If you believe in magic, come along with me [OPEN & Closed]

[aquaveiled]

WHO: Himeka & you!
WHAT: Conjury lessons and incidental mingling
WHEN: Throughout October
WHERE: Solvunn - Primary & the outskirts to the northeast

[ ooc; I default to brackets but I am happy to write in prose! Whatever you feel comfortable with. If you want to join training but haven't signed up yet first, feel free to do so in the link above. ]

i. conjury training; outskirts [CLOSED to current students]

[ If only E-Sumi-Yan could see her now. Being something of a protege in her own right, it was fairly common for Himeka to be asked to step in with both the new and senior members of the Conjurer's Guild. The only non-Padjal White Mage known and the Warrior of Light at that, all of them were keen to speak with her--hear her stories, learn from what they could.

Now...that never meant she was a particularly good mentor by any means. Truth be told, it was in these instances that she started to realize that in all her practice, most things came naturally and she hadn't spent much time thinking on the mechanics of what and how she was doing what she was.

Well, that's got to change. The Conjurer's Guild had centuries of experience and knowledge and training, while the other hopefuls here in Solvunn may need a little extra something if they are going up against any other nations bent on harnessing the power of the Singularity, for good or for ill. The least she can do is teach a few healing spells and show them how to throw rocks.

Rocks come first, of course. ]

Let's try this again.

[ She puts her hands on her hips, assuming what she hopes is an authoritative pose. ]

You only need to...force your will on the ground! Of sorts. As if you want it to move.

[ Yeah...totally easy! ]

ii. after hours; outskirts [OPEN]

[ White magics have come easy since she began her training, but despite her natural proclivity to magics in general, her other fields required a little more concentration. So when she finally calls it quits for that day's lessons, Himeka uses the evening hours to practice on her own. Without her job stones and proper equipment, channeling of Red and Black magics will take time. And as much as she enjoys running errands about town to meet people, being without her abilities those months in the dungeon have made their return feel all the more precious.

Standing (presumably alone) not far from the forest's edge, Himeka inhales slowly before calling forth her leylines beneath her feet, slowly rotating about her form. They make the air around her crackle as they settle and she refines their shape. It takes a few seconds.

Then, her vision darts to a large stone near by and, without much preamble, she raises her hands in the air as dark energy radiates and collects around them before an explosion of fire is set upon the stone, causing it to scorch and shatter--

--hopefully not to anyone who happens to be on the path nearby. ]

iii. a witch without a wand; solvunn proper [OPEN]

[ Himeka has quickly found that there is a reason that mages and sorcerers use all sorts of canes, wands, and rods to channel their magic--it's so much more easy to control and amplify. Therefore, she's determined to fashion something of one for herself.

And really, how hard can it be? She knows they are made from natural materials and Solvunn has an abundance of those about. So a few carved sticks and a nice rock or something should be good enough, right? Right!

Except as she sits on a fence that lines the road right into the center of town, she frowns as she looks down at her creation. She found a shiny stone and tied it with twine to a long stick, but it looks more like a child's attempt to make a club that anything an actual wielder of ancient magics would dare use. Not if they wanted to be taken seriously, at least.

Himeka sighs, watching the people walk to and fro into town. She lazily waves her "wand" and one of those people. ]

Zap.

[ Except it doesn't zap any poor, unsuspecting soul (thankfully). The "wand" pops, sparks, and then catches fire. She immediately drops it. ]

Shite!

xx. wildcard

[ ooc; If you want something related that isn't listed there or just want a random thread, feel free to hit me up on the discord server or at doggystyle and we can work something customized out. ]

Comments

closed to estinien

[aquaveiled]

She had asked for his help when they made their escape from the mines outside of Thorne all those months ago, and Himeka is finally cashing in on his promise. Or, well, more his agreement. At the time she had been without her magics and felt useless and unprepared, unable to fight and defend the team as she might or even hunt when needed. Though she hopes her magics will stay with her from this point on, she won't risk being wholly at the mercy of their circumstances.

Which is why she has a very long stick. It's a good, sturdy stick that Estinien had offered her in lieu of the pitchfork she originally selected. That it was meant for moving the hay for the twins' cow was not of consequence. That she not be given any objects with notably pointy ends to start with was wise on many accounts.

Especially given that she has just jabbed one end of that stick at his shoulder in a rusty attempt at a proper thrust.

"Ha!" she shouts triumphantly. "Finally, I caught you!"

