Completed [The Quarters] Rekindled Interest [Kouri]

[Annalisa Marin]

Kouri was indeed far more clever than Anna had first anticipated, slightly worrying all things considered. The wizard disliked the tone of suggestion regarding failed spiritists, the indication that they were no longer among the living themselves most likely. Her immense and rather narcissistic pride took that as a slight against her own abilities, an insult of sorts. Her mark flared up, visions of untold suffering and misery brought to her mind. She allowed herself to taste of them for a moment before settling back into lucid reality, the chaos of her mind receding.

Trust. The word itself was anathema to Anna and if one realized what she had done in her life, who her true master was, then trust would be the last thing offered or even considered. Betrayal was a bittersweet wine, one that she found rather addicting and impossible to deny liking. Her best friend, the woman who had been as a sister to her, was her most profound betrayal. Why should anyone else be above such things. Yet, that Kouri even considered such a thing proved a theory regarding the nature of civilized beings. People wanted to believe the best in someone, that they were incapable of gross betrayal's of trust. They didn't want to imagine the depths of depravity one could fall into given the right push, not insanity but rather evil. Cold blooded torture, betraying close friends, rape, and murder. Few could fathom such a monster existing, few wanted to.

Of course, Kouri seemed practical about it, wondering what the wizard could do for her. The fact remained however that she was at least willing to make a deal with a monster, believing her to have a shed of common goodness remaining that made her normal. Anna wondered what the ghost could possibly want from her. Soulmist? A few Glyphed scrolls or weapons? It could be any number of things.

The wizard was pleased for the subject change and focused on listening intently, curious about new places beyond Sylira. Occasionally Kouri would switch to an odd language that the wizard was unfamiliar with, her native tongue no doubt. From what she could imagine Avanthal did indeed sound beautiful, worthy of a visit perhaps one day when she was free to do so. After travelling to Sahova Anna had found her wanderlust awakened, the desire to see new places and meet new people was rather strong.

Morwen, Goddess of Winter and Ice. Powerful as the season she commanded no doubt but still nothing compared to her own god. It often saddened her that the fools who surrounded her couldn't properly understand the power and glory of Rhysol, that she couldn't speak of it in pleasant company. If only they could meet the Dark God then they would understand his truth, the power that radiated from him and the acceptance he was capable of. It was an understanding Anna possessed with her at all times in the form of his mark, though she wanted to please him more. The wizard wanted to hear his powerful voice once more and to bask in his glory, not fearful this time but faithful.

Alas, this ghost child would be unlikely to understand either, so Anna kept to her silence and merely listened as the child prattled on about her home. At the mention of changing eyes Anna vaguely recalled seeing something similar in a student she had taught last season. A distinguishing trait to keep in mind it would seem.

When asked about her own home, the wizard's grey eyes gained a wistful quality about them. Even being away for a comparably short time was rather lonely in someway. For everything else the place had been it had been her home.

"Ah, Zeltiva. There is much to tell of the place but where to start? Shall I speak of the morning gulls crying over head as once walks down the dock? Of the massive galleons or tiny fishing vessels that sail in and out of the Bay, with Syna's light glittering upon the waters like so many stars? The cool waters lapping at my feet as I simply stared out to the endless expanse of Laviku's domain? My birth city is a place for such memories and more." She answered slowly.

"The greatest Port City in all of Mizahar is what they call us, our might upon the waves unmatched by any in this world. Pre Valterrian influences are seen wherever you look, not so grand as Sahova but more than most cities can boast. Its a place for sailing, exploration, and learning." Anna affirmed, nodding slightly.

"I learned much of what I do from the University of Zeltiva, a center of enlightened learning unmatched by any other place on Mizahar. I formerly worked as a Professor there, if you can believe it, teaching others the basics of Glyphing." Anna's eyes were misting over slightly memories flooding from her unbidden.

