Seeing Magic in Simple Things

In the heart of Ninraih's jungles, the Fae created the city of Ajteire, protected from the undead by the magic of fireflies and a pact with the Kerasoka. The complex network of trees, vines, and plants helps to keep unwanted visitors out. Read more...
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Harroc Crownegrove
Character
Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
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Race: Elemental and Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

Harroc frowned slightly, searching in his thoughts for the words to explain himself. “It is more that- hmm,” he said, deciding he’d not found the right answer. “I think in your way of explanation, my body is the focus. The pathways and gates that run through me direct and control the energy. There are many of them, and they allow for intricate and complex patterns.”

He nodded to himself, happy to have made the leap. “It flows more freely because it is what I am made of. When you cast, you release your energy, and then direct it. I simply take what I already have and push it outward in a directed way.”

He chuckled softly at the idea that others experienced the same troubles he had. “I did similar when learning my first incantations. Dried bark and leaves burn just as easy as any parchment.”

When Rory asked about the language of his spells he tilted his head, clearly considering the completeness of his answer. “To cast magic as a druid you speak words of power. These words however also carry a need to be filled with intent. For example-” he held up his hand, palm cupped and fingers just curled inward. “Jahy.”

The word resonated and, to Harroc’s eyes, pulled magic from the air around his open hand. A small flame burst into being, dancing merrily around his cupped hand. “I could tell you all of the words and rites I know, but not a single one would be useful without all of the understanding behind them.” He flicked his fingers out and the flame dispersed.

“And were I to attempt to teach even a sliver of that understanding I would be hunted down like a blighted animal.” He frowned grimly and looked into the distance for a moment before giving himself a soft shake. “I cannot weave fire, I pull it from the surroundings and use my essence to guide it’s formation. It is not that different from your own method. Though it perhaps comes with more limitations.”

He pointed at the tome that still lay open on the table. “There are few caches of knowledge for the rites of my order. It is passed down directly, or not at all. Many more powerful spells have been lost over time. Druids are not the most social of peoples. Those of Balance even less so.”

When Rory mentioned Colle, Harroc looked confused. “Does that mean something, the way you say it? I am interested in Colle, they remind me of many pleasant things, but I do not know how the fae create friendships.” He looked down at the table, clearly at a loss for how to fully convey his point. “Does that mean I like them as well? I do not want to be rude. I do not want to have to leave this warm sunlight and tasty snacks.”
Word count: 484
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Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
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Race: Fae
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

“It’s the understanding and intent that drives druid magic, as much as the words,” Rory muttered, half to herself. “Interesting. So if you were to say the words without the intent behind it, does nothing happen? Or does the intent give you more of a way to control the magic, like keeping a fire from blazing up?”

She frowned when he mentioned how withdrawn the druids tended to be. “That seems - well, a bit foolish to me. Why wouldn’t you want to record your knowledge? More so, why would sharing knowledge be a bad thing? Aren’t druids all about nature and how things work?”

She rested her chin on her hand. “You could probably write stuff down and draw pictures to explain all the gestures, and then if you go to tell someone else, you won’t forget anything.” She stirred her spoon idly in her teacup. “Besides, anything you did to change a spell you could write down too, and that way people would know if it was useful to change it - or not.”

At Harroc’s worries about Colle and being rude, Rory giggled. “I don’t think you have to worry about being friends. They seem to be welcoming and I don’t think they’d kick you out. It’s not like being fae makes being friends any different,” she said. “But what I meant was, interested in a romantic way. You know, go on dates, hold hands, kiss, that kind of thing. I mean, even the reclusive druids must do that. Otherwise where would they get more druids?”
Word count: 268
User avatar
Harroc Crownegrove
Character
Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Elemental and Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
Posts: 141
Joined: August 5th, 2019, 1:48 am
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

Harroc listened to Rory’s opinion on the Druidic practices and smiled faintly. He’d had similar thoughts often enough, but the teachings were branded into him from constant study and application. “Jahy,” Harroc said suddenly into the short lull of silence as Rory stirred her tea.

