![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[Wielding magic is such an odd prospect to him. By now Vander is used to how common place it is in this world, but using it himself? Itāsā¦ not as intuitive as simply swinging his fist.
Though, the sudden new ability heās manifested certainly does seem to have some things in common with it.
He knows the best way to really learn new skills is practiceāthat and having someone knowledgeable to guide the way. So when he found himself accidentally doing more than just the usual exercises the other day while out on the Heliopolis training groundsāwith everything on the horizon, he needs to make sure to stay in shapeāthe first thing that springs to mind is that he should consult someone with a bit more know-how on this sort of thing.
Which is what brings him out to the outskirts of the Alenroux forest on this sunny day. Vander heads to the appointed meeting spot early enough to scout out a suitable enough spot for practicing, and when the familiar figure of Akua approaches, he greets her with a smile.]
Hey there. Appreciate you taking the time to help me out.
Though, the sudden new ability heās manifested certainly does seem to have some things in common with it.
He knows the best way to really learn new skills is practiceāthat and having someone knowledgeable to guide the way. So when he found himself accidentally doing more than just the usual exercises the other day while out on the Heliopolis training groundsāwith everything on the horizon, he needs to make sure to stay in shapeāthe first thing that springs to mind is that he should consult someone with a bit more know-how on this sort of thing.
Which is what brings him out to the outskirts of the Alenroux forest on this sunny day. Vander heads to the appointed meeting spot early enough to scout out a suitable enough spot for practicing, and when the familiar figure of Akua approaches, he greets her with a smile.]
Hey there. Appreciate you taking the time to help me out.
[ Magic was always best practiced when there was little chance of danger. Even as a girl, when her father had taken her hands in his, and taught her the first working she'd ever known, they had done it as far removed from the rest of the residences of the Sahelian grounds as they could. She had carried that to Horos, and now here, and the outskirts of Alenroux were best for such things. Particularly if this was a... dangerous sort of magic. ]
Of course. I'm surprised you reached out, but if anyone can assist...
[ It would be her. She was dressed smartly, in something a bit closer to slacks and a coat, all in red as always, and her hair was braided up and about her head, where it wouldn't get in the way. ]
What sort of... ability did you find yourself stumbling into? It's often fascinating, how these powers manifest in a world like here, or Horos.
Of course. I'm surprised you reached out, but if anyone can assist...
[ It would be her. She was dressed smartly, in something a bit closer to slacks and a coat, all in red as always, and her hair was braided up and about her head, where it wouldn't get in the way. ]
What sort of... ability did you find yourself stumbling into? It's often fascinating, how these powers manifest in a world like here, or Horos.
[Fascinating is certainly one word for itāstartling might be the one Vander would use, though. Itās one thing to actively try a new trick for the first time, like he had with the handful of curiosities heād picked up after harmonizing, but itās another entirely when a new force manifests in the middle of doing some practice swings.]
Best way I can describe it isā¦ pulling earth and stone up into the air with a swing of my fist.
[He makes the motion of an uppercut as a demonstration, slow and deliberate and not channeling the fleetingly familiar sensation tied to the actual magic.]
Ruined some of that nice stone out in the Heliopolis training grounds when I discovered it.
[He laughs.]
Best way I can describe it isā¦ pulling earth and stone up into the air with a swing of my fist.
[He makes the motion of an uppercut as a demonstration, slow and deliberate and not channeling the fleetingly familiar sensation tied to the actual magic.]
Ruined some of that nice stone out in the Heliopolis training grounds when I discovered it.
[He laughs.]
You turned quite a few heads, did you not?
[ She asked, and her eyes followed the motion. They were sharp, as they so often were, but this time she is looking for an indication of that flow of magic, to look for the strands of a gift, and the weave that would make it manifest.
For her, a ward has a certain... feel to the space it occupied, a working was obvious when one only had to look about it, to find the wiggly, fleeting letters of high arcana that would manifest themselves. She had some measure of experience with other magics, such as the Jaquinites, and Light itself felt so... Sharp and violent to someone of her predisposition, that she could recognize it on sight. There were some she could not, but she hoped this magic would not fall under that, like the spellsingers. ]
Let us start, then, with a demonstration. Is it possible for you to do so at will yet, or does the ability fade, slipping through your fingers like sand?
