Ancient History [Dahlia]

[Vivian River Jordan]

25 August 2026

The sun had only just started to peek out over the horizon but it was already shockingly warm. A comfortable temperature for now, just right if you didn’t want to sweat through your t-shirt, but it was August in Egypt so Viv knew that wouldn’t last long. Still, she couldn’t be bothered by that pesky little fact because this was going to be one of her most exciting on-location shoots ever, at least in the year and a half since Potterwatch had officially been given the green light. Her eyes had been round as galleons ever since landing in Cairo with the Portkey, and it felt like one hand was always near her phone so she could record little clips – eating falafel in an open-air market or capturing the moment she’d found a scorpion that had crawled into her bag. She didn't much like hot weather, and Egypt provided plenty of that, but the promise of adventure overpowered everything else. And Viv had never said no to trying something new, so when this opportunity had come up...well, she'd taken it without a moment's extra thought.

But they’d since left Cairo in their dust (literally) for the real reason Witch TV had approved this trip. “This is bonkers,” Viv breathed as she craned her neck up to take in the towering sight of a pyramid set against the rising sun. Her cameraman hadn’t started recording yet, still fiddling with his equipment and grumbling about sand everywhere, so Viv pulled out her phone instead to snap a quick photo of the pyramid and then a selfie or two. Her free hand immediately went to her shoulder, although she frowned slightly at Drizzle’s missing weight as she only found empty air. Her lovely little puffskein couldn’t make the trip to Egypt, so Vivian had left her at home to be spoiled by her mum’s cooking while she was away. Viv missed her puffskein terribly – they rarely spent any time apart these days – but the pyramid was almost enough to make her forget about everything she’d left at home. They weren’t alone in the site, either. From what Viv understood, Egypt was a popular place for cursebreakers to start their careers, and this particular pyramid was a good practice opportunity for trainees. Every trap had been sprung, burglar alarm de-spelled, and narrow corridors perfectly preserved for a realistic training environment. And today, it was going to be the background of Viv’s deep-dive video into who cursebreakers were and what they did on their assignments. Demystify the career a bit, while also showing off all the danger and adventure (and gold, duh) that they found on their missions. A couple trainees were hovering in the background, gaping at Potterwatch’s cameraman (including a redhead who looked like she would burn the moment the sun finished rising). But Vivian was used to that kind of attention, and she swiftly ignored them as she bounced over to the entrance of the tomb and waited for her guest-star to show up.

“Hi! I'm so glad we could make this happen,” she chirped, beaming brightly at Dahlia as the young cursebreaker trudged over. It had been a chance meeting, like all meetings were between werewolves at the clinic, but Vivian had seen the potential for an awesome episode from the very start. The key had been convincing Dahlia to go on-camera. Since she'd actually shown up, Viv immediately launched into a rapid explanation of what would come next, words blurring into each other as she said, “So we’re just going to start with a quick opening, introductions and all that, and then we can take a break while Haywood goes to collect some B-roll. Shouldn’t take long, ready?”

While Viv spoke at the speed of light, the cameraman had finally finished setting up and he gave an impatient wave of his hand to hurry them along. Vivian gave a blinding smile as she immediately launched into the opening spiel she’d jotted down last night. “Hey you Potterheads! This is Vivi, and today we’re a long way from the studio! I’m here in Egypt standing at the entrance to one of the pyramids, a testament to the brilliance and tenacity of ancient Egyptian wizards. Their precious treasures have been hidden from the world for thousands of years, protected by powerful magic. What lies inside long considered to be a question beyond our reach…until now.” Without missing a beat, Viv pulled Dahlia into the frame while the other girl had been fiddling around with her collar mic. “I’m here with Dahlia Leloup, a cursebreaker for Gringotts who has dedicated her life to unlocking the secrets of these ancient resting places. Dahlia, want to say hi to our viewers and give us an idea of what to expect?”