"Of course, compared to a number of the wizards here my own knowledge on the subject is pitiful but I suppose that's how some things work out." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Her home was far from Anna and it may be that she would never return to Zeltiva but it was pleasant to think about it at times. If talking about it helped foster Kouri's trust in a potential collaboration, then she was willing to do such a thing. This power she gained after all was not for herself but it was to further the goals of her god.

"My mother is there still for all I know, drifting on this world for whatever reason. She had been taken by the plague a few seasons back, gods I couldn't remember crying so hard. So when she returned to me it seemed a blessing, which I still believe to be true to this very day. They were... good days I suppose." Anna wasn't really sure why she was sharing this, but it was coming out anyway.

"It couldn't have lasted, my new found purpose disagreed with what she thought was best for me. We fought over... my choices in life every now and then. That's one of many reasons I'm here now, I had to get away from her and spare her the crushing truth of what I am now. I guess that makes me something of a coward." The words sounded vaguely like a confession, genuine regret and bitterness lacing her voice as her expression became thoughtful.

She shook her head slightly, her expression regaining some of its former light as she regarded Kouri.

"Bah! I seem to have a terrible habit of hijacking conversations and taking them places they shouldn't go. What of your own family? You needn't discuss it if it makes you feel uncomfortable." The wizard offered once more.

Perhaps some good might come from the shared scraps of information she had offered, though her mother's state was hardly a touchy subject. Anna had long sense come to terms with the reality of that situation.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Kouri listened intently to Anna's story. So she was from Zeltiva, just like Rena. The port city of Mizahar, Rena had spoke to her about how beautiful the harbor was. It was like how Anna described it. "...." Kouri's heart aches when she tried to remember about Rena, now was not the good time, she directed her full attention to Anna instead. As she continued to auscult Anna's tale, her alabaster hair slowly moving up and down like they were underwater. Of course, the University, Rena's parents were scholars there. If one informed about Zeltiva, the University couldn't be left out, a definite symbol of intelligence, decorum, and high-learning. Kouri wondered if she would ever want to apply there, not as a student, but as a Professor, to teach people about ghosts and what they could do. Hopefully, that would lessen people's judgmental fear of the ethereal dead. A little girl as a Professor, now that would surely attract some interesting reactions. Kouri unknowingly grinned as she thought that, her mind daydreaming about her in fancy lecturer clothes, acting all elegant and strict, striding into the classroom with surprised eyes gawking at her. She shook her head, for now, she better listen to Anna. "Oh! You are a professor! I see~" Why did you leave? Kouri didn't ask her question, Anna must have her own reasons for it, it would be impolite to delve into personal matters just moments after introducing each other. "Ah... your mother is a ghost?" Kouri didn't feel sad for the fact that Anna's mother was also one like herself, but because she died due to some kind of plague as Anna told her. This world was much too harsh, disease, plague, death, murder, betrayal, arrogance, evil. Why did it become this way? Kouri knew, it was all because of evil, if evil didn't exist, all of this wouldn't exist. Kouri scoffed at people who said that good couldn't exist without evil, that was just the same as justifying evil acts, they were the same as evil themselves. The truth of what you are? Kouri tilted her head in curiosity, what truth? Something obviously must have happened in the past, something significant that changed Anna. Kouri wanted to ask, her curiosity couldn't be held back anymore. "What truth, Madame Anna? What happened to make you ran away from your mother?" Kouri herself would never do that, her parents were everything to her, evident of the close-knitted society of the Vantha, but alas, they were forcefully torn away by a tiger's claws and fangs. "My family..." Anna hit a touchy subject indeed, Kouri's eyes closed and opened repeatedly, seemingly glazed over and empty. It lasted for a few ticks before her awareness returned. She wasn't really fond of talking about her two most precious person who couldn't even be here anymore, leaving their only daughter wandering the world. If Mama or Papa saw their daughter now, what would they think? To know that the well-mannered, quiet, shy, and sweet Vantha girl had numerous blood in her hands. Nevertheless, Anna was courteous enough to share about her mother, she at least deserved something in return. "I'm an only daughter, we are of the Snowsong Hold, it's kind of like a tribe of Vantha, Snowsongs are artists and singers." She exhaled, this time, the mist was more pronounced than before "Papa likes to travel the world... to search for inspirations. Some may say that he's careless to leave a safe haven that is Avanthal, but he didn't care..." Unlike in a fantasy story, the carefree people didn't always go scot-free. "I think they were right, Madame Anna. You see, he decided to take us into Falyndar... when we uuh... we camped. We were uuh... attacked by a.. tiger." For the moment, Kouri was like an empty husk, emotionlessly telling her story like a machine "It killed Mama, Papa, and me... when I woke up. I couldn't find them or the tiger... I don't really remember what happens next. My last vivid memory as a ghost was when I arrived at the gates of Syliras." She closed her eyes and lay prone on the ground, using her arms as a pillow to hold her chin. "I hope that satisfies you, Madame Anna... so, what did you want from me? How may I help?" The pleasantries were enough, now they could get down to business. "There's something I want though... my power in Possession is still very weak and I notice it's easier to possess a Spiritist so~ can I possess you?" If Anna accepted, Kouri got enough reason to trust her for now. Letting an alien presence entered one's very being was a big commitment, acceptance meant that the recipient trusted the possessor.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna gave Kouri a slight smile, deciding that the best way of answering the question about the truth was avoiding the topic entirely. Perhaps, later when the wizard was sure that the ghost could properly understand the concept of what she was, a traitorous chaos addicted Chaon, Anna would share. Later when her reaction would be less distaste and more of curiosity she could properly use, for even a child had to have been told the same horrid lies she herself had about Rhysol.

