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Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:31 am
Class PhilosophyNotes Worship and the Powers of the Gods
Patron Saint - could be prayed to in times of need by those it protected for guidance, strength, health, or courage. Patron saints were generally a hereditary worship. Specific families or cities would have a God or Spirit they worshipped, and in return the God or Spirit could be called upon in times of trouble.
The strength and authority of any worshipped deity is directly proportionate to how intensely the worshipper's beliefs are held and how extensively they are worshipped. Going through the motions of worship does nothing unless honest faith is possessed. In a way, Gods are co-dependent with their worshippers, yet are also above their worshippers. Deities have skills and powers that Empyreans can never achieve on their own.
There has never been a faithful who became a monster when it died.
Faith in the Gods has no bearing on whether or not they will exist, merely the strength of the connection between you and your deity. Example: If you were to try to contact a deity for assistance once, in the throes of battle to try a last ditch effort to save your life, your response from the celectial bodies would not be very strong. If however, you continueously practise your worship, and excersize your faith, like any muscle that is worked, it will become stronger.
There are those who pray to gods not because they wish to build up their Karma to receive help in times of trouble, but to justify their deeds, and use the god's power as fodder against their enemies. Example: the Outsiders collectively believe in an monotheistic deity known as Jesu. At one point in time this deity may have been the Jesus of Christianity. But like the Outsiders, the deity has become warped and malicious with time and war. The Jesu they worship now is a vindictive and cruel god, all about wroth and smiting the enemies of His people.
Jesu was worshipped by his faithful for thousands of years. As the culture changed, the interpretation of how to show one's faith gradually changed with it. The God had the choice: Abandon his faithful, as some of the older deities had done, and thus lose his worship, or adjust his power and his meanings to suit their needs. Jesu, a young, and short-sighted deity chose the latter. Each little change must have seemed nothing to Him. A small and insignificant detail in the shadow of the larger celestial sphere. But each concession for His faithful changed Him more and more. The faithful can influence a deity, but not change it by their prayer or will. That decision remains in the God's own hands, just as you all have free will to worship or not.
Many of the older deities, especially those of the pantheons have remained true to their stations, and are ready and willing to accept new faith instead of changing for the whims of some few faithful who have tried to manipulate them.
The Deity prescribes how it wishes to be worshipped. Some prefer tribute of wines or foods. Others prefer statuary made in their likeness, decked with jewels or fine fabrics. Some wish for prayer, and soft-spoken heart-felt words. Other require deeds and proofs of faith. Each deity has his or her rules and prescriptions.
The tasks that Gods can be called upon to assist with are things beyond the sphere of mortals. It would be trite and presumptuous of us to ask for help with things we could do ourselves anyways. The spells we have, the crafts we make are things that we rely upon our best to perform. The skills the Gods offer are things well beyond our scope of talents. It is not a matter of misusing the Celestial power like the Outsiders do. We remain different in our faith because of that distinction. I will not say which is the right way to worship, merely that ours is a good and just way to worship.
As an Empyrean, you cannot shirk the blame to a deity, for our existence within the circle of Karma will find a way to punish your falsehoods. You worship, if you so choose. Every time you do, you build up good karma with the deity to whom give love, devotion, patience and respect. You can then call in favours, small ones for small showings of devotion, larger favours in times of dire need if you have been supportive for a long time. You may one day find yourself in peril. In times like those, you may call to heaven for help. If you have been good, and true, the gods may find pity or love enough to answer your need.
Karma
The beginning and end to it all.
Almost everything in life follows a cyclic pattern. Examples: archaic weather systems, the flow of energy through the chakras, the cycle of oxygen and carbon dioxide in animals and plants.
Karma is also cyclic. It is impossible to live on this planet, breathe and move, and not impact something. Each choice made, each day lived making those choices, you influence the things around you, and the path you forge will perhaps allow you to encounter this person, or not, experiece this moment, or that. Attempt to be conscious of how and where we impact other matter and beings in each choice we make, large or small. To understand that connection will allow you to avoid a scenario down your life path that you'd rather avoid, or conversely, make the choices that need to be made in order to ensure that something does happen. Many types of Fortune Telling are merely high levels of understanding these pathways.
There are no coincidences.
Death
When an Empyrean dies, a number of things can happen depending on the circumstances of the death. If attacked by an Outsider's weapons - like firearms and blunt-trauma weapons - the Empyrean falls and over time, usually about two weeks, their Additions begin to reverse and disappear and fade away. This is their Essence leaving them. If attacked by the Outsider's Chemical weapons or a monster, the Empyreans Additions generally mutate and fall off the Empyrean immediately upon death. Again, the Essence if forced to strip from the Empyrean. In both of these cases, if the dead Empyrean's body is left Outside, and not recovered, they will become a Monster. Depending on how they died influences what sort of Monster they will become.
The body must be returned to Empyrean City so that the Metatrons can touch the fallen Empyrean, release their soul and take that soul back into themselves. An Empyrean might be reborn, if their soul is given by the Metatron to a new husk, or an Empyrean might rest at peace with the other fallen of our alignment.
If the Empyrean who falls had a patron Deity to whom they prayed, their body does not lose its additions after two weeks, and never becomes a monster. These Empyreans are safely returned to the Metatron and saved from a worse fate.
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Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:14 pm
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 12:51 pm
Haunted House - Oct 07 It seems the theme we Melancholies came up with was too frightening for our fellows. This disappoints me as the rooms were well set up and, in paritcular, I liked mine. Setting up the spells and props was intense work and am I glad I got the opportunity to watch such casting. I went through the Phlegmatic room and Sanguine room with Danna but neither really appealed to me. I had to cast my vote, however, and cast it with Sanguine as their source of inspiration for the event was ingenious and the rooms well tailored for their purpose. For placing last in the line up, all the melancholies were awarded this prize. It's a nice mask and I think I may wear it some time.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 8:22 am
Metatron Council Event
What a confusing and high tension turn of events! As the clues came through I tried to piece them together but I am afraid my help was in time or enough. I must make an effort to be more useful to my fellows... as long as Cyphr doesn't start yelling again.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:25 pm
Third RP Session - To Be Named
Astaroth was in the midst of studying, sequestered away in one of the empty classrooms he frequently used for studying. They were quiet and out of the way, with little interruption. However, the musty tome before him didn't look as appealing as it normally did, his gaze flicking up to the door periodically as he waited. Danna should be dropping off those cookies sometime around now and he found he was looking forward to it moreso then he expected. He had good reason to, too. He'd found the perfect item to help Danna's hair stay off her face - a way to prevent her's hair's annoying tendency to flop into her face. It would get rid of his urge to tuck it back anytime he saw it happen, he thought - or hoped, anyways. Frowning as the door refused to open, he returned to his book, slowly but surely working down the page.
Danna scurried towards the classroom as quickly and carefully as she could. She had the steaming plate in both hands, oven-mitts still in place. She was trying to go quickly, but she feared that the cookies might spill from the floor. She reached the door and realized she couldn't open the door. Eventually, she just cleared her voice and called out "'Taroth...?"
