i put a spell on you

[knockyoursocksoff]

The Witch's Curse


A fantasy AU meme where witches are real, and they are vengeful. Specify your character's role: the witch (or sorcerer), the subject of the curse, or the curse breaker. Tag around and pick or RNG a curse.

1: Change of Form: human turned animal, mythical beast turned human, human turned inanimate object, human made older/younger, the possibilities are endless

2: Obeisance: you are now cursed to follow the witch's every command and it's useless to resist, or perhaps you simply have to obey every command given you no matter who gives it

3: Curse of Sleep: like princesses before you, you are cursed to sleep for all eternity, or at least until your one true love finds you

4: Possession: be it a demon or any other kind of spirit, your body is no longer your own

5: Isolation: some witches use towers, others use forests of thorns, but either way the message is clear-- you are never seeing the outside world again

6: Resurrection: even death is not an escape from the witch's power, for some can raise the dead

7: Bad Luck: some curses are more minor, only causing you to stub your toe or drop your books, but they're still annoying

8: Defects: you weren't turned to an inhuman shape, but were somehow made hideous, clumsy, or repellent in some way-- maybe you smell terrible, or maybe people who get near you just feel uneasy and want to leave

9: Wounds: you have a wound that simply won't heal-- maybe it's slowly killing you, maybe it's just annoying, but it's not going away

10: Monster Magnet: wherever you go you're always being attacked by creatures, demons or monsters or ghosts, etc, that want to kill you

11: Never to Meet: you become an animal during the day while your true love is human, then you switch forms at night, so you can never both be human at the same time again

12: Death: your death is approaching and you need to find a way to avert it or remove the curse entirely

13: Objectification: you didn't avoid the death curse, and now your soul is bound to an inanimate object, perhaps to provide more power for the witch, to bind a spell to the object and give it power, or maybe just so you can't move on to your next life

14: Cursed Object: maybe it wasn't the witch themselves, but something that used to belong to a witch that put the curse on you, and now you must find a witch who can remove the curse

15: Cursed Ground: your house is built somewhere it really should not have been, and now you have to deal with ghosts or demons or the undead, which will really ruin your property value

16: Wildcard: choose your own adventure!

[adapted from original found here]

Comments

[captainwatson]

"It's possible the cause might be magical. Not scientific. They are a mostly peaceful community but, like us Muggles, they do have their...criminals. Dark wizards." Mycroft explains.

[desecrated]

Sherlock looks intrigued. "Why is John a target and how do we stop them?"

Magic. Curses. It sounds mad to him, really.

[captainwatson]

"I'm unsure. And it's the one thing beyond my area of expertise." Mycroft says; "You don't plan to visit Dr. Watson?"

He's a little surprised at that. Respecting boundaries is not his brother's best skill.

[[ooc: Notifs not working?]]

[desecrated]

[[ooc: it's sporatic, I also have been working insane hours.]]

"I want to see him, but... he doesn't... think he wants to see me." He doesn't know what he should do. "John asked me to take care of Rosie."

[captainwatson]

Mycroft nods; "Well I can give you the number of one of the servants to let you know how he's doing...Last time I checked he doesn't leave the west wing of the manor I acquired for him."

[desecrated]

"Is there ... a cure? Do care not to experiment on him." He wants a cure though. He could write John a letter, he supposes.

[captainwatson]

"I need to hear back from the Ministry's specialists on that." Mycroft says again, hating that this is outside his knowledge; "I don't want to get them too involved...They have their own...'prison', as it were, for locking away magical undesirables. I've visited it once. A nightmarish place. They call it Azkaban. I don't wish John to end up there."

[desecrated]

"Why would John be ... imprisoned, he certainly didn't choose this appearence, as ... awful as it may be, the broken mirror, the bloodied fur that I found.

Could ... could I speak to him, without seeing him? If he ... does not wish me to see him, I could avoid that, but - I could at least speak to him. Allow his daughter to speak to him."

If he can even speak.

True love's kiss... Sherlock looks down. John is a romantic, but - John doesn't love Sherlock like that.

[captainwatson]

Mycroft frowns; "It hasn't escaped mine or Mrs. Hudson's notice, so I doubt you will have been utterly blind to it, but John's appearance is not all that has changed recently, don't you agree? Ever since the death of Mrs. Watson, his temper has been difficult to manage and he helped to hospitalise you at one point. If the two things are linked, imagine the damage John could do with the strength and claws of a large beast? That is the sort of danger locked up in Azkaban."

