So You've Become a Villainess: an (Otome) Isekai Raising Project

"So," your arcane teacher says, adjusting her tiny, round blue glasses. "Now that I've exhaustedly covered vestment enchantment, including poppet enchantment and the basics of the runic alphabet, do you have any further questions for me on that end?"

You raise your hand. "Is clothing enchantment how you and Chi...Miss Lovelace keep those tiny glasses on?"

She gawks at you for a beat, before coughing and regaining her sagely composure. "Why yes, actually. You're quite perceptive, Lady Claudius."

You fistpump, pleased with yourself.

<Sensible> "Well the good news is Brainy's finished beating her head against the wall. The bad news is she's moved on to muttering to herself with a concerning look in her eye."

<Brainy> "Hmhmhm...heheheh...HAHAHAHA! I understand! I finally understand this cliche-ridden world! We will grasp it by the firmament with this 'magic' and take destiny into our own hands!"

Your Brainy self's Coke-bottle nerd glasses gleam with madness, she gestures wildly with floppy sleeves in a too-big labcoat.

<Brainy> "Ask about more magic! Ask about all the magic! But first, teach me of the heavens so I can spit in God's eye."

<Sensible> "...Sporty?"

<Sporty> "Yeah, 'Sense?"

<Sensible> "Will you help me restrain Brainy if she goes too mad scientist?"

Sporty nods and fist bumps Sensible.

Chiaki nudges you back to reality. "Oh, um, what other kind of magic is there?" you ask.

Your teacher stands up and reaches into her azure cloak. You see her hand disappear into the inner lining. "Well, there are four pillars of the Sophetic Magical Tradition: Elemental Magic from below, Heavenly Magic from above, Summoning Magic from between, and Enchantment Magic from us."

"How come only Enchantment Magic's from us?" You ask.

"Because the Heavens, the Earth, and the Interstice gave us Heavenly, Elemental, and Summoning Magic, but we took Enchantment for ourselves." She sticks her head into her cloak as if she's rummaging around for something. "With Enchantment Magic, we take what physically exists and, what did that Otherworlder say, 'hack the parameters' or some nonsense."

<Brainy> "Wait, so we just learned there are console commands for this reality?! As a twelve-year-old?! Hoho, I'm starting to like this world."

<Emo> "This will only end in tears...Might as well get popcorn ready."

You hurriedly whisper to Chiaki. "Did you know about this?"

Chiaki whispers back. "Not the hacking part."

You smile smugly at her. "So there is something you don't know."

Chiaki smiles politely back. "And knowing that you don't know is the height of knowledge, Aachan."

"Whoa," you say to yourself. "I know I don't know a lotta things; that must make me a genius!"

Chiaki stifles a laugh as your magic teacher finishes finding what she was looking for inside her cloak. It's a great tome, the kind that screams "wizard".

"As a Grand Theurge," your teacher says. "I am adept in each of the Four Pillars. Feel free to ask of me for any one."

"Can I enchant my fi-"

"Any one non-enchantment Pillar."

Phooey. "What's Heavenly Magic?"

She sighs with relief and snaps her fingers. The tome opens with a creak and a yawn, it's pages flip on its own accord.

"Heavenly Magic is a paradigm of shaping Will through the power of Sophia and her Sevenfold," your teacher says. "It's popular with the Church for obvious reasons."

She snaps her fingers again and a radiant golden sun appears on her palm. If you didn't know anything about magic, you'd stick your finger in it. But you feel juuuust a little too smart for that now. Instead, you think back to Fall from Grace and Our Bloody Valentine. You remember Lily had a silver cross with a crescent moon engraved at each point, representing Sophia Levanah or something. Look, you kinda tuned out during the religious stuff.

"Sophia herself represents the sun and magic in its purest form. Her splendor trumps all others." Your teacher hums a note and the sun turns to a silver crescent moon. "Sophia Levanah represents the moon and the liminal. Her reflection heals the soul and brings light to the places Sophia can't reach."

You start to fidget. "Can that one heal vampires?"

"Well, various Darklings who seek to integrate into human society do take Sophia Levanah as their patron."

"So that's what they're called," you say.

Your teacher motions for you to stand, you obey and stretch out your stiffening legs. She hums an airy note and the crescent turns into an orange blur that speeds out of your magical study room. You chase after it without thinking, Chiaki keeping pace with you.

