rogueinladysclothing | A turn of magical events [Tagging Viatorus]

The sound of movement catches Amelia's attention, but it's not until the cat gets up on the couch that she realizes this isn't who she was expecting to see. She blinks and sets aside her cup of tea, but the pen in her other hand stays firmly in place. Cats get bored easily, right? So she'll be able to get back to her reading and notes soon?

But what does one do with a cat? Isidor wasn't exactly forthcoming and Amelia has no experience with domesticated ones. Might as well talk to it? "Hello?" ...this talking to a cat thing is a little awkward. Sorry little kitty.

"Mooow," it tells her loudly. Then, after giving a little sniff, decides that her laps looks like a good place to sit. No, it doesn't matter if there's a book there. Yes, it is determined to get lap cuddles.

"H-hey, wait a second, I'm--"

Oh, no, apparently it doesn't matter what Amelia wants because kitty thinks it's cuddle time. The rogue blinks down at the cat in her lap, setting aside her pen and grabbing her book so she can continue to read.

"Well, so long as you don't bother me this should be fine." She shrugs and goes back to her reading, holding her book carefully above the settling cat.

Kitty won't bother Amelia. She will pad with her sharp claws and walk circles around the rogue's lap without actually settling though. Almost immediately she starts head-butting the book in Amelia's hands. Then head-butting Amelia's hands. "Mrow?"

"Ouch, hey!" Amelia frowns at her unexpected companion for a moment before focusing back on the book in her hands. Only... it's moving. One of her eyebrows twitches a bit as she continues trying to focus on the book, but that ends quickly when the cat is then nudging her and not her book.

"Dreams, really? Can I not read in peace?" She sighs and sets aside the book before looking down at the cat again. "What is it you want, anyway?"

The cat, in a suitably unhelpful way, looks up at Amelia and starts to purr quietly. It blinks and then starts head-butting her hands again.

"Oh!" Viatorus had finished up his morning routine and now appears, suited in tweed with at least one strand of hair refusing to co-operate. "Here, sorry." He steps over and scoops the small cat off of Amelia's lap, ignoring that the cat has decided that this means play time and has decided to half-heartedly gnaw on his knuckles while he cradles her. "She's, ah, she's probably hungry." He goes to move away, but immediately steps back. "Oh, gosh, you must be too. I'm sorry, I don't really have anything in."

She's about to protest again about the cat's unhelpfulness when Viatorus arrives to save her from that. It's a strange sight, watching him cradle the cat while said cat tries to play with him. There's a moment when she thinks she might laugh at him, but his talk of food shifts her focus enough to prevent it.

"No, no, I'm all right. I found something to tide me over." She motions to the tray with its pot of tea and unopened package of biscuits sitting on it. ...oh, damn, she had intended on eating some of those, hadn't she? "...I guess I forgot about it when I sat down to read, though."

"You can make a start on them now that she's not bothering you," he suggests with a smile and a finger wagging towards the cat. He only pulls a small face when said finger gets bitten.

He steps into the kitchen to feed the cat, washing his hands and then returning to Amelia. "I hope she didn't annoy you too much." His smile takes on a goofy tilt and his fingers knot in a happy fidget. "Her name's Lyra. Isidor got her for me."

Well, she certainly doesn't feel hungry, but since she made the effort to find the biscuits, she should probably humor her host and have a couple. They're... not very good, but she doesn't mention that part when he returns and instead washes them down with the remaining tea in her cup as well as a few sips from a fresh cup.

"She told me she was going to do that, a few months back." Another sip of tea before she frowns down at it. "I guess I haven't spoken to you since your birthday, though, so I didn't even know she'd done so. I'm... I'm sorry about that."

It doesn't even begin to make up for all the time she could-- should have been spending with him, her closest friend in this strange place called the Nexus. But she made things awkward and rather than doing the right thing and working through it with him, she's hidden away from him. True, there were some other issues she was dealing with in the interim, but that's just an excuse and no excuse could be worth doing that to him.

Edited 2016-06-06 05:17 (UTC)

He checks the weight of the pot before pouring himself a cup of tea. Strong, but that's alright. Tea made, he sits into the armchair, rubbing one of the knuckles that Lyra had used as a pincushion. It helps distract him from the reminder of the things they've agreed to ignore.