[ She asked, and her eyes followed the motion. They were sharp, as they so often were, but this time she is looking for an indication of that flow of magic, to look for the strands of a gift, and the weave that would make it manifest.
For her, a ward has a certain... feel to the space it occupied, a working was obvious when one only had to look about it, to find the wiggly, fleeting letters of high arcana that would manifest themselves. She had some measure of experience with other magics, such as the Jaquinites, and Light itself felt so... Sharp and violent to someone of her predisposition, that she could recognize it on sight. There were some she could not, but she hoped this magic would not fall under that, like the spellsingers. ]
Let us start, then, with a demonstration. Is it possible for you to do so at will yet, or does the ability fade, slipping through your fingers like sand?
I seem to have a habit of doing that lately.
[Vander, causing trouble in public in Kenos? Apparently this is just going to be his new reputation, much to his displeasure. Still, thereās a flash of a very self-aware smile before he nods at her next question.]
Usually I can, but Iām still getting the hang ofā¦ the way it feels, I guess?
[He got a brief taste of the sort of feeling magic came with when he was shown a few simple spells after committing to Meridian, and this new skill almost seemed to stem from the same sort of place. Itās enough to give him something to work with, though he knows for a fact that his handling of it could use some finesse.
He takes a few steps back and focuses his attention on a clear stretch of ground farther out along the treeline, planting his feet.]
Letās give it a go, then.
[So he takes a breath, tries to reach inward for that only-just familiar feeling, then swings his fist upward in a quick motion. A spray of stone and earth, maybe a foot wide in diameter, follows suit.]
[Vander, causing trouble in public in Kenos? Apparently this is just going to be his new reputation, much to his displeasure. Still, thereās a flash of a very self-aware smile before he nods at her next question.]
Usually I can, but Iām still getting the hang ofā¦ the way it feels, I guess?
[He got a brief taste of the sort of feeling magic came with when he was shown a few simple spells after committing to Meridian, and this new skill almost seemed to stem from the same sort of place. Itās enough to give him something to work with, though he knows for a fact that his handling of it could use some finesse.
He takes a few steps back and focuses his attention on a clear stretch of ground farther out along the treeline, planting his feet.]
Letās give it a go, then.
[So he takes a breath, tries to reach inward for that only-just familiar feeling, then swings his fist upward in a quick motion. A spray of stone and earth, maybe a foot wide in diameter, follows suit.]
There's nothing wrong with turning heads, dear.
[ She says it idly, but... given the way that she looks, Vander can probably guess that Akua Sahelian will always be happy to catch attention. She'd been a woman who could have been Dread Empress, after all, had she wanted it. She'd certainly been raised for it, but they move along, and she nodded as he described how it felt, and she could follow the... feeling of it. Of his power and the magic inherent in it.
She watched his fist move, and the stone and earth move with it. Was that a crutch, or linked to it?
Her fingers spread out, magic and slippery letters spread before her, and she traced the motion, and the earth. ]
Interesting. Uncontrolled, of course, but starting out often is.
Tell me, when you move your fist, do you feel as if it guides the motion, or is it more mental?
[ She says it idly, but... given the way that she looks, Vander can probably guess that Akua Sahelian will always be happy to catch attention. She'd been a woman who could have been Dread Empress, after all, had she wanted it. She'd certainly been raised for it, but they move along, and she nodded as he described how it felt, and she could follow the... feeling of it. Of his power and the magic inherent in it.
She watched his fist move, and the stone and earth move with it. Was that a crutch, or linked to it?
Her fingers spread out, magic and slippery letters spread before her, and she traced the motion, and the earth. ]
Interesting. Uncontrolled, of course, but starting out often is.
Tell me, when you move your fist, do you feel as if it guides the motion, or is it more mental?