He looked up, wondeirng why her voice was so muffled then frowned as he realized that the door was still closed. Should couldn't open the door herself? That both her hands might be occupied didn't occur to him. After an exasperated sigh, he turned to the book to finish the page. A moment later, he was at the door and swinging it open, a curious expression on his features, "Why can't y-" Oh, that was why. He shook his head, and smiled, inhaling the pleasant fragrance as he stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. "Those look good. Didn't burn yourself did you? The plate looks awfully hot..." He asked, concerned that in the trek here she might have burned her forearms.
She shook her head smiling, and stepped into the room. "No, the oven mitts kept me quite safe. By now they should be the perfect temperature." She set the plate carefully down on the table and and turned, clasping the oven mitts together in front of her. "Go ahead, please try them!"
He nodded, smiling, as he sat down. "Gingersnaps right? After you though, you made them you get first bite." Astaroth nodded, sniffing at their delectable fragrance. Laughing, he waited for Danna to take one, "My mouth is actually watering. These must be good."
"They're not my favourite for nothing!" Danna replied, laughing. She slipped her hand from the mitts and gingerly picked one of the plates and nibbled the edge of it. Her eyelashes flutteredclosed as she savoured the warm sugary taste as it melted in her mouth.
He watched her a moment, taking pleasure in her reaction and wondering if they were indeed that good. Taking one, he bit into it and chewed slowly, thoughtfully. As the cookies crumbled in his mouth he made a greatful sound, popping the remained of the delicious morsel in his mouth, savoring the delightful flavor. "Mmmm...." His only response, it was obvious he had thoroughly enjoyed the treat.
Danna watched him carefully, holding her breath, refusing to blick, to catch every milisecond of his reaction. When he'd finished one cookie, she took a step towards him. "Well...how are they?" She asked, her voice a bare whisper, trepid and careful.
He grinned, truly grinned. It was a goofy expression, one his face was not accumstomed to. "You're a very good cook, Danna! May I have some more?" He asked very politely, eyes sparkling with delight. "Absolutely delightful! Thank-you very much." He nodded, eyeing the plate. They were indeed as good as Danna had said they were. It made him smile brightly.
"Oh, have as many as you want," She replied joyously, sliding the plate closer to him, and tugging at her hair with the other hand. "I made them all for you." She was ecstatic, beaming to see that he enjoyed them, happy beyond reason to see she'd been able to share something she loved with him. "I'd happily make you dinner sometime, if you'd like..."
He blinked, "What? All for me?" His brows arched up high as his gaze slid from the plate to her, "Are you trying to fatten me up? It won't work, you know." He winked, teasing. Nonetheless, he took a few more and nibbled happily on them. He hadn't tasted anything this good in a long while. At her last comment, he tilted his head to the side, "Pardon me? Dinner?" He paused, thinking. He wasn't usually busy in the evenings, being a keen student and finishing his studying in the afternoons. "Alright, I think I can do that. Do you have a specific date in mind?" He continued, nodding as he munched on the cookies he'd taken.
Danna nearly squee'd with excitement, as she'd heard Pyou do many a time. "Whenever you're hungry, I'm more than willing to cook!" Danna beamed, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. "What kind of foods do you like?" She wondered what sort of foods Astaroth prefered. She wondered if it would be something refined and elegant. If so, she'd need to practise a great deal to make sure it was perfect for him. Everything would need to be perfect.
"What kinds of foods I like?" He laughed, sitting back in his chair to truly think on this. He bit the knuckle of his index finger as her thought. A good, refreshing salad was definitely something he enjoyed - with grapes and sunflower seeds. Charbroiled chicken was a favourite, with the right spices it made a very tasty meal and one of the few he'd take the time to savor. "I enjoy salads, freshly cut fruit or vegetables, charbroiled chicken, nuts, and steak with garlic-buttered prawns." He paused, quietly adding the last things, "And nachos.” A self-concious laugh tugged at his lips at that. Nachos were essentially the opposite of the others but a very welcome comfort food that he rarely indulged in. "Why do you ask?"
Danna smiled, maknig a mental list, and itching to write down notes to herself. "I want to compose the perfect meal for you." She answered honestly. "A full-course meal, with appetizers, main course and desert that you will love... I hope I do achieve that, at least." She finished not nearly as strongly as she began her sentiments, but the desire remaind, the need to please him, the enjoyment of his satisfaction lighting up her world.
He couldn't help but smile, "My dear, I don't expect you to go out on a limb for me! I appreciate your efforts with you slaving over something." He gestured at the cookies, "These for instance, are perfect. And they're just cookies. Please don't take time away from your schedule for me. You're much more important." He nodded, taking the opportunity to dash over the pile of books that hid small elegant box. Pausing, he waved at her, "Close your eyes, please. I can't do anything until you do." He hoped she'd like what he'd helped make her.
Danna's eyebrows rose qizzically, but she obediantly closed her eyes and stood very still. "Why am I closing my eyes, 'Taroth?" She asked, trying to think over the items in the room, to see if she'd missed anything obvious, but nothing came to mind. Terribly curious, she tried to open her other senses to full awareness.
"You'll see." He answered cyptically, taking the little box and returning to where they were sitting. He didn't understand why he was suddenly caught up in worry over whether or not she would accept the gift. It was just an ornament, a gift so that her hair wouldn't fall in her face nearly as often. Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts and his unsure expression, and stood before her, "Hold out your hands."
Obediently, Danna held out her hands, the curiosity burning at her mind. "What are you up to?" She asked, unable to prevent the smile from curling across her face.
He remained silent as he gingerly placed the wooden box in her upturned palms and folded her hand over the box. His hands lingered for the briefest of moments before pulling back. Astaorth sat down and arranged himself in the most composed manner he could, draping himself across the chair elegantly, a slight smile turning the edges of his mouth up, "Go ahead." What would she say? Anything? He hoped she'd say something at the very least.
Danna slowly opened her eyes and saw Astaroth watching her before she looked down into her hands. Gingerly she brought to close to her chest and carefully opened it up. There, gleaning inside the box was a hair comb, glowing with a golden apple as it's centrepiece. Danna stared at it in awe, her eyes wider than she could have believed they could go. "'Taroth..." She breathed, barely speaking. "'Taroth...this is so beautiful..." She stood shock still, turning her gaze in awe from Astaroth to the box in her hands and back again.
He grinned and visibly relaxed, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "You.... you'll accept it?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, hoping Danna wouldn't faint from lack of because it didn't seem like she was breathing very much. "Are you alright?" He asked, concerned. That would be the last thing he'd want....
"Well, yes, I love it...but why have you gone to such trouble?" She asked, clearly flustered, her cheeks rising in colour. She carefully set the box down and gently lifted the comb out. She tilted it this way and that, admiring the grain of the wood, the glint of the golden apple, the long, elegant teeth of the comb itself. Such craftsmanship she appreciated fully.
"I..." He paused, wondering if he should lie or speak the truth. Sighing, he dismissed the thought immediately. You couldn't expect truthfulness from others if you weren't honest yourself, "I find your hair falling in your face all the time annoying. It obscures your features... and your eyes." He blinked. Now why had he said that? It was true, but still. Chewing on his lower lip, Astaroth quietly continued, "I wanted a Golden Apple because you said you identified with Indun. The little chips are supposed to look like leaves of an apple tree...." He trailed off to watch her admire the piece, glad to see she was enjoying it.
Danna chuckled nervously to herself. "Yes, my hair is terrible to deal with at the best of times..." She smiled, glowing to herself as she stepped up to him. "Would you..." she paused, swallowing. "would you help me with it?" She asked holding the comb out to him and nearly brick red in the face.