The smile he pulls is strained but he's determined to be upbeat. "That's alright." Moving swiftly along, he asks, "Did you sleep well?"

She hates seeing those smiles. It makes her heart sink, knowing she's the cause, but she won't linger on it. He's trying to push past it and she'd rather avoid the whole subject as well.

"Very well, thank you." A beat and a small laugh. "I didn't even have a chance to take off my boots before I fell asleep. The bed was far too comfortable and I too exhausted." It would make sense, though, that someone who sleeps as much as Viatorus would have the most comfortable bed she's ever laid on - even if this one is set aside specifically for guests.

"And you? I trust you slept well, too." She offers him a small smile, trying to show she's making an effort to stay upbeat, too.

"Yes. Yes, I did." He answers with a little nod that makes his hair jiggle oddly. As soon as he's answered he can feel the awkward silence settling into the room. It's his job as host to make sure she's not uncomfortable, so he jumps into the next conversation.

"You're already reading again," he comments lightly. His eyebrows shoot up as he realises how he should have led this conversation. "Oh! How are you feeling, by the way?"

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Of course. I didn't want to wake you, so I thought I'd get more research in." It seems completely logical to her. It's how she's handled everything else at this point, too. Too early for noise in her room at the inn? Either go out or do more research. Research has a tendency to win these days, given her awful sleep schedule, so it made sense to get up and start again once she was awake.

The question gets a small smile. "I feel fine. Normal... I think." She shakes her head a bit and laughs. "I guess I don't really know what 'normal' is anymore, but I'm sure I'll figure it out in time."

There's a short beat of silence as she takes a sip of tea, before she asks, "So, when do we get started on learning control?" Somewhere in her mind she knows he's going to suggest she slow down - she vaguely remembers a conversation about that last night - but she can't help it. She finally has magic and she has no intention of slowing down now.

It might surprise her when he replies, "Oh, immediately."

Now that they're both rested and there's no immediate threat of her burning down everything around her, they need to work on making sure it stays that way. He takes a moment to sip at his tea to help him wake up a little more. To help him think this through. "Firstly I think we'll get you some more reading material. Maybe see if the library has electronic copies. That way we can get you a tablet and you won't burn it to ashes as easily." Another thoughtful sip. "And then we'll introduce you to earth properly, and then maybe water. I'll work through some techniques to help you."

It is surprising that he wants to start right away, but she won't try to stop him. If he wants to get going, it's all the better for her.

And, really, breakfast can always wait for magic.

The comment about the tablet makes her frown, though. "Oh, come on, once I've learned some control it won't matter, right? I don't need another device to keep track of, especially if I'm only using it for reading." Is she... is she pouting at him to try and get her way? Surely he's seeing things and she's just frowning at him. ~~No, that's totally a pout.~~

"Can you show me how you swim, then? After you've introduced me to water? Like you were suggesting at your birthday party?" Despite the fact that this is all very heavy material, she can't help but be excited. Not only does she have magic, she has a friend who genuinely wants to help her learn and understand it. And with someone like Viatorus on her side, surely she can move through the beginning stages of all of this quickly so she can start learning the defensive magicks she's really looking forward to.

The pout is met with a tilt of his head and a look that's only a touch stern. Or what passes for stern in Viatorus' range of expression. "You haven't learnt control yet, and you definitely haven't practiced it. I don't want you burning any more books. We'll get you a tablet."

Her next suggestion makes him pause in surprise. "Oh... Yes, I... I suppose." It takes a few beats for him to factor that into the plan forming. "But first books- No. Tablet, then books. Then introduction to the other elements. Not air, though. Not quite yet."

She sighs, perhaps a bit more dramatically than necessary. "All right. But nothing fancy. I don't need to spend too much on something like this if it's only for reading." If he thought for a second he would be helping out financially for this tablet he's suggested, he's going to be very disappointed.

But his comment about air gets her attention. "Why not air? What's so bad about it?"

It had been his plan, and that she's already trying to foil it has a frown pass briefly across his brow. He's quick to share some of his scholarly philosophy, however. "You can never spend too much on something that's for reading."