[ Past the events of the Scorching Isles, NAME will receive... A very nice, handwritten letter! Which, if you prefer the actual easy to read text (fair), is here. ]
[ Also included is Sebastian's address, which is located near the Tomes in Highstorm. Should your character wish to attend (and bring a +1), that log is a mingle style one here! No pressure to tag it if you're busy, but just let me know whether your character attends or not if you can't swing it OOC! ]
[ Also included is Sebastian's address, which is located near the Tomes in Highstorm. Should your character wish to attend (and bring a +1), that log is a mingle style one here! No pressure to tag it if you're busy, but just let me know whether your character attends or not if you can't swing it OOC! ]
[Oh, she certainly does seem like the sort to revel in seizing peopleās attention. Honestly, itās not a foreign experience for Vander eitherāa big lug like him causing a stir for countless years was something that naturally turned heads, alright. And that had been kind of the point of all the work heād put in back there in the undercity.
But catching attention for slip-ups like this, after trying to keep himself out of trouble? Well, that is an unfamiliar road that he would rather not tread upon.
He watches her own motions with keen interest, curious how it must be to have such a deep understanding of forces like this. The question gets a thoughtful tilt of the head from him.]
Been hard to really pinpoint it, since Iāve got my whole focus on it when trying to replicate it. But If I had to wagerā¦
[He trails off for a moment as he goes through the motions again, this time angling his swing slightly to the left at the apex of the arc. The disturbed earth follows, though itās a little shakier than the last demonstration.]
It does feel a bit like itās following the way I move my fist.
But catching attention for slip-ups like this, after trying to keep himself out of trouble? Well, that is an unfamiliar road that he would rather not tread upon.
He watches her own motions with keen interest, curious how it must be to have such a deep understanding of forces like this. The question gets a thoughtful tilt of the head from him.]
Been hard to really pinpoint it, since Iāve got my whole focus on it when trying to replicate it. But If I had to wagerā¦
[He trails off for a moment as he goes through the motions again, this time angling his swing slightly to the left at the apex of the arc. The disturbed earth follows, though itās a little shakier than the last demonstration.]
It does feel a bit like itās following the way I move my fist.
Hmm, yes.
[ She nods, considering. ]
And your mind, when it works, are you empty of all thought, or calculating?
[ To Akua, calculating was required for her form of magic -- but then again, it's magical calculus that fuels her power -- and she can only guess as to his. There are others in Calernia, that use less precise methods, and those of the Titanomacy use something so inherent and deeply borne that she does not think it comes in the form of computation.
She's trying to weed it out, what would work for him in particular. ]
[ She nods, considering. ]
And your mind, when it works, are you empty of all thought, or calculating?
[ To Akua, calculating was required for her form of magic -- but then again, it's magical calculus that fuels her power -- and she can only guess as to his. There are others in Calernia, that use less precise methods, and those of the Titanomacy use something so inherent and deeply borne that she does not think it comes in the form of computation.
She's trying to weed it out, what would work for him in particular. ]
I wouldnāt really call it ācalculatingāā¦
[He clenches and unclenches his fist for a moment, then his attention goes back to her.]
Thereās a sort of focus on my movements when Iām swinging, both when Iām practicing and when Iām fighting, but itās more of an innate sort of thing, I suppose you can say. Feels kind of the same way with this magic, but sort of shakier.
[Throwing a proper punch is as simple as breathing for Vander, but even he had been an inexperienced kid once upon a time. Took a lot of practice to get there, and he expects there will be a lot of that in his future if he can get a handle on this.]
Is it better to put more focus into it?
[He clenches and unclenches his fist for a moment, then his attention goes back to her.]
Thereās a sort of focus on my movements when Iām swinging, both when Iām practicing and when Iām fighting, but itās more of an innate sort of thing, I suppose you can say. Feels kind of the same way with this magic, but sort of shakier.
[Throwing a proper punch is as simple as breathing for Vander, but even he had been an inexperienced kid once upon a time. Took a lot of practice to get there, and he expects there will be a lot of that in his future if he can get a handle on this.]
Is it better to put more focus into it?
Hm.
[ She tapped her finger. It was somewhere in between, something like a Blessed Monk, or the Drunken Master. ]
I think it needs to be intention, as much as it is focus. Your motions guide it, yes? The way you move can provide you with the pneumonic to activate your powers. Some sorcerers have found crutches like this to be appropriate. Perhaps it is necessary, in your case.
[ For all that the words were an insult, they were also simply... fact. Akua said this like it was a fact of life. ]
Think of your movements as a...pattern. A guide for which the earth to follow.