"Ask me again some other time Kouri, its- its a complicated subject to broach upon." The wizard said, refocusing attention on the girl's parents.

The words had seemed hollow when spoken, to the point where Anna wondered if the ghost had come to terms with her parent's death. If so, then the vengeance angle was unlikely to work out too well. The wizard felt a slight cord of sympathy for the girl, but it certainly was not going to prevent her from trying to corrupt her. Kouri was not a stupid child, clearly she had encountered deception of some form from Spiritists and that had hardened her. Anna could respect that, in fact it made her desire to corrupt her even more prevalent. As with all corruption, it was best to watch and wait at first. Test the waters of the person's moral boundaries, see how malleable they were to expanding them.

"I thank you for sharing this with me, Kouri. You have been through much, it would have broken lesser souls. Take heart in that you remain, that you still have the opportunity to change the world in your own way. Its more than most can say." The wizard affirmed, nodding slowly.

At the word 'possession' Anna grew a little uneasy on the inside, her previous experiences with it had been less than pleasant. Though, Anna knew that part of what she wanted to know was how far a bond could go between ghost and spiritist. Without experiencing possession further it was impossible to properly know, as unpleasant as it was.

"Again, I have dabbled in the art. I've had a few possessions and created... subpar soulmist. However I suppose it's only fair to give a partner in such a thing some use of my body, it can only help. All I ask is that get my permission beforehand, at least until I get used to it. Perhaps later we might be able to work out a more flexible arrangement." Anna affirmed, figuring that some ground rules were needed here.

Giving a dead child free reign over her body seemed a rather poor idea, however Anna was actually open to the idea somewhat. Her curiosity at the potential of how far possession could be taken was lengthy, though she often felt such a way when exploring many new arts. As long as the child stayed out of her mind for the moment the wizard was fine with this.

The tall woman closed her eyes and began cycling her breathing, in through her nose and out through her mouth. The transition was smoother if she was calm of mind, at least that was what Anna had noticed. Mentally she prepared herself, knowing that she would likely be a little sore after this. Her mother's possessions had been smoother than Elaine's but not to the degree where it was comfortable or entirely without pain. Hopefully Kouri was better than Elaine.

With her mind some what calm the wizard closed her eyes, back straight and body rigidly prepared.