There was no resonance, no pull of power, no flame. “The druids learned from your predecessors that magic carries many dangers to the unwary. They sought to lock away the dangers behind understanding.” He shrugged and looked down at the book again. “Perhaps at the cost of knowledge lost, but that was decided far before this age.”

He listened to her giggle and raised a brow, surprised at the sound of it. She had been so serious, so focused thus far, that it caught him off guard. He listened to Rory, and felt a small tightness in his gut. “I do not know about any of those things. They were not deemed… useful in the wilds. Mother said I would know them in time, but I have not been in a true city until this one, and even here only a short while." He laughed suddenly, a rich and mirthful sound. "Animals are not the best conversationalists, but they are certainly direct. Perhaps I should display my plumage as a sign of endearment.”

He leaned back in his chair and weighed the possibilities before him. There were choices to be made, but he was unsure if he wanted to make them just yet. “Can I ask you to perform more magic, fire this time, and follow the instructions here?” he asked, and moved several pages back in the book, tapping a few short paragraphs that described honing magical energy.
Last edited by Harroc Crownegrove on March 8th, 2020, 9:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Word count: 286
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Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
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01
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

“Intent powers druid magic, then,” Rory scribbled down in her notebook. She hadn’t found much to read on druidic magic, and Harroc had explained why. Considering the issue, she still felt that a better solution would have been to restrict access to the repository than to have none at all.

“Still a shame to think about what all might have been lost though. Discoveries that weren’t passed on or techniques someone knew and hadn’t yet told someone. Makes me a little sad to think of it,” she mused, resting her chin on her hand.

Harroc apparently didn’t know anything about romantic relationships, which surprised Rory. She’d thought that was a fairly universal concept among sentient races. “Plumage like a bird?” She wrinkled her nose. “I thought you just shifted to a big cat!”

Sliding the book over, she looked at the page Harroc indicated. She read over the directions carefully, whispering a few phrases as she went along. Thoughtfully, she pushed her saucer away from her a little and swept up a few crumbs from the table, depositing them in the plate.

She felt a sort of buzz in the air around her and looked up to see Harroc focusing intently on her. Taking a deep breath, she recreated the familiar diagram for the spark spell in her mind; a pentagon intersecting an octagon. Following the instructions, she pushed a bit of energy into the indicated nodes in the diagram.

It felt spongy, or as spongy as something that was entirely a mental construct could feel. She pushed a bit more, forcing more of her energy into the nodes until they felt full. Flicking her eyes back to the book to check, she took the construct from her mind and dropped it on the crumbs in the saucer.

The crumbs blazed quickly; much faster than they usually did when Rory cast the spark spell. Rory had just enough presence of mind to grab her tea mug when she noticed that the flames seemed very - contained. She felt almost like she’d been wrapped in a blanket, unable to reach through. “Is that you?” she asked Harroc in a whisper. She’d never felt anything quite like it.

A startled yelp caught Rory and Harroc’s attention. Rory tried to reach out to the spell construct, but the crumbs quickly turned to ash and she couldn’t feel the shape of the magic as the energy dissipated. A beat after the flames went out, she felt the barrier around her drop and she turned to look.

Colle had pressed themself against the wall, holding a plate with pastries oozing the honey glaze they’d mentioned earlier. Their eyes were open wide and their face was a bit pale as they coughed slightly and came to the table. “Not to ruin a lecture, but could you save that for - not here? Or at least ask to borrow the kitchen and not the crockery?”

Colle set the plate down next to Harroc. “Your cats-paws, with extra glaze,” they said, with a small smile. “I do hope this batch is as delicious as the last. Let me know if you want more or anything.” Patting Harroc’s shoulder lightly, they crossed back to the counter and began wiping the glass there.

Rory glanced over to Harroc. His face showed nothing but the anticipation of gleefully devouring the sticky sweet pastries. He seemed to have entirely forgotten the foray into fire magic. She sipped her tea; her last bite of the fig whatever-it-was was long gone. Harroc lifted the rounded pastry from the plate until it was above his mouth and bit into the bottom edge, flicking his tongue out to catch the drips of honey before they dribbled down his chin.

