Private See the End as We Begin

[Scherezade deWinter]

Another blink came from the Sithling as she saw the two other girls putting juice in their coffee and then stirring it in exactly the same way. Truth be told, at this point in her life, she had only met three Lupines; Kat, Larentia, and one other. She didn't know yet how that one other had his coffee, and so she looked at the two and reached the only conclusion one could at the sight.

"So the juice and the way of stirring is a Lupine thing?" she chuckled. Definitely a Lupine thing. She'd have to remember to bring a crate of juice for when she could finally see Kat's home planet.

A blur of motion followed as Scherezade ducked out of the way of Katrine's coffee burst, avoiding a kaf-splatter at the very last moment but before she could comment on the spray, Katrine said there was no plan. Just coffee. And brewing. Scherezade hated the brewing.

She sighed loudly and somewhat dramatically, opting not to say anything about that. Katrine knew she hated the brewing. Katrine also knew that brewing with Scherezade sometimes meant babysitting Scherezade to ensure a potion didn't turn into a Molotov cocktail… or worse.

Under normal circumstances, Scherezade would just offer to go and find something to stab while Kat did her thing. But something in the air lingered in her senses, something about the buzz between the three of them with the coffee, the juice, the cream, and the not-a-plan. Something was happening. She just didn't know what.

---

Katrine Van-Derveld Larentia

 

[Larentia]

Until she was called out on it, Larentia hadn't noticed Katrine's actions or her own. Scherezade, suddenly questioning if this was a Lupine thing, startled her. Sapphire gaze shifted over, looking at Katrine for a split second before she looked back at Scherezade.

Larentia couldn't say she picked the habit from her mother.

Or could she?

"My mother had a thing for unusual combinations." The Lupine chose to keep it natural, wanting to brush the conversation away.

Doashim pulled her to the side just before the kaf went everywhere, narrowly avoiding her being covered in it. "Thanks," Larentia muttered at the demon right before it hit her. Shame that would have been funny, the spider demon commented, though Larentia knew it was not aimed at her.

She chose not to address the second spirit, knowing an ordinary Witch wouldn't be able to hear another spirit other than her own.

Katrine did admit to wanting to brew a potion. "Sounds like fun." Larentia liked potions even when she never quite had an affinity for them. She could brew some basic ones, as necessary, but most of the ones she knew how to do were practical rather than fun. She suspected this one would belong in the latter category. She took a long sip of her kaf instead, wondering about the many potions she had seen in the past.

There was one that changed hair colour or a collection of them that changed appearance. One that made her talk funny, one that turned her into a boy for a whole hour when she was a child… they never experimented with that one again; it was odd. She had witnessed or been part of many different ones. "What potion are you brewing?"

With a side glance, she peered at Scherezade, whose loud sigh made her think she wasn't a fan of potions. That was another interesting tidbit about the girl she had always been curious about. The subject of potions and Pebble never came up in any stories, so this was a great chance to see what she thought of them. "Not a fan of potions?" Larentia questioned the girl.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Katrine looked at Larentia after Pebble commented. Did they drink the same kind of coffee? She could remember handing her the juice and creamer, but she wasn't paying attention to the order of making or the ingredients used in the process.

Larentia admitted her mother was a fan of unusual combinations.

"Definitely like your mother. I'd love to meet her someday." She thought this woman sounded cool, having so much in common with her. Katrine loved meeting new people, so why not meet her, too? They'd have a lot to talk about. Perhaps she would be a bit more open to sharing their history with Katrine when Larentia wasn't.

Shame that would have been funny, Lylek commented after she spat the coffee, making her chuckle. Sometimes, the third spirit came out with the most random words, she thought, without addressing it.

The stranger seemed open to brewing a potion.

Pebble, as usual, wasn't.

"At least somebody's looking forward to this." Katrine knew exactly how Pebble felt about brewing potions and knew that most of the time, the outcome had not been successful. There was no fault in Pebble for that; some people just weren't magically inclined with potions, even when she had a vibe off of her grandmother that she was a sorceress and how it would suit her to make potions.

