18+ Private Eastern Brisshal The Dark Flames Beckon

[Harukami]

Harukami was shaking uncontrollably. Her fire... Had turned darker than night! She was just trying to practice making a ring of fire on the ground, when it grew unbearably dark and hot, the heatwave soaking her in sweat from being enclosed in it. "Why... Why is this happening!?" She cried softly, a slight sob leaving her lips.

Just an hour ago, Harukami had accidentally misclicked when trying to choose her final mastery. She wanted Evoke, but had sneezed and clicked on 'Corrupt' instead. Now, she had no control over the corrupt magic swirling inside of her. The shadows and spirits seemed to be laughing at her as she failed to use her magic the way she wanted to.

"Stop laughing at me!" She growled, glaring at the ghosts that had followed her to her training ground. If corrupt was doing anything for her, it was making her stutter seem to disappear, despite her anxiety overwhelming and eating her alive. Stopping the dark flames, she took a deep breath and tried again. A circle of red flames surrounded her- but turned dark only seconds later.

Falling to her knees, she punched the soft soil beneath her feet. "Damnit!" Her frustration was settling in nicely. Haruka had never cursed in her life until this moment. "At least no one's here to see me failing... Besides you jerks, I mean..."

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

There was a certain roar that only accompanied fire that had attracted Ginevra's attention, the sound of crackling flames, but without the snapping of twigs and firewood, told her that it must have been something magical in nature. That meant it was cool! And therefor, if it was cool, then it was totally worth investigating and seeing what she could make of it. Plus, she'd heard the sound of a woman growling and shouting in frustration, meaning that there was a woman who needed rescuing from torment.

And then maybe being made to suffer torment at Ginevra's hands. It was hard to say...

The last thing she'd expected to find was a woman on her knees, punching the soil and talking to herself, surrounded by a circle of dark flames that were, honestly, super badass.

Hey, I know you might think you're alone and stuff, but you actually aren't.

Though it might have sounded like they were comforting words, she did meant them truly in the most literal sense possible, stepping out from the undergrowth and planting the tip of her greatsword into the ground, leaning against it as she looked the woman up and down. She was definitely pretty enough to keep Ginevra's bed warm.

Those are some pretty cool flames. I don't see what the failure is here, unless they're not supposed to appear in a ring?

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Haruka jumped and the ring of fire fizzled as she stood up as straight as an arrow, startled by the voice of a stranger. "O-Oh! Um, hello!" Her stutter came back faster than she could say the word stutter- and stutter wasn't a long word.

"I-I'm trying to use just fire magic..." She soon explained. "I, um, kind of clicked 'Corrupt' on accident... A-And now I'm trying to control it... B-But no matter how I focus my breath, or grip my staff... I-It keeps going dark..."

Still, the stranger had complimented her for the spell overall. It made her smile, though meekly. "I agree, they look cool, but... I-If I can't control it, it's a problem... Plus I'm a healer, too, so... I-It's just not something I want to use all the time, I guess...? Though I do feel stronger when I use it... A-And I can think clearer. It's strange..."

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

Aww how cute! She was shy! Now that was honestly just adorable. The stutter made the girl just so fragile sounding! Most people would probably feel the urge to protect this woman and keep her safe or something like that. Ginevra, however, felt the urge to push this person into dangerous situations and see how she grew as a result of them. Out of love, of course. Certainly not malice.

But even better, she was a shy person that had selected Corrupt, no matter if it was by accident or not! Another sister of the darkness, though one that was still taking her first steps towards the dark side and all of those powers.

Oh wow, that is quite the little predicament that you've gotten into, huh?

She shunted her greatsword into her inventory, walking over to approach the woman and walk in a circle around her, examining her from multiple angles. There was enough there to work with, definitely. Absolutely cute enough to become one of her underlings or possessions.

Or maybe a pupil? She'd never taught anybody before!

You're in luck, however! For you see, your fortune has brought my own glorious self to stumble upon you. I happen to be a practitioner of those dark arts. Corrupt, Dark Magic, Blood Magic and soon, Necromancy itself!

She'd forgotten the names of Hemomancy and Animancy...