He laughed, "Why are you blushing? It's only a gift between friends." He smiled as he took the comb and motioned for her to get a little closer so he could put it in without poking her. "Oh, it matches you quite well. I'm glad. It will look wonderful on you." He waited for her to arrange her hair as she wanted it before sliding the piece in smoothly, jostling it a biit to see if it was too loose.
Danna looked up slowly, the culprit strands of hair twisted up and tucked away in the delicate tongs of the comb. "How..." she began, her voice faltering slightly. "How does it look?" She asked, her eyes wide and ready for ridicule or reprimand, chewing her bottom lip slightly.
"I don't know." He replied, smiling mischeiviously as he stepped away like an artist would once they're finished a painting, "You look stunning." He bowed slightly, sweeping a hand out, "Like a royal figure." He was joking but sincere as well. She really did look very good, though his attention was more on her face then the gift, "Beautiful now that I can actually she your face."
Danna actually squeaked. She had meant to say thank you, but instead, that pitiful, embarrassing squeak. "I...'Taroth, thank you..." She spoke heartfelt and hurriedly, hoping to mask the squeak she'd made. She took his hand and gave it a warm squeeze. "I will wear it proudly." She beamed up at him, feeling her cheeks were still brick red and burning.
Astaroth chuckled, finding the squeak incredibly cute. He had to bite the interior of his lower lip to keep from breaking out into a broad grin as he noticed that her blush had only gotten worse. To try to diffuse that, he held up a cookie, "I'd be honored if you would. Cookie?" He nibbled on another. "You're very welcome. Think of it as a thank-you gift for the cookies and dinner."
"Oh, no, you needn't thank me. I'd do it if only for an excuse to be near you." She shook her head, laughing softly, and paused, marveling at the fact that her hair was not in her face. "Why, 'Taroth... It works!" She let out a delighted laugh then and smiled up at him.
He closed his eyes briefly, smiling slightly, "You don't need an excuse. I've come to enjoy being around you." Gesturing to the cookies, he laughed, "Of course, if you come bearing gifts it's all the better. I'll have to do something for you though, it's not right that you do all this and I get to enjoy it." He frowned, pausing as an idea struck him, "What you think of cooking that dinner together? That way it's not nearly as much work for you."
"I'd...I'd love to cook with you! 'Taroth, I simply -love- sharing my passions with you. I enjoy it so much, to show you the things I do in my study time! I'd simply love to!" Danna clasped both hands about Astaroth's and beamed, the blush subsided to a rosey glow on her cheekbones.
He backed up a little, scooting the chair's legs back a few inches and gently removed his hands from Danna's. Enthusiam was great but she was beginning to invade his personal space and it made a shadow of annoyance flicker across his features. His smile was thin, but there, "I'm sure it will be entertaining." With all of the active things she was doing, pulling him into, he was beginning to feel more then a little cloistered. Perhaps he could convince her to join in a practice session for his magic. Lately, he'd been practicing mudras and had found it a relaxing exercise. Something that Danna might enjoy.
Danna took a deep breath and began to calm herself. She was getting ahead of herself, and as she began to make progress in her friendship with Astaroth she was opening up more and more. Still, she felt as though she should be careful and she made a conscious note to step back, to let go of his hand, to calm herself down. "I'm...sorry." She murmured hastily, wincing slightly as she saw his smile thin. "I...got carried away."
He nodded once, brightening once again as she moved back. "You're forgiven." Astaroth offered a smile, as a sort of apology. He just didn't like getting very close to anyone, even Danna. It just rubbed him the wrong way. Though he mentally smacked himself when she winced - he liked her company and wanted to be around her and she was a physical person. He'd have to get used to it if he wanted to be around her. Shutting her down every time wasn't progressive at all. The more he thought the more he looked disappointed in himself. He was Astaroth. More then capable of adapting to situations. Why couldn't get just let Danna hold his hands? It made her happy.... and that's what counted wasn't it? He bit his lower lip in frustration, angry at himself.
"are you...sure you're all right?" Danna asked with growing concern. He looked decidedly upset about something. Had she done something wrong? It must have been her, he'd seemed perfectly fine before she'd stepped so close. Frettfully she took another step back and began to compulsively fiddle with the strap of her satchel. She darted her gaze about, raking her brain for the right thing to say or do. But with Astaroth she often found herself double-guessing, confounded and unsure. She stood awkwardly in silence.
Astaroth glanced up, his hard expression softening immediately as he saw her in distress, "I'm...." He didn't want to admit it but he couldn't help it as he sensed how confused she was. It didn't become her at all, making him frown all the more, "I... I'm angry at myself." There he'd said it. Not very elegantly but he'd said it. He didn't like seeing her so distraught and immediately felt even worse for causing her worry. Rising, he opened his arms to her, "It's not you, Danna. It's me. I know you're a very hands on person.... I just don't seem to be able to handle that." He stopped, and bit his tongue, that's not the vein he wanted to follow so he tried again, "What I mean is I... I'm upset with myself for not being able to hold you as you want. As I want." He sighed, believing he wasn't being very clear at all, "I'm sorry." His arms were still spread, almost beckoning, and he resolved that if she came to him he wouldn't shy away. Wouldn't hurt her again. This was his problem, not hers.
Danna still looked confused, but at least her worries were allayed, and she relaxed somewhat, taking a single step back towards him and offering a warm smile. "I'm not sure who is more awkward out of the two of us," She said softly. "Me with attempting to not touch, and you trying to touch..."
He smiled at that, "Meet in the middle then. It's most logical." As he spoke he dropped his and stepped forward. "It's at least a starting point." Astaroth stood there, accepting the critique meekly, not sure what else he could do. It wasn't as simple as relaxing, like before - or at least he didn't think it was. Breathing deeply, he let the tension ease from his shoulders and his eyes fulttered closed.
Danna wasn't sure if Astaroth had been speaking literally or metaphorically, and so, watching him carefulyl she stepped forward herself, so that she was mere inches from him and breathed deeply of his delicate fragrance, the one that reminded her so much of lillies and rain.
Astaroth mere nodded and took a cookie - he'd had quite a few now, it seemed. He wondered at that as he bit small pieces off, glancing from Danna and back again. Not that he was going to complain. Moving so that he could push a chair up behind her, he motioned for her to sit before replacing his chair where it had been so that they were close. Their knees would touch if both sat down. Smiling, he did just that. "Have a seat."
Danna took a tentative seat, still watching Astaroth with eyes that were expecting something miraculous to happen. She wasn't sure what, but something seemed to be happening, and Danna felt as though she were missing the point entirely. She shifted her satchel as she slid to cofort on the chair, lifting it into her lap so that it would not cross the invisible line etween the chairs and bump Astaroth. Her knees met slightly to one side and her flat-soled shoes touched toe to toe on the floor beneath the chair, with heels angled out.