[coerthantorment]

Given the circumstances, Estinien is also using a long poll rather than the spear he's finally acquired. It's easier for training, and with neither of them having armor, it will reduce unnecessary injuries. Which turns out to be prudent when Himeka jabs him in the shoulder.

Estinien shifts his shoulder, grabbing the end of Himeka's stick. He's been keeping himself to basic movements for the time being, seeing no reason not to start off slow. So it isn't a big surprise that she nabs him - though what he does in return may be.

With a twist of his arm and a flick of his own weapon, he makes a quick move to jerk her stick away from her, finishing with a simple disarm. Even one-handed, the force he can apply is considerable, especially now that he's been regaining his strength.

[aquaveiled]

So proud as she is to have finally landed a hint--fully knowing that the only way she could is if the former Azure Dragoon is going easy on her--she doesn't stop to consider that he might react appropriately as he would any proper dragoon recruit.

Which is why he disarms her without issue. Her eyes are wide as the pole is in her hands one second and then tossed across onto the ground the next.

She pouts.

"...That still counted."

[coerthantorment]

Though Estinien looks very serious while sparring, he does crack a smile at that. As he allows her a moment to go pick up her weapon, he'll rest his staff against the ground, shrugging a shoulder.

"Aye," he agrees, which is honestly a sign of his character development, as back in his military days he might have scoffed at the idea of such a small victory being all that meaningful. "Though I must yet make a point. The art of the dragoon demands one throw their entire selves into their attacks, bearing the weight of their body and soul behind each blow - as important as hitting your mark is ensuring that you will survive the moments following it."

He sighs, with a bit more genuine weight behind it.

"I cannot say how many eager young lancers would sink their spears into the side of a dragon, only to be battered and broken by the gnashing of fangs or the beat of wings when they could not dismount as confidently."

ii

[skitter]

Taylor can't make any sense of what her swarm sense has been perceiving at the forest's edge - something was creating a large disturbance that the bugs could see but not feel, shortly followed by some kind of obliterative force. So she's cautious as she ventures out, warily approaching via the trail.

"... That what you meant to happen?" she asks a moment after the explosion, glad she was outside the blast radius.

[aquaveiled]

Woe to the conjurer who doesn't pay heed to all creatures of the forest, not just the elementals. She has never thought of what her magics may do to disturb the local fauna, given that sometimes she is training to fight against the local fauna.

"Hm?" Himeka looks around from where she stands in the center of her ley lines, finally landing on an unfamiliar figure on the trail.

"Well, yes. Though it's normally a little more controlled."

The symbols at her feet still spin slowly around as she turns to face the other woman properly.

"It didn't get you, did it?"

[skitter]

It's just the very small local fauna, at least.

Taylor shakes her head, though she's keeping a circumspect distance from those wheeling shapes. "No, I'm fine." Her eyes linger on the distinctly not human face, but she isn't going to ask about that. "Can I ask... what are you doing?"

[aquaveiled]

"Oh good!"

That is a relief. Himeka doesn't mind causing a few explosions in her own vicinity, but she isn't out to hurt any of the locals--or other summoned, as it were. (Not unless they deserve it, which is still to be seen.)

The woman has a fair question. Himeka looks about and then down at her ley lines, knowing that exploding rocks and unknown circles of magic may not be the most welcome in a town that is so devoted as it is to the local gods. Who knows if this contradicts with anything they currently believe? (She feels not, but it's still easier practice out in the open.)

"I'm practicing my offensive magics," she says simply as the ley lines at her feet begin to fade entirely. "Things both work the same here and not as they do normally, you know?"

She would know, right?

"If we get rusty you never know when we may need to set something ablaze more menacing than a stone."

iii.

[mullerian]

( oberon doesn't like to hurry. he prefers to take his time, walking slowly, bowing often, modest acres stirring in their leaves as if to call out for attention when he's passing by. but solvunn is changing rapidly for the season, and so as not to get singled out for not contributing or worse, he's changing with them: a hefty box of autumn apples that the children painstakingly gathered in his arms, the weight of it noticeably uncomfortable. it almost seems like an odd punishment to the fairy "king", having to carry this all on his own, but it's a touch better than eyes boring into the back of his head, or through his wings, while doing nothing. their tiring but understandable consideration's let up some with the coming of eifstide, but the nervous whispers still persist here and there. what a chore, honestly.

his pondering's interrupted though by the sound of a crack and a curse to his right, and then:

a chuckle sweeps through him like a summer rain, cleansing away the tension of walking while doing manual labor. )

Do excuse me. I didn't mean to... pfh, be so rude.