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Was she getting paid extra for this? Dahlia couldn’t remember what the agreement had been, or if there had ever actually been one made in the first place. Typically she didn’t spend much time talking to the other werewolves at the hotel after the full moon night, preferring to find food and spiked coffee to get herself back into order. But somehow or other she had talked to this girl there and the decision to bring the film crew along on a trip to Egypt had been made. Now she was playing the roles of being the local guide and the subject of this Potterwatch show, this specific one being based on cursebreaking. Dahlia wasn’t going to pretend that she was an expert or anything, because quite frankly, she wasn’t. She’d just gotten her full wings a few months ago and barely had any work since. Obviously bringing a film crew and host into a trapped pyramid or crypt wasn’t a smart decision so she chose one that was used for trainees: the same one that Rhys had run her through a few times when she first got started out. It was simple enough and offered sections that utilized a wide variety of both mundane and magical traps. Giving descriptions of both would be easy enough for her to do, especially if it drove more money her way. The bank paid well enough but she still had difficulty trusting the goblins after they refused to give her work while the UK was locked down from Hag’s Fever.

The other cursebreakers that were in the area, which typically consisted of a couple trainees and their trainers, weren’t entirely impressed with what she was doing (though the former seemed to be ogling the cameraman. Dahlia had made sure not to drink too much the night before, knowing that this already had the potential to be miserable and a hangover absolutely wouldn’t help with her temper. She had to put on the happy face today, which sucked and she knew that the other cursebreakers watching from the side would pick up on that bullshit immediately. This would have been a perfect job for Rhys to do…

“Bonjour,” she greeted Vivian near the entrance to the pyramid. That was like opening the floodgates as the other woman started going over the basics incredibly fast. Dahlia immediately regretted not taking a shot or two when she woke up. Instead, she put on a smile and nodded her head that she understood, all while some sort of device was being clipped onto her shirt. Supposedly it was a microphone, and she was still fiddling with it when she heard Vivian start to give some sort of introduction. They were already recording? Looking up just as she was pulled next to the host, her eyes widened and then immediately tried blinking away the light that was shining into them from atop the camera. “Uhh…” she paused as she looked between Vivian and the camera, “Well, pyramids typically have traps. Walls that collapse, floors that fall away. But this one doesn’t have any.” She turned halfway around to look at the pyramid, pointing at it as she did so.

Vivian River Jordan ● 539 ● Blood Is Blue by Billie Marten

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[Vivian River Jordan]

On the surface level, Dahlia seemed like a completely different species than Viv. She was infinitely more quiet (although that wasn’t much of an achievement considering how much Vivian liked to talk), and a bit more grouchy too. And Vivian hadn't seen it with her own eyes yet, but she'd heard around the clinic that Dahlia could finish a bottle of scotch in the blink of an eye. But she was clearly dedicated to what she did, and Viv had always prided herself on her ability to find something in common with everyone. The werewolf clinic didn’t seem like an obvious place to make friends, since everyone kept their eyes down and stayed focused on what they’d come for – a steady supply of Wolfsbane, a safe place to transform for the full moon. Vivian hated the dim and dreary environment, but Dahlia had been fascinating from the first moment they’d spoken by accident. It wasn’t just that Vivian had been looking for ideas for her next show, something different to try than the typical formula they put together at the studio. No, she’d wanted something different for her viewers and Dahlia was exactly that. A fresh take, a different flavor than the rest. There was nothing wrong with celebrity interviews, but Viv liked to mix things up.

Dahlia seemed nervous, but the camera was already rolling and Haywood always got grumpy if they needed to do another take. Well, he was always grumpy, but worse. It was inevitably going to happen once they actually entered the pyramid, so Viv could only hope the opening segment would go smoothly and Dahlia would get more comfortable as the day went on. She gave the cursebreaker an encouraging smile, and nodded along with the girl’s brief description of the pyramid. “That’s right, this is a popular training spot for new cursebreakers, isn’t it?” She’d been facing Dahlia, but Vivian turned her brilliant smile towards the camera now. “Don’t worry Potterheads, we’ll get a good look at everything soon enough. But Dahlia, could you walk us through the process? Say you’re a new trainee, and you’ve just arrived here for the first time. What happens next?”