He laughed, "I'm not going to -do- anything. I just want to be close." He watched her curiously, wondering if she expected him to do something. The look in her eyes certainly said as much, compelling him to think of anything to do so that wonderful shine in her eyes wouldn't dull. Touch. She liked touching... but what that wouldn't upset him immediately? His gaze fell to his hands where they stayed, as though trying to read some sort of invisible instruction in them. He should do something at the very least... curling his fingers and then flexing them, he suddenly had an idea. "Did you want to learn a mudra? After you mentioned them, I looked them up and learned a couple. Mainly ones that help with relaxation and awareness. The other ones I'd rather wait for the class before attempting." He reached out, had hovering over hers, seeking permission first. Astaroth could help but smile, he would work on not shying away from the touch of others but doubted he'd ever be able to simply touch without asking.
Danna nodded eagerly, watching his hands for instruction. "Yes, I'd love to!" She replied, easing into relaxation again. She held both of her hands up and then looked at him. "How should I start?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:38 pm
Fourth RP Session - To Be Named Danna hummed softly to herself, very softly, as she was not very good at keeping a tne, and laid the ingredients they would need out on the countertop. She primed the stove and carefully set a heavy cast iron saucepan on the coiled element. She waved her hand over the pan and smiled at the heat rising from it. She turned to Astaroth and smiled. "Which parts would you like to do??"
"What would you have me do? I haven't cooked before, merely eaten what has already been prepared." He stood before Danna watching her move around, following the various steps carefully the familiar frown of concentration upon his features. "I could cut something I suppose... or mix the sauce." He spoke slowly, tone thoughtful. Cooking couldn't be that difficult could it?
Danna smiled up at the other. "Well, the mushrooms need to be chopped and sauteed, and the tomatoes need to be crushed. I'll attend to the herbs. There's also the noodles..." She lowered a heavy collander of salted water onto another element and wiped her hands on a tea towel. She moved to stand next to him at the cutting board and looked over the ingredients. "How about you peel the garlic for me?"
He nodded and took the clove of garlic, peeling the papery layers away like an onion. When the wedge within was exposed he took it and wrinkled his nose as the strong odor wafted into the air, holding it at arm's length, he worked at peeling it. Glancing over for approval, he frowned as his eyes watered, "Is it supposed to be this... strong?"
Danna sniffed the smell of the garlic reverently. "Oh yes!" She beamed, stifling a giggle at Astaroth's expense. "You'll need to chop it up into tiny pieces..." she said over her shoulder as she poured some olive oil intot he heating saucepan. "And, 'Taroth, if you think that's bad, I'll have to get you to peel the onions!" Danna let out a peel of cheerfl laughter, and beamed a loving smiling at him.
"Oh..." He selected a knife and began chopping the wedge into even little pieces, making sure to be careful that he didn't slice his long fingers. He was finished quickly enough and stuck the knife back into the block as he turned to send an unimpressed glance Danna's way. It was a harmless one though as his lips were curled into a self-concious smirk. "You won't see me cry, you know." I hope, he added silently while he reached for a good sized onion.
Danna smiled openly and glanced at him from where she was prodding the tiny pieces of garlic through the bubbling olive oil with a wooden spatula. "What would it matter if you cried?" Danna asked, her voice both eassuring and curious. "I wouldn't think the less of you for it."
"Crying isn't becoming. For anyone." He responded as he peeled the onion and bit his lip as the tears immediately sprung to his eyes. Blinking furiously, Astaroth shook his head, "How do you want this cut?" He set it down and rubbed the sides of his face with the heels of his hands, wincing as the smell on his fingers only worsened the tears. "You're enjoying this aren't you?" He asked dryly, frowning.
Danna blinked at him. "I'm enjoying your company, 'Taroth. But...if you'd rather not, I can do it. Here..." She passed him a glass of icce water with lemon. "Just have a seat. I'll do it." Danna moved over to take the knife from him, giving one last stir to the browning garlic.
"No... I'll do it." He refused to let go of the knife even though she took it, "I didn't say I wouldn't." He smiled briefly, blinking away the onion-induced tears. He didn't move the instrument though, afraid of hurting Danna if something might go amiss. He set the glass down on the counter before him and patted her shoulder, "I want to help, learn. How else am I to improve so I can better assist next time?"
Danna shrugged slowly and back up, returning to the stove. "I don't want you to push yourself if you aren''t enjoying it." Danna smiled unsurely, hoping he was having fun, though she doubted it. She began work on cruushing the fresh tomatoes, buut continued to cast careful glances at Astaroth, in case he was in need of assistance.
He laughed, "I'm not pushing myself, believe me. I just didn't know food could be so.... ah, strong." Astaroth merely breathed deeply and chopped the onion while holding his breath. At last it was done and he guided the bits into a bowl that he then handed to her, "Anything else?" He asked cheerfully in an attempt to dispel the uncertain atmosphere that had descended upon the kitchen, "Can we...do anything together?"
Danna looked up startled, her cheeks blushing a little. "Together?" She repeated, thinking. "Well, while I work on the sauce, you could put the noodles on, the water should be boiling by now..." Danna smiled, pleased by the idea of having him closer to her, but wondering vaguuely if the heat from the stove would bother her friend.
He nodded, and dropped the noodles into the boiling water, waving away the curling tendrils of steam as he made sure each strand was well covered. The warmth made his skin turn a deeper hue wasn't all that uncomfortable. Astaroth watched the pot for a moment before turning the heat down and replacing the lid, "There. How long should they cook?" He asked over his shoulder as he sipped the refreshing lemon water.
Danna replied without glancing up from the simmering tomatoes, slowly sprinkling in ground beef. "About ten minutes, as the noodles are rather fresh." She looked up and smiled. "would you grate some parmesan fr the sauce?" she asked sweetly, once again retrning to being at ease.
Astaroth made a note of the time and shifted to grate the cheese but found the grater wasn't out. Frowning, he bent to check the cupboards where he was working but found only bowls and other vessels. He continued searching and ended up beside Danna, "Excuse me, I'm looking for the grater." He leaned in and opened the door she standing before and grinned as he spotted the glint of rough metal, "Ah! There it is. I don't suppose you'd stepp back so I can get it?" He looked up, eyes smiling moreso then his face. He was really beginning to enoy this - especially since the cheese wasn't nearly as hard on his nose as the garlic was.
Danna peered down at him gigglnig to herself. She sashayed aside with as much grace as she could muster, which turned into more of a cute bobbing side-step. The smell of the chopped onion and garlic soft and browned in the olive oil was mixing with the smell of the simmering bayleaves, tomato, basil, pepper and beef to create a delicious aroma. Danna tasted the edge of the spatula to see what else she could add. "'Taroth, give this a taste and let me know if it needs more alt..." she murmured, holding the instrment out to him, and holding a cupped hand beneath to catch any drips.
He grinned, her movements amusing as she danced to the side. "Thank-you." He removed the grater and looked up as she asked for him to taste the sauce. He paused, a brow lifting, but he stood and tasted the proffered morsel without taking the spoon. He smiled happily, "That's good! Excellent once again, Danna." He beamed at her, "Though I think perhaps a bit more salt or pepper would make it perfect." Without looking back, he returned to his work station and began grating the cheese, creating a decent-sized pile. He'd thrown a towel over his shoulder and rubbed his fingers against it to remove the residue of the cheese once he'd transferred the shredded bits to a bowl. "I add that to the sauce then?" He asked as he turned around.
"Danna was adding some cruushed salt when he offered the bowl. "Half now..." Danna replied, stirring the sauce so he could add it in gradually. "We'll use the remainder for topping the noodles. I lvoe cheese." Danna smiled, and bounced a little on the balls of her feet. She was looking forward to this, and he mouth had begun to water...
