vatheon | Hiding out (backdated to April 2nd)

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Hiding out (backdated to April 2nd)

Who: Zelda, Duke, and anyone that actually manages to find them
Where: Duke's forest hermit home
When: April 2nd, after Zelda visits Shizuo
Style: Brackets, baby
Status: CLOSED AGAINST CHOSENS GO AWAY ZELOS

[After a long cry on Shizuo, Zelda has decided that the best course of action is to hide and gather her composure again until she's built up a wall big enough to keep her from breaking down over everything. She learned during the thought bubble curse that hiding from people is surprisingly difficult when you don't have a place to hide in. The forest seems like the best choice for a hiding place, but there's still the matter of where to hide exactly.

She finds herself wandering off in the direction that Duke went when they'd visited the forest together, half hoping to locate his residence. She can't imagine the mage being the prying sort, he's likely to let her sit in a corner and read quietly for a day or two. She hopes, at least. When she finally locates the hut, she calls out his name softly.]

Duke?

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[ There's no reaction from the hut - well, a squirrel pokes its head out from a gap between canvas layers to study her and chitter... something. At her or inside, it's not clear, but the squirrel bounces off after, up a tree and away.

A moment later what might be a door shifts and Duke sticks his head out to blink at her. You found him and wanted something? ]

I don't mean to intrude, but... would you mind if I stayed here for a little while?

[The completely lost expression on her face is easy to read, probably even for a hermit like Duke. Something is clearly very wrong with the princess, but it doesn't look like she wants to discuss it.]

I, ah, brought my notes. We could continue where we left off, if you like. I still haven't properly explained my method of casting yet, either.

Hmn...[ Duke completely understands the "Do not want to discuss". Zelda was vaguely aware of a particularly large Do Not Want To Discuss, thanks to those stupid thought bubbles. And it was more of the completely different expression that has him pushing the canvas aside and stepping out - looks like he doesn't wear his shoes, coat and gloves inside, but oh well. ]

... Depending on length of 'little while', can sleep at desk. [ Zelda can use his ~~nest~~ blankets, if she intends to stay that long.

And really, hut is a bit more than what his 'home' is. It's a bit more like a tent, but using wood for support and wind protection. It's even a canvas floor.

And geeking. Definitely interested in more magic. ]

[Duke, this is one of those times when pronouns would come in handy. Zelda is not sure if he means that she may sleep at his desk or that he will. Due to that, she doesn't immediately protest him giving up his bed. Instead, she focuses on the fact that he seems to be aware that she might not want to go home tonight.]

Am I that terribly obvious? I suppose I must be.

[She takes out her notebook, completely done with the ~feelings~ portion of this conversation.]

Shall we? I found a copy of an old Hylian textbook in the library, so I should be able to explain certain concepts more accurately than I could before.

[ That's okay, he'll just surprise her by nudging her toward that 'door' and taking the chair and desk himself. ]

... Somewhat. Clear that... something, bothers, enough to be visible. [ The study room over there, nodding at that. He doesn't have two chairs, but it's just cloth over ground. Not too horrible to sit on. ]

... if don't mind, shoes off... [ Awkward. People don't usually come near his home.

by the way, he's going to start tea in that kitchen-y room. ]

I do not mind.

[She removes her heels before entering, though she does bring them inside with her. Leaving a trail is not something Zelda wants to do right now. She settles on the ground with her legs tucked underneath her neatly, glancing around. It's a simple place, but at least Duke has plenty of entertainment with all the books.]

Oh, please, you don't have to make anything. I will be fine. I'm sorry for dropping in unexpectedly...

Hmn. [ He'd, mostly, been thinking that if they'd be talking, then drinks would be needed for throats after some time, and he'd rather have them ready now. ]

... preventing future pause. [ He'll return a bit after that, the sound of a fire easily starting to heat water behind him. ]

I see. Very well, then.

[She begins to sift through her notes, taking out everything that she has on the basics of mana manipulation. Teaching someone like Duke to cast a spell with his emotions was going to be troublesome to be sure, but it wasn't just any emotion that was important - it was strength of will. That, at least, he should have.]

[ Strength of will, that he can do. Emotions. . . . . . Yeah.

That would... require... work.

Duke watches her note sifting, pulling the chair near them like a table.

And then go and return with a pair of steaming cups, and the kettle for refills. ]

[She turns her lips up slightly in thanks, though it doesn't really compare to her usual bright smiles. It's a subdued expression.]

The primary difference I have noticed between your method of casting and mine is what is directing the mana. Using your method, a formula is applied and the mana follows it exactly. While there is little room for error once the formula has been perfected, it can also be a limited if you're short on time to create a formula. Casting with your emotions - mostly determination, really - removes the need for a lot of the preparatory work. The mana follows the path that your will sets out for it. The margin of error is great, but the possibilities are endless.

[ Duke puts that difference in expression down to "what is bothering Zelda" but other than the faintest hint more of tilting his head... doesn't comment.

There might have been a bit of a... not quite worried, not quite troubled, but definitely a more "... oh no" expression when Zelda mentions emotions - he is quite aware that he.. fails miserably at them, but the mention of determination has that vanish. ]

.... You... [ Thinking about that for a moment. ] Take a ... chunk, of the mana, and... tell it to do things without really.. describing it clearly. Just.. Push and will for the result?

Essentially, yes. Understanding the way mana moves naturally and actually applying a little thought to the process gets far better results, but you can certainly manage without. I am not comfortable casting unless I am in control, myself. With this sort of thing, it is easier to feel than it is to listen to an explanation.

[She holds her hand out, palm up.]

Would you give me your hand?

