tags: none; magic AU feat. witch Maki and forest guardian Rin Ship: Hoshizora Rin/Nishikino Maki (love live) Word Count: 1,158
Maki pushes her hood back as she steps beneath the branches of the trees, feeling a wind on her face, a shiver down her spine. As soon as she's inside the forest she can sense the change as a prickle over her skin, sending gooseflesh spreading across her bare arms and up underneath the covering of her sleeves.
Maki is a witch, and she knows what protection magic feels like.
From a benevolent source, the gift of protection can envelope like a warm embrace, shining like sunlight through the cracks in one's defenses and making them strong. But when the protection is to keep someone out it can tingle like electricity, leaving a sour tang across the tongue and the smell of ozone in the air.
The forest's protection is a thing of its own: vibrating with promise, neither in warning or welcome. It's a wild thing, unpredictable. Maki pulls her hair out from her cape, and strides on, spine straight in anticipation of danger.
"I know you're there," Maki says, making a circle of protection over her chest for good measure. "You won't surprise me."
She says nothing else, because she has no intention of getting in the forest guardian's ill graces. Wild magic is beyond her understanding, allergic to rules and operating under its own will. Maki prefers the ritual of well-practiced spells, the way her voice sings out when she recites the words of an enchantment that's been passed down for years. Those magics resonate with her, through her, passing cleanly into the world at her whim alone.
Her ears are sharp, attuned to any changes on the air, to the cracking of twigs underfoot as well as to the more arcane crackle of magic or sizzle of a spell just starting to take hold. She would not have crossed onto the forest guardian's domain if she'd had another choice, and she supposes it will know as much. She does so out of necessity, and with no ill will. When it comes to wild magic, intention is everything.
"Who goes there?" a voice calls out, reverberating off of the trunks of the trees. "There is a beast on the purr-owl, and she doesn't take kindly to trespassers."
"I am only a traveler," Maki calls back. "Making my way through these woods to a destination past the trees."
"Is that all? Or do you have other business in my forest?"
Maki crosses her arms over her chest, but she's never been one to lie. And she would not wish to invite the forest guardian's ire. "I'd like to pick some of the plants that grow in a clearing toward the center of the forest, if I may. Nothing much. Just a few clippings."
There comes a rumble between the branches of the trees, rising up like the sound of a motor roaring to life, cut off with a snarl as the guardian silences herself. Then there's a rustle of leaves and the snapping of twigs, followed by the thump of four feet hitting the ground as a great beast pounces over the rise to land on the path up above Maki. She's sleek and dark with a dappling to her fur, russet and brown and red in subtle patches, patterned to blend in with the variation of the trees. She rises up, shoulders un-hunching, ears swiveling, and shrinks into something more human on the spot.
"I'll have to supurrrrrr-vise the clipping of these cuttings," the girl says, shaking her head and narrowing her luminous golden eyes. "Those plants are also a part of my forest."
Maki is taken aback, first by the shape of the beast, elegant for all her looming, then at the ease of the transition between monster and girl. There are still ears atop the forest guardian's head, black as the night against the red of her hair, and the thin slice of a tail swaying behind her back, but aside from those telltale features she's deceptively human. Delicate, even, dainty in size and — dare Maki think it — shorter than she is when they stand face to face.
"Of c-course," she says, stumbling only slightly when she recovers. "I would never reject the forest guardian's own protection."
She sees it when the guardian falters, a flicker that's quick across her face before she's squinting suspicion at the word protection, bright eyes narrowed down to little slits.
"Who said that I would be protecting you?" she asks.
"I thought it was implied," Maki replies. "If I am in the forest guardian's company, I would be much surprised if anything in this woods dares to attack me. I doubt I'll be troubled at all."
The guardian rocks back on her heels, considering. Her face breaks out into a grin. "I like the sound of it! I'll protect you, little witch, from all of the dangerous beasts and monsters that roam beneath my care. And I'll protect them from you, come to think of it. Nothing will be harmed in this forest while I have breath in my body."
"H-Hey," Maki says. "I never said anything about being a witch."
The guardian sniffs — really sniffs, a long inhale as she leans in toward Maki, a smug little smile spreading across her face. "You don't have to say it. I can smell the stink of ritual magic on you. You're a witch! Definitely a witch."
"Hmph," Maki huffs to herself. "You don't have to say it like it's a bad thing."
"What? I never did. You just stink of witchery, that's all, I could smell it all the way from up there." She points at the top of the rise, and then farther, swinging her arm out and jabbing her finger toward the distance. "What else am I supposed to call it?"
"You could just call it a smell, not a stink," Maki says. "It sounds... More polite, that's all."
Rin sniffs again, like she doesn't think much of that plan at all. "You're a witch, and that's all that matters. What's your name, little witch, hey, hey? If I'm going to protect you, I think I'd ought to know."
"It's Maki," Maki says. "Nishikino Maki."
Despite herself, there's a smile of her own rising to her lips. She might not like wild magic much, unpredictable and traitorous as it can be, but she suspects she does like the guardian who commands it. She isn't what Maki might have expected at all. There's a... Warmth to her, that Maki never could have anticipated without feeling it for herself.
"Do you have a name?" she asks in return. "Or should I continue calling you 'guardian,' since that's what you are?"
"Rin!" the guardian says. "Rin of the stars and stalker of the trees, fierce protector of the Hoshizora Woods."
"Rin," Maki repeats. "Very well."
"Very well to you," Rin says. "Now come along. You have witchery to work, and I have a forest to protect!"
FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/MIYUKI KAZUYA, G
Ship: Hoshizora Rin/Nishikino Maki (love live)
Word Count: 1,158
Maki pushes her hood back as she steps beneath the branches of the trees, feeling a wind on her face, a shiver down her spine. As soon as she's inside the forest she can sense the change as a prickle over her skin, sending gooseflesh spreading across her bare arms and up underneath the covering of her sleeves.
Maki is a witch, and she knows what protection magic feels like.
From a benevolent source, the gift of protection can envelope like a warm embrace, shining like sunlight through the cracks in one's defenses and making them strong. But when the protection is to keep someone out it can tingle like electricity, leaving a sour tang across the tongue and the smell of ozone in the air.
The forest's protection is a thing of its own: vibrating with promise, neither in warning or welcome. It's a wild thing, unpredictable. Maki pulls her hair out from her cape, and strides on, spine straight in anticipation of danger.
"I know you're there," Maki says, making a circle of protection over her chest for good measure. "You won't surprise me."
She says nothing else, because she has no intention of getting in the forest guardian's ill graces. Wild magic is beyond her understanding, allergic to rules and operating under its own will. Maki prefers the ritual of well-practiced spells, the way her voice sings out when she recites the words of an enchantment that's been passed down for years. Those magics resonate with her, through her, passing cleanly into the world at her whim alone.
Her ears are sharp, attuned to any changes on the air, to the cracking of twigs underfoot as well as to the more arcane crackle of magic or sizzle of a spell just starting to take hold. She would not have crossed onto the forest guardian's domain if she'd had another choice, and she supposes it will know as much. She does so out of necessity, and with no ill will. When it comes to wild magic, intention is everything.
"Who goes there?" a voice calls out, reverberating off of the trunks of the trees. "There is a beast on the purr-owl, and she doesn't take kindly to trespassers."
"I am only a traveler," Maki calls back. "Making my way through these woods to a destination past the trees."
"Is that all? Or do you have other business in my forest?"
Maki crosses her arms over her chest, but she's never been one to lie. And she would not wish to invite the forest guardian's ire. "I'd like to pick some of the plants that grow in a clearing toward the center of the forest, if I may. Nothing much. Just a few clippings."
There comes a rumble between the branches of the trees, rising up like the sound of a motor roaring to life, cut off with a snarl as the guardian silences herself. Then there's a rustle of leaves and the snapping of twigs, followed by the thump of four feet hitting the ground as a great beast pounces over the rise to land on the path up above Maki. She's sleek and dark with a dappling to her fur, russet and brown and red in subtle patches, patterned to blend in with the variation of the trees. She rises up, shoulders un-hunching, ears swiveling, and shrinks into something more human on the spot.
"I'll have to supurrrrrr-vise the clipping of these cuttings," the girl says, shaking her head and narrowing her luminous golden eyes. "Those plants are also a part of my forest."
Maki is taken aback, first by the shape of the beast, elegant for all her looming, then at the ease of the transition between monster and girl. There are still ears atop the forest guardian's head, black as the night against the red of her hair, and the thin slice of a tail swaying behind her back, but aside from those telltale features she's deceptively human. Delicate, even, dainty in size and — dare Maki think it — shorter than she is when they stand face to face.
"Of c-course," she says, stumbling only slightly when she recovers. "I would never reject the forest guardian's own protection."
She sees it when the guardian falters, a flicker that's quick across her face before she's squinting suspicion at the word protection, bright eyes narrowed down to little slits.
"Who said that I would be protecting you?" she asks.
"I thought it was implied," Maki replies. "If I am in the forest guardian's company, I would be much surprised if anything in this woods dares to attack me. I doubt I'll be troubled at all."
The guardian rocks back on her heels, considering. Her face breaks out into a grin. "I like the sound of it! I'll protect you, little witch, from all of the dangerous beasts and monsters that roam beneath my care. And I'll protect them from you, come to think of it. Nothing will be harmed in this forest while I have breath in my body."
"H-Hey," Maki says. "I never said anything about being a witch."
The guardian sniffs — really sniffs, a long inhale as she leans in toward Maki, a smug little smile spreading across her face. "You don't have to say it. I can smell the stink of ritual magic on you. You're a witch! Definitely a witch."
"Hmph," Maki huffs to herself. "You don't have to say it like it's a bad thing."
"What? I never did. You just stink of witchery, that's all, I could smell it all the way from up there." She points at the top of the rise, and then farther, swinging her arm out and jabbing her finger toward the distance. "What else am I supposed to call it?"
"You could just call it a smell, not a stink," Maki says. "It sounds... More polite, that's all."
Rin sniffs again, like she doesn't think much of that plan at all. "You're a witch, and that's all that matters. What's your name, little witch, hey, hey? If I'm going to protect you, I think I'd ought to know."
"It's Maki," Maki says. "Nishikino Maki."
Despite herself, there's a smile of her own rising to her lips. She might not like wild magic much, unpredictable and traitorous as it can be, but she suspects she does like the guardian who commands it. She isn't what Maki might have expected at all. There's a... Warmth to her, that Maki never could have anticipated without feeling it for herself.
"Do you have a name?" she asks in return. "Or should I continue calling you 'guardian,' since that's what you are?"
"Rin!" the guardian says. "Rin of the stars and stalker of the trees, fierce protector of the Hoshizora Woods."
"Rin," Maki repeats. "Very well."
"Very well to you," Rin says. "Now come along. You have witchery to work, and I have a forest to protect!"