He nodded and smiled as he gradually added the cheese, inhaling deeply of the absolutley delicious smell rising from the mixture, "If this tastes as good as it smells, I think I'll love cheese too." He set the bowl down and checked the noodles, swirling them around with a spaghetti spoon he'd found lying beside stove. "Oh, they're almost ready!" He sounded excited.
Danna eered over his shoulder to look at them. "How do you like them, 'Taroth? al Dente, or well done?" Danna eased a steaming noodle out of the pot and proceeded to bat it back and forth between her fingers, blowing fuuriously on it to cool it, and then sucked the thin noodle between puursed lips. Right now it was still the slightest bit chewy, mmn how she loved pasta!
"al Dente?" He asked, turning slightly a quizzical expression on his face, "What does that me-" He broken into a grin as she batted the noodle back and forth, forgetting to keep his hand above the edge of the pot. He jumped as the pot stung him and immediately sucked on the little welt, "Maybe the kitchen isn't for me...". He mumbled around the finger, replacing the lid with his other hand.
Danna let out a little noise of alarm. "'Taroth! your hand! Are you all right?" Danna reached both fluttering hands forward to draw burn into the light so that she could see how bad it was. "Cold water for you," she scolded the burn as if it had done something terribly naughty. She ran the tap until it was quite ice cold and gently manouvered Astaroth's burn under the cold stream. "Do you need some salve?" danna asked, full of caring concern.
He merely watched her with a look of surprise, the pain subsided quickly as she stuck his hand under the icey water, the chilly temperature soothing the burn immediately. "Thank-you. No... I'm fine I think." He reached forward and drew her hand away so he could turn his hand a little, "So much for grace..." He smiled wryly, shaking his head as he berated himself for such a careless action.
Danna smiled, though it was partly a wince. "That makes us a dangerous pair." She commented, knowing she'd already displayed her lack of agility. "Shall I serve the food?" she asked, still following his hand with her eyes. ""Or would you like to wait a little...are you suure you're all right?" She asked, unale to help herself from worrying for him.
He frowned, shaking his hand and removing it from the ice water, "I'm fine. You go sit down. I'll serve. You've done all the work, you deserve a rest." He nodded, his tone leaving no room for discussion. "Don't worry, alright?" The latter was spoken more softly, reassuring in it's gentleness.
Danna nodded obediently and removing the tea towel from her sholder, left it on the conter as she drifted to the far side to take a seat. "As long as you're really okay, I won't worry." She said with a caring smile. Suddenly she rose to her feet. "Oh! Beverages! What can I get you to drink, 'Taroth?" Danna inquired, her own voice soft and intimate.
He smiled as he glanced over, "Anything. I'm not picky - I usually just drink water." He shifted around, serving the noodles and artfully poured the sauce over them, tucking a sprig of basil into the nest as a finishing touch. Making sure everything was perfect, he nodded and turned to serve the plates he'd just made up. "Ready?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:47 pm
Fifth RP Session - To Be Named
Danna set upright in her chair, looking over the finished sketch Astaroth and she had worked together on. In her hands was a conté and pastel sketch of vibrant greens and browns. In glittering gold foil, Danna had painstakingly pressed golden apples into the braches of Yygdrasil's form. "Well," She murmured to her partner. "Do you think she's ready for Incubation yet?"
He leaned forward, looking the piece over. It was beutiful and graceful and very obviously well thought out. The melancholy couldn't help but smile and nod, "It looks perfect. But is that what you incubate? That picture?" He frowned slightly, turning his gaze from the art to her.
Danna nodded. "In a sense... The actual Golem Shard is inserted into the Crucible and the image is shown to the crucible, as the Technician instructs the growing Golem as to its protocol and such." She smiled at the picture.
"So the technician coaxes the Golem's form from the shard like that? Programming it?" He tilted his head, intrigued by the idea, "Does the technician use magic or simply stand there and read a description of what the Golem is supposed to be?"
"I'm not really sure about -that- part of it..." Danna murmured, a little sad she didn't have a better answer. "But I'm sure it makes a difference... If Dameron were to read to it, I think it would leap from the crucible in a matter of moments!" Danna laughed softly, but after she made her joke she began to ponder if it might have some amount of truth in it.
He nodded, what she said made sense even though it was just hyphothesizing. "Interesting idea. Then would singing and using bardic magic influence the golem as well? Make it more inclined to the musical arts or stronger in that aspect?" Astaroth looked thoughtful as the possibilities unfolded in his mind. "You've certainly chosen an impressive field of study, Danna." He spoke with pride for her as he smiled, nodding.
Danna laughed a little sheepsihly. "It's actually kind of daunting. The more I learn about it, the more I realize i've bitten off quite a sizeable chunk!" She grinned and unconsciously fonud one of his hands to hold. "If Yygdrasil's all ready, we could submit her to Raelyn to be made..."
He laced his fingers with hers. This simple touch was beginning to feel normal to him, and he found he was happier for it. "Perhaps but I've faith in you. You're very capable once you set your mind to something." He smiled, "Do we go to the Teacher's Lounge or is there some other room where we submit the request?"
Danna smiled up at him, grateful for his faith. It bolstered her when she felt afraid, calmed her when she felt daunted. She gave his hand a little squeeze. "We take it to Raelyn in the Teacher's Lonuge, since we're Zeroes. Once we're Ones we'd be able to take it to Euphrasia herself."
"Ah. After you then." He rose and, like a gentleman, assisted her up. With a sweeping gesture, he guided her forward, "Do you know how long it will take for the Golem to incubate?" He was curios and excited, something that shone through in his expressive eyes.
Danna smiled brightly as she realized she actually knew the answer to this question. "1 week, if I'm not mistaken." She took his elegant lead and shifted her trusty satchel over her shoulder, feeling a little silly.
He blinked, surprised, "Only one week?" He shifted as they walked, drawing closer to her so that he could slip an arm around her waist. He'd seen other couple doing the same thing and wondered if it was much like holding hands. It wasn't too much contact, he found, just a... more intimate version of holding hands. He smiled thoughtfully.
Danna flushed, heart rate slowly pumping faster as she felt him confidently slip an arm about her waist. She pulled tight on the reigns of her imagination, so as not to completely lose her composure and nodded. "I'm pretty sure. It's a lot of hard work. From what I've discovered, the Technicians have to stay awake and work constantly for those seven days, coaxing life out of the Shard."
He nodded, "Not as simple as one might expect, then. It's an intriguing concept." He could understand staying awake for days at a time - he'd done it a few times before when something caught his undivided attention. He'd forget to eat or sleep, usually, both and fall asleep amongst the pile of books a few days later. "How do they stay awake? Meditation? Spells?"
Danna nodded thoguhtfully. "How they do it varies from person to person, but I've read records of people using everything from Booster Packs, to Potions, to Chakra and Mudra Work, to even keeping attendants int he room to keep them awake. " She pondered. "I'm not sure what I'll end up doing..."
"Has any particular method of study appealed you? Some way that you've found yourself awake for hours?" He asked, frowning slightly, "Have you tried any of those things you just mentioned?"
