‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍𝕱*ERVOUR───MꨄRTIS．

“hey ... HEY! that’s my friend’s familia— oh, this is your pet? ... i am so sorry ...”

“hey, look, i know 2 AM is the optimal time to cast spells but do NOT do it by my window! some of us are trying to sleep!”

“you’re a mess ... what have you been doing? you’re bleeding ...”

“you don’t get to tell me what to do, nero ...” she hums, sotto voce. she slowly picks him up from the ground, allowing his slender, scaly body to coil around her bandaged arm. nero had always been this stubborn, the kind where it takes threats to make him understand the gravity of what he’s getting himself into ... dove doesn’t mind.

drifting, dreamy, listless irides glancing to where it should not—the metallic tang of rot, the wet squelch on the forest floor, the howl that wasn’t quite right ... it stood before them. “well, whaddya know— speak of the devil ...” labrum ever—slightly ajar as she reaches for the blade in her pocket. “we don’t run when the opportunity presents itself, no?” she coos at serpent familiar, a lazy grin spread across her lips as she rolls her sleeve up, the bell now visible on her wrist.

“it’ll be fun,” sylph pivots to face the creature that stood before her—the dreaded redretch. “let’s try not to get ourselves killed.” blade glides through skin, droplets of scarlet instantaneously taking the shape of a scythe. “hi, pretty thing. let’s make this quick and painless, yes?” roiling swelter stirred in pit of stomach; gooseflesh rouse as she takes a step closer.

“not everyone’s got the patience, y’know?” dove titters, a soft tremor of amusement slipping free in hushed cadence. it was only then she realized the blood trickling down from her wrist to her palm. “d’aww, shit ... sorry for the mess ...” a grin unfurling broad upon cordate lips, saccharine edged in veiled menace. “what is it exactly that’s coming out of my pocket?” she quips, rough hands working to stop the wound from bleeding. unnerving as her initial reaction was just to grin and laugh, but only because she feels no pain at all. yes ... unnerving as one would call it.

momentary stillness in the air, free hand reaching for cigarette in her pocket. something she had taken from his, how she managed to nab it? nobody really knows. “is it the broken panes, or the pack that i just took from your coat pocket?” the stick hangs from the corner of her mouth, “you should really be watching your stuff more closely ....”

it was always advised to be indoors during this time, danger looms just beyond the academy’s gates … just through the brush of trees. but for what her little life was worth, she would rather that he was safe. eyes fall upon beat up pair of converse, light footsteps against cold marble—the pit of her stomach tells her to turn back, hole up in her room and wait for her beloved to come slithering back to her.

but what is intuition when she pries the door open alike pandora in morbid curiosity?

beyond the garden walls and into the thick brush of trees, basking beneath the ghost of moonbeams and shadowy branches. late nights in the forest were never a foreign thing for dove, it was optimal to collect herbs and plants at the witching hour. nothing seems to scare her, not unless nero was with her …

“nero!” she calls to serpent—boy, the air thrums with magic and an eerie feeling in the air …. halted motions, bambi—eyes flicker at directions at which strange sounds emanated from— suspenseful suspire unfurls from peony—maw. “hwang nero, come out! we shouldn’t be out and about, you know!”

I. THE MISERY ; A SYNOPSIS.

born a disappointment, a shame. the han clan was nothing less than traditional; patriarchal. the moment her mother gave birth to her, it was no secret that everyone in the family were disdained. they weren’t a clan of high renown, they were feared. a male heir would have strengthened the bloodline ... a daughter was the weakest link.

wren, the woman who was responsible for bringing life to this earth was given the chance to raise her daughter, dove, until she was 6. an ultimatum was in place: they were to sacrifice the girl and spill her blood on the lethe, or they throw her daughter in; she will be unharmed but will not remember but gets to keep her ability. wren chooses the latter─ daughter denounced, daughter drowned in their memory ... or so they thought.

a servant who witnessed the cruel act had fished out the little girl of the river. he takes her to a little village, away from prying eyes and from the cruel family and raises her as his own; a healer, a protégé. a new life begins for dove.

at age 10, her abilities manifest. for years, the healer teaches her ways to use that ability for good, to not be consumed by the hunger that whispers. she was sent to the academy at age 17, for her education and to keep her safe.

II. FROM BLOOD AND ASH; BLOOD MAGIC AND MANIPULATION.

hemokinesis ── magic to control and manipulate blood. users can freely create, shape, control, and manipulate blood and they possess complete control over blood.

dove was bestowed by the river lethe the magic to control and manipulate blood. she can use this ability on her own or another person’s blood by extending it, forming tendrils, or forming basic structures, such as whips and floating masses, to both grasp objects or people and launch offensive attacks. however, she can't release blood through anything other than an open wound; hence why she carries around a switchblade so she can readily cut her hand open when needed.

dove can also use her powers psychically, where she can control another organisms’ muscles through their blood, akin a puppeteer and marionette; however dove was forbade to use it; magic in its darkest form as her mentor would say. using too much of her magic would be mentally and physically taxing.

III. FOOL OF THE FATES; PERSONALITY + PLOTS.

though she may seem cold and distant at first, dove is cheerful and approachable which is one of her best traits. socializing with people is one of the things she likes doing but she has the tendency to disappear for a while ... similar to a chameleon, her personality shifts depending on who she’s with, what situation she’s in, etc. she doesn’t demand anything from people or have high maintenance relationships with them.

however, she can be rather sarcastic and cynical ... apathetic, sharp-tongued, manipulative, temperamental, and individualistic ... only ever showing it when pushed over the edge.

PLOTS!

CHILDHOOD FRIEND — spare   kin、 missing   from   girlhood   anamnesis.  not   the   brother   she   wants   but   the   only   one   she   has． a   brother   who   was   her   saviour、 made   her   childhood   bearable．

CLOSE COMPANION; ROOMMATE — guardian   angel． her   one  ﹠  only   lucky   star．wretched   mirrors   of   one   another． knows   her   better   than   she   knows   herself．

OLDER SISTER FIGURE — false idol’s idol． she’ll break her promises、 she understands、 so she holds her hands over the ears of her heart so she will not hate her.

GHOST OF YOU; HER PAST — the   ghost   in   her   periphery、 the   voice   in   the   back   of   her   mind、 the   one   she   puts   her   faith   in． herald、 liar．