Merlin, it was already starting to get hot -- and the narrow corridors of the pyramid probably wouldn't be much better, besides the obvious refuge from the sun. Vivian brushed her braids over her shoulder, trying to resist the urge to fan herself frantically. It would only take a few more moments to finish the opening spiel and for them to decide what needed to be reshot. Then the girls would have a few minutes to regroup while the cameraman wandered around and decided what sort of background footage he wanted. Breaks were hard to find, so she'd learned to take whatever opportunity she could to rest for a beat or two. Viv had already mapped out how the expedition should go for the perfect episode, but hey – she was flexible. She’d never been inside a freaking pyramid before, after all, and she figured Dahlia would know best on how to proceed and find the best flow. Out of the corner of her eye, Vivian could see a senior cursebreaker had come to shoo away the trainees and scold them for getting distracted. She resisted the urge to laugh and ruin the shot, instead refocusing on Dahlia like she was about to reveal the secret of life, love, and the true meaning of the universe.

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Before she even had the chance to answer Vivian's question, she was already being asked to give a description on how a trainee would approach the pyramid the first time they had a go at it. Well that certainly wasn't a loaded question, because it really was up to the trainer in what went down once inside. Ultimately, they were the ones that dictated which 'traps' were put in place and hidden passageways were activated. She didn't actually know what that process was like though, since she had never trained someone before. In other words, her only experience with the training pyramid was as a trainee. This would have gone over a lot better if Rhys had been chosen. He was too busy with his baby though, and she knew she couldn't rely on his tutelage forever. That wasn't her style anyways.

"Trainees are usually given a mock-up packet with information on the location and what they're supposed to be finding inside," she started into her explanation. "These are similar to what we get on real jobs, but can clue trainees into what sort of traps they might encounter. On real jobs, that research is done by the Cursebreaker assigned to the job prior to entering the area." For her, that was always pyramids. But others focused on different locations, like the catacombs in Paris or secret areas underneath ancient buildings. It all depended on where the goblins wanted them to go. "After they read the info packet, they enter. Their trainer will have set the traps and obstacles up already by that point."

Looking at Vivian and then back at the camera again, she turned and started walking towards the entrance to the pyramid, waving for them to follow. Once they were inside, she wouldn't have to face the camera nearly as much. She assumed the guy would be too busy following the host and looking at the areas being pointed out. "Lumos." The bright blue point at the tip of her wand lit up the entrance as she stepped inside. "Ready to go in?"

Vivian River Jordan ● 346 ● song by artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Vivian River Jordan]

Just remember to breathe, Viv reminded herself as she caught sight of Dahlia’s face. She’d seen a similar look of whiplash from other people whenever Vivian would start to speak too fast or speed ahead of a conversation without the other person able to follow her train of thought. It wasn't just a personality thing either. She loved her show, but she couldn’t deny the constant ball of anxiety that came with it. The producers had doubted letting someone so young be the showrunner, and Viv was 90% sure they’d only given her the greenlight because she was Lee Jordan’s kid. So yeah, these episodes had to be perfect. If it all went right, everybody was quick to pat themselves on the back. But if something went wrong? Well, then it would be her head first on the chopping block – and she never wanted to give anyone the excuse.

So even though Viv already had a million more questions swirling around in her head, she bit her tongue and kept an easy smile on her face as Dahlia explained the basics. It definitely shed light on the fact that cursebreaking wasn’t just all the flashy work of breaking into a tomb. Apparently, there was serious research involved too. “Who knew the secret to cursebreaking was reading. Some fifth-years will be tossing the pamphlet soon,” Viv joked, although she didn’t really know what ‘research’ meant anyway. It could be that someone else put it all together for the cursebreaker, and they just had to read the folder. Or maybe they lived in a library for a while. That sounded like a decent question in her head, so she reminded herself to breathe again and slow down the pace. “And can you break down what kind of research you would do? Or is that all done by the bank?” The goblins certainly kept Gringotts and how it functioned shrouded in a cloud of mystery. They hadn’t been particularly cooperative since Witch TV had reached out about doing this episode, and it had taken some wizard intervention to discuss the benefits of exposure. And a fat paycheck for a consultant’s fee, of course. Goblins, right?

