5105/Midnight Rendezvous with Magik!

Midnight Rendezvous with Magik!
Date of Scene:	05 August 2018
Location:	Backwoods, Xavier's School
Synopsis:	A wrong turn takes Cindy to where Illyana is summoning a demon-pet.
Cast of Characters:	Magik, Cindy Larsen

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Magik has posed:
2:01 A.M.
The Woods, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

    It isn't actually Midnight, but it is late.

    For someone that doesn't sleep late - or much at all lately - the woods is perfect for practicing spells. The trees are marked with demon blood, easily supplied through Limbo and her sword. There are several pikes of fire surrounding a man-made campsite, with a massive cauldron set in the middle. It is currently boiling a dark liquid: more demon blood.

    Illyana Rasputin is standing near the caldron, reading from a podium made out of bloodied spikes of wood, raising around four feet from the ground. There is a black book on it and Illyana is reading from it, turning a page to find the recipe for a particular spell. While most students of her apparent age found themselves studying Physics, the Russian worked on a summoning spell.

    She works silently, looking from the book only to check on the boiling demon's blood. When it is ready, she will know.

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    It's almost sudden when Cindy steps out of the surrounding woods, stopping right at the edge of the campsite. She blinks a few times, looking around her. She's wearing her usual attire; a red-and-white tie-dyed hoodie, dark red leggings and a white skirt. "Huh. Definitely made a wrong turn," she murmurs, before finally noticing Illyana. There's a sharp, quiet gasp, and Cindy pulls her hood up over her head quickly. It might be too late, though if it hasn't then her tail is likely to give away that she's a mutant. Cindy fidgets a little, and finally speaks up. "Um, h-hello?" she asks, her tail giving a nervous twitch behind her.

Magik has posed:
    Illyana continues to work even after she hears the voice. She doesn't look up from the book, instead, she turns a page and continues on.

    The nervous twitch from Cindy's tail is probably because Illyana is now standing behind her, in the blink of an eye. "Can I help you with something?" Illyana asks, tilting her head to the side. She doesn't regard Cindy's attire, knowing that anyone younger than her on campus would have to be a mutant. The school attracted a rebellious sort of student.

    Besides, summertime exploration wouldn't kill anyone. Not yet.

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy lets out a sound that is some strange hybrid of a shriek and a growl, and entirely on reflex twists about in place. With the turn she lashes out with her hand, fingers curled and claws out. Even so, she likely wouldn't be able to hit Illyana in the first place, if she can blink about like that. All the same, Cindy lashes at the air in reaction to being startled, and backs away hurriedly! In the process, her heel catches on a root, and the leopard-girl lets out a yelp as she falls straight onto her back with a 'fwump'!

Magik has posed:
    Upon turning and lashing out, Cindy would feel her claws tear through skin, collecting blood and muscle against her paws. The blonde Russian appears not to be fast enough for the feral agility of the student, and her hands rise immediately to her throat. As Cindy backs away, Illyana falls to her knees, choking on her own blood. She reaches out for teenager in front of her, a combination of help and fury displayed on her features.

    "W...w- wh...y?" Illyana attempts to ask, looking at Cindy.

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy hadn't meant to hurt her, but she has a history of being jumped by people who want to hurt her, and she didn't have any control over that reaction. Nobody's taught her to fight, so it's a total surprise to Cindy when her claws rake through Illyana's throat. From her back on the ground, she sits up quickly, and her eyes go wide when she sees Illyana clutching her throat. "Oh my god!" Immediately she's in a panic. She doesn't know whether to flee or to try to help, and for a moment she can only watch in unmitigated horror as Illyana bleeds from her neck. "I... I... I didn't mean to," she stammers, trying to scramble to her feet now, "Oh my god I'm so sorry!"

Magik has posed:
    "My illusions over the years have become a tad dramatic," a voice calls from the spiked wooden podium. Illyana looks up to the student.

    If Cindy were to look at the source of Illyana's voice, she would see the sorceress back where she stood prior. If she were to look back at the fallen bloodied body of Illyana Rasputin, she would see a clear pathway and no hints of a body. Even the blood, skin, and muscles that were on her paws fade away to nothingness.

    "Shouldn't you be in bed, or watching tv, or something?" Illyana asks.

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy, getting to her feet, seems about to come to dying-Illyana's aid, when suddenly she hears a voice from over her shoulder again. She twists around to face the first Illyana, and she blinks, staring wide-eyed at her. It takes Cindy a moment to catch on to what's happening, and she heaves a sigh of relief. A hand comes to her chest, and she sinks to her knees, then back to sit on the ground. "Illusions!" she cries, breathing heavily as the adrenalin works its way through her system, "I'm beginning to get fed up with illusions!" She puts her head in her hands, taking a moment to collect herself again now that it's apparent she's in no -immediate- danger. It doesn't seem to register to her at first that Illyana had asked her anything, when she suddenly lifts her head. "Huh? What?" she asks, blinking again. One of her ears twitches, and Cindy glances around her. "Well... y-yeah, probably," she says, "I just... like taking walks at night, and... Kinda took a wrong turn on my way back, I guess..." Her tail gives a nervous twitch, her attention now fixed on Illyana. "...What about you? What are you doing way out here in the woods...?"