Larentia noticed too.

"No, Pebble hates making potions."

It was one of those matter-of-fact statements Katrine gave. She knew her Ward well enough by now to know this. "It's always good to know some, though," The Witch advised. In truth, Katrine preferred fun potions, which was what this was, but every witch should have known some that would serve her well if the occasion ever occurred.

This was the lesson she was trying to pass on to Pebble.

Larentia had wondered about what sort of potion they were brewing.

"We're gonna make a potion that changes hair colour. Because why not, as far as Katrine was concerned. It was easy enough to do and provided a good opportunity to review the basics.

Scherezade deWinter

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Dude, those two were even responding to what she'd pointed out in the same way! At least at first. Scherezade's cat-like curiosity was definitely starting to raise its snout.

And then promptly tried to tuck the nose away again as Katrine praised Larentia for looking forward to it. Yup, her chosen sister knew how the Sithling felt, and was trying to turn it into a lesson. Again. But whatever, at least Scherezade knew her mentor in this would give it her all, and that made it just slightly less horrible.

Katrine then mentioned that they'd be working on that potion for changing hair color and Scherezade rolled her eyes. "Dye in a box does that perfectly fine without needing to brew it," she muttered. Besides, who'd want to change their hair? Kat was a gorgeous blonde, Scherezade was a lovely brunette, and Larentia looked fierce enough in her dark color.

"But maybe we can turn Larentia into an icy blonde," she grinned, "or maybe pink!"

---

Larentia Katrine Van-Derveld

 

[Larentia]

It was entertaining to hear how Katrine thought she'd get on with her mother. While the other Lupine may have genially thought, based on her answers, that they were a lot alike and would probably hit it, they probably would have if she were being honest.

Before Scherezade answered, Katrine did. Pebble hated making positions.

This served to confirm what Larentia noticed herself. Katrine also pointed out what she knew – it was good to know potions. One never knew when it could save your life to know a potion. Maybe not the potion to change hair colour as the other Lupine had suggested they work on right now, but there were plenty of potions that could help.

Scherezade instead considered dye-in-a-box to be as effective.

"Chemicals," Larentia replied with the normality of someone born and raised far from the core. Despite the technology she had been given growing up, the wolf was raised with more natural choices. Like why use chemicals when magic was available as a safer option? Hair dye was part of that.

Despite the question, Scherezade was suggesting they turn her hair icy blonde or pink.

With a slight smirk, Larentia glanced at the other girl. She had seen this potion be used many times in her life and had brewed it herself. The Lupine knew precisely what she was getting herself into. An advantage point, which was something a warrior sought out.

"Sure, let's turn my hair pink."

Icy blonde was not her colour at all. Larentia knew this as she had tried it. She had been red, purple and even jet black. Most of these colours didn't work on her at all, but pink was something she hadn't tried before, so it wouldn't be too bad to try it out.

She hadn't realised straight away, but other than her head nearly being hit with a bag of whatever it was that Scherezade brought, there was a sense of peace at this moment. Despite running from her own dark future, Larentia felt herself relax for the first time in days. There was something in the bond between Katrine and Scherezade that evoked a sense of peace. There was a strong bond between the two that helped.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

She opened her mouth to answer Pebble's question, only to be beaten by Larentia. Katrine looked at the stranger and nodded in response. "Exactly." She was raised on Dathomir, where Witches didn't just buy dye in a box – they made it happen through magic if they wished it so.

It was nice to meet someone with the same view on this.

"Besides, Pebble, it's fun!"

How could her Ward not see this? Sometimes, they needed a bit of fun in their life and to relax. Katrine, despite the growing responsibilities, could see this. It was an important lesson she wanted to pass on to her Ward as well. Yeah, teach her some potion brewing, but also have fun. This was why her choice wasn't anything crazy or powerful.

Katrine loved brewing potions with Satara when she was a little girl. Most witches didn't want to do that with her; they didn't like the strange creature she was. Nona knew this and made time for her. She used to tell her it was the benefit of being retired.