( hold up. give him a minute. )

I'm guessing that wasn't the intended effect.

( tiny butterflies materialize out of a black oiled substance to flutter over and onto the wand. in mere moments they'll have hopefully doused the fire. )

[aquaveiled]

[ Is laugh seems so strangely calming it's hard to be embarrassed by the fact that she is, well, essentially throwing something dangerous at his feet. Her eyes tear away from his wings only to watch the little butterflies take care of the problem before it becomes a bigger one. ]

Not really, no.

[ She says finally as she hops down from the fence, not bothering to straighten out her dress after. ]

But not really that surprising all the same.

[ She tilts her head to the side, regarding his wings once again with no small amount of curiosity. Unbidden and undeterred, she says, ]

You are the largest fairy I've seen in a while.

[ Only Titania was larger than the average pixie. What would this mean? ]

[mullerian]

( uhm, look... as long as it didn't scorch his feet you're fine!!!

anyhow:

what really takes him surprise is her bluntness. his face flickers with, not exactly joy, but the upturned corners of a more sheepish smile. )

Suddenly I'm feeling a bit self-conscious. All things considered, I would hope I'm the first you've seen in a good while, or at least, the most strikingly handsome one. It seems my kind or anything like it are a bit of an endangered species, to say the least, and I can't fathom the devout here being keen liars.

( yet, at least. a brilliant mess of ash and twig is all that seems to remain of her little mishap, to which oberon shrugs lightly, still carrying his harvest cargo with the utmost care. maaaybe this isn't the best place to be having this sort of discussion... )

Have you got a spare?

[aquaveiled]

[ She supposes it's as likely as any that faefolk would make an appearance here, closer to the forests and the wilds as they are in comparison to behind the stone walls of Thorne. But an endangered species? That does make her frown slightly. ]

Are the fae in small numbers here? That must be awful.

[ Granted, she really has only met them on the First and has little knowledge of Nymian history with them. (Do Sylphs count? They look a little fae-like, when she thinks about it.)

To his question, she shakes her head but doesn't seem entirely put out. ]

No, but it was really a poor attempt at a wand anyway. I've never needed to fashion my own before. It seemed simple enough...

[ But as she toes the ashy spot on the ground, it's clearly not as easy as she anticipated. ]

iii

[unnecessaryflourishes]

[Her attempts might - fortunately - not strike any of the passers-by. But they are not without witness either. How welcome his presence might be is, truly, anyone's guess but he is there all the same - and given that he had not been only moments prior, it's reasonably likely that he arrived via one of his portals.

(He is... not unaware of the fact that continuing to use them may in fact be drawing some amount of suspicion his way. But he's hardly about to stop using them, when the alternative would be to simply walk everywhere.)

He watches, for a moment, as the magic backfires on the wand and she drops it, and then a long-suffering sigh splits the silence.]

Really? Did no one explain what went into creating a proper focus for any sort of magic?

[As he speaks, little tendrils of darkness rise up from the ground around the staff, smothering the fire.]

[aquaveiled]

[ He doesn't catch her entirely off-guard, finding a strange sense of familiarity in Emet-Selch just simply showing up whenever and wherever he feels is worth his time. That doesn't mean she was expecting him, but it is only fitting he would show up when she makes such a silly mistake as this.

Himeka looks up and over at the sound of his voice, frowning as he puts out her little mistake with ease. ]

I haven't had much need to make anything myself.

[ She is, at least, honest, even when it comes to her shortcomings. ]

Every wand, rod, and cane I've used has either been gifted, bought, or discovered along the way in mysterious chests in deep, dark, and dusty dungeons.

[ The true adventurer life. ]

[unnecessaryflourishes]

[Frustrating though certain aspects of the situation at hand may be, he cannot fault her for the honesty, at least. In fact, quite the opposite. Though it may not necessarily be a comfortable truth to have to admit to, that she is willing to do so is still more than can be said of some people he has known.

Even if it means that he might need to be the one to explain some of the finer intricacies of the inner workings of magic. And focuses for same, should one choose to use them. (He himself has not typically needed to, but in all fairness he is blessed with more power than is the case with even the best and brightest mages of the Source.)]

At least you admit it.

[And none are, inherently, bad methods by which to acquire something.]

Although I might question the wisdom of choosing a staff that has lain hidden in the depths of any given locale for what could well be eons beyond measure.