Magik has posed:
    "Why?" Illyana replies. "They come in handy when you need them."

    While the Russian teleporter has mastered her mutant gifts, she is not yet at the level of blinking through space at the speed of light. It might have been possible in Limbo, but in Midgard, Illyana is still very limited in what she can and cannot do without extensive concentration.

    "I'm getting ready to summon a demon," Illyana says simply. "You can watch, if you must, but be weary because this demon will in fact kill you."

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy furrows her brow slightly, not sure what to make of that claim. "No way," she declares, "You can't summon demons. I tried with my friends once, it totally didn't work." She pushes herself back to her feet again, but for now keeps a bit of distance from Illyana. Her hood has come down by now, as a result of her moving around and such. Her feline features stand out quite a bit, and it's clear why she chooses to hide her appearance when away from the mansion, even if she's still on the grounds. She takes another look around her, brow still furrowed. "...Do you live out here?" she asks, "...Do the teachers know...?"

Magik has posed:
    The doubt in the student's voice causes a brow to rise in that direction. A small golden pool of light illuminates over Illyana's open palm and a vile rises from it. Retrieving it, the portal disappears and the witch opens the vile while walking to the cauldron.

    "I imagine you and your friends aren't as adept and summoning demons as I am," Illyana replies. She sprinkles the substance from the vile into the cauldron and it begins to smoke. "No, I don't live out here. I am not Logan. And, of course the staff knows I am summoning a demon." She lies.

    "I do this all the time."

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy gives a slow nod of her head. The vial appearing through the portal casts some doubt on her belief that Illyana isn't quite as incapable of doing as she says. "Riiiight," she says, her tail giving a nervous twitch, "I should... probably get back to the school... It's late." Illyana definitely makes her nervous, and she's pretty certain that she doesn't want to stick around if she -does- summon a demon! "Um, nice meeting you," she says, forcing a nervous smile before she starts backing away.

Magik has posed:
    The smoking cauldron explodes with a thunderous sound and a flare of flame. Smoke covers the surrounding wooden area, a faint growl coming from the center of the cauldron and Illyana Rasputin. Seconds pass as the smoke begins to finally clear. The blonde hair of Illyana can be seen, and as more smoke dissipates, a small black fox can be seen with four tails.

    "I wouldn't move, if I were you," Illyana advises, not turning to Cindy and instead focusing on the demon in front of them. "This small demon has a monstrous power and can burn this entire wooded area to ash. Let's try to avoid that option, shall we?"

    The fox demon looks around, smelling the air as its tail wag about. It looks like a simple household puppy. The major difference is that this "puppy" can shoot fire from its mouth just from roaring. It looks at Illyana at first, tilting its head to the side because of her scent. Then, it looks to Cindy. The student's scent is familiar to the demon, and its hair begins to prickle.

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy's scent is probably a little confusing, too, since she's still "human" partially mixed with "animal". She tenses up when the fox looks her way, and she just stares right back at it, not daring to move. She's frozen in place, for the moment, unable to find anything to say!

Magik has posed:
    The fox demon wastes little time to investigate Cindy as it starts down a path directly to the feral student. It walks slowly, still smelling the air, but approaches cautiously. Is it a person? Is it a cat? The demon is not sure, but it is intrigued and protective at the same time.

    "Let him smell your hand," Illyana says, confident in her research of the demon and its characteristics. "Any sudden movements and he can really do some damage. His bark is way worse than his bite."

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy's not sure what to make of this small black fox, but she doesn't take her eyes off it. She watches as it approaches her, and her tail gives a nervous twitch. She glances up at Illyana only when she says something, then her eyes are right back on the fox. She takes a deep breath, exhales, and then gives a small nod. Slowly, she sinks down to crouch in place, and slowly holds her hand out, palm up and open. She's breathing a little quickly, and she can feel the adrenalin priming her muscles to make a run for it if she needs to. There are some things she knows she can't fight in this world, and demons with tremendous power is certainly one of them!

Magik has posed:
    "Please don't burn her, please don't burn her..." Illyana repeats this to herself as the black fox demon gets closer. That is all she needs, for a student to be injured because of something she summons onto the mansion grounds. In her defense, the student probably shouldn't be out in the woods so late, but that is a failed attempt at blame. Jean would never let her hear the end of it. Releasing a held breath, Illyana keeps her eyes on the creature.