This was different from what Curupira experienced as a child, and as far as she knew, her mother had never quite mastered spell brewing. She could make some things, but according to Satara, they never turned out as she wanted them to—something she and Pebble had in common.

When Pebble suggested they change Larentia's hair colour, Katrine decided she wasn't going to push. This was the first time she was brewing this potion, and sometimes, the first tries didn't end as successfully as she wanted. Before she could say this, Larentia had already agreed to have her hair dyed pink. Should I tell her?

Maybe that would have been the sensible, mature thing to do, Katrine weighed, but a quick side glance at Pebble and her grin told her there would be no fun in that at all, and she kept quiet about this little detail.

Instead, she started taking out the content from the bag, summoning a caldron from the shelf. It flew through the room before landing on the little stove at the end of her desk. With a fully stocked kitchen, Katrine only ever used this for potion brewing. Among the vials he had asked Pebble to bring was a large vial filled with lake water. She still needed it for this potion.

"We start with still water. Lake water from this planet is perfect," she instructed the two, then reached for the next vile containing nettle. "Do you know what this is?" Her question was directed to Larentia, showing her the leaves stored in the vial.

Pebble had been given a list of ingredients so she would already know what it was.

Scherezade deWinter ​

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade narrowed her eyes as Larentia decided to go with the flow, like a sewer. That was less fun. She loved Kat with her entire heart, but that didn't mean she didn't want partners in sometimes absolutely terrorizing the Lupine. In a positive way, of course. If Kat was going to rule beyond the Mandragora, she was going to have to be ready for it and be prepared for any kind of things life could toss at her. Larenia, in this matter, would not make a good ally. That was unfortunate.

She opted to remain silent as Kat stared explaining about the water. Water was water. Scherezade didn't get what made Rylothian water so special. And then Kat asked Larentia what some ingredient was. Scherezade didn't answer. She knew, of course. That's not the sentient mushroom.

And in the flimsiest of beats that passed between the question, and what the answer would be, Scherezade's eyes went wide, her stare resting on the cauldron that Katrine had summoned.

Hey Jart, she whispered telepathically to the Spirit, should I… Should I warn Kat?

It hadn't even been that long. In truth, Scherezade had been certain that the cauldron would be used again way before now. But as the realization sunk in, her heart beat ever so faster, and she prayed that if Kat heard it, she'd think it was because of her boredom and not because Scherezade had finally pieced together what was about to happen.

Because whether or not Larentia would have pink hair by the end of it, all three ladies were about to get splattered by a microchip bomb that would release foam that smells like fish, and and activate a failsafe protocol: karaoke mode, at full volume, in Ewokese.

Don't you dare, came Jart's reply.

---

Katrine Van-Derveld Larentia​

 

[Larentia]

Katrine's nod seconded her opinion about dye-in-box products, though Larentia didn't need that validation from the other woman. After all, the origin of her belief came from her. And she called it fun, which was intended for Scherezade. The Lupine could acknowledge that this might be the case, but it often had to do with a few examples of her maternal grandmother causing explosions rather than completing potions.

The hair dying potion was a four-ingredient concoction.

So, when Katrine chose to test her, she recognised the ingredient in her hand.

"That's nettle," Larentia identified the plant in the vial.

She glanced over at the bag and recognised the other three ingredients there as well. There was Belladona, the sentient mushroom and the bark from the Whiptree, native to Ryloth. There was also an incantation. It suddenly occurred to Larentia that she didn't know if it was one Katrine had invented or if it was much older.

After a moment, she reached for the Belladonna and passed it over to Katrine without thinking. It was something she did when she was younger.

There was something in these moments that Larentia learned to love growing up. As she grew older, the busier her mother became with the most critical role of her life and the role she was preparing Larentia to take. Unlike her mother, who had been born second to her parents, she was her mother's firstborn. Despite the old tradition of men being Lords of their respective estates, due to their unique origins, her family no longer adhered to these traditions. Her mother wasn't just the First Lady and the First Mother, she was the First Queen of the Moon, and Larentia had been her heir.