[ Oh, he's fairly good at understanding and reading the way Aer flows - he's not sure if it will flow the same, after what Brave Vesperia had done, but Mana has, so far, reacted very similarly to Aer so-

Hand? There's another blink, and Duke studies the way her hand is and.. perhaps a bit hesitantly... puts his hand atop hers. Warm from tea-holding, at the very least, and he's not so much as resting his in hers as holding his hand so that there's contact, but... not very much of it. This is a little unsure, but he is still curious. ]

[She closes her eyes, calling on the divine magic within her. She doesn't actually do much with it, she simply wills it in and out of her hand, just barely brushing Duke's. It would be quite clear that there's no real rhyme or reason to it, no formula. She really is controlling it with her will and nothing more.]

[ Duke focuses, once again seeming to look at things that he can see and no one else, studying what Zelda is doing with some of his own held mana. Wait.

What was he doing when he searched this way. Was he using a formula? No, he never really.. grid searched, which is the first application he could think of right now, if he wanted to search this way, and a quick test proved that it could work, if he applied dimension modifiers to it so that it worked in 3d rather than 2d - which Zelda might feel if she's paying attention. ]

... Hmn. [ He's still not sure about this... holding power still like that. for no reason. He moves it to find things... ]

[She can feel him studying her with some sort of spell of his own. Now that she's a little more familiar with his usual method of casting, she can recognize that this isn't it.]

You already have the hang of it to some extent. You are searching, but you don't know what you're searching for... so it's imprecise, but it's the best sort of magic for this kind of situation.

[Zelda opens her eyes and holds her other hand out, slowly extending her magic towards one of the teacups. She adds physical actions to what she's doing to make it easier to follow. The cup is carefully lifted into the air and pulled back towards her, with the only thing controlling the mana being Zelda's thoughts and emotions. With Duke's hand on hers, she's able to show him that a little more clearly by including him in "her" mana.]

[ Oh. Watching that teacup move, his eyes fall a little more closed. He knows that one. Feeling what she was doing - that was a particularly odd sensation, if more because there were ... things directing the power that... didn't make any sense - it... was different, though. His was a loose formula, perhaps. He liked things he moved to remain stable - even if he.. didn't use that particular formula for much other than....

... combat.

.... He shouldn't be holding Zelda's hand. touching her hand. Not.. after what he'd tried, on Tarqaron. If Zelda has any read on the muted things that serve as Duke's emotions from this contact, she likely finds a spike of something... self directed and negative, and Duke takes his hand back. ]

... Somewhat... aware of that one. Not.. a still form, however... [ He tugs at the air with one hand, a slight twitch and gather of nothing with his fingers, and his cup sails to him. ]

[He sounds a little uncomfortable. Zelda plucks her cup from the air, peering up at Duke worriedly. She knows that it's strange to share a link with someone like that, but he seems like someone who is practical enough to be able to handle it. Perhaps she'd been wrong. She takes a sip to compose herself.]

That's good. It seems that you're more familiar with this method than you thought.

["Are you alright?" is on the tip of her tongue, but she doesn't say it. Duke's being kind enough to not ask what's bothering her, she should give him the same favor in return. But still...]

Does the uncontrolled aspect bother you?

[ His pause becomes rather musing, his focus turning in as he catches his cup and holds it for a bit. ]

... Not... exactly... [ He. Doesn't really want to explain it. Or really, explain it all. Perhaps...

Duke silently reaches over to tap a pen. As he draws his hand back, the pen follows. Short arm and hand movements direct the pen to zip through the air, small scale controlled little motions... that look like they'd be fairly useful in combat - sweeping arcs to keep things - people? - at bay. ]

... Most... recent time employed this sort, attempting to end someone... [ Several someones, but he's going to focus on his tea while saying that, and let the pen drop to the ground between them. ]

[She seems completely unbothered by him saying that he was trying to kill someone. Zelda has attempted it as well, after all. Sometimes it simply has to be done, and she won't begrudge someone the right to defend themselves.]

I see. Magic is a tool just like anything else. That seems like an effective way to keep enemies at bay. We can move on to other applications if you would like, though. Healing is especially effective with this sort of magic.

... It is? [ He'll. Latch onto that.

A bit puzzled though. ]

Does it hold the same accuracy? Healing what does not need to be healed is poor for the health of the person you heal.

As long as you keep a cool head, yes. It allows for using your instincts. With a process like healing, that can be very useful.

[Zelda shifts her weight to move one of her legs out from underneath her. She has to roll up her bloomers a bit, but eventually she reveals a somewhat nasty looking bruise on her shin. She's not going to reveal how she got it, okay?

~~She ran into something while watching Link too closely to notice where she was walking.~~

She holds her hand out for Duke's again before beginning the process of healing.]

[ Duke's trying to understand the puffy leggings as well as the long skirts - but since he wears knee boots over pants under a coat that reaches his shins, he's not really wan to talk.

There's a tiny bit of hesitation, but learning is overpowering his "no touching thanks". Zelda gets his hand back. ]

[She moves his hand to cover the bruise, then places her hand over his and starts the healing spell, essentially sending the energy through Duke before it ever touches her. For the most part the spell seems to completely disregard his healthy hand, focusing on Zelda's (rather minor) injury. It really is surprisingly efficient, and far easier to be precise with if one happens to be mid-battle and doesn't have time to work out the formula for "heal my target's left arm".]

[ Well, that's interesting. Duke leans the faintest fraction closer to get a better look at what she was doing and

shuts his eyes because is it supposed to seem that close and/or bright? Leaning back time is a go, his free hand moving to cover them what?

- free-form healing, seeks anything that is damaged, he hadn't corrected- ]

Getting a start (hour until class)

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Basically Hylian magic works like the Gift. I know you get that too, falsfksd;lj <3

Yaaay tortall! <3

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