And, if you are struggling to learn, I would be happy to act as your instructor. Though, you'll have to advance our relationship points a little if you want to unlock any 'special' scenes~

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Harukami could only nod in response to the fact she was in a unique situation. Then, the stranger grandly spoke of herself like a savior- but to Haruka, she very well could be. Eyes sparkling slightly, she stared at Ginevra in wonder. I don't know who this person is, but they're willing to help me! I really am quite lucky, aren't I?

"I-If you really wouldn't mind, it would be an honor." She bowed low. Another Sensei! What a glorious day! "M-My name is Harukami. I will be in your care."

Standing back up straight and rigid, she finally caught the last bit of what Ginevra had said. It took her time to process before her face flushed crimson. The woman was beautiful to Haruka- but was it really okay to have such ulterior motives in her when the woman was offering to teach her to control her newfound power?

"I-I promise not to do anything untoward! U-Unless you request it, that is... T-Though there's nothing special about me to want that..." She laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "Sensei is beautiful, after all. She doesn't need me pining for her."

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

Oh? Well now wasn't this so sweet? The girl certainly would be in her care, but was also willing to admit that she was beautiful? This might be a much easier seduction than she'd thought. Unless her warning had backfired against her and made sure that the girl had no interest at all in that kind of thing, but she was going to press forwards with it anyway.

Oh come now, Harukami dear. I would hardly say that there's nothing special about you. You have your own wonderful charms and you're definitely easy on the eyes. I wouldn't be so hard on myself if I were you.

Of course, Ginevra had designed her avatar to be gorgeous, with skin pale and perfect like a porcelain doll, so anybody comparing themselves to her was definitely going to struggle to keep their self esteem at higher levels. She couldn't have her new student folding inwards though. Well, not outside of certain situations.

Lesson number 1 of Corrupt, my new student, is to not fear it. Corruption is chaos, but chaos is simply power. It isn't good or evil by nature.

She stepped closer, wrapping her arm around Harukami's waist, before pointing up at the night sky.

We, as humans, see chaos as evil just because it's something we don't understand. It may seem sinister and twisted, but to judge it as that would be the same as judging somebody as wrong, just because they're different to ourselves!

Wow, she felt pretty wise and cool after saying that! But Harukami clearly needed a pep-talk, just a little.

The abilities granted by corruption are not even so inherently damaging in nature. As I said, chaos is power. Power is enriched by the heart. With Corrupt, you can become a great healer, if you're prepared to work hard and accept risk!

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Did this beautiful woman just call her 'easy on the eyes'? She had made the character fairly plain looking as to not stand out, but here she was being complimented on those looks of hers by someone who looked like a model in her eyes. She blushed slightly, scratching her neck again. "T-Thank you, Sensei. But you're still much more lovely."

She took note of the next words Ginevra said. This first lesson was going to be the hardest. Haruka basically lived off anxious energy- she was always nervous and afraid about something. The philosophical information aside, she would have to work harder on her anxiety levels. As she was held around the waist suddenly, she found her flushed face deepen in color.

"S-Sensei's so close..." She mumbled a bit more audibly than she intended. Speaking up, she asked, "How does one conquer fear? I've always had a lot of that..."

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

Why thank you! You're so sweet. Perhaps you actually want to unlock those special scenes after all, eh? You're on the right track~

Oh this was just so much fun! Why hadn't anybody ever told her that picking up an anxious student would be one of the most interesting and fun activities that she could possibly do in this whole game? And the way the girl just reacted whenever she was close, like right now. Ginevra wasn't a believer in god, but she was willing to believe that somebody had put Harukami in her path.

And hey, if the girl ended up fiercely loyal to her new teacher? That was a win!

As for how to conquer fear, that was a bit of a tougher question. Being a teacher was hard. Why did the hard question have to be asked so early on? Especially since Ginevra couldn't really remember ever feeling scared of much, in the game or in reality.

Well, there's no real method that works for everybody. Some people focus on things that make them happy, or try to cover that fear with another, stronger emotion. Some people embrace that fear. They acknowledge that it exists but don't let it override their decision making.

She clutched Harukami closer to her for a moment, before she let go and stepped in front of the girl, standing face to face.

Let's start with something simple. When you think of something powerful, something unbeatable, what do you see?

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Haruka's face was as red as a teacher's apple. Not only had she been brought closer to her new teacher's lovely face, but she'd been teased (or so she assumed it was teasing) about the fact that she found the woman very attractive.

Actually, why was she so focused on that? Were these butterflies 'Corrupt's' influence as well?