Dahlia turned to lead them into the pyramid, and Viv dutifully followed with an excited glance over her shoulder at the camera. “Here we go!” she squealed, automatically reaching towards her shoulder to nuzzle Drizzle until she remembered that her puffskein was back home being spoiled by her mum. She shrugged off the movement as if she only meant to adjust her sleeves before mimicking Dahlia and taking out her wand to light it. Viv tried to peer in through the narrow opening, although even as she squinted all she could make out was darkness. Too bad the Egyptian wizards hadn't left some convenient torches on the walls, although that would have just covered up the art she was expecting to see. The butterflies in her stomach were probably just a sign of her excitement, although maybe a little bit of nerves too. “Born ready,” she confirmed brightly, although she hesitated by the doorway. “So, er, do you send a spell ahead or just Indiana Jones the hell out of this?”

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Dahlia had certainly met a few Cursebreakers that couldn’t read, and heard a lot more stories about ones that had died because of it. The stupidly reckless and fortune seekers were the ones that got injured or died in this career, and there was no easy way to explain it to those that didn’t completely understand what the job entailed. Showing a training area, which was a simulation at best of what could happen, was only going to make the numbers from those crowds surge. Not that she wanted to gatekeep her career now that she was finally an official Cursebreaker, but there were certain types that were better off doing other things.

Vivian had begun to ask about the research that a job usually entailed, and that had Dahlia thinking for a few moments while they walked. What was the best way to describe it? Like a history report? Or following thin threads of information and hoping it wasn’t a set-up or dead-end? “Depends on how much the bank wants what is inside,” she finally answered as she stepped all the way inside. A flick of her wand made the lumos spell brighter on its tip, because they were going to immediately turn a corner and lose all of the remaining natural light from outside. “But confirming information about tombs or graves with locals can help. Like if there are stories about a banshee that lives inside, which could mean traps that cause shrieking charms or instantly kill you. Or a banshee actually lives there.” She forgot to turn back to address the camera while saying all of this, but she felt like that would hardly be an issue. The only sounds inside the pyramid were coming from them, and would remain that way for quite a while.

“Who is Jones?” Dahlia asked, turning her head back around as she walked so that she could pose the question to Vivian. Was that a famous Cursebreaker that she had somehow never heard of? “Do you mean using spells for traps? Usually we walk really slowly to avoid buttons and pitfalls. Like that one.” She stopped walking abruptly and pointed her wand to a small square on the floor that her foot was inches away from. Had it been set and the cameraman had continued forward, he most likely would have triggered it. “This one causes a wall to close off behind us, and open a different path to another tunnel. Losing direction inside a tomb is not good. If it was active, I could show you.” Bringing the uninitiated into a training space still wouldn’t be a smart idea. The course wasn’t supposed to be easy to begin with, and the nature of her guests’ job prevented them from paying attention to their surroundings. “There are spells that can reveal non-magique traps and magical ones alike, but again I can’t show that because none are active.”

Vivian River Jordan ● 486 ● Blood Mirror by Tomb Mold

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[Vivian River Jordan]

“Merlin, it’s quite cramped in here. You wouldn’t expect it, given how bloody big it looks from the outside,” Viv said mildly as they shuffled forward in the tight corridor. They’d lost the natural light from the outside a while back, and Vivian could hear the slight rush of air that came from three human beings breathing slowly amid a backdrop of absolute silence. She could feel the gravity of where they were in that moment, both from the crushing weight of rock sitting just above their heads to the musty smell of a corridor that hadn’t seen light for a few thousands years until it had been suddenly cracked open. She couldn’t deny feeling very, very small as she glanced up and then to the side. Still, she looked over her shoulder so she could shoot Hayworth and the camera a nervous smile before turning back to listen to Dahlia’s answer about research.

“Have you ever met a banshee?” Viv asked in an impressed tone as she turned her head and let her fingers reach out to almost touch the wall. She didn’t actually dare, considering that absolutely anything and everything might be spelled so it could teach a lesson to rookie cursebreakers. But even if the pyramid was only used as a training site these days, it was still a piece of history. And the art on the walls? It had been painted a handful of millennia ago by some enterprising Egyptian wizard and she was deeply awed by the knowledge that she could see it firsthand now. Viv brought her hand back to her side, but couldn’t help but giggle at Dahlia’s bemused question about Jones. “Indiana Jones, my dear Potterheads,” Viv said as she turned back to the camera to wink, “is the most talented archeologist who happens to be a bit of a tomb expert himself. And he’s fit as hell too.” She decided not to mention that he was also entirely fictional, and Muggle to boot, because her viewers were already well-informed about her Muggle obsession. Maybe they’d be inspired to check his movies out.