[ She tapped her finger. It was somewhere in between, something like a Blessed Monk, or the Drunken Master. ]
I think it needs to be intention, as much as it is focus. Your motions guide it, yes? The way you move can provide you with the pneumonic to activate your powers. Some sorcerers have found crutches like this to be appropriate. Perhaps it is necessary, in your case.
[ For all that the words were an insult, they were also simply... fact. Akua said this like it was a fact of life. ]
Think of your movements as a...pattern. A guide for which the earth to follow.
[For what itās worth, Vander hardly seems bothered by the underlying insult. He knows his own abilitiesāand particularly in this case, his limitationsāand Akuaās matter-of-fact knowledge is about all he has to go on in this instance. Crutch or not, he has to start somewhere.]
Intentions and patterns, huh.
[The words are thoughtful, and he takes a moment to study the disturbed earth his budding magic had moved moments before. Tries to remember every feeling that came with it when he channeled the power.]
I imagine that intention must play a pretty big part in most magic, yeah?
[At least thatās how it seems from an outsiderās perspective.]
Intentions and patterns, huh.
[The words are thoughtful, and he takes a moment to study the disturbed earth his budding magic had moved moments before. Tries to remember every feeling that came with it when he channeled the power.]
I imagine that intention must play a pretty big part in most magic, yeah?
[At least thatās how it seems from an outsiderās perspective.]
In most, yes. Magic is enforcement of your will on the fabric of creation.
[ A slight shrug. ]
For me, it is that and computations. Occasionally, additional power is needed for a ritual, but I think that is not what you will require. Thankfully. Such rituals are unkind to those who are not used to them.
[ You know. Human Sacrifice and all. ]
Patterns help one with moving energy in the direction it needs. With time, this becomes routine, and you can focus your attention on intention, and on the power for your will to be made manifest.
[ A slight shrug. ]
For me, it is that and computations. Occasionally, additional power is needed for a ritual, but I think that is not what you will require. Thankfully. Such rituals are unkind to those who are not used to them.
[ You know. Human Sacrifice and all. ]
Patterns help one with moving energy in the direction it needs. With time, this becomes routine, and you can focus your attention on intention, and on the power for your will to be made manifest.
[As he listens to her explanation, he steps over and reaches down to grab a chunk of stone that has been disturbed by his amateur magic. He turns it over in his hand, then tosses it up and down experimentally.]
So, lean into the patterns that work it, then itās easier to will it into something more. [A slow nod of understanding.] One step at a time, then.
[He drops the stone, dusting his hands off as his attention returns to Akua.]
What sort of magic did you usually work back home? I imagine anything involving computations must beā¦ a lot.
[He laughs.]
So, lean into the patterns that work it, then itās easier to will it into something more. [A slow nod of understanding.] One step at a time, then.
[He drops the stone, dusting his hands off as his attention returns to Akua.]
What sort of magic did you usually work back home? I imagine anything involving computations must beā¦ a lot.
[He laughs.]
Ah, it is...
[ How did one describe the shape and power of her magic? The great and terrible acts it could wreak upon the world, the exact power needed, the way to create such power? ]
Vast, and wide. I can play with the elements of course, raise the dead, I used to summon demons, devils, create drains of power and store it in new vessels. I stored my soul away from my body when I was just shy of being a child.
[ This is such a loaded question, but... ] The sorcery we use in my land is one of many, that directs the energy created by life. Mine is the most precise, but as it is precise, the amount of energy needed for each action is... somewhat complicated. Then there are those that can understand High Arcana... The one percent of one percent, if you will.
[ A beat. ] I am the... second best Sorcerer in my land, and it is something I hold with price, if that describes the first.
[ To be fair, the Number 1 spot was held by a guy called the Vivisector of Miracles. Hard to top. ]
[ How did one describe the shape and power of her magic? The great and terrible acts it could wreak upon the world, the exact power needed, the way to create such power? ]
Vast, and wide. I can play with the elements of course, raise the dead, I used to summon demons, devils, create drains of power and store it in new vessels. I stored my soul away from my body when I was just shy of being a child.
[ This is such a loaded question, but... ] The sorcery we use in my land is one of many, that directs the energy created by life. Mine is the most precise, but as it is precise, the amount of energy needed for each action is... somewhat complicated. Then there are those that can understand High Arcana... The one percent of one percent, if you will.