"I see... A stronger emotion..." Right now, she had a pretty strong emotion taking over her body, but she wasn't quite sure what it was. She'd have to remember it though, because it was helping her stutter less. It became more obvious when she was asked a simple question.

"I see... My sister..." She said solemnly. "Etsuko is strong. No matter what comes at her, she deals with it with a smile. Even if she's bullied because of me, she just beats up the bullies and smiles at me. If anyone is powerful in my life, it's her. I... I want to be that strong too!"

She knew her sister complex was showing, but didn't care. It was an honest answer. "I know a lot of powerful people in this world, like Sensei-" She was talking about her pyromancy instructor, but felt it fit Ginevra too, so didn't bother to clarify. "-and many others. They're all kind people, too. Strong and kind... I want to be that kind of powerful person."

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

Well now, that was a surprisingly wholesome answer she'd gotten there. She'd honestly expected the girl to list off some superhero or a shonen battle manga character or something, but to instead mention her sister? It looked like she'd stumbled across a particularly good egg, which definitely made the choice to take Corrupt, even if it hadn't really been much of a choice, something kind of tragic. It would be interesting to see if Harukami could withstand the mental and physical tolls that were required to truly grow in strength using Corrupt.

Strong and kind, hmm? Well, I can at least safely say that Corrupt will definitely make you strong. Being kind is something only you can choose for yourself.

With that said, building confidence in this young woman was going to be difficult, especially since Ginevra was far from being a qualified therapist of any kind and she may or may not have a few ulterior motives for Harukami. Still, she could do her best.

So okay, imagine your sister in the exact same situation as you, with the same skills that you have. Ask yourself what she would do, how she would act, then do that. There's nothing wrong with absorbing the confidence of somebody else and adding it to your own.

She retrieved her greatsword from her inventory and placed it into the ground, the blade sinking in deep. A slow, soft miasma of Corruption began to spread out, slowly enveloping the two women. Ginevra's eyes became pitch black, though she still smiled at Harukami, who would begin to feel her own Corrupt mastery bubbling to the surface.

What I'm doing is utilizing a mist based curse with my Corrupted Dark Magic to drag your Corruption to the surface. This should allow you to practice pushing it back down without exhausting yourself with creating flames. Get used to the feeling of suppressing it, because there are times that you'll need it and times that you won't.

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Harukami listened carefully to her teacher's words. Corrupt would make her strong? Like her sister? That was a thought that made her kind of happy she messed up choosing it. But then she got the most interesting advice of her life. "Take someone else's confidence as my own...?" That was a thing she could have been doing? Where had Ginevra been all Haruka's life?!

When the dark mist pulled the corruption out, Haruka felt her vision going dark for a moment, and a strange, sharp pain in her chest. She'd heard Corruption was harsh on the mind and body, but she'd never experienced it quite like this since taking it on for herself. How had she not noticed this pain before?

She took a deep breath and tried to channel her sister. What would Etsuko do in this situation? She'd fight. Probably punch herself to snap her out of the daze from the pain... No, that wouldn't work. Wincing as the pain began to affect her head, she bit her lip and began to alter her breathing. She remembered a technique she'd learned from a teacher at university for preparing for tests.

As her breathing adjusted, the corruption went down- not completely, but enough that the sharp pain was subsiding.

"S-Sensei... Why did it hurt so badly until now...? It never hurt like that before..." The more she practiced this breathing technique, the more the corruption seemed to calm down, little by little. "I see... So if I use this technique to quell the fear, it weakens the Corruption's hold on me... Is that it...?"

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

Seeing Harukami struggling for a moment, Ginevra grinned, watching her. The girl was having her first brush with Corrupt in the body, rather than just in the magic. It was adorable to see that pained expression flit and cross her face, though she was doing fairly well at pushing down the corruption. Not completely, of course, since she was a beginner, but enough that it seemed like the pain was going away.

That's partly true, yes. In my humble opinion, utilizing Corrupt is like a race. If you're paralyzed by fear, the Corruption will simply overtake you and continue running, leaving you behind.

She closed her eyes, mentally counting to five, before she reopened them. This time, they completely lacked the blackness that had spready across them from her own Corruption.

It also hurts because you're a novice. Corruption in the body makes the body a better, more natural conduit for magical energy and even physical power, but the cost is pain and, if you push it too far, damage. That's the trade off. You can take Corruption into the body to further increase your power, but it is never totally without risk.