"Alright Kouri, try to take control when you are ready. I'll hold back my body's natural response as long as I can." Anna said.

[Fubuki Kouri]

OOCAs we're both still a novice in our respective skills, Memory leaks will happen. I'll let you decide on which of Anna's memory would leak to Kouri's mind Soulmist, Kouri expected more, but reminding herself not to be greedy, she accepted the deal. Another spiritist providing her soulmist was always a good thing, but still, no one beat Wanda's soulmist so far, it was the best soulmist she ever "tasted". She wanted more of that overwhelming feeling of euphoria, it was addicting and irresistible. As she examined Anna getting ready, Kouri decided to ready herself as well. Possession was still an alien art to her, it didn't come naturally as her Soulmist Projection and Materialization, maybe it was because she didn't use it often. Her method of "getting ready" was odd at least, Kouri rolled around on the ground, before returning to her original position, giggling happily. "I'm still a beginner at this, so~ please don't panic, okay? My hold is so weak that I could even accidentally push myself out..." She rubbed the back of her head, smiling sheepishly. "Alright Kouri, try to take control when you are ready. I'll hold back my body's natural response as long as I can." Good, Anna was not a stranger to this thing it seemed. It was to be expected, she was a Spiritist after all. Nodding, Kouri stood up, materialized herself, controlled her touch so it would not be deadly, and slowly approached Anna. She then crouched down to a sitting position and hugged the woman tight, her misty breath brushing against the woman's neck, her hands wrapping around Anna's chest, and her legs wrapping just above Anna's waist. "I will... begin now..." She whispered, closed her eyes, and concentrated herself. Five tendrils spawned from her back and grabbed hold of Anna's wrists, ankles, and neck, preventing her from moving away. Slowly, but surely, Anna could feel an alien presence trying to wriggle itself into her very being. A few moments later, the little girl vanished... Anna was left sitting alone in the barren room. In The Mind... Two figures were floating among stars and the blackness of the void. The sorceress and the ghostly little girl, their long hairs were let loose and no clothing on their form, flowing up and down like they were underwater. The stark contrast between Anna's ebony and Kouri's alabaster looked ethereally beautiful. The ghost girl was the one who woke up first, her crimson eyes fluttered open. She made her way to the floating woman and hugged her, nuzzling her forehead with the woman, both of them shone, filling the the space with bright pure white light. ......... ..... ... Anna woke up to find herself being cradled in the arms of a woman. A woman with flowing ebony hair and vibrant sapphire blue eyes. Anna could see that her body became much, much, smaller, like she was regressed to being an eight years old child. "Kouri honey, I think it's bedtime for you~" The woman spoke in a language foreign to Anna's ear, but it sounded similar to the sentence Kouri spoke ealier. The woman heaved Anna to her shoulder and carried her into a room, to a warm bed. She put down Anna to the bed and tucked her beneath a white blanket. The blue-eyed woman sat down on the bedside and lovingly rubbed her daughter's forehead. Her lips opened and she began singing a song for Anna to sleep. Reality... The wizard's body still sat there on the cold floor, only time would tell if the possession succeed or fail.

[Annalisa Marin]

The hairs on the back of Anna's neck stood up rather quickly as Kouri wrapped her ethereal limbs around her body, an involuntary shudder creeping up her spine. When the ghost child wrapped her soulmist in powerful bonds around her limbs and neck a slight trace of fear crept through her mind. The wizard pushed aside the distractions aside, as vulnerable as this position was she was willing play along here. Already the familiar feeling of an alien presence worming their way into her body was felt, her initial reaction being to lock her body but it was fought against.

The Mind

Anna's eyes were the second to open, to look upon the void that existed between them. She noticed her own form first and then that of the ghost child drifting ever closer towards her. This part was new to her, with Elaine her control had only been partial and with her mother she had simply been overwhelmed. It was an interesting experience but the wizard kept her fascination to a minimum, focusing on bridging the gap to give Kouri control.

