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       #Post#: 411688--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Gatita
       Date: December 27, 2023, 10:55 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       How could she not be honest? Marie already knew that it was
       foolish of her to lie to someone with the powers he carried. She
       would end up looking like a fake, a fool, a waste of time, a
       coward lier, what a horrible fist impression if you ask me.
       Also, she would be a hypocrite to herself, all these weeks, and
       this planning, for nothing? No. She is here, she will talk, she
       will seek, and she will do it afraid.
       His words were not s request, they were a command. A shiver ran
       down her spine as she just nodded in silence looking up at him
       and experienced his magic in display, it was just a taste, but
       enough to create a deep sense of scared hunger to see more. He
       open a door that was never there in the first place, and it all
       made sense. “The Other Side”, of course!
       Taking several fast deep breaths, she tried to calm herself as
       her whole body begins to slightly shake. He left her to enter
       this room. She eventually walks slowly behind him towards this
       door, taking in all that this will imply. This is not just
       entering a room, oh no no no…
       This is it Marie, the beginning of it all. The before and after.
       She looks back to the exit door of the shop, one last glance at
       her last chance. She could run and try to open it, live the
       ordinary life she was meant to be. Or she can embrace and awake
       a  power she knows is dormant and hidden in her. If she walks in
       this room, she is entering a commitment to see it play out, she
       is giving consent to herself to go in and discover a world that
       is terrifying but also calling out to her. Freedom is not just a
       bed of delicate roses, is she wanted to truly be free, thorns
       and turmoil will also be a part of it. “Now What?” She could
       practically hear him repeat.
       Marie steps in. Her eyes adjust to the dim light as she takes in
       all that was before her. The Other Side. Her hand slowly moves
       to cover her mouth as swallow a sound of surprise shock as she
       sees the inside of the room. One big gulp. Actually, several.
       “No. More. Fear. Need. Answers. Get. It. Together. Woman. You.
       Can. Do, this” She almost screams to herself inside her soul.
       Panting softly, she will not back down, she found the place, she
       found him, she will NOT back down. No matter how much it is, she
       needs to give it her all! Enough life of regrets!
       She says to him, in a shaky little scared voice of someone who
       has never seen something like this before, but also holding to
       the strength of her spirit that didn’t allowed her to run away
       when she could.
       “My true self… my power… if magic is real, and if I am magical…
       I want to… discover me…”
       #Post#: 411689--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Ciaran
       Date: December 28, 2023, 10:27 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Marie's internal screams were loud. There were waves of pure
       willpower emanating from her body. There was no doubt that she
       was all in. At least, she believed she was. She hadn't heard his
       terms yet, after all. There were many who made it even this far,
       but were too weak, or perhaps too smart to continue aftertheir
       contract was written. That dotted line could often be the
       scariest part. And it should be...
       '
       "I can help with that." He said. He stopped walking to turn and
       face her. "But of course, this is a business. I'm not in the
       business of educating folk for free." There was a slight French
       ting to his accent.
       "Step into my office and we can discuss terms."
       He approached a large, this round table made of quality oak. Yet
       another symbol was etched into the wood surface, though this one
       was harder to identify. He pulled out a seat for the lady before
       making his way to his own seat across from her.
       "You seek freedom from the cage that is your own ignorance. You
       want to know your soul, your magic, and you want me to show you
       the way to that knowledge."
       As he spoke, glowing green symbols began to appear around the
       perimeter of the table, as if keeping record of his words in
       some ancient forgotten language. When the words reached the
       starting point, they began to spiral inward, working their way
       closer to the center of the table.
       " But that freedom can be dangerous, especially while you're
       learning. You could easily hurt yourself or someone else. So you
       and your power will be under my supervision. You'll be trading
       your cage for a leash until which time I declare you have
       Mastered your abilities."
       The symbols were appearing faster, working their way to the
       center of the table, the glow evolving into a steady pulse the
       closer they got.
       "As for your payment. your exclusive use of your power for my
       sake until which time you're released from your leash You won't
       use your power outside of this facility without being given
       permission, and you will use it as and when instructed so long
       as doing so would bring you no harm. Any instructions that would
       prove harmful or dangerous to you will be considered null and
       void immediately, and you'll be under no obligation to follow
       them."