"Nothing, but I don't think you're ready for it yet." He sets his cup down again, a stalling move to help him choose his words. "I... believe your connection with fire comes from an emotional, passionate place. That's usually how people connect with fire. Water is like that too. It's an emotional, empathic element, but it's less likely to aggravate the impulsive, combustive properties of fire. It might be a way to channel your emotion into something less... explosive. Earth will help you ground yourself, and let you dictate how fast you get acquainted with your power. It will help with control."

It's not that she wouldn't be grateful for the gift, it's that it's not expected and that she has more than enough money to pay for it herself. Truly, the idea that he would simply want to buy it for her doesn't even cross her mind. "A rare book is worth its weight in gold," she agrees.

As she listens to him explain, she nods slowly. All of that makes sense, based on everything she's been reading. "Control will be good. The last thing I need is to burn down the inn." She's actually rather worried about that. Finding a new place to live would be a little further outside of her comfort zone than she's ready for right now.

But before that thought can settle in, she presses on. "I assume we're not going to practice here so I can't start anything in your home on fire?" It's a poor attempt at a joke, but she's trying and that's what counts, right? "If that's the case, we should get going, because... Oh, what's the phrase I keep hearing... 'No time like now,' or something ...right?" ...she's trying really hard today, okay?

It's with certainty that he amends, "Most books are worth their weight in gold. Knowledge, perspective, it's all invaluable."

"No time like the present," he corrects automatically. It doesn't stir him into action, however. In fact, it brings a small look of disapproval and a sigh. "You're in a rush. Why?"

"Fair." She's not very good the the perspective part, but she'll trust the man who's spent his life studying to know the truth of the matter.

"Ahh! That was it. Right." Mental note made. She'll get it next time, for sure.

His question gets a little hesitation and a slightly pained smile. "I'm a restless person. I always prefer doing something than nothing. If you need time before we get going, I can continue reading, but I'm not going to sit around doing nothing while I wait." That's not all of it, that much is obvious, but she doesn't want to start conversations they've both agreed are best left unsaid.

It's not an entirely satisfactory answer, but it will do. He tries to smooth out the creases on his brow before he speaks. "Well... You're going to have to learn a little patience with this."

He takes up his cup again to sip at it. "Magical ability is like a muscle. You have to train your body for it, you have to train your mind, and you have to set out a routine. Learning how to use it is takes time. Overextend yourself and you could hurt yourself, or other people. It's not even worth risking, because you might hurt yourself so badly that you can never use it properly again."

"All the masters of magic are patient." He holds out a hand, fingers flicking out as he counts. "Oraskis, the Archon, Nathaniel Blackmore, every Healer that has ever graced the family... They all have patience."

"Training and routines are simple enough for me. Once I get started on something, it's easy enough to make it habit." It wouldn't be the first time she's done it and it certainly won't be the last. It's slowing down while she does so that's the issue.

His dropping of names gets a raised eyebrow. "Are these names I should remember for the future...?" Viatorus has mentioned a few names in the past, but the only one that's familiar to her now is the Archon and even that's just a title. "If so, what should I know about them?"

"Can you make not pushing yourself too far a habit too?" If it hadn't been for the watchful eye of his sister and uncle, and the allure of the dreamlands, he might have studied himself into a pit. "You don't have an Isidor to remind you to eat, and I'm no good at remembering for myself let alone anyone else."

"Oh, well... You don't need to," he admits somewhat sheepishly with a small crooked smile and a shrug. "They're my family, so they're not multiversally renowned... But they are all accomplished scholars. They're the masters of magic I know best. Though I don't think you'll be touching on any of their subjects. So no, not really."

A pause. "You might learn a bit about the Archon's work, actually... Maybe... but... not until much, much later."

"...I can try." She walked right into that one, but that doesn't make his reminder any less embarrassing - or his point any less important. Her cheeks flush momentarily before she crosses her arms in front of her chest and exhales to regain her composure.

"I'm curious to know more about your family, but I won't push." Conversations about them in the past were always slightly awkward when she pushed to learn more, hence her wanting to keep her curiosity in check. "As for the rest of it, if you think it would be right for me to learn more about them or what they do, then I trust you'll tell me. If not?" She shrugs her shoulders half-heartedly. "There are always other things to speak of besides magic and family."

Amelia? Backing away from a conversation about family? Either something's very wrong or she's trying very hard to avoid touching on feelings that are still bothering her. Whatever the case may be, she's not meeting his gaze any more.

Edited 2016-06-10 04:39 (UTC)

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