Pretending to look at her notebook, Rory snuck a glance over to the counter. Colle was leaning on it, a crooked finger caught in their mouth as they watched Harroc raptly. Harroc was carefully catching every drop of honey that escaped the pastry on his fingertips and licking it off. Rory had to admit she understood Colle’s fascination. Harroc was rather pleasant to look at, and eating with that single-minded enjoyment - well. She smirked and bent her head as she made a few notes about the spark spell and the experiment she’d just tried, carefully ignoring her tablemate.
Word count: 735
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Harroc Crownegrove
Character
Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Elemental and Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
Posts: 141
Joined: August 5th, 2019, 1:48 am
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

Harroc grinned at his own little joke about plumage as Rory began to read the text of the exercise. He likely could have recited most of it by rote at this point, having spent a good number of hours drilling down into the finer details of the rather simple practice spell.

The spell would teach a caster to tighten their control and imbue their power into a receptacle. In his case, the stone he carried acted as a very willing essence pool, absorbing and holding much more than he expected for longer than he expected. At the end of the exercise the tome had mentioned enchanting as a more advanced application of a similar concept.

When it looked like Rory was ready to begin he projected out a field of his essence. It wouldn’t stop a concentrated attack, but it could dampen any wayward flames should his tablemate’s control waver. Satisfied the field was in place he concentrated on his essence sight, tracing the flowing pathways of Rory’s magic as she dove into the exercise.

It was fascinating to watch, the pulse and tug of magic, the flickering need for the power to spread, the sense of roiling heat. Fire was an exciting and dangerous element, one that required a completely different approach than earth. When Rory imbued her crumbs with the fire they glowed like jeweled embers on her plate. He felt the magic licking at the air, seeking an escape, and he narrowed his field down to suppress the spell. Rory noticed and he nodded fractionally, easing back as she asserted her control more firmly.

Then there was a shout and the spell shattered, turning the crumbs to less than ash. Harroc was grateful he’d thought to project the field. Fire tended to want to burst out rather than fade away. He ducked his head in apology at Colle’s admonishment, berating himself silently for not simply asking for their approval before doing something dangerous, even if he’d had control. Then his treat was placed in front of him and he felt like a great cat stalking a delicious hare.

His eyes focused in, the pupils widening to soak in the entire morsel. His nostrils flared, drinking in the sweet tang of honey and light fluffy pastry. He barely noticed Colle’s hand at his shoulder before they were gone. With a delicate grip he lifted the oozing vessel for delicious sweetness up and began to indulge.

It was blissful, and everything else fell away as he eagerly caught every strand of sweet honey between small bites of the pastry. He purred happily, the sound a low rumble in his chest, as he greedily suckled the final bit of sweetness from the side of his hand. When he finished he closed his eyes and relished the fading sensations on his tongue before softly smacking his lips. “That, Colle, was amazing. Did you do something different? It tasted smoother,” Harroc said, grinning broadly at them and shivering his shoulders in delight. “Can I have a smaller one, just a morsel?”

Colle shook their head and laughed, the sound was like a gentle rain on a cool morning and their wings fluttered a quick rhythm in time. “I’ll make you one more, but then you’ll owe me if you take anything else.”

Harroc absolutely beamed, nodding eagerly before turning back to Rory. “Sorry, fire, and yes, I did dampen its want to seek out new fuel. That was amazing, watching the flow of essence. You pool it near your forehead and then draw it down in a sort of square spiral. It is like nothing I have ever seen.” He moved to pick up his stone, tossing it lightly in his hand. “Would you care to see how my essence flows into the stone? I would offer it for fire, but I think we have done enough of that for today.”
Last edited by Harroc Crownegrove on May 16th, 2020, 9:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Word count: 658
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Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
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Posts: 35
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

Harroc was trying to cajole another pastry from Colle, who seemed more than happy to give in. When he purred while eating, Rory had had to fight very hard to keep from chuckling at him. He’d been very kind to talk to her and explain some of the fundamentals of druid magic - which she suspected might get him in trouble.