       By now, the dull pulse had become a rapid one, as the words had
       almost reached the center of the table.
       "If you find these terms agreeable, just sign on the dotted
       line."
       Of course, he had given her no paper to sign. Instead, he
       extended the handle of a knife to her with his left hand, and
       his open right hand to shake.
       "Just a drop will do."
       His intent was clear. It was a blood bond. to cut her hand and
       shake his over the table was the equivalent of a magical binding
       contract. If, of course, she was willing to sign.
       #Post#: 411690--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Gatita
       Date: December 28, 2023, 7:11 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       This is business and answers come with a price.
       Truer words she has not hear. How deeply will she go, and how
       deeply will he take her? Her whole body shakes in anticipation,
       now more notoriously, this is scary, this is dangerous, her
       senses heightened. Fleeze or flight instincts making her freeze.
       It’s too late for her to turn back, a prey already feeling the
       hot breath coming from the jaws of it’s hunter near their neck.
       She doesn’t fight, she doesn’t back away, she is accepting her
       fate. Marie walks into the layer of the beast.
       Ciaran’s office has an imposing table with some interesting
       ruins glowing, everything feels powerful in essence in this
       place. As he pulls her the chair to sit, Marie’s body plops down
       without thinking it, slowly loosing her own will and slowly
       giving it to him. Surrendering to his power. Ciaran is
       effectively saying what she wants and seeks from him.
       When Ciaran mentions just how dangerous her power can be, and
       how he will mold it, her whole body shakes in a shiver. His
       words: “… Under my supervision… You’ll be trading your cage for
       a leash… Master… ed”. Specific words and phrases pulsating
       inside of her, making her dizzy as they take a hold of her
       tightly. Silent. Sited. Receiving. Summited.
       The payment. Oh, that payment. More feelings growing. Waves of
       electric desire and excitement, mixed with the fear she has been
       brewing inside, are messing her up. The feeling of control to be
       safe, the level of control to achive greatness and answers, the
       control limitations demanded of her to explode in her potential
       once she is ready. How can she say no even though she is afraid?
       How can she feel this twisted sense of calmness filling her? A
       glimpse of freedom in being leashed, how is this possible? What
       is this? Who is he? Who would she be once molded by his hands?
       As all these questions and more raise inside of her, but let’s
       be honest, she is always full of questions anyways. What she
       needs is help in shutting them up, making her mind blank,
       silent.
       Marie’s hand automatically goes to reach out to grab the knife
       presented to her. Once in her hand, she brings it closer to her
       and hold it tight. Observing it intently as she studies it.
       Is she willing? Would she do it? Is this safe? Is she in danger?
       Will this backfire? Will she be the same? Ah. There it is.
       Finally an answer. She does NOT want to be the same. That’s why
       she seeked him, that’s why she is here, that’s what she didn’t
       run, that’s why she entered the office, that’s why she is
       surrendering to him, that’s why her neck will have his leash,
       that’s why she grab the knife…. SHE DOES NOT WANT TO BE THE
       SAME, ENOUGH!
       Inhale. The moment the cold blade touched her finger and pierced
       her skin, a soft sound of relieve escaped her soft lips. No more
       pounding loud thoughts and questions. Silence, total and
       complete silence. Just pure surrender to this crazy dangerous
       mysterious fate and to not be the same. Blood dripping, hand
       extended toward him. Exhale.
       #Post#: 411691--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Ciaran
       Date: December 29, 2023, 12:24 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       His grin deepened as he took her hand, squeezing a bit harder
       than normal, until a drop of flood fell onto the table, the glow
       of the symbols turning from green to red.
       "Yes..." He emitted in satisfaction, the word seeming to echo
       throughout the room, carrying different tones and pitches.
       As this happened, the tattoos on his arms appeared to shift and
       move across his skin until suddenly Marie would feel herself
       falling through the floor into a dark pit where she would find
       herself floating in suspension, surrounded by imagery of
       galactic magics far beyond comprehension. Stars, Auroras,
       passing of time both incredibly quickly and slowly at the same
       time! It was a bizzare experience to say the least. She was
       alone, without so much as a ground to set her feet on. However,
       his voice would echo from somewhere in the deptchs.
       "Let's get to work..."