[A pause, and shrug. Misgivings aside, he's not here simply to judge her failings.]

Be it staff, rod, or cane, a mage's weapon is the tool by which they focus their energies. As such, it cannot simply be thrown together haphazardly, but must be specifically crafted such as to be able to focus the energies that are to be channeled through it.

[aquaveiled]

[ He agrees to that a little too readily, honestly. She doesn't take too much offense to it, though, given that it is the truth. Himeka just expected it to be much more...natural to her. Like many of her skills.

This is something she's going to have to spend actual time on, isn't it? Not that that's a bad thing, but it would have been much more convenient if she could craft it easily. ]

I am aware of that much...

[ Himeka puts her hands on her hips, her tail giving a sharp twitch behind her as she looks Emet-Selch up and down. ]

But I've been told that every conjurer's cane or wand is made from natural materials so that it can better commune with the elements. What is more natural than a rock and a stick?

i.

[stealsthetruth]

[Himeka's competency as an effective mentor aside... Even if she searched all of Abraxas, she still probably wouldn't find a more enthusiastic student than Kay. When the offer for lessons was proposed, the girl had literally-- and I DO MEAN literally, because there was a bit of excited jumping up and down involved-- leaped at the opportunity to learn more about magic. She's been quite eager to expand her skills beyond the few basic spells she picked up from the mages back in Thorne, and between this and her Dragoon lessons with Estinien, she's starting to build up a bit of a roster.

But maybe Fools teaching Fools is a bit like blind leading the blind, because so far they haven't really made any progress. Kay is far from ready to give up, though; she listens to Himeka attentively, hanging on every word and nodding along in acknowledgement.]

Force my will on the ground... Okay, I got it!

[She goes into a kind of horse stance and holds it, directing a silently ferocious stare towards the patch of ground directly in front of her, like she's trying to bore a crater into it with her eyes.

She doesn't budge an inch.

She continues staring in silence like this for at least a good 20 seconds.

Her left eyelid twitches slightly.]

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka stares likewise, silently hoping to see the ground do something other than sit there. Anything, really! But nothing happens...much has nothing has been happening, and Himeka knows it has nothing to do with a lack of effort on Kay's part. She can feel the girl's aether brimming with excitement--but that's what it's doing, just brimming excitedly, undirected.

She pouts a little, wracking her mind of how to redirect this. ]

Hold on, hold on--

[ She waves a hand to stop Kay before she blows out a blood vessel. ]

--I think...well, wait. Do you feel anything when you do that? Like any sort of tingling on your skin? At your fingertips?

[stealsthetruth]

[Kay stops when directed, cocking her head thoughtfully at the question.]

Ummm... [She holds both hands up and glances between them, frowning thoughtfully, before looking back to Himeka.] No... Not really. Do you think maybe I should try taking my gloves off? Would that help?

[They're fingerless gloves, so it's not like they'd be causing interference with the wifi signal between her fingertips and the ground, but... She's not willing to overlook even the slightest possibility here.]

meanwhile, in the Tertiary Settlement

[baltimores]

[ Not too far from the shores of the Hydra Gulf, its waters visible from a tiny, rundown structure, is something one could call a shack. Would never think of calling it a home, and that's the case for its lone occupant. If such a building — if you could even call it that — could even be considered enough to have an occupant.

What remains of its walls facing the gulf have been battered by weather, but enough of them still hold up to be called walls. There are a couple of rooms; only one actually has a roof, though another has what could generously be called a roof-in-progress. Should the gulf's waters ever overflow, then Amos would probably lose everything he has in here to flooding.

So, good thing he doesn't really have anything.

When Oliver had said Solvunn was reclusive, Amos both couldn't have imagined this and yet isn't surprised by it, either. He found a society in which everyone looks after one another, takes care of one another, knows each other and cares about each other and promptly fucked off as best he could. Where others may have found families to take them in, Amos found a shack so rundown that nobody out here is even touching it, and almost as if by association, nobody out here is even touching Amos.

Which he's perfectly fine with. Amos has had to fake it to blend in. There have always been two problems with that: does he even want to bother attempting to fake it; and if yes, is he capable? The empty, amiable smile he often defaults to should probably be a dead giveaway that the answer to the latter is no. But the answer to the former is usually no to begin with, so.