The miasma continued to flow. She wanted to keep it up until Harukami managed to completely suppress her Corruption, before she'd move on to something else.

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

A race, huh? Harukami wasn't the most athletic person in the real world, but she'd been learning to run a bit better in this one. Heck, she'd even gotten a dancing lesson briefly from her grandfather-figure. In a way, Haruka was learning more in this world than she ever did in the other, despite being a university student. Sure, she was learning some side things outside of classes, but Terrasphere was a whole new level of education for her.

"I had no idea Corrupt was so dangerous, Sensei." The girl mused, eyes watering slightly. "Does that mean... Is Sensei hurting right now? Because of me?" She did catch the 'novice' part, but as Ginevra had said, it was not without risk either way. She didn't like the idea that the woman was potentially hurting herself to help her learn to control this newfound power. Despite that, she was thankful, though.

It took a fair bit of time and energy, but Haruka began to suppress the Corruption more naturally over time. The breathing alone hadn't been enough, but it was a start. "S-Sensei, I think I'm doing it! It doesn't hurt anymore! My head hurts from fighting it, but...!" She smiled brightly with relief. "It's going to be a while before I can do it without a struggle, but... I think I'm getting at least a hankering for it now!"

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

Ginevra waved a hand. Being called sensei was a pretty neat thing, though the sudden waterworks, apparently for her sake, did make her midly panic, having no clue how to deal with somebody that was crying due to concern for her. She stepped forward to cup Harukami's cheeks and hold her face.

I promise you that I'm fine. Once you start to make some progress with Corrupt, the pain lessens before it completely fades, unless you start pushing your limits. It's just a matter of letting your mind and body adjust to it, rather than heaping it all on yourself in one go.

Though soon enough, the girl seemed to be managing to suppress her Corruption more naturally, until she had it completely pushed back. When Harukami spoke up, Ginevra cut off her own Corruption, ending the miasma and releasing Harukami from the fact that she had been pulling the girl's Corruption to the surface. She placed her hand on the woman's head, patting her gently.

You did good! You're easily ready for the next step in your training! Now that you know what Corruption feels like and what suppressing it feels like, you should be able to suppress it out of your magic.

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Haruka calmed down pretty easily, though she had a mild arrhythmia from feeling her teacher's hands on her face so suddenly. Still, she smiled softly. "Thank goodness. It would be no good if Sensei got hurt because of me." And knowing the pain wouldn't last forever was a nice thing, too. Haruka was accustomed to a bit of pain due to her childhood and clumsiness, but it wasn't nearly the same as when the Corrupt first took over her body.

Released from the spell that had her taken over, she found herself blushing at the action of having her head pat so gently. Had anyone ever pat her head so kindly before? She couldn't even remember her mother patting her head as a child. She was pretty sure it had never happened. It felt oddly nice.

Taking a few steps back, she decided to try the same spell she'd been trying before, making sure the flames only circled around her, not getting anywhere near Ginevra. At first, they turned dark again- but slowly, Haruka managed to brighten them, the Corruption fading until it disappeared from the flickering fire entirely.

"I-It's really hard to control... I feel like my mind is going numb..." She laughed nervously, extinguishing the flames with a mere thought. "It takes a lot of energy... How does Sensei control it so naturally? It really is amazing to me."

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

Watching as the flames appeared, that rink of fire surrounding Harukami, before darkness bled into them almost immediately. She hummed, wondering if maybe Harukami hadn't quite been ready for this step in her training, but surely enough, the darkness began to recede from them as the girl fought it back and tightened her control over the Corruption, the flames brightening as natural balance was restored and chaos was squashed back down again.

Aha, well it takes a lot of practice and I suppose everybody could do it differently if they wanted. I personally, rather than suppress the chaos and Corruption, embrace it.

It was probably a hard concept for Harukami to understand, but it would be something that Ginevra figured she'd explain to see if it was something that would work for the girl. She stepped behind her student, wrapping her arms around Harukami's waist and pulling, until she was sat down with Harukami in her lap.

Nobody said she couldn't continue her seduction after all...

I've accepted the Corruption, learned to treat it as just a part of me. Your arms and legs don't really move without your input, sometimes they might twitch or fire off reflexively, but in the end, you're in control. It's the same with me and my Corruption. Learning to suppress it is good and the first step to having control, but you can't KEEP it suppressed. You have to use it, let it stretch its figurative legs.