The girl hugged her and the tall wizard accepted the child's embrace, wrapping her own arms around the girl. It felt oddly comforting and yet strange to some degree. The pure light that came from the embrace was nearly overwhelming, but the wizard refused to release her hold on the child despite it.

A memory from the past

"Anna. Hellooo? Did you fall asleep studying again? Gods, your hopeless."

Kouri would open her eyes to look upon a young woman sitting across from her, pools of light blue eyes holding fond amusement to them, long hair of pure spun gold cascading down her back. They were in a grand library, the musty smell of old knowledge held between musty pages filling her nostrils. A smile formed over the stranger's face, good natured and familiar.

"Honestly, you need to get out a little more. I'm of half a mind to drag you out of here and force you to enjoy a day on West Street, my treat." She said, a slight arch of her eyebrow.

"I trust you remember last time we went out together? The Kelp Bar? The Loveless after that? Ringing any bells Velia?" The wizard's voice came, a bit of fond exasperation lacing her tone.

Kouri would notice a change in her body, as well as a messy tangle of hair that threatened to obscure her vision utterly. The woman reached over and brushed a bit of the dark hair, chucking to herself.

"We should also look at getting you some basic grooming, honestly you look like some mad witch. Didn't I tell you to tie it back? Bet you wished you'd listened to me now, huh?" She questioned, leaning back into her chair.

The ghost would feel herself sit up, regarding the woman before her as she brushed the errant strands from her vision. Silently the tangled mass was brushed back, knots tugging and pulling at her fingers.

"You- argh! Petching knots. Fine, you were right. Again. Satisfied?"

Another wry smile was given to her in response, possessing some tinges of smugness to it.

"As I am always, my friend. Best not to forget it." She said in response.

In another's memories

Anna was in an unusual situation at this point, in a place she didn't know in a form unfamiliar to her. It took her a moment to register that she was not in her own memories or mind, but in Kouri's. This was certainly new, her previous possessions had not resulted in such things. It was disorientating but it was also interesting at the same time.

The woman handling her was speaking in a language foreign to her own ears, one that sounded similar to the one Kouri had spoken to her. This was likely the girl's mother when she had still lived, a fond memory a child kept of a past and live robbed from her. The wizard allowed the memory to play out, sitting in for the ride as it were.

As the woman carried her Anna felt a slight bit of worry. What if Kouri was experiencing one of her memories? What if it was the wrong one? What if she saw the white eyed man and heard his promises? It was a troubling thought, seeing such a thing and learning what she served would be more than inconvenient. What if it was during a prayer? The wizard hoped that was kept from her eyes, for her own sake if nothing else.

The woman started to sing and the wizard felt groggy for it, the tune bidding her to drift off. It possessed a haunting beauty to it, oddly fitting to the ghostly child. She felt her eyes slowly fall, unable to fight off the embrace of sleep.

OOCMemory leak eh? Interesting... further plot points for future use, I say.

[Fubuki Kouri]