Moments like these became precious to her, as they were now.

There were no more duties of an heir for her; Larentia suddenly let that sink in. She was a Lupine out of her time, come forth to save their future.

She heard a whisper then. It was undoubtedly Jart, but the whisper came so quietly that Larentia couldn't make out what it had been said. She looked between Katrine and Scherezade, trying to figure out who the spirit was addressing.​

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Larentia had successfully recognised the plant in her hand, making her nod without saying anything as she threw two of the leaves into the liquid.

"Two nettle in," she chanted, waving her hand twice over the liquid as it burned. "Two stirs to follow." It was a potion she was only trying out. The spell that accompanied it was more of a hum.

When she glanced back at Larentia, she was being handed the Belladonna flower.

Katrine was surprised by the correct choice.

She picked a single leaf out of the vial, carefully throwing the poisonous plant inside. "A single Deathly Nightshade to follow, and four stirs as the cauldron boils." To the words, her hands gestured four times, making the liquid spin at her command. The potion changed colours, first green and then purple.

It was starting to boil stronger now.

She was curious about how attuned to potion-making Larentia was. "Do you want to continue?"

Larentia didn't show hesitation as she approached, picking up the sentiment mushroom vial and assessing the amount before she unscrewed the top. "Living being, enchant this potion," the other Lupine proceeded with the chant. The liquid changed colour again, this time to yellow.

Katrine gestured three more times with her hand, stirring it with telekinesis.

"Three stirs come before the final ingredient."

It was Larentia again who picked up the bark, gently patting on the vial to let some of the content fall in. "Bark of old soft tree, a dash of you to complete this potion and finish the precious pink concoction!"

Hmm, that was not how she would have finished it, Katrine considered, but as she gestured one more time over the cauldron, she could see the colour changing to the chosen pink colour and took a couple of steps back to reach for a cup.
​

Scherezade deWinter

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade pretended not to notice the little praise sandwich Katrine had just handed her. Compliment, lesson, compliment? She saw right through that! Her lips twitched. She might've made a face. She was definitely not learning anything. Nope. Not today.

And then Larentia went and called the potion fun.

Fun?!

Scherezade squinted at her. Suspicious. Warily impressed. Slightly betrayed. How could she?!

"Y'know," she said slowly, walking around to the other side of the cauldron like a jungle cat circling prey, "I think it could use just... one more stir. For consistency."

She nodded sagely, arms crossed. "Really give it some love. Make the pink even pinker."

Whatever was going through Larentia's mind at the moment, she did it. The second her spoon hit the mixture again, the cauldron gave a mighty splat-gurgle and exploded in a cloud of glitter and fog, sending pastel goo splattering across the entire clearing. A chorus of karaoke, Not Awokese as Scherezade had initially planned, but Wookie Opera, erupted from the mess, the sound tinny and deeply off-key. Somewhere in the chaos, a rubber fish flopped dramatically out of the brew and slapped onto the ground.

The smell of rotten fish was taking the area over.

Scherezade stood still. Very still. Mouth a perfect little 'o' of innocent surprise.

"Oh no," she said, blinking rapidly, moving to cover her ears, "That's... new."

She turned slowly toward Katrine and then yelled at the top of her lungs, hoping she was louder than the Wookie opera, "did you change the recipe?"

In the background, Jart remained deadly silent.​

---

Katrine Van-Derveld Larentia

 

[Larentia]

She couldn't know she had done something she shouldn't have. Larentia had fallen in the moment of potion-making. The woman had been raised to let the magic speak through her, to find the right words by letting go. She found the right words by doing so. Admittedly, the original words taught to her weren't very different.

The potion had gone through all the necessary colours as they chanted together, the liquid altering with each word and Katrine's telekinetic stirring.

It had worked just as it had many times before; Larentia had no reason to doubt the potion or assume anything else about it. She had wondered for a moment whether Katrine had come up with this potion on her own or not, but it didn't matter, in reality.

