd been standing behind him, everyone had turned silent at this point.
"Young Lady Ludmilla, a pleasure" her voice was of course young with an unmistakable accent to it, she smiled and outstretched a hand which Crusch took.
"Lindel, Fifth Circle witch" she stated, "And I've been assigned to take care of your wand selection this evening"
Crusch's heart skipped a beat as she nodded, there weren't any questions, any preparations to the process or any need for words. The woman, Lindel, simply brandished the briefcase in front of her as the two golden locks which Crusch now noticed unlocked themselves and let the lid fling into the air something that surprised her a bit.
"Don't be afraid, their just a little eager for an owner"
'Eager…' Crusch pondered but then she almost felt a little fear, the last time she'd been told not to fear something and she'd been swayed to stare into the mouth of some eldritch abomination. Lord knows what her wands would induce on her, however, her worries seemed to be for naught as she stared into the now open contents of the briefcase noting that there were three wands inside and one of them…one of them twitched!
"D-Do they have to pick me?" She hesitantly asked, noting one of the wands now starting to twitch violently as though beckoning for her grasp.
"A wand is a tool and a tool is chosen by its wielder for a specific purpose, why not grasp each one and see which suits you more"
'So it doesn't choose me?'
Crusch was a little hesitant but decided to do so, the first wand she picked was of course the one that had twitched and beckoned for her grasp. The wand itself was metallic, silver in colour with a hollow like design of beautiful engraves and long length.
The moment Crusch and the wand made contact did she instantly feel something, a feeling akin to…to.. excitement!! Crusch could feel her blood boil, her heart palpate wildly and her most deepest desires set ablaze. She felt, she felt something akin to being alive! Instantly she gripped the wand tighter in a greedy embrace and was nearly about to announce her answer immediately till she stopped, took a deep breath and sighed while her gaze landed on the rest of the wands inside.
'I nearly forgot to screen the others, holy shit…this thing is an energy drive!!'
She commented in her thoughts, noting that the wand had some sort of effect on her mental and emotional state. The metallic wand in her hand although now suppressed by her conscious will had induced a feeling of euphoria and downright ecstasy which is why she was so suddenly assailed by a feeling of excitement and burning desire.
She glanced at the wand, noting it twitch and wriggle in her grasp, for some reason she felt as though it was trying to convey a kind of message and through some ethereal connection and she felt as though she understood.
'You've grown attached to me that quickly? Such a sweet talker'
Although she couldn't deny that the wand was a fun thing in her grasp and felt perfectly in tune with a certain part of her, there were still two other options and it'd be rash not to try them out first to which the silver wand twitched slightly.
'I haven't rejected you…' she consoled in her thoughts.
Looking at the other options and Crusch chose the one right of the silver wand she placed back in the middle of the briefcase and held it in her grasp, a crystalline wand of sapphire coloring, sleek but jagged and rough as though it'd been snipped of a giant earth gen and crudely made into the shape of a wand. Unlike the silver wand and it didn't react much to her presence, she gripped it tighter and the power with it seemed to…shy away from her? This was odd, Lindel had said they were quite eager so why was this one acting so shy?
Similar as she felt for a change in her mind and emotions, there was…nothing. She stared at the crystalline wand, its gem like style and beautiful color were alluring to the eye and although the silver wand definitely seemed more fancier and keen to the eye, this one had a natural and rough attractive vibe to it.
She stared at it a few more times and waited for some kind of reaction and…well…nothing, disappointed she placed it back into the briefcase with a solemn expression but failure was always prominent and the world never cared for the whim's and desires of human's. Crusch then turned her focus on another wand, neither steel nor crystal, she slowly grasped at it.
For some reason, just like the silver wand, this one sort of beckoned to her but it wasn't a violent twitch or an odd glow but something akin to a desire, not burning like the excitement she felt with the silver wand but…
Her hands fully grasped around the wand did Crusch's eyes widen as they met, a thought, no, it'd be more accurate to call it a kind of calling was screamed into her mind.
END THEM ALL!!!!!
She clutched her head, startled by the voice as she began panting, heavily gasping for air. Was that supposed to happen? Crusch wouldn't know and stared at the wand with much more scrutiny. It was a deep and withered wooden structure, an oak like, battered and broken frame. There were engraves of symbols and insignia's she couldn't understand that were messily scattered along its surface, if Crusch were to put it simply then it resembled something sinister.
The wand itself didn't put much influence on her mind however, she didn't feel that much of a change in her emotional state either except for that…well…everyone felt so…weak. There was an inkling of a feeling in her, small and dormant that squirmed in her heart like a dark serpent.
No one can stop us~ it seemed to whisper.
From the darkness that overcame her in this brief moment, Crusch felt a feeling of connection; It was small but there. Like the tether that was made when she'd grasped the silver wand in her hands, Crusch could somehow feel the wands thoughts but unlike it did it have any coherence or semblance of peace. Chaos, Chaos and Malevolence was what it seemed to whisper and scream into her ears as though…dare she say it, the wand had gone mad.
'It's not bad though, I kinda like it...' there was a sense of power in it, deep and although sinister felt as though if she could simply tap into what was inside; any dream of hers could come true.
Soon she let go off the wand, placing it back in the briefcase as that feeling of overwhelming power and sinister intent slowly dissipated.
"Have you made a choice?" Lindel asked, her gaze expectant but why?
Anyway, now she had to think hard and well. She only had two options after all, the crystalline wand from before the sinister item she'd held in her hand hadn't reacted to her at all; pretty useless if you ask her. The silver wand and piece of withered wood were her only two options, the first was a Euphoric and exciting kind. Being alive, living to the fullest was what Crusch felt through its silver shimmer. It was as though it held the soul of a young child, naive and spontaneous.
'The world's an adventure, our adventure!!' she felt its thoughts were like that.
Together with it and her, Crusch felt the wand held a specific tether in her heart, as though there was nothing more important and more fitting; it was a part of her. Truthfully she'd have chosen it on the spot, had its competition not been the malevolent item by its side.
She sighed, the wand itself had no sentimental kind of attachment, no tether to her heart, to be honest it was the furthest away from her nature but closest at the same time. It's feelings spelt of evil, power but there wasn't greed, instead, an innate desire for pandemonium and chaos. Perhaps it was the younger side of her, one she was pretty ashamed of but the feeling of power it gave of was almost intoxicating.
She wanted it, there was a wish so deep in her heart that she couldn't understand what it was, perhaps it wasn't her's. Her new body and her conscious were slowly becoming one, although Crusch couldn't call it her's for a numerous amount of reasons, by technicality they were quickly becoming one being. Soon enough, unlike before when Crusch felt her body's reactions and emotions were alien and distant, she might quickly start mistaking it for her own desires and self. Soon…Crusch's own name might become a maddening process to discern, Ludmilla or Crusch just who'd she identify as?
So perhaps the malevolent wand wasn't a desire She wanted but one that the body itself desired, it too was maddened and chaotic, spilling nonsense and incoherent cries of anguish and pain. Crusch still couldn't understand this body's feelings, the original owner was dead and gone so why…why did it feel as though someone else was still inside? She shook her head and then glanced at the woman in front of her again, Lindel's gaze practically salivating for her choice.
Eventually Crusch took in a deep breath and stared at the wands intently, Madness or Euphoria, which one did she want? Her hand slowly outstretched itself as everyone's gaze grew just as piercing while she crept closer to the contents inside.
'Wands are tools, take only the tool that fits your goals and desires best' the small advice rang in her head.
Soon her hands were above the tools of her choosing as she smiled.
"I'll take both"