    As Cindy sink down, the four-tailed demon growls in protest. The offered hand, however, catches its attention and it begins smelling the air again. Stepping closer, the fox licks Cindy's hand a couple times. Each time, Cindy will feel a warm sensation travel from the tips of her fingers to her shoulder. It is a comforting warmth and not the usual berserker temperature of flame that the demon is used to.

    "Oh, thank goodness. He likes you." Illyana reaches into a nearby pouch that lay next to the wooden podium, pulling out a fish. She whistles and gets the fox demon's attention and throws the fish into the air. A blaze of fire projects from the demon's mouth as it cries, burning the fish in midair. And then, it catches the fish in its mouth.

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy chews her lip nervously as the fox licks at her fingers, with one of her fangs peeking cutely over her lower lip. "Y-yeah, I hope he doesn't change his mine..." She's just about to reach out to try petting it's head when Illyana tosses the fish into the air and the burst of flame erupts from the fox! Cindy lets out a startled yelp and falls backward onto her rear with an "Oof!" The leopardess blinks a couple times, staring at the fox still. "...What are you planning to do with a fox that breathes fire?" she asks quietly, her eyes shifting from the demon to the woman who summoned it!

Magik has posed:
    "Make it my pet, of course," Illyana answers. She watches as the demon devours the fish, leaving little to remain, and then reaches back into the pouch to pull out another fish. "They are incredibly intelligent creatures, despite the demon stigma," she begins, holding the fish above her head.

    "Sit," Illyana commands. The demon does not oblige; instead, it fires off a projectile fire ball that hits a tree behind her. "No! Bad fox demon!" Illyana tosses the fish anyway, and the black fox runs and devours the second fish. Turning to Cindy, Illyana adds, "The species are also great at tracking items. When this little guy get a little older, his hunting instincts will kick in and I can use him to find something I lost. He's just a baby now."

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy remains sitting on the ground where she is, and flinches when the demon sends another burst of flame into the trees. "It's gonna set the whole forest on fire," she exclaims, "And you want to keep it as a pet?!" Cindy stares at Illyana incredulously. "You need to send that thing back before it causes some real damage!" Cindy climbs to her feet -again-. "It doesn't even listen to you, what if it hurts somebody?!" Cindy is obviously concerned, and her eyes dart now between the fox and Illyana. She pulls out her cellphone, attempting to make a phonecall, only to groan. "No bars out here. Of course there aren't. I slip and fall down the stairs, everyone's there to see it, but the moment there's a fire-breathing demon-fox on the loose, and I can't reach -anyone-!"

Magik has posed:
    "And you won't reach anyone," Illyana replies, her tone darker. "Especially, if your intention is to tell someone of my new pet." She considers this for a moment, rising to her full height and looking to the demon. She calls it over to her and it follows, hoping that more fish would be given to it.

    "You students are so drab. Wouldn't know fun if it bit you in the butt and twisted," Illyana says. She watches as the demon starts to snuggle against her leg. Aww! So cute! "Besides, I don't plan on keeping it in this dimension for too long, just to explore. It will feel more at home in Limbo."

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy watches the fox, still, rather intently. "It's more I just don't want to get in more trouble," she tells Illyana, "I've had quite a heap of it lately..." Her tail gives another nervous twitch, and she glances to Illyana. "...It's kinda cute at least," she admits, "I just worry about... the whole fire thing." The leopard-girl chews her lip again, and glances up at Illyana. "Besides, have you ever smelled singed fur? It's awful." Cindy finally looks over her shoulder, though, then back to Illyana. "...I should be going, though. If I'm gone any longer they're probably gonna send someone looking for me."

Magik has posed:
    "I agree. Singed fur does smell dreadful," Illyana replies.

    In the blink of an eye, Illyana appears behind Cindy with the demon fox in hand. She is so close that her breath could possibly be felt on the student's neck. "So, this stays between us, yes?" Illyana asks, petting the fox. "I believe it is in both of our interests that it does."

Cindy Larsen has posed:
    Cindy tenses up again when Illyana appears behind her. It makes her back straighten and a shudder run up her spine. "Hhhaaah," she yelps! Cindy turns about again, this time just taking a step away from Illyana and the fire-fox. The leopard-girl glares at the illusionist, her tail giving an irritated twitch. "...For now," she says, "I guess I don't have much choice." Her tail gives another twitch, and she glances back towards the woods again. "...Which way is the mansion?" she asks. She did, after all, end up here because she's lost!

Magik has posed:
    A wicked smile finds itself on Illyana's expression, "Good. Just head in that direction and don't turn back. I'm sure we'll meet again soon." And then, another illusion causes the entirety of the woods to be calm.

    There is no demon blood on the trees, no pikes of fire, no wooden podium... all that is left is a silent forest and an empty campsite.