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Haruka listened carefully to each word that left the woman's lips- but they all but vanished from her mind as she found herself in a sudden embrace, sitting in Ginevra's lap. "S-Sensei...?" With her face flushed, she was rather glad she'd chosen to stick to her feminine side when making her character. If it were her real body... Shy Haruka would have quite an awkward situation right now.

No, it was still awkward. And so she squeaked out a satisfied sound, squirming slightly, but not enough to cause trouble.

Deep breaths, Haruka... She took a moment to calm herself, to keep the Corruption suppressed. Something in her body was changing, and she wasn't sure what it was, nor if it was good or bad. Her heart was entranced, however, and she knew that well. No! Focus on the lesson!

She did her best to take in what Ginevra was telling her. "The chaos is part of me...?" Somehow, the thought made her blushing face deepen in color. "What are good ways to use it, Sensei? I don't want to deny I have it... Not anymore..."

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

The sudden squeak was interesting, but not as much as the strange, satisfied sound that Ginevra heard, making the Dark Knight smirk the moment that she noticed it, unaware of the mental gymnastics and calming that Harukami was having to go through in order to retain control of herself. Hopefully her lap was comfortable, she'd done her best to create the softest possible body she could create whilst having the strength to swing around her greatsword as if it were little more than a twig that she'd collected off of the floor.

And her student was still so attentive. She grinned, resting her chin on Harukami's shoulder.

Well, the first thing I'll say is that, whilst most people look at Corrupt and only see a method of attacking and offense, the abilities afforded by corrupt can, with control, be just as easily applied to supportive actions.

She let her own Corruption come to the surface enough that she could make contact with Harukami's and gently pull it to the surface.

Adding a lot of chaos to a support action usually makes it harmful, such as causing flesh to heal incorrectly, or creating a barrier that amplifies magic rather than blocks it. But adding just a slight hint of chaos can supercharge a power to new heights.

Once she had a tiny amount of Corruption brought forwards in Harukami, she stopped pulling.

Don't suppress this. Just keep it as it is. Get used to the feeling. A small amount of chaos can amplify. A larger amount can Exceed, at a cost.

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Haruka opted to try averting her gaze when she felt the woman's chin on her shoulder. The woman's attempt at seducing her was working too well, and Haruka didn't know why she was feeling seduced at all. She was so soft, so gentle- and to Haruka, she had a beautiful scent as well. As she felt her senses overriding with a strange mix of joy and jitters, she tried her hardest to stay focused on the words of advice Ginevra was giving her.

"Chaos can... make it stronger...?" The idea that she could amplify her healing spells was sort of amazing. So, she just had to control the amount? And those dark flames, she realized, could be very useful in battle.

"Sensei... I feel strange though. I feel like my mind isn't fully mine..." Perhaps it was the corruption making the seduction work? Surely, something was strange about Haruka, just from how slow she was speaking at times. She continued to avoid looking her teacher in the face, fearful she might indulge her senses even further.

It wouldn't be right to thank her with a kiss, would it? No, absolutely not!

@Ginevra Delaney

 

[Ginevra Delaney]

Yes. Chaos can make your healing and support spells stronger too. Even stronger than perhaps even one of the healing oriented Alter masteries could, so long as you're prepared to take the risk of using Corruption.

It was, at least in Ginevra's opinion, something of a balancing act. Taking as much of the power of chaos as possible, without handing over total control to it. Her fingers danced and glided up and down Harukami's sides, rubbing them soothingly, whilst she was ever so close to the girl. Such a receptive student, she'd never even experienced this in her wildest dreams and fantasies.

If you give it too much leeway, it can start to affect your mind, make your thinking less clear. In smaller doses, it can make your thinking clearer, remove certain...inhibiting factors. Maybe it will remove unease or insecurity, allowing you to make crucial choices.

Though if Harukami was already feeling like her mind didn't fully belong to her, perhaps it didn't? Or maybe, perhaps, she could make Harukami's mind belong to Ginevra herself? Now that would be a rather magnificent idea.

What you're feeling is probably the feeling of Corrupt making you a bit less hesitant. If I were you, I'd embrace that feeling just a little. Change can be good. You should just tell me what you want~

@Harukami