He's well aware that he's a pariah out here. Stored in a more functional part of the shack is fishing equipment that stands out by way of being of actual quality; Amos spends a fair bit of time along the gulf's shores, catching what he can — pretending he's back in Baltimore, pretending Baltimore had a living ecosystem — and either eating it for himself or selling it. When he drinks, he drinks alone. The rest of his time is spent slowly improving this structure into... not a home. Home will never be here. But at least something more liveable, much as he doesn't mind the straw bedding, the way he can look up at the starry night sky completely devoid of light pollution and be woken up by the sun. The novelty hasn't worn off yet.

All Amos has is to take things day-by-day, unchanging, occasionally swallowing to try to dislodge something in his throat that isn't there, soothe something phantom deep in his gut that. He doesn't like this. He didn't like the dungeons in Thorne. He still hasn't thought about them, worked his way through any of that. And in some ways, this place is a little too similar to where he grew up.

What certainly is different is seeing a face he knows — likes — all the way out here, nothingness all around them matching the nothingness he's felt seemingly every day of his life, and maybe seeing her again actually makes him relax some, feel warmer, soften his features. Give a small smile, offer a little wave, a soft, ] Hey, Hime. [ Amos is capable of comprehending the fact that maybe he fucked up by leaving Himeka and the Primary Settlement; incapable of comprehending the why behind it, even as her mere presence makes him feel better. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ She had been meaning to get out to the Tertiary Settlement for a while, but truth be told, she and Estinien had agreed that at least one of them should remain in the Primary Settlement at a time so that Relena wouldn't be wholly alone. The twins they are staying with have become warmer to them as the days go by, but after all they had been through together--after all Relena had been through, they do worry.

Himeka's reasoning for wanting to visit? Well, to fish! She heard that it was an interesting place to do so.

It's not surprising, then, that she would make her way to the water's edge, armed with a long pole and a net of her own. What is surprising is to find a familiar face all the way out here, of all things. Himeka brighten almost instantly, shifting her course. ]

Amos!

[ She takes wobbly steps over the uneven stones as she approaches, paying no mind or heed to the terrain but also without issue. ]

I'd been wondering where you've been! Did you decide to do some fishing as well?

[baltimores]

[ He can't help but glance down at her feet as she makes her way across the treacherous stones up to him — it's not as though he hasn't had his fair share of misadventures on them, though he's gotten practised at navigating them now — but back up to her eyes just as quick. The way her face brightens at seeing him. The way she immediately comes over to him. The way she didn't know where he'd gone.

He feels something shift in his gut; yeah, he fucked up. Nothing on his face betrays the sentiment but for the slightly blank look his smile takes on. ​]

Yeah, sure. [ Just a pole for him; sturdy enough, long enough, line plenty strong and clearly kept in perfect condition. Your tools are your life; you take care of them, they take care of you. Bait tends to be easy enough to find; overturn any decently-sized rock along the shoreline and there'll be plenty of worms and bugs crawling around underneath; there's a worm impaled on his hook right now. ] Seems I'm decent at it.

[ He looks out at the waters for a second, the way they stretch out to the horizon; back at Hime. ]

Grew up somewhere kinda like this. 'cept there weren't a whole lot of opportunities to fish, since the ecosystem was kinda dead by that point. It's not so hard here, though.

[ He's good enough to eke out a meagre living through it, after all. That'll just have to do it for him. ]

teach me magics, sis!

[sanc]

[ Relena does not believe she will have any magical aptitude. She's got one spell and she hasn't used it much yet, really. There's not a lot she's had to use it against, so she can't assume there's much understanding of it in her.

She gives Himeka a truly puzzled look at her instructions. ]

My... my will?

IT BEGINS

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka, on the other hand, is confident that Relena will figure out magics. Eventually! Sure, it may have come rather easily to Himeka, but Relena's desire for understanding and refusal to back down are sure signs of someone who could master whatever they put their mind to. ]

Yes. You know...

[ She says and...words fail her for a moment. But just a moment. ]

When you want to move your hand, you move your hand. Though you don't really think about it right now, do you? Mostly because you don't need to think about it in order to do it. Well you probably had to when you started out. But instead of reaching within to exert control over your own body, you're reaching without.

[sanc]

[ Relena makes a point to listen very carefully despite this all feeling very beyond her. Magic feels like it's something integral to a person. It lives inside them and extends them. She's a person that is very contained in the shell of her body. Reaching beyond herself with more than words seems out of place for her. ]

Reaching... out... um. What do you do when you do it? Or... what do you think about, Himeka? I guess I can't quite visualize it.