Danna thought carefully before she answered. "Actually...I haven't. I sleep rather well, and regularily. I think a Booster pack would work for me, in combination with some Potions... But it's hard to say because I've never tried." Danna looked up at him.
He nodded, pausing to think over what he was saying. 'Practice not sleeping' seemed a crude way to put it. "Experiment. You'll find something, I'm sure." He smiled wryly, imaging the loud and boisterous Cyphr acting as a means to keep anyone awake. The smile turned into a frown, however, as he considered how much of a distraction the sanguine might be as well. Clearing his thoughts, he
At this mention of a Golem of her own Danna's face came to life,h er eyes bright, and she began to talk with her hands. "Oh yes! My Radical! He's almost ready to go in himself, actually. I just need to formalize his final physical design, but I've already selected a protocol and a skill set for him." She smiled happily. She was more than a little excited for him.
He ended up letting go of her as she waved her arms about, frowning. Leaning back so she wouldn't smack him in the face, "Ah. Do you have your references with you? I'd like to see what you have planned after we've dropped my Golem off, if you don't mind."
Danna folded her hands purposefully around the strap of her satchel. "Sorry, I'm...I'm excited." She cleared her throat and nodded. "I'd really love to go over his design with you, if you'd have the patience for it."
He shook his head, "It's quite alright." He was pleased to her so excited. "It's a good thing you're worked up over your Golem, it wouldn't be right if you weren't, otherwise.
"And I've the patience if you've the time." He nodded, starting forward once more, keeping close but as close as before. Still... he frowned, unsure as to the reason why discontent that had settled within him. He gazed at her thoughtfully. Touch wasn't that important, was it? With a soft sigh, he turned his thoughts away and dismissed the feeling, blaming it on the strange impulses he'd been having recently. Danna seemed to be able to stir them up and it both intrigued and... frightened the boy. He liked rigid self-control, it was a mark capability to him.
Danna smiled up at him, seemingly oblivious to his inner turmoil. "I've certainly got the time. You're my favourite person to be with, afterall." She smiled against and pressed lightly ont he tip on his nose with one outstretched finger.
His gaze followed her finger and he blinked as he was momentarily cross-eyed. Flushing, he quirked a brow at her, "That's reassuring as I love the time I spend with you. It would be somewhat difficult if you disliked my company, I think." He reached up and took her finger, folding it against her hand as he kissed the top of it in a reflexive action. And again! He shook his head, laughing softly, "You've changed me, Danna. For the better."
Danna smiled up at him. "And you've changed me, too, 'Taroth. Very much for the better. We're growing together, you and I. I hope we'll always remain together. If we do, if we're able, I think we'll achieve our dreams." She smiled wrapping her arm about his waist, assuming that if he'd done it first it was safe enough ground to venture on.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:01 pm
Astaroth rose early, as he normally did, and slipped past the sleeping form of Danna. He didn’t know why he’d agreed last night but the choice was made and he found he didn’t regret it. Fixing himself up and getting dressed properly (he wasn’t one to lounge in pajamas all day), the melancholy settled into his desk chair. For a long moment he watched Danna, thinking, before he turned to his desk nd opened the cover to a novel he’d recently borrowed from the library. But he couldn’t really concentrate – too much was on his mind – so that he ended up staring at the page as his thoughts shuffled about. He’d been comfortable…. content….. Sighing, he tossed his head and absently turned the page after reading it for the fourth time.
Danna murmured in her sleep and rolled over, snuggling deeper into the blankets of the bed. She was having the most pleasant of dreams, a sunlight afternoon, a pale hand on hers... She nuzzled the pillow beneath her cheek and smiled contentedly as the dream ended and she began to drift towards a more wakeful state. She'd never slept so soundly in living memory.
As she stirred, he looked over, wondering if she was awake. … which she apparently wasn’t. Tilting his head to the side, he couldn’t help the soft smile that settled into his features – her expression was completely endearing. He could get used to waking up to that…. To her. After a moment, he padded over to his bed and sat on the edge, leaning over her, “Are you awake…?” He spoke softly in case she wasn’t so he wouldn’t startle her into wakefulness. Though he didn’t realize it, he was still smiling.
Danna slowly opened her eyes, inhaling a deep breath as she did. She stretched her arms out from under the blanket and stretched her toes out under the blanket. "Mmmmn." she meeped a soft sound as she stretched and stifled a small yawn.
“Sleep well?” He asked, sitting back. Astaroth leaned forward a little, resting his elbows on his thighs. He yawned, blinking, before returning to his seat so she’d have room to move about.
"Very well, thank you." Danna sat up slowly, fingering the soft blankets and smiling around the room. "Thank you, 'Taroth..." She repeated softly, meaning her words.
He paused, brows drawing down slightly, “You’re welcome?” He hadn’t done anything… Expression slightly puzzled, he tilted his head to the side, watching her. “In any case, good morning.” He offered a smile as he turned his chair completely around to face her.
Danna smiled and pulled herself out of bed, pulling the edges of her shirt down over her frilly panties. "I meant, thank you for letting me stay the night, 'Taroth. I know you must have been reluctant... I want you to know how much I appreciate your trust in me." Danna smiled happily and padded barefoot over to the chair where he sat.
“Ah.” He nodded, understanding, and reached out to her as she came over, “You’re welcome then.” As she drew closer, he took her hand. In truth, he’d been nervous and not quite sure what to do but as nothing happened and she was simple there, he’d relaxed. He was relaxed now, as well. Comfortable. It seemed the more he was exposed to such encounters the more he could adapt, get used to it. As his gaze playing over her, he was unable to stop himself as he playfully pulled her down so he could kiss her gently on the lips. “I do trust you.” Relaxed indeed.
Danna smiled and kissed him back, one hand sliding up his arm to rest at his neck. She pulled near to his side and peered down at the book. "Studying already?" Danna asked, looking about for a clock, wondering how late she'd slept. It felt as though she'd slept her life's quota all at once.
He turned about to look at the book, “Yes. It’s what I do most of the time, when I’m not with you. I don’t really know anyone nor do I really have any desire to go out and ‘make friends’. From what I’ve seen in class, they’ve all got their circles – no need to add one more.” He smiled, shrugging, “Besides, it means I have more time to study and catch-up.” Astaroth gestured to the pile of ith his crisp writing covering them and the spread of Tarot Cards nearby, sketchy diagrams, and various other notes.
Danna peered over the busy workdesk, precise Astaroth-style piles here and there. She smiled. "Truth be told, that's much the same as my free time." She hadn't really made a great number of friends. But whenever she found she had time to herself she always sought out the same small group of people. She had no desire for more than the few very intimate friends that she had.
He laughed, “That’s a pleasant thought. It’s good to know I’m not alone in my views.” He hooked an arm about her waist, pursing his lips thoughtfully. “It’s well into the morning, are you hungry? I only have a fruit here…. Did you want to go get something or stay here?” He wasn’t particularly hungry – he rarely ate breakfast – but he wanted to make sure Danna was alright. Astaroth might be able to skip meals but Danna might not.
Danna thought about it. She'd jsut woken, and her metabolism hadn't kicked into gear yet. "I'm not that hungry yet." She replied thoughtfully. "But perhaps later as we get hungry we can hve lunch together?"