Vivian held her breath as Dahlia pointed out a trap that had almost been set-off, and she continued to hold her breath as the cursebreaker explained the mechanics behind it. “Blimey,” she breathed as she resisted the urge to move. Probably set off another trap, she would. “Does that mean you’ve mapped out this route already? Or you do that as you go once you find a new tomb?” She’d always known cursebreaker was a dangerous and flashy career, but the more she heard about it – well, the more complicated it was all beginning to sound. Viv had never quite appreciated how bloody dangerous it all was until she eyed the unsprung trap on the ground warily. “Oh, do shoot off a spell for us,” Viv said eagerly as Dahlia explained none of the traps were active, and therefore didn’t need detecting. If it was something a cursebreaker would do, Viv wanted it on camera.

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It was always interesting when bringing someone new into a pyramid. The size of the passages was shock to most, and anyone with claustrophobia immediately backed out. In that regard, it was impressive that the cameraman was able to crouch and carry his equipment. While the pyramid they were in was above average in terms of the height of the passageway, even Dahlia could feel stray hairs on the top of her head brushing up against the ceiling. In a dead and stagnant world, those could cause a spine-tingling tickle. There were some cursebreakers that had a noticeable bump on the back of their necks or permanently hunched shoulders from having to crouch through pyramids and other similar locations. Humans had grown way too tall since the builders’ time. Another reason why she was perpetually angry at the goblins for not getting the gold on their own. At least they were the correct height for this sort of thing.

“Never,” Dahlia kept her answer simple as she waved her wand in front of her to indicate that they were making a turn. She was more interested in listening to Vivian explain who this Jones person was, because she had never heard of him before. And he was an archaeologist and knew about tombs as well? Now she was interested. “You will have to tell me more about Jones after. I would like to discuss his work with him,” she added, not realizing that the statement was being directed at the camera. There were difficulties in trying to lead a tour through the pyramid whilst also paying attention to what was going on with the camera. At least she became less self-conscious about it while talking about her job and certain aspects of cursebreaking.

Vivian’s surprise over the inactive floor trigger was sort of funny. In the grand scheme of things, having their exit blocked off would be the least of their worries inside of a tomb. That didn’t technically mean death was imminent, but it certainly expedited it for those that didn’t know what they were doing. “I’ve done many training exercises in here, so I know it well,” she explained. “New tombs require more caution. The reason we use this for new cursebreakers is because the traps here are not that dangerous when reactivated.” Dahlia sort of figured that they would be continuing on now, where she could point out a few more dead buttons and filled in pitfalls, but Vivian asked her to cast a spell. Letting her globular of light float away to free up her wand and give a blue haze to the hallway they were in, Dahlia flicked her wrist. A dull-green string crawled out from her wand tip and immediately stuck itself to the wall, soon encompassing the entire passage in a connected line. “This is an improvised revealing charm. When I cast it, it will move in front of me and alert of anything dangerous.” Pushing her hand forward, the line crept in front of her slowly for a few moments before she snapped it away. She needed the light more than to give a demonstration without actual traps available. “When we finish, I can see if the trainer will reactivate the floor button to show how this works.”

Vivian River Jordan ● 546 ● Ides of March by Silverstein

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[Vivian River Jordan]

Now, Viv had discovered quite early on in her pranking career that an expression could give you away – even if you’d nailed all the rest of the prep. So she knew how to curate a carefully blank expression, with wide innocent eyes and a slightly lost look to her as if she didn’t know what the other person was talking about. That skill had only become more relevant after she’d started hosting, because Merlin’s beard she’d gotten some ghastly people on her show. The kind that were forced on her, really, because even Vivian couldn’t have her way all the time. Anyway, that expression settled onto her face now as Dahlia mused out-loud about wanting to meet Mr. Jones, although she did glance behind her so she could shoot a cheeky wink at the camera. Not that and Dahlia were hella close or anything, but Viv already had the sneaking suspicion that the curse-breaker wasn’t someone you wanted to piss off.

