In the Dead of the Night || Winter Soldier

Seven: Magic. Ta da!

Tori's house above :)

~

For the rest of the week, any kind of speaking seemed to strain and prompt pain from my throat. Fortunately, I was able to conjure and devise a few poultices potent enough that I could even talk, for the strength that Bucky strangled me at was enough to condemn any other person to a hospital bed and not speak at all for a week. The poultices also decreased inflammation, as well as heal up the bruising rather quickly. Really glad I payed attention to mum when she was teaching me herbalism, and vaguely paying attention when she taught me the other sub-divisions of alchemy.

The first few days were still pretty rough, and not just for me. Bucky kept moping around the place like a damn kicked puppy, staring at the purpling ringlet of bruises around my neck more than he did my eyes whenever we talked. I even caught him trying to leave twice, which, you know, any sane person would let him do, but if he wanted to leave it wasn't going to be because he's concerned about hurting me – despite my rambling and immaturity, I am a big girl. Dealing with Soviet-HYDRA assassin is hardly the worst I've been through.

If only he knew about the skeletons in my own closet. Literally.

Well, they're demons, actually. Same difference.

Going into the second week of James Buchanan Barnes' stay in Casa de Victoria, he is starting to get used to my odd quirks and daily rituals. He's even joined in on my daily ten to fifteen minutes worth of meditation – a practice that is an absolute must for any necromancer, and highly suggested for all witches in general.

Practicing in the magical arts of spirits, souls and the dead attracts a lot of negative energy, negative energy that makes it's all that much easier for demons and malevolent spirits to take a hold of a vulnerable witch and cause all sorts of harm through penetrating your negative aura. Therefore, any witch learning any magical art related to negative energies must be able to manipulate their own aura, otherwise you are goneskies.

Any practice that can purify and clean the mind, soul and aura of a person are the first things we learn. It came across as odd to the assassin at first – my plentiful drinking of white sage tea, my daily meditation, my compulsory minimum of twenty minutes of sunlight, the various totems and artefacts littering my household, the outlandish black tourmaline point necklace that transmutes negativity to positivity, and even the small pentagram tattoo at the base of my neck and witchcraft cross on my right forearm. He did, however, rather like the small skull tattoo without the jaw behind my left ear.

Point is, the fact that it's only been around a couple weeks since Mr Scary World War II Soldier-Turned Soviet-HYDRA dude has taken residence in moi's humble abode, and already, he is becoming accustomed to the weird magic-driven lifestyle of the necromancer who ironically saved a life – his life – twice now (and saved his butt from the police, but who's keeping track of all that, right?).

Fifteen minutes into my daily meditation session, I begin to greedily enjoy the warmth the sun has finally unleashed unto the land once again, placidly reading my book cross legged on the front of the porch with a peaceful lack of tension or concern woven into my shoulders and muscles. Bucky is sat beside me, also reading a book – one of mine actually, because the bugger was adamant on giving them a read – with something that could almost be considered as a smile playing at his lips.

It's strange, really. It's not like I'm entirely used to enjoying my meditative time with the Soviet assassin, but it doesn't feel as strange as the first few times he decided to join me. I think it's benefitting his health as well, because his nightmares haven't been waking him or me up as often as of late. Huh, dude would be a good necromancer at the rate he's going. But let's not add black magic to the list of things that make him a terrifying human being. I mean, a Soviet assassin from World War II who can also wield black magic to manipulate the dead? No-thank-you.