He suspects that is as much why John was quick to shut himself away from his best friend and daughter.

"I suppose you could visit and ask to communicate through a door left ajar." Mycroft suggests.

[desecrated]

Sherlock sighs a bit.
"I suppose."

He hates being actually away from John, though he tries to think of how he can ... honor John's request.
Sherlock decides to visit though... ask to communicate through an ajar door. If ... that is, John does not wish to see him.

[captainwatson]

The servants seem skittish, working around the house, a little in fear of their strange new master who they've barely seen.

"Dr. Watson is up in the west wing, sir." the maid shows Sherlock; "I've brought him some food. He has a huge appetite..."

She says it as if she were scared that appetite might one day turn to human flesh.

John skulks in the large chamber, finishing off the carcass of a deer that was brought to him. He finds himself so hungry now, too impatient to wait for things to be cooked. He's nearly licked the meat clean off the bone with just his claws and tongue.

He tries not think too much about how he must look. A savage animal.

[desecrated]

Sherlock hums but thinks perhaps John isn't satisfied by ... what is normal food, perhaps he needs - something else.

He knocks on the door, carefully.
"John, we - you don't have to allow me to see you, if you don't wish, I-I just want to speak to you. That's all."

What is it that he needs to do to help John properly.

[captainwatson]

John starts at the sound of Sherlock's voice. He panics, picking up the remains of the deer and throwing it out the window. He moves a rug to cover up the blood but the stench of death remains to John's sensitive nose.

He tries to speak, struggling to form syllables with his fangs.

"Sherlock...I told Mycroft that I didn't want you to see me like this!" he says, more afraid than angry; "Where is Rosie? You didn't bring her here." Please.

[desecrated]

"She's safe with Mycroft, though I believe he's enlisted Molly and Mrs. Hudson. You don't have to allow me to see, if you don't wish John... what happened? How can I help?"

He wants to help. He wonders if it matters how it happened.

[captainwatson]

He can't help but feel some small relief that Sherlock has come for him.

"It...it started a week ago...I was having these strange dreams...C-couldn't remember them properly." he still can't; "Then this morning I woke up...looking like this..."

Despite the low growling tone, he's clearly distressed. Scared.

"D-does Mycroft know what's happened? Am I stuck like this?"

He shivers at the thought of not being able to hold his daughter again. At not being able to look at Sherlock because he doesn't want him to have to see...

[desecrated]

"Mycroft is working on it. Says there's some underground community of magic-capable people that could have done it."

It sounds mad when he says it. "They might have just ... cursed you because they could."
He hates saying it.

[captainwatson]

He somehow manages a small laugh; "I might have not believed you if you said that to me last week...Do you think maybe one of them is attacking me to get to you? Like others in the past? Have you angered any witches lately?"

[desecrated]

"Not that I'm aware of." Sherlock frowns.
"I can't think of anything. I think it's ... more personal against you, myself, but - I have no evidence and I had no idea this community existed a week ago."

[captainwatson]

"I...I've heard rumours." he confesses; "I remember...one of the men I treated in Afghanistan. He was delirious from fever and kept talking about wanting to send an 'owl' to his sister at some school in England, said she was a witch. I thought he was just raving..."

He looks at his claws again. This all does feel strangely familiar.

"I'm scared, Sherlock." he confesses, quietly.

[desecrated]

"Did he live?" Sherlock wants to know, Wondering if maybe a grown up witch has a vendetta.
Or even... the guy himself.

[captainwatson]

"I think so...I was shot not long after...can't remember much."

He gently pokes the door open a bit.

[desecrated]

Sherlock backs up a bit and allows John a bit of space.
"John."
He still thinks.. John is in whatever this mass of fur is.
He wonders if he were to kiss John if it would just break the curse at all. That's what all the fairytales say.

[captainwatson]

He looks like something out of a Greek myth. He would actually need to bend down to get through the door.

Cautiously he takes a step forward with his clawed, furry foot.

"...For once I get to be the taller one." He weakly tries to joke.

[desecrated]

Sherlock looks at him, towering and blonde and horned and fanged.
he looks up at John a bit.

Almost breathless.
"You'd look much better in uniform," he says, lamely.

[captainwatson]

His eyes widen a bit but he's grateful to the fur hiding his blushing.

"You're not...disgusted? Rosie screamed the house down..."