As he described how he’d viewed her gathering and channeling her magic, she wondered if she’d have enough focus and power to watch herself while she worked a spell. He volunteered to let her watch him channel magic into the stone he’d been working with earlier; Rory’s excitement almost stopped her from responding - her unfurling wings had thwacked into the seat hard and the reverberation smarted.

“Ouch,” she grumbled, rubbing the bottom joint of her right wing. Her complaint caught Colle’s attention; they came over with a concerned look.

“Caught your wing?” they said, with a sympathetic smile. “I hate when I do that.”

“Yeah, just got excited and the stupid things decided to open,” Rory replied, carefully stretching the wing’s lobe out while supporting it with her hand. “Ugh. Kelorha’s vines, it’s bruised.” She prodded a spot beginning to turn more purple than the usual raspberry color.

Colle sighed. “I’ve got some salve in the back that’s good for bruises. Give me a minute and I can get some for you.”

“If you have some fresh berries, I can heal that without much trouble,” Harroc said, catching Colle’s attention just before they turned away.

“Oh? I should,” Colle said, thinking. “That’d probably be better all around. Are blueberries okay?” Harroc silently nodded and smiled, turning his attention to a small pouch he wore on his belt.

Rory grinned. She loved blueberries. “You’re going to enchant them or something? Can I watch? Please?” she begged Harroc.

“Of course, though I have no idea what you could glean from it. It might look similar to how you use magic honestly,” he said, concentrating on the jumble of things in his pouch before removing a small stone with runes etched into its surface.

“I need to figure out how I can watch myself while I cast - I’ve never seen what you described. All the more reason to watch you now,” Rory grinned. “Hey, Colle, do you know detect magic? You can come sit and watch too!”

Colle smiled a bit nervously. “Let me get those blueberries first, and then only if Harroc’s okay with that.” They turned, stumbled slightly, and walked quickly into the kitchen. Rory noticed the quiver in the edge of their wings, though they managed to keep them down as they walked.

“Do you mind, Harroc?” Rory looked over to the druid. She gave him a sly smile. “You can - make a display of it, if you like.”

Harroc looked confused for a moment and then nodded sharply. He turned to see where Colle was and grinned as the fae returned with a small bowl overflowing with blueberries. “I would enjoy having you sit with m- us for a bit if you can,” he said, catching himself and continuing without much of a hitch.

He took the bowl of blueberries they offered and placed them on the table. “Let me know when you are ready,” he said rubbing the stone in his fingers.

Rory held her hand up, palm toward Harroc. “Sykel najaym.” Focusing into the spell, she tightened her control to force a visual. “Cruf sa.”

Colle dragged a seat over from the next table. They closed their eyes for a long moment, sitting perfectly still. Even their wings barely trembled at all. Opening their eyes, they raised their head and nodded at Harroc.

Harroc grinned, looked at both the casters watching him, and then turned his attention to the bowl of berries. He reached his hand out, opening his palm above the fruit. His other hand balancing the rune stone on two fingers while his thumb pressed into the the etching. “Here we go,” he said softly as he began the spell.

To the others his entire body lit with magic, glowing in brighter strands along his muscles and veins. A pulse of magic began in his shoulder, and the essence drifted down his arm to his fingers, filling the rune and causing it to glow equally bright. He opened his mouth and his breath carried the faint glow of essence as he spoke, “Byhhayl.” The word resonated and the cloud rapidly sprang forward, becoming a densely packed array of what looked like raindrops.

The magic fell onto the berries, and several of them glowed softly before fading. All of Harroc faded as well, returning to a dull thrumming of essence that moved with the rhythm of a heart.

“Okay, that was amazing, and maybe slightly weird,” Rory said, fascinated. “It was like magic was tracing every bit of you and then pulling itself to where you needed it. That doesn’t sound anything like what you said I looked like!” She glanced over at Colle, whose wings were shedding tiny droplets of magic as they twitched slightly under the strain of maintaining their focus. “What’d you see, Colle?”

“Beautiful,” Colle murmured, their voice softer and a little lower than usual. “The light - it doesn’t just trace you, it is you,” they said, looking up at Harroc with their eyes a bit unfocused. Tilting their head slightly, Colle stared at Harroc a little longer, letting their eyes rove around the druid.