OOCIndeed. Anna's memories... Eh? Being called, the ghost girl woke up, but found her movements were involuntary. She raised her head, gazing at the amused blue eyes of a golden-haired woman. They were surrounded by books, book, and more books, the first thought Kouri had about the place was of course "library", but it was far bigger and grander than her own small bookshelf located in her room, then again, her bookshelf was mainly filled with parchments filled with musical notes and lyrics. Kouri was fascinated with the blonde-haired woman, she looked so gentle and beautiful, being in a family of ebony-haired Vanthas, she found the woman's auric crown of hair to be exotic. As she watched herself and the woman named "Velia" conversed, Kouri couldn't help but become curious at the myriad of places they spoke. She would make sure to ask Rena about it later when she was restored by Wanda in the near future... hopefully. When strands of ebony hair obscured her vision, Kouri found out that she had grown into a young adult woman. With tall stature and matured body. Even though she couldn't express it as her 'body' moved on her own, Kouri felt rather happy for the moment, a sliver of hope that she wouldn't be stuck forever in a little girl's body. Just as she thought, this "Velia" seemed to be Anna's close friend of some sort, with how they casually conversed with each other and throwing banters here and there. Suddenly, Kouri felt her vision being filled with light again, the time was near... the moment that would determine the success of her possession or not. Reality... The light receded and replaced with darkness, the fingers on Anna's corporeal body twitched every so slightly. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open. A childish smile spawned on her lips not befitting of an adult lady, a sign that whoever commanded the body to do so was not the original owner. Kouri commanded Anna's body to raise her hands, she examined them. Ahahaha! Madame Anna, we did it! She shouted in her mind, Kouri spent a few chimes getting used to the body while conversing with Anna in her mind. Uhm... I saw some of your memory, there's this blonde woman named 'Velia', is she your friend? Kouri expected the answer to be 'yes'. Like usual, if she saw Anna's memory then some of her memory would leak to the possessed as well. Kouri felt rather guilty, the memory that appeared was often about her family's death at the hands of the tiger, but she had to confirm it to be sure. Uhm, Madame Anna, ehehe... can I ask which of my memory did you see? Kouri then tried to stand up, she fumbled a bit and almost fell, Anna's long limbs were hard to balance with. After some errors, she finally stood up, feeling really high above the ground without actually floating up. She commanded the body to do some light exercise. An idea came to her mind. Madame Anna! Let's practice me using your magic, ehehe~ I have only done some uhm... what do you call that magic that controls elements? Oh yeah! Reimancy! Kouri had only done reimancy twice, one with Master Cyrus and the other one with Madame Isolde, maybe Anna had that kind of power as well. It was cool and flashy, yet scary at the same time if used against her. Can I do it? Please please~ She basically jumped up and down using Anna's body, it was like the woman's demeanor had been regressed into that of a little girl.

[Annalisa Marin]

Things were starting to become much more similar to her last sessions with possession, in that Anna felt rather like a passenger in her own body. It felt like a fragile control though, no doubt if she willed it hard enough Kouri would be pushed from her body. The wizard held back her body's natural response, reminding herself that this was a beneficial thing for both of them. Eventually, with enough practice, the ghost girl might reach the levels her mother had in terms of control. As it was, the wizard noticed physical control was shaky.

Anna's mind immediately became very alert when Velia's name was mentioned, slightly worried by exactly what Kouri had seen. It was unlikely she had witnessed the betrayal if she commented on their friendship, nor her subsequent blessing from the god of chaos and lies. However, that danger was all to real enough if they decided to keep doing this in the future. Therefore the wizard was at something of a crossroads, either she needed to learn how to guard her memories better or she'd need to get things in the open before she saw.

The latter option was certainly not appealing in any way, but it was better than letting her see it and make unfortunate judgments. The wizard would of course wait for a bit, observe Kouri more to see how best to approach the subject. She needed to know exactly how to spin the tale for the child to accept what she was, perhaps even intrigue her a bit. As childish as she normally was there was a degree of maturity to her under the surface.

Velia... she was indeed my friend. No doubt you witnessed a memory from my days as a student at the University. She projected to the ghost.

I saw your mother laying you to bed and singing you a song. She seemed... rather nice. The wizard offered from the inquiry.

Kouri willed her body to move and Anna noted the rather awkward way she handled her body, it didn't hurt exactly but it was uncomfortable. Then again, according to her mother, a ghost couldn't feel what the host felt so Kouri wouldn't know what it felt like. She ran her body through a few exercises and Anna projected feelings of approval.

At the mention of using magic Anna was silent for a moment, contemplating the risks. She claimed to have used reimancy, so if they were going to go that route the reimancy would be the best idea. However, Anna wondered if she properly understood the dangers of what magic could do to a person if used the wrong way. After a bit of deliberation the wizard opted to allow it with a warning, figuring this could only help them achieve better control.