[ A beat. ] I am the... second best Sorcerer in my land, and it is something I hold with price, if that describes the first.
[ To be fair, the Number 1 spot was held by a guy called the Vivisector of Miracles. Hard to top. ]
Akua.
[... What- What sort of greeting is appropriate here? To a "friend", to a... after what had happened this month... ? Hayame realizes she doesn't know, and after a brief moment of panic (and a brief moment of scandalous recollection), she simply jumps immediately into her question and tries to pretend nothing was amiss besides-]
Do you know anything about Set's whereabouts?
[The desert had disappeared from the corner of her mind it had occupied since the dryad and then a vow had bound her to the god of war.]
[... What- What sort of greeting is appropriate here? To a "friend", to a... after what had happened this month... ? Hayame realizes she doesn't know, and after a brief moment of panic (and a brief moment of scandalous recollection), she simply jumps immediately into her question and tries to pretend nothing was amiss besides-]
Do you know anything about Set's whereabouts?
[The desert had disappeared from the corner of her mind it had occupied since the dryad and then a vow had bound her to the god of war.]
Set?
[ The confusion in her voice is not about the fact that he is missing, but that she is asking... ]
I'm afraid I don't always keep track of his comings and goings. He can leave for several days at a time, and then reappear just as quickly.
Did something happen?
[ The confusion in her voice is not about the fact that he is missing, but that she is asking... ]
I'm afraid I don't always keep track of his comings and goings. He can leave for several days at a time, and then reappear just as quickly.
Did something happen?
[If she had simply not seen him, she would not care or worry at all. Set is fickle and unfaithful, and she knows that he roams into Highstorm, into Kowloon, into the Beyond, into many places she has not been. ... But it is more than that. And she is asking.]
Yes.
[... How to describe it.]
We have... a bond. For many moons now, we have.
But yesterday it vanished.
Yes.
[... How to describe it.]
We have... a bond. For many moons now, we have.
But yesterday it vanished.
I see.
[ She does not have such a space, but would she even notice, if she did? Set seems to be of sands and desert, and Akua is of those, her own communion ever-hot, the edge of twilight, with the blazing sun behind, and dark before. She does not know, of what Hayame speaks, but she trusts her instincts. ]
Is it possible that he has... left this world? Or perished? Set has been known to... enjoy causing problems for others.
[ She does not have such a space, but would she even notice, if she did? Set seems to be of sands and desert, and Akua is of those, her own communion ever-hot, the edge of twilight, with the blazing sun behind, and dark before. She does not know, of what Hayame speaks, but she trusts her instincts. ]
Is it possible that he has... left this world? Or perished? Set has been known to... enjoy causing problems for others.
[She cannot help but notice it- a corner of sand and heat and sun in a mindscape cold and barren and mountain craig, anything precious and warm hidden and guarded beneath snow and stone. Because they had bound themselves to each other in the midst of the dryadās twisted punishment, a warrior and a god of war, but now-
Now-]
It is possible.
[How many enemies had he made? Somehow, watching him (hating him) scheme and insinuate himself everywhere, regardless of loyalties and factions and what she considered right, sheād always imagined it was less than her. Because unlike her, he wasā¦ No, she will not use that insult.
But numbers didnāt matter. You only needed one. If she were a Zenite and saw the chance to take out the Meridian god of war, out in the Beyond, in the dregs of Kowloon, on one of his traitorous traipses into Highstorm-]
I simply do not know which is more possible.
Do youā¦ is there magic to find those who are lost?
Now-]
It is possible.
[How many enemies had he made? Somehow, watching him (hating him) scheme and insinuate himself everywhere, regardless of loyalties and factions and what she considered right, sheād always imagined it was less than her. Because unlike her, he wasā¦ No, she will not use that insult.
But numbers didnāt matter. You only needed one. If she were a Zenite and saw the chance to take out the Meridian god of war, out in the Beyond, in the dregs of Kowloon, on one of his traitorous traipses into Highstorm-]
I simply do not know which is more possible.
Do youā¦ is there magic to find those who are lost?