Colle suddenly sat straight up, snapping their eyes away and clearing their throat. “I should - pastry in the oven - um,” they stammered, getting up quickly and retreating to the kitchen. Rory caught the blush on their face as they left; she hoped she hadn’t helped push Colle too far, although they did look cute when they were flustered.

Harroc smiled evenly and watched Colle go. “I think that was as you intended,” he said and turned his attention back to Rory. “And, it is as I said before. When you cast, you draw from the surroundings and guide it with your thought. When I cast, I guide my essence, and that functions as my control.” He shrugged slightly and then motioned to the berries. “Eat, I will not tell you which are healing. It will be a pleasant surprise.”

“I could just use detect magic again, you know,” Rory said as she reached out for a handful of berries. She popped one in her mouth.

“Ah, no you cannot. Once the ritual is complete they appear as normal berries to any not familiar with the underlying secrets,” he said back with a catlike grin as he snatched a berry for himself.

“Sneaky," she commented. “What happens if someone eats a healing berry and they don’t have any injuries? Does it give them a boost or something?” The second berry was one of the healing ones; she felt the pain deaden to practically imperceptible as soon as the juice hit her tongue.

“Nothing in particular, perhaps a soft feeling of calm for a moment. The taste lingers as well. For me, it is like gentle mist above a verdant fern,” Harroc replied, popping another berry into his mouth.

Rory slid her abused saucer over to Harroc. “Put a few of the good ones on there. Not for me,” she said quickly, as she saw his eyebrow begin to raise. “Only fair that we save a few for Colle, right?”

Harroc chuckled and picked up several of the berries after a moment's inspection. “That does seem like a good idea. They have been so gracious with our interruptions to what are usually calm quiet afternoons. It would be rude not to offer a small token of thanks.”
Last edited by Roridula Lunatus on December 28th, 2019, 8:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
Word count: 1316
User avatar
Harroc Crownegrove
Character
Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Elemental and Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
Posts: 141
Joined: August 5th, 2019, 1:48 am
Has thanked: 5 times
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

Colle returned several minutes later carrying a small plate with another cat’s paw and wearing a heavy linen apron dusted with flour and smudges of honey. “Sorry about that, I’ve brought the promised morsel,” they said, offering a sheepish smile and placing the small plate onto the table.

Harroc grinned, motioning to the plate of berries. “Please, sit if your duties do not keep you. I would like to hear what you think of my berries.” From the openness of his expression it was clear Harroc had no idea the connotations his offer might carry.

Rory tried her best to keep a straight face, but failed and had to pretend a coughing fit. Colle’s lips twitched as they sat down. “These are the enchanted berries?” they asked, pointing to the saucer.

“Yes, the ones I just made. I want to see how they taste to you. When I eat them uninjured they remind me of your laugh,” he said, smiling and nudging the plate towards Colle.

Colle’s face turned bright red. “Are- are you teasing me?” they said, frowning slightly as they pulled their shoulders back.

Harroc recoiled, looking visibly confused. “No, I did not- I am sorry I...” His words faded and he shrugged slightly, unsure what to do.

Rory looked between the two and sighed slightly. “Colle, I really don’t think he’s trying to make fun of you. He told me he likes your laugh,” she said, pulling the plate over. “Besides, they fixed my bruise right away, and they taste really good. Just try one,” she coaxed.

Colle looked skeptical but took one of the berries and popped it into their mouth. Rory could tell when they actually tasted the juice; their eyes went wide in surprised delight. “Oh - that’s lovely,” they said, reaching for another berry.

Harroc’s hand popped up, palm open but facing down. “Wait, if you have them too quickly they can make you dizzy.” He dropped his hand and smiled sheepishly. “I did not mean to sound rude. They remind me of your laugh, like gentle rain on a cool morning.”

He looked down at his cat’s paw and sighed. “I do not know how to do… a lot of things with people,” he said with a disappointed chuckle. “Magic, beasts, plants, stone, I can handle fine. People, no practice for that in the wilds.”