I am a reimancer as well Kouri. I possess control over fire, earth, air, lightning, and lava. A rather large arsenal and one that I'm willing to share with you for as long as we stand together. I'd recommend employing air here as to more safely acquaint yourself in controlling it. She said.

However, I'll warn you. Magic is extremely dangerous, if used incorrectly it could very well kill me or worse. I possess access to other magic as well, some more dangerous than reimancy. If you prove you can control the power of reimancy perhaps we might explore our options more, albeit at a careful pace.

Idly Anna wondered if Kouri might be able to utilize Rhysol's blessings while in her body. Perhaps if the time came where the information of what she was came to light, and the ghostly child was accepting of it there would be room to try. As it was it was far more easily controlled than reimancy, if possessing a similar set of side effects.

Be firm in your control, make your mind strong and focus on gathering energy beneath your- my tongue. Wiggle it around if that helps you feel like you control it better. Once you have it there push the energy outwards in a deep breath, imagine it as a gas of some kind of any color you desire. Once you have the energy out I'll tell you what to do next. The wizard instructed.

Going through this step by step with care was the key to helping Kouri keep control of her body as long as she could. Though, Anna could feel a slight soreness growing in her body as a whole, most likely due to Kouri not being experienced in control. If it grew too much she'd need to push the ghost out to avoid... complications arising. Already her mind was becoming more focused on keeping her body from pushing the ghost out. Hopefully Kouri was a fast learner.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Oh~ I hope you can meet her again, ehehe~ I want to meet her to! The ghost girl excitedly thought, speaking her mind to Anna. Surely that kind of friendship would last forever, unless something terrible happened like sickness and death, Kouri hoped the fate that befell Anna's mother didn't extend to her friend as well. Even through all the petched up things, there were still good left in the world. Oh... you saw that? Ehe... well... Hearing about her beloved mother, Kouri's tone became sad again, but unlike previously, she steeled herself and forced a casual tone. Y-yeah, Mama loved that song, it's kinda sad, but it's beautiful, always drifts me off to sleep... The hauntingly beautiful nature of the song became even more pronounced if Kouri was the one who sang it. Sora said it was the song that she heard in her dreams. Huh? An annoyed exclamation echoed in their minds when Anna hesitated about describing Sora. It was a sensitive spot for her, what was not to like about the gentle Vantha woman? In Kouri's eyes, her mother was the perfect image of elegance and love, well... rather strict sometimes, but it was for her own good No, Madame Anna, Mama is super nice! She's the best mother ever! Kouri hoped she could be like her mother one day, but that may not be possible anymore, a girl like her wasn't suppose to maim, harm, and kill. Hmph... Crossing Anna's arms over her chest, Kouri decided to abandon the topic. They needed to move on, her time was short as it was. I see... She was fascinated, truly fascinated by the powers Anna wielded, she could control five elements; but the ghost girl still couldn't get over Anna's comment about her mother. Oh, okay, maybe I should try to control this reimancy first since I'm... uuh... kind of familiar with it. Both on good and bad terms, Reimancy had been used for and against her in the course of her unlife. Facing reimancers was hard, but after Fate faced her against them again and again, Kouri had developed specific tactics when fighting these element-throwing-happy mages. Kouri nodded, she then began repeating what she did with Madame Isolde and Master Cyrus but keeping Anna's instructions in mind as well. She closed Anna's eyes and concentrated, feeling her fragile control of the wizard's djed in her mouth. The ghost girl couldn't feel the res forming inside Anna's mouth, but she could imagine them flowing... taking her chances, Kouri commanded her body to gently glow whatever it was forming inside. Spit! An... ordinary saliva, she screwed up. Even non-mages could see that slimy liquid was not magical in nature, it was just normal saliva. Grrrrr... Grumbling, Kouri tried again, another spit, again, another spit. She was about to give up, sitting down on top of the bedroll. Why is it so hard? She didn't know why, but she just felt like it was harder to control Anna's body than Cyrus or Isolde. Shaking Anna's head, Kouri inhaled a lot of air and tried again. She exhaled and... a white mist escaped her lips, did she succeed? The mist floated in front of her, seemingly magical in nature. Eeeh... I did it? She wasn't sure, better ask Anna.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna got the feeling that Kouri was rather unsatisfied with her description of her mother, though considering the trauma she'd gone through it would make sense she bound herself to a maternal figure. For her own part, though she had experienced similar trauma, Anna had a rather strained relationship with her mother even now. She'd never approved of her magic or of Rhysol's blessing, displeased by what she had done to Velia. Of course, like so many others, Liana had refused to look beyond morals and see the truth Anna had seen. That morality was a chain of order, a way of limiting creativity and freedom. Only once such a thing was cast aside could one reach their fullest potential.