She and the cameraman followed dutifully as they turned a corner and Viv nodded along as Dahlia explained exactly how curse-breakers tackled a new tomb. “Er, define ‘not that dangerous’?” Viv asked questioningly with a nervous little laugh as she glanced around the cramped hallway. It did have a certain charm to it, shrouded in the mystery and legacy of ancient Egyptian wizards. But, even with all that, she could start to imagine how a curse-breaker must see the tomb. Searching for inconsistencies or irregularities that could hide a nasty curse, ignoring the art on the wall while they focused on surviving until they could get to the much more shiny treasure inside. It took a special kind of person to simultaneously appreciate and ignore where they were.

“Brilliant, can’t wait to see it in action,” Viv chirped cheerfully as her eyes followed the dim green string that flowed from Dahlia’s wand out in front of her. She leaned to the side so the camera could catch the spell before it disappeared into nothing, although she imagined that it must become much more eye-catching if it detected something. Much the same way her Metamorphmagi friends’ hair would turn a bright brilliant red after being startled. “I’ve heard that curse-breakers usually travel in pairs,” Viv began conversationally as she lightly placed one foot after the other, “Why’s that? Can’t imagine its just for the company, eh?” She’d surfed the wiz-web for commonly asked questions before setting out for Egypt, and she had cards in her bag in case she hit a dead end with the questioning. But that was a popular one for the average wizard that didn’t know much about curse-breakers except that they usually came in two, and completely dressed in leather.

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Well that was a silly question. Dahlia laughed at it, not realizing she had at first, until she turned around to see Vivian had a different expression than the cursebreaker imagined she would. "Not dangerous in that you won't die." Which was sort of true. Some of them could certainly still incapacitate a person if they got stuck in them the wrong way. But the training module was set up so that no one was every truly in danger inside of it. Stubbing one's toe while shuffling through the dark was about as possible as having a curse knock an ear off. "Injuries are always possible, but only if you are stupid about it really." Dahlia added. She hadn't gotten injured during her time running through this pyramid. Other ones, sure. Not every job was the picture of perfection once it was completed. Often times, she found that the easier locations tended to be the ones that gave her the most difficulty. They became too mundane and she always dropped her guard just enough to miss things. It was a bad habit that needed to be fixed as soon as possible. Being lax inside a tomb was how more bodies got added to it.

"Safety, mostly. If a tunnel starts collapsing while poison darts get shot at you, how do you stop both at the same time?" she answered the question with her own, horribly made one. The easiest answer was a shield spell, which could do a lot more than what the average witch or wizard knew of. All of the cursebreakers she had met so far were quick with two things: their wands and their words. She was only the former still, always trying to find the correct words as she spoke because her brain had to translate it all to English first. "It also makes sure the job gets done if one of you dies or gets hurt," Dahlia tacked on as she thought about it a bit more. Not that she would ever really want that to happen to her partner, but it was a reality that could and did occur. They were up against some nasty stuff in these crypts.

Vivian River Jordan ● 365 ● song by artist

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[Vivian River Jordan]

Well, if there was one big takeaway from the trip so far – it was that Dahlia certainly knew what she was doing. The cursebreaker seemed completely at ease in the tomb (even if it was just a practice run) with a relaxed posture and easy fluidness to the way she used her wand. Vivian couldn’t really say she knew her – because how well could you know someone you’d met for a brief second in a werewolf clinic – but she wondered if Dahlia had this same kind of natural grace when she was with other people. As in, in the middle of civilization, not the middle of nowhere. Either way, it did keep Viv calm as well while she and the cameraman dutifully followed after Dahlia in the narrow passageway. Because while she did love an adventure, there was a reason Vivian had been sorted into Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor. Namely, a healthy dose of common sense that kept her from trying anything too ridiculous.

“Sure, sure, I ask myself that all the time,” Viv said with a cheeky nod in response to Dahlia’s hypothetical scenario with the poison darts. It sounded daunting to be faced with multiple disasters at once, but it reminded Viv of the time she’d got caught in tar while trying to find a good launching site for her fireworks. The fuse had been quite close to going off, her feet had been sinking at a steady rate – but hey, she’d gotten through it in the end with minimal injury. To the fireworks of course, because Viv had been a mess after that. But having a partner-in-crime seemed like quite a good idea for a line of work as dangerous as cursebreaking. You had someone to watch your back (and look out for rival treasure-hunters) while you worked.

