Active Magic (TatlTails and othyrworld)

TatlTails

They Can't Order Me To Stop Dreaming
Unfortunately for almost everyone involved, this situation wasn't new.

For as long as circuses have existed, magical beings have been forced to perform in them. The practice of enslaving these beings just for entertainment was close to dying out (thank the Heavens), but there were still plenty of shady troupes traveling around with far too many injustices under their tents. One of which had fallen under Madi's radar.

The place was awful. Stuffed with dozens of witches and creatures, horrible living conditions, and even worse treatment from the staff. She was frankly surprised it hadn't been shut down by humans yet, much less the likes of her. But all of that was about to change.

She and Dagger had snuck in at the end of a show, misdirection spells dripping off of the both of them to help divert attention. Dagger had donned his "human disguise" of an enchanted hat just for good measure, and unless someone was highly adept with magic, the two would just seem like a pair of nobody teenagers not worth anyone's attention. All they really had to do was just wait at the back of the bleachers until all of the hubbub died down, cast a couple silencing spells, and get to work.

Dagger was the scout, as always. He handed off his hat to Madi, revealing his large, twitchy cat ears, and transformed in a moment's time into an almost-normal-looking housecat. The fur color was a bit redder than most cats, but he blended in just fine in a circus environment, and he was small enough to get through narrow spaces. That was his first mission, to get into the "living quarters" of the magic beings and clear the way for the rest of the rescue team. Madi wasn't the only other one on the mission, but she was the scout's "mistress" so she was the only one who bothered to go inside with him.

But she couldn't sneak through narrow tent flaps and prison bars, so off he went. It was laughably easy to get into the "backstage" area of the circus, and only a bit more difficult to transform out of cat form and take out the first few humans in the area. Usually Madi discouraged murder, but these bastards deserved it. Plus a slice to the throat was so much quicker and quieter than trying to knock them out.

As soon as he got within sight of some magical creatures, he just gave them a pointed look, held a finger to his lips, and continued his work on the guards.

It was several more minutes before he'd "scouted" the whole area, and gave Madi the signal to send everyone else in. He frankly just hoped that either no one would mind his work, or that they had a necromancer on the team. In the moments between the signal and the inevitable rush of rescuing, he decided to start unlocking the nearest cage, and let the creatures inside know "We're on your side. Prepare to get the fuck out of here."
 
It had been a long night for Sequoia. It wasn't like living in the circus was a cake walk, but tonight had gone to hell in a handbasket. She had been whipped brutally for miscasting a spell, and her back was shedding bloody tears all over the dusty ground of what could very loosely be called her personal quarters. Flora had managed to grow some herbs without anyone noticing, but Sequoia's wounds still stung whenever she tried to move.

"We need to get out of here," Flora nearly shouted. She had been pacing a trench into the corner for a while, so long that Sequoia was afraid she'd do something incredibly stupid like try to kill a ringmaster. Flora wasn't typically prone to rage, but she was prone to trying to protect Sequoia. An instinct that got her into nothing but trouble, but still something that she'd never give up.

"That's impossible and you know it," Sequoia snapped tartly, shifting her hips to try and relieve some of the pain. "I thought I was the one who did stupid stuff for no reason."

Flora didn't even laugh, too caught up in her thoughts. "They almost killed you, Koya. You were dying!" There was darkness in her eyes that Sequoia hadn't seen for a long time. Since Flora first joined the circus.

"But I'm not," Sequoia laughed, doing her best to relieve the tension. "Look, just go out and people watch like you love doing. I'm sure it'll calm you down a bit."

Flora still seemed angry, but she began stomping outside the tent only to stop in her tracks. Sequoia tried to raise her neck and see what was wrong, but Flora had already run back inside and thrown her arms around her. Sequoia let out a nose of pain when her back was touched, and Flora released her immediately.

"It's... It's a miracle," Flora murmured, sticking her head outside the tent flap again.

"What's a miracle?" Sequoia asked impatiently, ignoring the sting as she tried to shift to a better viewpoint.

"The ringmaster... The.. The humans... They're all dead!" Flora squealed, lips tipping up into one of the biggest smiles Sequoia had ever seen on her face.
 