“Alright.” He replied, also thoughtful. What now? He didn’t want to return to studying… it would be like shutting her out, which he wanted to avoid. Shifting about in his seat, he looked around. His room wasn’t exactly cozy. There was a bed, a desk, a chair, and a crammed full bookcase. He didn’t feel like going out but neither was there anything of interest here… Astaroth sighed, “I’m sorry… there’s not much here unless you’d like to compare notes….” He looked up at her, wondering if she held any intentions to get dressed. It was rather distracting.
Danna looked about. "Would you care to watch a movie in the Library?" The Library was usually a safe bet, generally quieter than other areas beyond the dorm rooms. "Or did you have a project you wanted to work on in here?" Danna looked about the room. "If you'd rather work on something in here, I can work on a few projects too." She was in a very good mood, and if he had suggested she throw herself off a very tall cliff, she was in the sort of mood to do it with a smile.
He blinked, “A movie? I’ve never seen a movie…” He frowned, wondering it was. Astaroth had always sequestered himself away in a quiet corner and buried his nose in a book – he knew there was music and the like, but hadn’t actually explored the multimedia section.
Danna smiled and nodded, brain whirring to life trying to guess what sort of movie Astaroth would like. "I jsut hope the players aren't being used. There aren't many of the viewing boxes, so I hope we get one. It's early, so...it shouldn't be too much of a problem." Danna grinned and began running through titles in her head.
“Players? Like a music player?” He cocked his head to the side, “Viewing boxes?” He sounded rather confused. “What are you talking about?” One brow drew down in a look of puzzlement.
Danna nodded. "Like music players, but for picture. The machines that Metro and Kortus have perfected are like a hybrid of DVD, VHS, DDS players of the ancient past." Danna smiled. "They still a few salvaged pieces of the old equipment, but they discovered that the Essence of the Empyreans using them causes them to malfunction. So, they had to come up with something more tolerate to energy fields.
“Ah. That makes it difficult then….” He pursed his lips. It was an interesting thought, that technology like that would fizzle around an Empyrean… or Essence. It made him want to see these gadgets. Standing, he smiled at her, “Before we go anywhere, you might want to get dressed first. And what movie did you have in mind?” He was relying on her recommendations because he was unfamiliar with the things.
Danna looked down at her bare, shapely legs and blinked. Oh, how embarrasing. It was a good thing he'd mentioned it because she'd not even noticed. "I...I'm not sure what sorts of movies you like. Any genre you prefer? Action, drama, romance, comedy, science fiction, fantasy?"
As he passed by her, his hand brushed against her bare thigh as he headed towards the window, politely turning his back so she could dress. Genre, hmmm….? He wasn’t sure. He mostly read poetry and reference books. At length he shrugged, leaning against the window sill to peer out into the morning, “Whatever you would like to watch. You recommended those excellent ginger snaps a while back, I can only assume your taste in movies is similar.”
Danna pondered for a moment as she shimmied into her pants. As she sat on the edge of the bed to pull her socks up she voiced a few suggestions. "Well, for a classic, there's Pride and Prejudice. For a true story, although a dark one, there's Schindler's List. And for something more light hearted there's an animated film called The Little mermaid." Danna slipped into her little flat-soled shoes and stood to pull on her sweater. "Any of those three appeal to you at all?"
He thought the titles over. Of them, Pride and Prejudice sounded the most interesting. Like a documentary of some sort. And she’d said it was a classic. He didn’t want to watch something animated – though it might be useful for drawing technique for spell casting – or something dark. It was early morning and he was in a pleasant mood; no need to spoil it. “Perhaps Pride and Prejudice? The sounds interesting enough.” He waited a moment longer before turning around to smile at her, “We can watch the others at another time, perhaps. The animated one sounds useful for studying.”
Danna grinned. "Pride and Prejudice it is." She chuckled a little though, and sang a few bars of Kiss the Girl. "There you see her, sittin' there across the way, she don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her. And you don't know why, but you're dying to try, you wanna kiss the girl." She shrugged and smiled. "The Little Mermaid is a good study for music, rather. Though some of the ackgrounds were quite beautiful." She extended a hand to him and smiled more broadly. "Shall we?"
He blinked, unable to follow her train of thought and wondered why she’d broke out into song. Eyeing her for a moment, he shook his head, “Is there classical music in that movie? I’m rather fond of that genre.” He nodded towards his desk where a tome about playing the piano lay with several book marks, “I’m considering learning how to play the piano. The sound is enchanting.” He held out his hands in a mock set up for a piano and tapped a few imaginary keys, “I hope to be able to play some of the symphonies one day.” Dropping one arm to his side, he extended the other to take her hand and bow slightly, as though going to a dance, “We shall.” Holding her hand he started towards the door.
Danna thought about his question. "I think in the soundtrack, and in the dance scenes. But the singing, like Kiss the Girl, is more of a musical style. The older era Disney movies usually used a lot of song." She held his hand snugly in her and turned on her heel to scoop her satchel up from the floor. "I'm ready." She announced happily.
He sighed, “Perhaps it wouldn’t be so useful then… It sounds rather immature.” Pausing as she retrieved her satchel, he frowned, “Should I bring anything?” He cast his gaze about the room, “Paper? Ink and Quill? Perhaps a notebook?” He stepped back towards his desk. If she was bringing her school back he couldn’t very well leave without some supplies now could he?
"It is a 'family film', suitable for younger audiences." Danna shrugged. She'd rather liked A Little Mermaid. Danna paused and watched him move towards the desk. "Do you think you'll need to take notes?" Danna found the idea of Astaroth daking notes on courting rather amusing. "I hope you don't pick up habits from Mr. Darcy!"
Astaroth frowned and turned around, a few sheaves of parchment in his hands, “Mr. Darcy? Who’s that? And why would I pick up habits from him?” He half turned back to the desk, “Is there nothing to take notes on?” He ran a hand through his hair then took a well used quill and a small, portable bottle of ink, “Would you mind carrying these? Just in case?”
Danna smiled. "Mr. Darcy is the main male character in Pride and Prejudice. He's the Pride part of the equation..." Danna took the small inkbottle and parchment sheaves and carefully set them into her satchel alongside her own. "I have a spare quill, if you want to borrow it instead of packing your own." She looked up smiling.
“Ah. I see.” He nodded, smiling. This sounded like an interesting film. He wondered how it would go about discussing pride and prejudice. “Are you certain? I’ve my own supplies...” He waved the quill slightly, “No sense in wearing yours out. It’s almost time I replaced this one.”
Danna shrugged. "Either way is fine. I've got plenty of room." She opened her satchel to allow him to slide it into one of the Quill sleeves.
Which he did and then stepped to the side to open the door. “Ladies first.” When they were out in the hall, he walked at a swift pace – this particular path was well known and familiar to him. “Are the booths to watch the movies in? Or is like a classroom?” He asked after a moment, wondering if they’d end up watching the show with other people. Danna walked alongside Astaroth, easily keeping pace. "The Viewers are in the media section, you just take one off the shelf, insert the movie you want to watch and head to media section."
"That's all you do?" He sounded a little surprised, "It is entirely automated then?" The melancholy was growing more curious about the movies. He somehow doubted the mechanics of it all was as simple as put it and watch.
Danna nodded. "You jsut insert the selection into the Viewer, and it plays." She smiled. "As for how the Viewer machine -works- I haven't the faintest." She smiled. "Perhaps we will have a chance to ask Metro some time."