"Sophia Kokhav is quicksilver," the blur says with your teacher's voice. "It controls and is movement: of people, thoughts, ideas, phases, even lies."

The light slows down enough for you to catch it in your hands. It shifts to emerald green and hums a low, earthy tone. Something starts growing rapidly in your hands. You yelp and let the light go, it sprouts into a giant stalk of vines sprouting gemstone apples.

"Sophia Nogah is represented by emeralds," your teacher says, face reflected in each gemstone. "She controls growth, impulse and desire."

You put on your best innocent face and ask your teacher "Does that mean naughty desires too?"

"Aa-Young Mistress!" Chiaki stifles a laugh.

Your teacher blushes and fidgets. "It does include, erm, sexual matters yes."

Her face turns red and she screams a clarion note. The stalk glows red, explodes, then implodes and reforges into four columns of iron-smooth ruby.

"Sophia Madim, she of cherry-red iron," your teacher says, looking down upon you from astride the pillars. "Maker, refiner, and destroyer. From what I've heard of your temperament, Madim may have blessed you recently."

You pout and stomp your feet. "Hey!" You've had Chiaki tease you in a roundabout way enough to know when someone else does it.

Your teacher smiles. "You're courageous, competitive, and tenacious. All positive qualities."

<Emo> "You know she's buttering you up, right?"

<Brainy> "SILENCE! I am learning how to put a yoke on the gods themselves!"

You giggle and scratch your cheek. "Well when you put it like that..."

"It's the truth, Young Mistress," Chiaki says, holding you close to her.

"That's a good enough segue," your teacher says. She hums a soft, sweet note and the pillars melt into a sapphire sea that sweeps you and Chiaki up. You feel like you're being carried along by freshly pressed sheets.

"Sophia Tzedeq," your teacher says. "She of sapphire. Commander of mercy, comfort and joy. The beauty that tames the savage beast."

You throw your hands up like the cheerful little girl you currently are. "Wheeeeeeee!"

<Sporty> "Wheeee!"

<Sensible> "Oh what the hell, wheeeeeee~!"

Chiaki wheeeees along with you, her face completely deadpan. You can see the joyful twinkle in her eye.

Your teacher splashes and giggles in the sapphire sea she's created, then screams one final note. Everything goes black and still as the grave.

Your breathing grows ragged, your pulse starts racing. Was it all a dream? Did you die for real? You grope for Chiaki, afraid you've lost her again. Your hand finds hers, she gives it a squeeze.

"The black no-thing-ness we came from and return to is formed to onyx by Sophia Shabbatai, she who forms the boundaries. Protect and restrict, bind and banish, begin and end." Your teacher's voice rings in your ears, the sound makes you shiver. "Sophia Shabbatai watches over the darker arts of cursing, death and decay in order to bring low those who would abuse them. This darkness is your fate if you walk that left-hand path."

Her stomach growling ruins the effect. She groans and dispels the darkness with two claps.

You hug Chiaki tight and start ugly crying again. She strokes your hair and pats your back, coos succor into your ear. It takes you a good few minutes to calm down, the negative energy from Sophia Shabbatai is a full body oil slick.

Once she senses you've calmed down, your magic teacher pats you on the head. "Don't take earlier the wrong way. I'm enamored with your aptitude and desire to learn Enchantment Magic. But by Sophia, girl, I usually need to see how well you cast before going into that much minutiae. You're a spirited girl so I had to put at least a little caution into you."

You sniffle and pout.

Your teacher bows to you. "A thousand pardons, Lady Claudius. I should have simply told you Enchantment on living things is especially difficult and dangerous; if something happened to you trying to cast that on your first try, I'd never live it down."

You nod, feeling a little embarrassed. "It's okay. You don't have to bow."

She leans in close. "...And your mom wouldn't let me live, period."

You gulp and look to Chiaki. She shakes her head to confirm that no; Justine wouldn't let your teacher, or anyone who hurt you, live.


[Weekly Activity: What do you plan to do this week?]
[ ] Study (Brainy++, Sporty-)
[ ] Paint (Artsy++, Sensible-)
[ ] Exercise (Sporty++, Flashy-)
[ ] Play Dress-up (Flashy++, Brainy-)
[ ] Socialize (Sensible++, Artsy-)