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"Glad someone appreciates me!" Was the immediate, sarcastic response to Flora's joy, before a whole bunch of people burst into the area.

Witches, shifters, even a nymph or two were among the pack, and they all immediately split up to cover the entire backstage area, one or two per cage. Flora and Sequoia's was approached by one girl, with dark hair and an aura of power much too strong for the skinny little figure she seemed. She only had to take one look at the two before pulling a flask out of thin air and handing it to the one who was clearly more in pain.

"He-healing p-p-potion." She explained, her tone confident despite the stutter. She was trying to sound soothing as well, but there was only so many emotions she could convey in one fractured sentence.
 
Sequoia winced as a noisy group of people flounced into her room, but she couldn't find it within herself to stay mad. Flora was free. Sequoia was free! They could finally escape this hell on earth and go wherever they wanted. One of the girls separated from the pack, stuttering out that she was giving Sequoia a healing potion in an oddly confident voice. Sequoia tried to lift her arm, only to cry out in agony when it tore open the half scabbed wounds on her shoulder. Flora tutted with worry as she snatched the potion from the girl's hand and held it to Sequoia's lips.

"Who are you?" She asked, unsure of these people's motives. She watched as the angry wounds on Sequoias back shrank into tiny cuts, and then into faint scars. Sequoia would be fine. Flora wondered why she'd thought any different. If the goddess of fate favored anyone, it would be Sequoia. She supposed she owed these people a debt now, but she didn't much care for the way people traded lives. "What are you doing here?"
 
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"M-Magic." Was Madi's easiest way of answering the fairy girl's question. She was already trying not to beat herself up for not handling the potion situation properly, so giving an entire lecture on her goals and motivations wasn't exactly in her realm of physical ability right now.

Luckily, that was when Dagger decided to meet back up with her, and give an explanation that was... not much better, in terms of placating former prisoners at least.

"We're here to save your asses." He stated from the doorway, not even bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. "So get up if you can, and get moving. We need everyone out of here, now."
 
Flora glared at the strange boy who had entered. She didn't like how bossy these people were, and she didn't much feel like playing nice when her friend had been on the brink of death earlier. Sequoia looked her in the eye and stood, getting in between her and the strange teens. She gave her a look that said 'I'm the diplomat and if you keep being angry we're never going to get out of here' and began speaking.

"Look, babe," She said, walking forward ad stabbing her finger into the boy's chest. "We've been through hell and back, so if you could just give us one second to catch our breaths it would be greatly appreciated!" Sequoia turned around to give Flora a big thumbs up. Flora mentally groaned. She should've known Sequoia would take the offensive. If there was one thing that girl was good at, it was arguing with you until your ears shriveled up and fell off your head.
 
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It was a good thing Dagger's ears were pretty big, then, because he was the exact same way.

At first, however, he had no idea what to make of this random witch's attitude, pretty sure his jaw had dropped in the shock of it. Out of nowhere, she just decides she can touch him? And call him "babe"? And accuse him of some bullshit he didn't even technically do?! How fucking dare she!

Okay yeah there's what he made of her: He was fucking pissed.

"Excuse you?" Was the first thing out of his mouth after he had regained his senses. "Who the fuck do you think you are?! We're trying to save your fucking lives here, but if that isn't good enough for you, then-"

"St-top!" Madi barked out before he could say another word, cutting in between the angry two with a hint of desperation in her eyes. This was the last thing anyone in this building needed right now!

"We j-j-just wanna he-help." She tried to tell her fellow witch, keeping her voice as calm and placating as possible while also keeping Dagger strictly behind her. "P-p-promise. S-so, j-just let us. P-please."
 
Sequoia yanked her hand away from his chest like it had burnt her, curling her hands into tight, white knuckled fists. She was about to summon some magic and give this guy a righteous smackdown when Flora put a hand on her chest. Sequoia deflated, sinking back down onto the cot like a limp ragdoll. They looked at each other, communicating through a series of tense stares, glares, and angry hand gestures that basically amounted to a mental slapfight, before Flora stepped in front again.

She nodded at the stuttering girl, as if to tell her they would cooperate for now. She glanced cooly around the room, noting that if they wanted to leave they would be blocked. She flashed Sequoia one of the few repeated signals they'd used while the circus was still running, two fingers tapped three times against her thigh. It meant to keep your magic ready, just in case. Flora was willing to hear these people out, so she asked the first question that came to mind. "Where will you be taking us?"
 
