[ open ]

[vixening]

Who: yennefer + others
When: september
Where: castle thorne + the horizon
What: after the events of the nocwich, and the retaliation from all sides, yennefer keeps busy. ota unless specified otherwise.
Warnings: yennefer's bad moods, etc.

Comments

[vixening]

[ it is a smart thing for kyle to notice - that keeping yennefer's attention is what's important, that she is not afraid to simply turn him away if he's not genuinely here asking for help. he closes the door behind him and steps inside and yennefer is still where stands, arms still crossed, waiting for an answer to her questions. his wry tone when he first starts in on said answers has her brow lifted, vaguely unimpressed and waiting for the actual one, but the more genuine his tone becomes, the less abrasive she feels the need to be.

there is a nod when he mentions the shields, and while she has her own opinions on those shields, she does bother speaking them here, not until she actually knows his opinions, where he stands. the mention of the war has her tense for reasons that kyle will not be able to read from her, though he may sense a kind of tension (a tension that is probably completely valid to have, considering her being the victim of an attack in nocwich is one of the many reasons these dominos have begun to fall).

it is that next part that catches her interest, her brow furrowing less in distaste and more in curiosity. high magic, he says? ] But does your high magic work, here? Most have lost their connection to whatever- [ she waves her hand, letting slip a minor uninterested tone in the association with power coming from someone. gods, demons, beings, whatever. ] -it was that gave them their power. Reliability aside, has it worked during your time in Thorne?

[ushiri]

[ It's a quiet game of feeling each other out then, with him as the one on his back foot. The tension that he picks up isn't unexpected even if he can't discern the exact reasoning. Few people are ambivalent about war when it's close to their own doors, and she's recent gotten closer than most in Nocwich. As curious as he is about what happened to her there, he doesn't attempt to speak of it.

He cocks his head to the side, staring at her desk for a moment. ]

I don't feel like I've lost my connection, but my magic definitely doesn't work as well as it did in my own world. [ It's truly strange sometimes to call this his magic. At best the priests would've frowned at him for calling god's own bones something so base. But it's been a long time since he's had to deal with them...

A beat, his gaze turning thoughtful for a moment before flicking up to meet hers. ] But I've also been reluctant to try certain things in Thorne. I wouldn't want to accidentally cause alarm.

[ She's smart enough to read between the lines that there might be concern of privacy in the castle, being observed. ]

[vixening]

[ the truth of it is that even if he had asked about her experience on war's doorstep, she probably wouldn't have told him, anyway. any details he will want to know will have to either come from someone else who she trusts a bit more, or the official report she gave not that long before. either way, her focus is on him, now, instead of that. on this idea that the source of his magic did not follow, but was not severed, either.

unless it shifted, changed sources, but he would be able to tell, wouldn't he?

then again, she's also assuming quite a bit, considering he's of the religious type. ]

And because you're a newly Summoned, you haven't been allowed out of the castle just yet? But now you're looking to go to Nott, I'm guessing, to help with the fires. [ yennefer nods, like she's already put the pieces together whether they are completely true or not.

either way, yes, she is able to read between the lines. it's why she doesn't pressure him for not trying it out anyway. instead, she shrugs. ]

With regards to the shields, specifically, that would be arcane magic they teach here in the castle and universities, so you would need to learn to use that from the ground up. It could take weeks, months possibly, depending on your aptitude. Or, if your own magic suits the same purpose, there are ways to manipulate the source we've brought from our own spheres to work, or- [ she gestures to the set-up behind her. ] There is protection of the alchemic variety- not as strong, necessarily, but less preparation time needed.

[ and then her brows lift, vaguely impatient, as she waits for a few moments before finally adding- ]

Well?

[ushiri]

[ He's quietly relieved that she doesn't push for a demonstration, it makes whatever else he has to come up with to say easier.

The options she offers are - well, each have their positives and negatives. Repurposing his own abilities can be tossed aside as an option immediately. And while he's interested in the relative shortcut that alchemic magic might provide, it's still not really what he's interested in. Which leaves learning academic magic from scratch, which is honestly where he started. Hearing that it'll take weeks or months to learn isn't ideal, he's never been a patient student, but he's thorough, and he has the motivation. ]

Arcane magic. [ Kahlil answers quickly enough, still studying her elegant, impatient features. ] I have... some practice with reading incantations, but in my world most of that sort of powerful spellwork was kept hidden and guarded.

[ No schools. Any magic that wasn't done by Payshmura mystics was considered heresy and witchcraft. The Fai'daum had their own witches, the demoness who wore the skin of a dog...

A pause, then he adds: ]

I've been out to Nott to help with the fires already. I've planning to go back to do more for as long as the portals between the cities are open. [ His head cants to one side. ] I can run errands for you around Nott while I'm out, if you could use someone like that. Retrieve ingredients or supplies.

[ Though he's sure she has her own runners for that sort of thing, he doubts it'll hurt to offer. ]

[vixening]

[ he is quick to make his decision, and in a lot of ways yennefer prefers as much, if only because it means he knows what he's talking about. what he wants, and what he doesn't. she doesn't have time to waste with someone stumbling their way through this.

yennefer nods in agreement - almost like he made the correct choice - as she turns her back to him and walks back around her desk, looking through the stacks of books he has at various intervals. ]

Then you'll know how this works - the foundation of most of Thorne's magic is Arcane, and the mages who learn it spend years reading into it before they're actually taught spells.

[ she speaks as she searches, picking up one book and then setting it down - picking up another and making a noise of annoyance before setting that down too. it's a few more because she finds the one she wants, tossing it across her desk towards him. ]

But if you're already used to having to learn magic, then you should be able to skip the first few years worth of useless preparations. That- [ she points to the book. ] Is what you'll need to have all but memorized before I can teach you anything further.

[ when he mentions nott, though, there is a brief pause in her. something tense, like a string being pulled taunt, before she shakes her head. ]

I don't need anything more out of Nott, but when you go, you can take some of these. [ she's walking to her pantry, then, pulling out a few bottles from her stash. ] Use these on the crops still standing. It should keep the fire from spreading. [ as she finishes collecting the bottles in a pouch, she steps back around to where he's standing, offering them to him and pausing at the last moment, catching his eyes. ]

But I will call you back on the favor, if that's what you were attempting with the offer to run errands. I'm sure I can find other uses for you. [ a small smile, almost like she's joking, before that flash of humor is replaced by a much more serious look. ] And don't let the natives get a hand on these, understand?

[ushiri]

[ He does a good job hiding his dismay at being handed another book to add to the pile he's been accumulating ever since he got here. At least this one has some practical use, as opposed to all the dry histories and childish fairy tales he's been brute forcing his way through. Or, at least, that's what he's going to tell himself to get through it.

Can't be worse than trying to learn High Thornean.

He follows her to the pantry and takes the pouch, eyeing it with interest - then looking back at her curiously when she gives that warning. ]

Of course. [ It's clear from his raised eyebrows he wants to know why, but given the way she reacted to his mention of Nott, he decides not to ask right now. So with that, he takes a step back, giving a half bow. ]

I'll be back next week, then. [ With the reading done. Giving himself a quick timeline will keep him from procrastinating... ]