Blushing, Colle set the berry down on the plate. “I guess I took that the wrong way then. I’ve had people make fun of me before and I don’t like it. I didn’t think you would, but-” they looked away for a beat. “Sometimes I’ve been wrong about who would be unkind, given the chance.” Their wings flexed behind them, opening slightly.

“Can I make it up to you somehow? Do you need anything delivered or cleaned? I think we should perhaps leave the rest of the magic for today. Always dangerous to dive too deeply into new methods without sleeping first.” Harroc looked to Rory and smiled pointing to the book. “Feel free to read this more, but I have found you cannot take it from here no matter how you ask.”

Rory grinned. “Colle told me that when I came in. Only thing I’ve found I didn’t like here,” she said. Colle stuck out their tongue good-naturedly at Rory. “I can handle some reshelving, if you’ve got any books that need to go back. I’ll need to know what the different shelves hold but it shouldn’t be difficult.”

Colle laughed and shook their head. “There’s no need for that, the books get organized by a couple who comes by in the morning. Tea and breakfast to bring order to the chaos.” The Fae looked over at Harroc and blushed faintly. “As for needing anything else…”

Rory bit down on her impatience and waited for Colle to finish speaking. She was tempted to suggest a number of different things, but she wasn’t sure if anything she mentioned would be needed. Harroc wasn’t helping by looking terribly eager to help with anything at all.

“There’s some stuff in the kitchen I could use some help with, I guess,” Colle said, biting their lip. “I have washing and then all the dough to prep so it can rise overnight. I’ve got a few tools I don’t use often that I store up high that need to be put away.”

“Good, I did not want to just leave you to do everything after being so gracious all this time. You can have another berry if you like,” he said, sitting back while still clearly eager to go to action. “Oh, I know,” he said hopping up suddenly. “Fire, I saw a book.” he made his way towards the shelves, clearly using the excuse to expend some nervous energy.

Rory propped her chin on her hand as she saw Colle watching Harroc until he disappeared around a shelf. “He’s really not used to interacting with people - it’s not you,” she said, tapping the table in front of Colle to get their attention. “I suggested you might be interested in him and he had no idea what I meant, beyond friendship.” She gave Colle a sympathetic sideways smile.

“Almost like some of the more wayward rangers, but perhaps worse,” Colle said back thoughtfully. “I wonder what would happen if I-” they stopped talking suddenly and blushed heavily, their wings fluttering in an involuntary shiver.

“I honestly don’t think he’d know what to do if you kissed him,” Rory chuckled. “And worse than the rangers - they at least were taught how people work.” Rory got a sudden wicked grin. “If you let me borrow this book, only for a few days, I have an idea.”

Colle looked apprehensive. “I don’t want to keep it from anyone else who might be reading it…” They bit their lip as Harroc's back moved into view and he bent to grab a book on a lower shelf. It was painfully clear by how taut the fabric was that the Druid had not gotten new trousers in some time. “Just for tonight, and you bring it back in tomorrow afternoon,” Colle bargained, their eyes not moving from Harroc.

“I can do that,” Rory said with a grin. “Now, what I suggest is…”

When Harroc came back with the book he’d been hunting for, Rory was standing by the table with her bag in her hand. She looked over at the book Harroc held out to her, flipping through the first few pages. “Properties of fire - understanding fire energy - hm, this looks interesting. I’ll have to look at it tomorrow though.” Rory stretched her arms above her head, making sure to flutter her wings appropriately.

“I’m going to head home for the night,” she said, yawning. “I’m tired. Maybe I’ll see you here again tomorrow?” She nodded to Colle and Harroc, heading out onto the walkways with the magic tome stuffed safely in her bag.
Last edited by Harroc Crownegrove on March 8th, 2020, 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Word count: 1195
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Harroc Crownegrove
Character
Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Elemental and Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
Posts: 141
Joined: August 5th, 2019, 1:48 am
Has thanked: 5 times
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

Harroc strode out of the kitchen and into the cafe proper with a stupidly pleased grin on his face. He’d learned a lot from Poppy, and it was already proving useful. When he got out into the open he scanned the patrons. The sun was bright in the sky and lit the small cafe with warmth only lessened by a gentle breeze. The scent of verdant greenery mingled with the tingle of fresh-baked sweets to tickle Harroc’s senses.