Vivian continued to speak absently as she craned her neck to look around, “And I’m sure it must be handy to have different kinds of expertise in one team. Everyone’s got their specialty, right?” It was an assumption, but a pretty safe one in her mind. She’d seen some rather bookish cursebreakers (as bookish as a jock could be, at any rate) that must be quite talented at codebreaking and studying ancient runes. And then there were other cursebreakers that might be an old hand in thinking up the right counterjinx at a moment’s notice if a trap was sprung. “What would you say is your specialty, anyway? Like, what calls you to cursebreaking?” Viv asked curiously, daring to peek around a corner and scanning the corridor ahead. She didn't spot anything, but that didn't necessarily mean nothing was there. Seeing wasn't always believing, after all.

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"Right? It is a common problem here," Dahlia responded, not getting the sarcastic undertones the host had used. She was so focused on saying words correctly that it didn't register in her brain at all. Her English had never been bad per se, but it had improved drastically over the last few years. There were still slip ups from time to time, the occasional forgotten word or incorrect phrasing. Nowadays, it was essentially her primary language, her French only being used to curse someone out or if she happened to overhear it being spoken by strangers. Occasionally it was useful for work, though there weren't too many French Cursebreakers. Dealing with the magical French tourists though? Worked like a charm. They never expected her to give it right back to them. Their pretentiousness never ceased to amaze her.

Vivian was asking about field specializations, and it snapped her right out of her little daydream. Great question. She didn't really know. Answering with what she normally took care of would probably work though. "Translation, mostly. And poisons." Her response was brief, maybe too brief, and even in the blue glow of her wand, she could tell the cameraman was still targeted on her and waiting for her to say more. "I am fluent in French and Arabic too...so it comes in handy in Egypt specifically. And I can read hieroglyphics." Though what Cursebreaker couldn't these days? With the way they were trained almost solely in Egypt, it came naturally over time. She had a small leg up with it because of her general interests, but it was standard these days.

"Uhh and poisons is the treatment and study of them." How else could she put it? Every trap that contained poison was either deadly or meant to cause long term paralysis. There was no in between. The amount of poisons that were effective left a small enough sample size. Learning the different applications of each and how to counter them was fairly easy. "You might not want to step there," Dahlia added quickly as she watched Vivian look around the next floor. "False floor."

Vivian River Jordan ● 353 ● song by artist

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[Vivian River Jordan]

Viv nodded with wide eyes and an impressed ‘ooh’ as Dahlia began to list off skills like it was absolutely nothing. She’d never bothered with cursebreaker subjects at school, since it’d always been clear to her that her future would stay firmly rooted in the present and not the past, but she’d seen students around the castle with thick books on hieroglyphics as they read up on the ancient world. “Sounds like you’ve got a talent for languages,” Viv said, even if that was one of the most obvious things she might’ve said. But as a rather typical British person with a total of one (1) language in her vocabulary, Viv was suitably impressed with the thought that cursebreakers could go anywhere and find a way to fit in. Even in the tomb of a long-gone civilization that didn’t exist anymore, even if they’d left their treasures behind.

She winced a bit at the thought of poisons, and Dahlia’s explanation about why she needed to know about poisons probably didn’t help her paranoia. Viv froze, one leg poised over the area of floor that Dahlia had just pointed out, and tentatively set her foot down somewhere else. She held her breath for a moment to see what would happen, but when everything stayed the same she let out a sigh of relief and turned back to the camera to shoot a grin. “Crisis averted!” she said cheerily as she continued to scurry after Dahlia in the winding passageways of the pyramid. Not that she thought there was something deadly waiting in a training course, but an embarrassing tumble down a deep hole was always something good to avoid.

A while later, they were still walking – and Viv’s breathing started to turn heavier. “Cursebreakers…have a lot…of stamina, hey?” she asked, turning again to see the cameraman puffing behind her. It didn’t help that the air was dusty and stale, and that there was an unsurprising lack of circulation so deep inside the pyramid. She couldn’t see Dahlia so clearly except for a vague outline in front of her, but the cursebreaker’s stride hadn’t changed. “Er, what do you do when you need a break?” Viv asked, wondering if she was being too subtle and if her point would be made by collapsing on the floor for a quick breather. But then she remembered the false floor from earlier and decided it was better not to touch anything until Dahlia had said it was okay.