       #Post#: 411692--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Gatita
       Date: December 29, 2023, 12:57 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Ciaran’s eye darken and his grin became sinister. To late, your
       fate is now sealed in his hands, Marie. You have sign the
       contract, just because you wanted to escape, your soul has been
       marked. Hopefully this was the correct answer and not the
       nightmare, too late now. It’s been sealed.
       Marie’s mind no longer running questions a thousand miles an
       hour anymore, there is just a frozen silence. Static white noise
       as her hand is squeezed and the blood drops in the table, and
       his tattoes open the portal. All changes, the whole vibration is
       red. Red light, red noise, red smell, red taste, red touch, all
       her senses are filled with crimson red.
       Falling in the deep, his depths, she feels cocooned, trapped
       inside his Shadows. Here is his true nature at display, who he
       is, the Shadow Master taking and owning what has been given.
       In this shadow cocoon, alone and suspended in the air, all she
       has is his voice echoing all around her. He can feel her scared
       but surrendered shaking voice murmuring.  “Yes… master…”
       #Post#: 411693--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Ciaran
       Date: December 29, 2023, 1:18 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Ciaran had a number of different magical abilities. Even those
       who knew him well didn't know them. What was he truly capable
       of? Where did his limits lie? They were questions without
       answers. And that was by design. If people understood how his
       powers worked, he would have to use more of them to be as
       effective.
       Right now it wasn't important anyway. Ciaran's powers didn't
       matter. All that mattered was his voice. "What you see around
       you is the domain of your own soul. It's your power. Not my own.
       Don't think of it as dark. Think of it as empty. Now that you've
       been guided here, it's up to you to fill it, bit by bit."
       There was something calming about his voice in the moment. It
       lacked the sinister edge from befre. one probably wouldn't call
       it "Caring." But at the very least, it was comforting.
       "Your desires, strengths and weaknesses, and yes, your magic all
       inhabit this world. However they will not manifest until you
       uncover them. Look inward. find the things that you seek wtihin
       yourself, and you will see them before you."
       And so it would be. it wouldn't happen all at once, but as Marie
       sought out pieces of herself, they would manifest here. her true
       identity, the nature of her magic. whatever it was she searched
       for, when she found it, it would appear, tangible. It would be a
       long process indeed
       #Post#: 411694--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Gatita
       Date: December 29, 2023, 2:51 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       In this Shadow Cocoon, with only his voice as a guide, Marie
       suspends alone. Loneliness, a feeling she has felt often. She
       didn’t like it, why? Was it because of facing things she kept
       pushing away because avoidance? How can she reach the depth of
       her own power is she is afraid to see the shadows and dark
       corners of herself? Facing what is hidden. Here? There is no
       place to hide or run. Here she of forced to be stuck until she
       unstuck herself. How can she have wings and fly without being in
       a cocoon?
       Wait, have wings? And she is in a… cocoon… is she, a
       caterpillar? A colorful caterpillar that lived like this was her
       last form and letting her form be stuck as that. Not her final
       form. An identity trap inside, feeling how her potential of
       knowing she is a butterfly is still unfulfilled. Just feeding
       and rooming through life and letting life just feed her. Life
       forcing her to be content in this form, telling her this is what
       a Butterfly is, giving her more easy meals to keep letting her
       stay this way. Stuck within herself.
       Marie eyes watered as this realization hits her. Ciaran can hear
       this thoughts as they pulsate inside his shadows. In this space
       he can hear clearly her internal voices and thoughts.
       Using her own voice, she says.
       “How can…. I stop… being stuck… just a… ordinary caterpillar…
       how can I… earn my wings…”
       #Post#: 411695--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Ciaran
       Date: December 29, 2023, 6:32 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       After asking her question, Marie would shift from a sensation of
       floating to one of sinking.  The darkness swirled around like a
       tornado, despite there being nothing to see, it was somehow
       clear.
       "It will take a lot for your wings to bloom, first, you need to
       find the first step on your path. You'll need to search
       deeper.."
       And just that quickly, the sinking turned into falling. The
       swirling winds of darkness turning to a violent whiplash of
       winds, tossing her around in her freefall. Behind the winds,
       voices from her past would whip by, her parents, friends,
       co-workers. Moments long past were relived through the blackness
       until suddenly she stopped with no warning, and before her, was
       the first hint of light  It was a tiny spark that hovered
       slightly above the ground. Wait! Ground? There was finally
       ground for her to walk on! And if she traversed it toward the
       light, it would open up to an image. She would see herself,
       standing in place, manipulating as all sorts of energies. They
       swirled around her body at her command, interacting with the
       world she willed.