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"S-safehouse." Madi sighed softly, relieved that the two girls were still willing to cooperate. The last thing she wanted to do was be yet another person forcing them somewhere they didn't wanna be. "Like r-rehab. Th-then you ch-choose."

In the quiet between responses, Madi reached out behind her to grab at Dagger's hand and squeeze it once. That was one of their own signals, which she hoped was subtle enough to not freak the girls out. It just told Dagger to go do a perimeter check, and then come back. She figured it'd help clear the air a bit more if he dipped out for a bit, and it would calm him down to go be in charge of something that would listen to him. Luckily, he offered no protest, and just quietly slipped out the door.
 
Sequoia glared distastefully after the boy, stopping only when she registered the cat ears sitting proudly atop his head. Had he always had those? Was he a neko? He had to be right? Sequoia laughed at herself because of course, she didn't even realize that the guy she was arguing with was a neko. But nekos were familiars. Did that mean the stuttering girl who had handed her the healing potion was his master?

"I think that boy is the Witch's familiar." Flora froze briefly, looking over to the girl and then back in the direction where the boy had gone and then back to the girl, seeing Sequoia's point.

"How do you figure he's a familiar?" She asked, whispering directly int her friend's ear with suspicion writ clearly in her voice.

"He's a neko," She stated, continuing when Flora gave her the patented 'duh' look."He's kind of subservient to her too." Sequoia pulled away after she had finished, leaving the strange witch girl inside the tent, relishing the smell of fresh air even as it was tainted with blood. The stars twinkled merrily in the sky, and for the first time in a long time, they seemed to be hopeful instead of mocking. She let out a little laugh, eventually letting it bloom into a booming chuckle, spinning around and around under the open sky while Flora walked outside.
 
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Madi let out a yelp when the witch pushed past her to get outside, unable to keep in her surprise for that brief moment. The girls hadn't even said whether they were cool with going to the safehouse or not, but here Madi was just watching them go outside without confirming anything with them or making sure they were completely safe to leave. She usually knew better than that. Some creatures tried to bolt the moment they could, which almost always led to even more danger than what they'd just escaped.

But once she saw the witch laughing away the first bits of her trauma, Madi couldn't bring herself to interrupt the moment. If this was what she needed to start recovering, then Madi would let her have it... At least until the moment seemed to pass. Until then, she watched from the doorway, keeping an eye on their surroundings so the two wouldn't have to just yet.
 
Flora smiled at Sequoia's manic laughter, watching her spin circles over and over again. She rushed back to Flora, capturing her in a hug that pushed them both to the ground. Soon they were both cackling in the light of the full moon, unknowing of the witch who watched them begin to shed their pain. They rolled away from each other a short while later, Flora dusting herself off, a bit ashamed to have acted so wildly, while Sequoia lay shamelessly on the ground, counting the stars. Then and there Flora decided to give the girl a try, if only to preserve their freedom for a little longer.

Flora walked up to where the girl was standing, hesitantly holding out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Flora. My friend laughing at the sky over there is Sequoia. We will go with you to your safe house if you'll take us."
 
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Madi was already smiling by the time this "Flora" girl started making introductions. It was a cute scene, she couldn't help it! But that just meant she was full-on beaming by the time she reached out to return the fairy's handshake. She gave the girl a nod to hopefully convey that Yes We Will Take You In And It Will Be Good, and mentally noted both of their names before giving her own.

"I'm M-Madi." She managed to get out, before she spotted her Familiar finishing his rounds and nodded over at him for Flora's sake. "That's D-Dagger. Not as b-bad as he s-seems, p-p-promise."
 
Flora didn't even need to fake a smile, finding that a natural one had sprung up before she could even think about it. "Sequoia won't like that," She deadpanned, not realizing that Madi may not get her sense of humor. Sequoia walked over with a lazy grin on her face, draping an arm over Flora's shoulder. She turned to Madi and nodded once in acknowledgment.