He saw many of the customers remained from earlier, most still talking amongst themselves about the events with Sema. After completing a slow sweep, he realized he had not seen his eager magical co-conspirator Rory yet. With a shrug he moved over to his usual table and settled in to relax and practice.

Once he was seated he rolled his neck and shoulders, releasing some of the tension he realized he was holding, before focusing inward. His essence was a mess right now, after having used it so aggressively and then having no outlets, it roiled around and jumbled itself into knots. As he examined them, he realized many of which would need help to unbundle. With slow deliberate focus, Harroc worked his way along his channels and released what he could.

The practice was not terribly difficult, but it was tedious and required meticulous care. Harroc found it soothing, the slow measure of his heart pushing the essence, the pleasure of restoring the flow, it was like working at a stream clogged with debris after a storm. There was a deep satisfaction in bringing things back to their proper state.
Word count: 271
User avatar
Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

Rory had gotten lost on her way back to the cafe and had to ask for directions twice. It wasn’t completely her fault; she’d only been there once after all, and she was so very tired. After inveigling the loan of the book from the cafe manager - Colle? - she’d been up all night reading and working with the exercises. She’d copied a ton of it into her notebooks too, with notes about what she found useful or challenging.

She hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep until someone had bumped up against her door and woken her. Fortunately she’d avoided drooling on the book, but she’d been using it as a pillow and her candles weren’t even nubs. When she looked out she realized it was well after midday, and she should probably head over to the cafe to return the book.

As she saw the entrance, she looked around for the black jaguar. He wasn’t there and she assumed that he was already inside. Smirking she wondered if Colle had actually taken any of her advice. They’d been so flustered around the druid, it was kind of adorable. Besides uncovering and deciphering the secrets of magic, Rory also enjoyed meddling in the delicate connections between people. It was one of the few aspects of social interactions she enjoyed - almost as much fun as experimenting with mildly dangerous reagents.

Rory looked around for Harroc once she stepped into the cafe proper. There was a different Fae at the counter, with bright red hair and tan skin. Spotting Harroc at the table where he’d been sitting yesterday, she made her way over. He was sitting still, eyes unfocused and clearly concentrating on something. “Hey, Harroc. How are you?” Rory figured it would take a minute for him to come back, so she took the time to get settled and set the book on the table. If asked, she’d say she grabbed it on her way in.
Word count: 340
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Harroc Crownegrove
Character
Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Elemental and Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
Posts: 141
Joined: August 5th, 2019, 1:48 am
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Re: Seeing Magic in Simple Things

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

The Story Splits to here first.
⁂⁂⁂
Harroc heard his name, but not much else as Rory arrived. He was several layers deep untangling a knot the size of his fist just below his right lung. It was entrenched heavily, drawing essence from many paths as it roiled and tightened itself. He had been tugging, twisting, and pulling at the tangled lines just to gain a purchase. He was even feeding the mass from other channels in an effort to get it to loosen.

He reminisced as he worked, as the going was slow and seemed to be without result despite his efforts. His current thoughts were spent recalling puzzles he had encountered once. An old wood carver in a small village had sold him one in exchange for furs. The puzzle had kept him busy for many days and nights when his mother decided they should stop to rest. Eventually he had discovered there was a trick to the thing, one that involved going backwards with the solution to open up greater flexibility.

As he burrowed into the knot with a needle of essence he tried to replicate this trick. He grinned when the flex of the tangled essence loosened just enough for him to untwist a pathway. Harroc applied this method to the other tangles and soon enough had the knot apart.

He groaned at the sudden flood of essence through the rest of his body. His eyes came open as the rush of calming energy faded. “Hello, Rory,” he said languidly to the Fae woman who was now across from him. “Thank you for your help the other day, did you discover anything during your evening’s rest?”
Last edited by Harroc Crownegrove on March 8th, 2020, 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Word count: 280
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