Anna had only seen a flash of a memory, a few paragraphs in a longer book that was Kouri's life. What right did she have to judge her mother off of those few short moments?

I meant no offence, Kouri. I only know of your mother based off of your description and that short memory. I didn't have enough to judge from, so I chose not to. The wizard projected back to the ghost.

The wizard felt Kouri gathering Djed in her mouth, pleased that she seemed to have that bit down at the very least. It was getting more difficult to concentrate on the ghost's efforts by the tick as her body's natural urge to kick Kouri from her body was becoming even more strong. It wouldn't be long before the ghost was evicted, she needed to move faster than she was now.

Spit flew from her mouth, mildly irritating the wizard for the failure but she reminded herself to keep calm. The ghost was no wizard, the ways of Djed manipulation were still very much foreign to her. Perhaps later there would be time for some education in that regard. Anna had to wonder whether she'd truly understand it though, or if it would go over her head. Either seemed likely from where Anna currently sat.

Finally, the wizard felt a slight, almost negligible drain upon her Djed and saw a small white cloud breathed from her mouth. The urge was also insignificant for the drain, such spells were child's play for her. Kouri sounded unsure about her success so Anna intervened with her next explanation.

Excellent work, Kouri. With a bit more practice I have no doubt you'll breed an inferno worthy of, well, me. Hopefully with less spit involved. The wizard praised.

In any event, we will need to move faster for this next part as your soulmist might deplete too much and I can hold my natural responses back for much longer. Imagine a breeze, cool and comforting. Imagine it in the air around the res you've generated and pull that air towards it, projecting the res outward as you gather the air to it. This is a method known as attraction and it saves quite a bit of Djed and res. She instructed.

Again, hurry. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to keep myself from throwing you out. Anna added urgently.

The soreness was steadily increasing to almost painful levels, if her body didn't push the child out then Anna would need to do so on her own. She couldn't afford crippling injuries this close to the Judgment.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Oh, I see~ At Anna's mental-words, Kouri's mood brightened up immediately. The ghost felt so silly, she realized how sensitive and emotional she acted regarding her mother, Anna was just avoiding to judge someone she barely even knew, Kouri could understand that. But still, couldn't Anna say something more than 'seems nice'? Surely she could complement Sora's really long hair or her aurora eyes. Anna's body pouted at Kouri's command. Wonderful! Anna's body giggled, she examined the white mist like it was a floating cotton candy. It looked so fluffy, Kouri could just eat it, but... eating one's own spit was disgusting so she held herself. Un... Nodding, Kouri tried to do what Anna tell her to. Closing Anna's eyes to concentrate, she imagined the cold winds of Avanthal blowing back and forth. Holding out her hands around the mist, Kouri inhaled and exhaled, she would have to move fast for her hold on Anna's astral couldn't be maintained much longer. Slowly opening Anna's eyes, the ghost girl commanded Anna's res to slowly gather the air around the mist, it was painstakingly slow and awkward, but at least it was something. The resulting product was a small swirling ball of air floating just in front of Anna. The puppeteer felt tired, even standing up now required visible effort. With trembling hands and legs, Kouri whispered once more to Anna. Did... I do a good job? OOCYou can decide when the Possession would end, Anna.