"I hear we'll be staying at your place tonight," She teased, seeming a bit dazed from her joyous exit from the tent. "Hope you can deal with all of this!" Flora let out a laugh before she could help herself, earing a mock offended glare from Sequoia. Flora soothed her with a sweet smile before tapping her on the temple, a gesture they used to mean all is well.
 
Oh don't worry Flora, Madi was well-versed in deadpan humor. She was easily giggling at the jokes and teasing of both girls, although she knew better than to butt in on the more tender moment between the two. They were definitely close, in one way or another. Didn't really matter what way it was, but it was still nice to note.

As the sweet moment was dying down, Dagger slowly approached the group, raising a cautious eyebrow at Madi but saying nothing just yet. She was the one to break the silence, though she made sure not to speak up too loudly. "They're c-coming."
 
Sequoia grinned at Flora, basking in the happiness of the moment for as long as possible. When the euphoria had finally faded, she spoke, taking a more serious tone. "So we're going with them?" Flora nodded. Sequoia moved on to her next, more pressing question. "Do you think it's safe? We don't know these people."

"I think we can trust them," Flora said cautiously, taking a peek back at Madi, who had been joined by the cat boy. "I mean, we could easily ditch if we really want to, but I have a good feeling, and you know how rarely that happens." They both laughed, and Sequoia walked up to them, tugging Flora behind her.

"We're ready to go."
 
Madi nodded at the girl's confirmation, glad that they'd both come to an agreement so quickly. She sighed out a quick "G-good." then glanced back over at Dagger for his status.

He gave her a single nod, confirming all of his work was done, and she nodded back, which was his cue to transform. The less body mass required for teleportations, the better. She picked him up, he settled into the crook of her non-dominant arm in preparation for optimal energy channeling, and she held out her free hand to the two newest residents of her home.

"We're w-warp-ping back." She told them bluntly, hoping that that and the hand were enough for them to know to hold on tight, and that they were okay with being warped in the first place. "That c-cool?"
 
Sequoia nodded, but Flora looked confused and worried. She'd never warped before and had heard that it could go very wrong if the witch wasn't strong enough. She didn't want to insult the Madi by second-guessing her power, but she also wasn't comfortable with warping. Sequoia seemed to sense her hesitance, grabbing her by the hand and forcing her to hold Madi's. Flora glared at her as strongly as she could muster.
 
Madi could sense right away that Flora was NOT cool with warping. Which wasn't too unexpected, a lot of rescuees distrusted new magic and wanted as little of it as possible. The rescue teams usually brought a couple cars to the scene because of that, so they could maybe hop in one of those if they hadn't all left already-

And then Sequoia made the decision for her companion, and Madi did not have the balls to protest. Warping really was the easiest way to transport these people, so hopefully Flora just wouldn't hate them all after the trip. She gave the girl an apologetic smile, whispered a quick "T-trust me." And then started the spell.

She'd mastered wordless spells long before the worded ones, so she didn't even have to open her mouth to teleport. She just opened up her mind, grabbed at the ziplines hanging above everyone's heads, and thought of home. With one sharp tug and about three seconds of pure darkness and harsh G-Force, the group reappeared just outside her front door, hopefully with everyone intact.

The woodsy mulch of the forest floor felt comfortingly springy under her feet, and the ivy growing over the house's walls waved hello in the breeze. It was perfectly quiet, and as safe as a home could feel. Madi was always glad to come back here after venturing into the world, no matter who she brought back with her.
 
Flora gave a yelp when the world went black, already deciding that she was never going to teleport again no matter what anyone said. She hated the intense feeling of traveling, hated the way she felt like she left her stomach back at the circus. When they reached some sort of woods, she wobbled off the trail and barfed into the trees, retching violently for a few minutes. Sequoia walked over with an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry. I thought you'd be fine! I 've warped before and none of this happened!" She cried. Flora just grabbed her shirt and began to wipe her mouth on it, much to Sequoia's disgust. She shoved Flora away and began to asses the damage, making muffled sounds of disgust before stripping it off and declaring it ruined.

"Don't be such a baby, It's just a little barf, you've had way worse on your shirts before," Flora teased, stepping to the side when Sequoia swung the shirt at her. Sequoia stuck her tongue out, but set the shirt to the side, acknowledging Flora's point.
 
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