Scherezade spoke suddenly, coming into view. Larentia's blue gaze shifted upward for a moment as the girl suggested another stir for consistency. In the back of her mind, Larentia knew it wasn't necessary as the potion was completed. Still, in her distracted train of thought, she had listened and gestured her hand above the liquid for the final stir, for the final movement of the potion.

Wait, no, Doashim roared quietly, as if he had been distracted until now. Something about the way the demon had commanded startled her.

It was too late. The splat-gurgle that followed was not part of the process.

And neither was the explosion of glitter on fog, the liquid splashing all over her head as she danced backwards on her feet, her hands moving to her face to move it from her skin and eyes. The music that followed was deafening to the wolf's ears, as loud sounds always were. Larentia screamed and covered her ears, stumbling backwards.

"MAKE IT STOP!" Larentia screamed, trying to cover her ears, but the sound was still coming at her. Somewhere to the side, Scherezade was shouting, but the Lupine couldn't hear what she was saying.​

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Katrine had grabbed the cup she needed, turning back to Larentia as Pebble circled the desk and suggested a second stir. "It's not nec-," she started to say as Larentia made the final stir.

Wait, no, Doashim roared from the side before she could speak up, ready to lecture both about the importance of steering potions. There was a rhythm and an exact math to the process, which should have never been ignored. Some potions needed twenty stirs precisely, and some required far less. This was one such potion.

The Nightmother didn't get a chance to give that lecture.

The splat-gurgle told Katrine straight away something had gone wrong, but for a split second, she didn't know what it was until the explosion occurred, throwing her off balance. Katrine hadn't seen the potion strike Larentia; she hadn't seen the full extent of the explosion as the loud Wookie opera covered her hearing, piercing right through the inner ears. She covered them but failed to do anything.

When she took a step back, it was entirely off-placed, barely touching the single step that led into her wardrobe, and Katrine fell to the floor. The next moment, Scherezade was yelling at her. Did she change the recipe?

Did she change the recipe??

Katrine narrowed her eyes and shook her head, her face frowning at the noise.

Larentia screamed for it to stop to the side, but she never looked away from Pebble. She knew exactly what was happening to the other Lupine because the same thing was happening to her right now. "YOU NEED TO STOP IT BEFORE OUR EARS BLEED!" Katrine wasn't aware she was shouting at all at the moment, the horrendous sound was an absolute torture for her hearing and ears. This needed to end soon.

Scherezade deWinter ​

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade had been giggling. Giggling as the potion splort-exploded like a volcano of glittery fog and symphonic chaos. She was proud. It had taken her four failed tries to get the microchip just right, including one that had made a very angry jellyfish appear and sing lullabies. But this? This was her masterpiece.

Until she saw Larentia scream.

Until she saw Katrine fall.

Until she realized both of them were clutching their ears in actual pain, and she felt her stomach drop like a crate in a gravity malfunction.

Scherezade froze mid-laugh.

Oh no.

Oh kark.

Oh no-no-no-no.

Her eyes darted to the cauldron, realizing the chip was still in there, still broadcasting. The Wookie opera wasn't just annoying, it was actually hurting them. Specifically, it was actually hurting Kat.

Her mouth opened as she wanted to apologize, but there was no time.

Quick as a thought, she dunk her hand into the cauldron, fishing around for the microchip. There! Grabbing it between two fingers, she pulled it out, gave it a little shake, wiped it on her shirt, and then swallowed it whole.

There. No more signal.

She coughed once, then beamed innocently through glitter-covered lips as the room went blessedly silent.

"...That wasn't supposed to happen," she said, wide-eyed, voice sweet as syrup. "I was just trying to add... ambiance."

Her gaze darted away from Katrine to look at Larentia, who now sported pink hair. .

"So!" she chirped, clapping her glittery hands. "Who's ready for round two? By the way round one was entirely Jart's fault."

---

Larentia Katrine Van-Derveld