       Just as quickly as it appeared though, the image faded, and she
       would find herself back in Ciaran's office. He released her
       hand, and stood up "Well?" He asked the question, but his
       crimson eyes looked deep into her knowingly.
       "What have we learned?"
       #Post#: 411696--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Gatita
       Date: December 29, 2023, 8:38 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Floating no more. Deeper, just touching the surface, go deeper.
       It’s time to fall, sink. Marie is going around and around in
       circles inside the winds of this shadow magic. Let go. Seek
       deeper. The Shadow Master’s words swirl inside the tornado she
       is in.
       Fall. How far and deep does this space go? How deep can this
       cocoon be? Fall into answers? Fall into self? Fall into what?
       Drown within yourself? Summerge.
       Tossed. Facing again past voices of obstacles, people and
       circumstances in her life. Being tossed from one quick moment to
       another. Voices that she relived so many times over and over
       again, possible answers, possible outcomes, possibilities. Why
       does she keep reliving? Sounds that bring back memories to the
       surface. Why?
       Stop! Light… ground… grounding. Her feet finally find perch on
       soil, and she slowly walks a little wobbly towards that small
       light. She needs to see what it is on the other side.
       Energy. In her, through her, around her, being used by her,
       manipulated by her. Power, control, molded, restored, rebuild,
       light energy used. It’s all around her, it’s in her, it moves
       thought her, is used by her, she manipulates it. Glimpse.
       The shadows revealed her potential, and as soon as it came, it
       faded away. The flickering light of the candles, the table of
       pure oak and glowing red sigils, the strange artifacts, the
       squeezing of his hand across the table, his red piercing eyes
       penetrating her soul deeper that anybody else has ever done. She
       is back into reality. Back into his lair, his office.
       Marie is panting and trying to bring her whole consciousness
       back into herself. She wiggled her toes, breathes deeply
       multiple times, moved her head to her shoulders side to side,
       held his hand harder to confirm she is in her body, and opened /
       closed her eyes to confirm she was back into this realm of
       existence.
       Marie didn’t realize just how ready she was for this, and how
       ready she was for him. How much her magic was waiting for her,
       for so long, but she was not ready yet, and how the answers she
       seeked were inside of her. Life had been preparing her for this
       moment, brought her here at the perfect time. She is ready to
       start this journey now to soar. After a moment of regaining
       herself, she finally speaks to answer him.
       “… in the shadows, I will find my light and power… energy magic
       is in me, but to achive, I got to go deep… the voices toss me
       back and forward to rub my potential, I have to fall away from
       them, stop and ground myself inside of me… a caterpillar can’t
       soar… and a butterfly is born in a cocoon…”
       #Post#: 411697--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Golden Cage to Freedom in Shadows?
   DIR By: Ciaran
       Date: January 4, 2024, 12:45 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Ciaran had learned many forms of Magic in his lifetime.  But his
       specialty was illusion magic. He could command a person's senses
       as if conducting an orchestra.   His illusions were so potent
       that they could kill someone simply by making them believe they
       had been stabbed! The brain was that committed!
       The experience Marie had just been through was one of those
       illusions. The feeling of sinking, the physical manifestation of
       what she found inside herself. All smoke and mirrors to give her
       introspection form.  It made it much easier to discover the
       nature of her magic without weeks of trial and error.  He
       listened to her explanation and nodded her head.
       "Energy Magic! There's a lot of potential there! You will serve
       me well." He took no hesitation in making his intentions clear.
       "But first,  you rest.  Come with me."
       He led her back through the door they entered,  but this time,
       it led to a large living area.  To the right was a foyer with a
       massive staircase leading upward.  Some pillars accented the
       stairs, as well as a glorious chandelier,  overlooking a door
       that likely led outside,  or,  somewhere else...
       Ciaran headed up the stairs though.
       "This is your room." He said calmly,  opening a door to a simple
       white bedroom.  It wasn't fancy or lavishly decorated.  Bbut it
       was fully furnished and comfortable.
       "We start in the morning..."
       *****************************************************
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