It is... difficult. I could attempt it, to track his movements. Set gives off a certain...power that may still linger in the spaces he frequents. However, beyond tracking his power, I do not know any spells that locate souls specifically. Perhaps if I were as powerful as Trismegistus himself, I could -- but he has often been associated with souls.
Unless Set touches something I specifically have marked, it may be that I would not be able to find him.
Particularly if he has gotten himself into trouble. Where did you last see him? I know I saw him at the coliseum, during his... ceremony. Is it possible he is contemplating the deaths that he has sought to usher forth?
Unless Set touches something I specifically have marked, it may be that I would not be able to find him.
Particularly if he has gotten himself into trouble. Where did you last see him? I know I saw him at the coliseum, during his... ceremony. Is it possible he is contemplating the deaths that he has sought to usher forth?
If he were contemplating, I should be able to feel him contemplating.
[She had not attended that... ceremony. But she had felt hints of what it did to him after. Whenever she had brushed up against that desert of sand she had been able to feel things unless Set was intentionally walling her out... but even in those cases, she had felt him walling her out. Now... There is nothing. It's all gone.]
... Last I saw him in person was in Alenroux. Growing things, in the fields.
[... She does not like to ask favors. Or incur debt. Even if they are friends... it feels strange to ask for further favors. But-]
What sort of difficult is it? I would ask you to try if it is not painful or damaging.
[She had not attended that... ceremony. But she had felt hints of what it did to him after. Whenever she had brushed up against that desert of sand she had been able to feel things unless Set was intentionally walling her out... but even in those cases, she had felt him walling her out. Now... There is nothing. It's all gone.]
... Last I saw him in person was in Alenroux. Growing things, in the fields.
[... She does not like to ask favors. Or incur debt. Even if they are friends... it feels strange to ask for further favors. But-]
What sort of difficult is it? I would ask you to try if it is not painful or damaging.
It is difficult in the way that it requires precision. If I can follow his power, that will lead me to... wherever he may have left traces of it. It is not an easy thing, to hunt out the remnants of his power. A sorcerer can hide, and conceal what they can do, and a god could easily do that without a thought.
And if he did not use his power much, around when he was... last here, then we would find that I cannot locate him.
It is not an easy thing you ask, but if it is for Set, I would be willing to do so. He is...important to me as well.
And if he did not use his power much, around when he was... last here, then we would find that I cannot locate him.
It is not an easy thing you ask, but if it is for Set, I would be willing to do so. He is...important to me as well.
[... It sound sound. Difficult. But there are only so many options that she has, and this is one of them. So.
So.]
... Then I ask it.
[Hayame has never admitted easily to feelings in general, let alone to caring about other people. She had never even let her own brother call her "sister" where anyone could hear, because bonds were weak, and could be exploited, and in her world... would only prove that as a woman she could not accomplish anything on her own without help.]
Set vexes me.
[But this isn't her world. Things have changed. The three of them have... had...]
But he...
[Is important. She had sworn herself to him as a warrior to a war god, but more than that-]
... challenges me.
So.]
... Then I ask it.
[Hayame has never admitted easily to feelings in general, let alone to caring about other people. She had never even let her own brother call her "sister" where anyone could hear, because bonds were weak, and could be exploited, and in her world... would only prove that as a woman she could not accomplish anything on her own without help.]
Set vexes me.
[But this isn't her world. Things have changed. The three of them have... had...]
But he...
[Is important. She had sworn herself to him as a warrior to a war god, but more than that-]
... challenges me.
I know. He is a god. Gods are powers beyond our reckoning, they see things in a different way.
[ A pause. ]
They are not infallible, but the difference between divinity and humanity is... a friend of mine once called it perspective.
[ Set vexes her because he sees things differently than her. Akua understands both, being both mortal and an intercessor of Below -- supposed to be, she corrects -- and she sighs, the expression apparent through communion like a breeze on a hot desert. ]
I will do what I can, Hayame. It may not work, but I will do this for you.
[ A pause. ]
They are not infallible, but the difference between divinity and humanity is... a friend of mine once called it perspective.
[ Set vexes her because he sees things differently than her. Akua understands both, being both mortal and an intercessor of Below -- supposed to be, she corrects -- and she sighs, the expression apparent through communion like a breeze on a hot desert. ]
I will do what I can, Hayame. It may not work, but I will do this for you.
Page 1 of 9