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[dahlia jade greyback]

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A talent for languages? Maybe. Dahlia had never viewed it that way. It was merely a result of how she was raised. Which, looking back on it, was maybe the only positive outcome of her childhood. Her mother being a school teacher had its bonuses, so adding English in on top of the other two was sort of easy. If anything, her Arabic was the rustiest now, not really having a need to speak it from when her mother died until she was in the full swing of working as a cursebreaker. "I suppose. It's a necessity for this job," she responded flatly. If she really wanted to make a game out of it, she'd try her hand at Spanish too. That would open up numerous other job opportunities, though there were several cursebreakers that were fluent enough to not need her if that happened. But here in Egypt? She loved being the one relied upon. It scratched that ego that itched constantly. Made her feel useful for once in her life.

The general cheeriness and uplifting mood from Vivian and her cameraman was weird to have inside a tomb, even if this was the training one. The speed at which they moved was also unnatural, as the first rule was to always step lightly and carefully in unknown areas. Yet here they were, hopping over false floors and buttons that triggered spike traps. Dahlia wasn't exactly frustrated because this was technically safe for them to be doing, but it did give the wrong impression she thought. Still, they continued on and Dahlia pointed out odds and ends of the tomb, it's tripped traps, and other information.

Eventually, they got fairly deep into the tunnel. She could tell that her guests were starting to feel the effects of traveling, and their heavy breathing wasn't hiding the exhaustion. "Have to if we want to outrun falling boulders or jump snake pits," Dahlia joked. Though the former had happened once. Messy business that boulder was. "We make sure the area is free of obstacles or traps and then rest. It isn't uncommon to spend a day or two underground on longer jobs." A flourish of her wand to cast her detection spell once again, revealing that the area was clear. "You will be fine if you want to rest. We have about three more miles to walk until the end anyways."

Vivian River Jordan ● 399 ● song by artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Vivian River Jordan]

It was hard to make small talk whilst traipsing about a pyramid, but somehow Viv and Dahlia managed to hold snatches of a conversation while Dahlia pointed out different features of the training course (and Viv tried to disguise how out-of-breath she was). There were some stereotypes of the career that seemed to be confirmed the longer Viv spent in and around Cairo, because even walking through a pyramid that had been completely stripped of courses and traps seemed to be more dangerous than she’d thought. But besides the obvious danger, there was more depth to it all and really – that’s what she’d wanted to learn more about. “Hear that?” Viv whispered over her shoulder to the camera, “Cursebreaking isn’t just for all you adrenaline junkies out there. They need linguists too!” It might seem obvious enough, but common sense took a dive in the entertainment business. Research and languages didn’t look as sexy on-screen as dodging explosions.

“Absolutely bonkers,” Viv said with a shake of her head as Dahlia hinted at other adventures that involved boulders and snake pits. She turned around to wink at the cameraman and mouth silently, “Indiana Jones,” in a lowered tone that Dahlia was sure not to hear. She’d already seemed to suggest not having seen the movies, but Vivian was doubly convinced now that the director must’ve had access to the magical world and based it all on cursebreakers. All she needed to hear now was a story of Dahlia nearly losing her hat in a tomb. Her eyes tracked the progress of a spider on the nearby wall, and she shivered slightly as they passed it. But Viv’s attention quickly pivoted back to the conversation. “Bloody hell, you can spend days underground?” Viv asked in horror.

She craned her neck up, trying to imagine willingly spending so much time away from the sun and fresh air. Now, Viv had never seen the spoils of a cursebreaker expedition, but what kind of treasure was worth that? The thought distracted her so much that Dahlia’s casual estimation of three more miles slipped right by her – which was probably for the best. Viv wasn’t used to being away from the comforts of civilization for too long, and she’d never suffered from a case of being forced to exercise in order to escape back. “Yeah, I’d appreciate it. Just a mo’...or two.” Viv was quick to stop moving and she jiggled her legs a little as she stretched them out. “What’s the longest you’ve been underground, then? What sorta job?”

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