He nodded, "That would be interesting." Soon enough they approached the library and he stepped to the side once inside, waiting for her to take the lead.
Danna stepped inside and waved to Grave, who sat at the front desk as usual. Then she moved with a purpose through the aisles towards the back of the library, in the least-used section: Media. It took her a few long minutes of searching the shelved to find Pride and Prejudice, but eventually she goth er hands on it and passed it to Astaroth so that she could haul the cumbersome Viewer off the shelf.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:15 pm
Books Taken Out Pythagorean Theorum Numerology - The Hidden Powers of Numbers Composition for the Modern Spell Worker by Dameron
Notes from Library Books Mathmatics 3 - This number is regarded as spiritual and creative. It represents the powerful Trinity (casting in which three magi work together on one spell, found most commonly in Ritual Magic). In ancient Religions, three represented the Trinity of Christianity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit); in the Kabalah it represented the three Sephiroth (Kether, Chokmah and Binah) that were said to dangle over the Abyss; in Hinduism is represented the Triad of Gods known as the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) as the vital aspects of creation. In Numerology, and indeed magic based on numbers, it is considered a perfect number, for it contains a single beginning, middle and ending. It symbolizes intelligence, vitality, artistic ability and ambition. It is also a lucky number and is popular for the use on love Charms. Keywords: the Trinity mark, wisdom. 4 - Four is associated with hard work, practicality, and also unhappiness and defeat. People who's names "reduce" to four are said to be stolid and uninspiring, but often very methodical in routine work situations. They are plodding and unadventurous and do not attain success very easily. Keywords: solidarity, permenance, foundation. 5 - The number associated with versatility, restlessness, and adventure. People who's names "reduce" to five are said to love speculation and risks and a varied environment. They are fond of travel, and resist responsibility or any other factors in their lives that might tie them down. Keywords: Justice. 6 - Six is the number indicative of love, domesticity, family affairs (as in of the alignment loyalties), and loyalty. Six consists of the first male number (three) mixed with the first female number (two), and therefore characterizes productive and harmonious balance. Keywords: creation, labour, service. 7 - Seven is a number with mystical andmagical connotations. In ancient astronomy there were seven recognized planets. The world (according to genesis) was created in Seven days, Joshua and the Israelites marched around Jericho for Seven days, each of hte moon's four phases lasts Seven days, there are seven notes on the musical scale and seven colours in the rainbow. accordingly, Seven is the number of completeness, wisdom, spiritual truth and cosmic harmony. The Seventh Son of a Seventh son is said to possess great supernatural powers, or the Seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. Rumor has it that each of the four Metatrons was chosen for being the seventh child of a seventh child. Keywords: life. 8 - Eight represents strength of character and idividuality of purpose. People who's birthdates "Reduce" to eight are said to demonstrate independance of thought, a sense of coolness in their home/personal space, and often find it difficult to express ther inhibitions. Hod is the eights sphere of the Kabalah, and stands for Rational Intellect. Keywords: fullness, balance.
Literature Body - +1% difficulty - useful for use against moveing or far away targets. Targeting Body aims for the body as a whole. It is not specific as to where the hit will land, so long as it hits a body part. Body allows you to circumstances like speed, distance, movement, distraction otherwise would add a greater difficulty. Limb - +2% difficulty - Targeting Limb - either arms, legs, wings, tail etc - will slow your opponent down by 2%. Head - +5% difficulty - Targeting the Head, or a Head Shot, will allow you to bypass armour if no helmet is worn. a non-lethal strike to the head stuns for one turn. For monsters, a lethal shot to the head can kill some breeds instantly.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:42 pm
Danna sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her handiwork and clasping her hands tightly together. She looked at the clock and took a deep breath. 4 minutes until the hour she'd told Astaroth to meet her. She was nervous. She'd practised so very hard, and received much approval from cyphr. But Astaroth had a far more refined sense of judgment and now, she'd be testing for his approval.
Astaroth had shed his usual clothing for a more refined look. The Melancholy was bedecked in dress shirt and trousers and polished black boots - he finery he'd found in his closet after rooting around for a bit. This was a time to give thanks, he'd learned, for the things you were grateful for. Flicking his bangs back, he checked the clock as he walked by; four minutes until the time she'd requested him. Hurrying a little, he clasped the white rose in his hand and knocked on her door a minute early. What had she prepared? He was both excited and nervous at the same time.
As soon as that knock sounded on her door, Danna nearly leapt a mile. She stood up off the bed and hurried behind the table on which her suprise was all laid out. She smoothed down her long skirt and picked uselessly at the lacey edge to her blouse. She cleared her throat and called out, "Come in?"
He blinked when she didn't open the door but shook his head, smiling slightly. Pushing the door open with one hand, he held the flower behind him as he first poked his head around the corner and then stepped fully into the room, "You wanted to see me?" He asked, taking in her carefully arranged clothing and smiled appreciatively as his eyes met hers. Taking a step forward, he produced the single white rose he'd taken fresh from the Gardens with a bow of his head, "For you, Danna."
Danna felt her cheeks burning right along the crests and managed a genuine smile. "Thank you..." She reached out and took the single rose, and carefully pushed it into a vase of white lilies in the middle of the table, the rose sitting just a little higher in the low arrangement, a silver crown on a snow white head. She cast her glance across the table, laid out with white china and silver cutlery a pair of white tapers burning brightly in the centre of the table on either side of the bouquet. "I...thought the traditional dinner would be..." she floundered for a word and brought her glance up to his face, "Nice..."
He drew nearer as she gestured at the dinner and blinked. "It looks marvelous." Astaroth's smile was genuine and pleasantly surprised. "Thank-you." The decorations were clean and elegant and appealed to his senses. Reaching out, his hand found hers. Over the past little while he'd grown accustomed to such touch and found he enjoyed the simple contact despite earlier misgivings. "You must have worked very hard." There was a tone of approval in his voice as he turned his gaze from the table to Danna's once more.
Danna flustered a little self-consciously and nodded as she tried to find an appropraite response. "I... had to learn how to cook. I hope everything tastes allright..."Danna waved to the chair with a flopping hand gesture and grinned sheepishly. "Please, have a seat. I don't want it to get cold."
He laughed softly and nodded but not before walking round to stand behind her chair. Astaroth had done some reading (and watching that romance movie had helped, though he wouldn't admit it) and had decided to attempt to be as gentlemanly as he could. After all, it was for Danna and he wanted to be sure she knew he was thankful for her. "After you, though." He pulled her chair out and nodded towards it.
Danna finally lost control of her blush and made a soft noise in her throat as she allowed herself to be seated, cheeks burnt autumn. Though she lowered her face to her plate, she smile was still obvious, curling across her lips. So far, so good. She only hoped the food wasn't a total disaster.
Astaroth arched his brow at the soft noise she made and eyed her curiously. Was he not doing this right? Frowning slightly, he straighted and dusted off his pants in a self-concious movement. Sliding her chair in, he seated himself and rested his arms on the edge of the table. "Something the matter?" He asked, concerned. She was blushing so furiously....
Danna looked up and smiled openly so that he wouldn't get the wrong impression. "Oh, no, it's nothing... I'm jsut nervous. I'm looking forward to this so very much, but well..." She waved towards the table. "I had to learn how to cook in order to put this all together, and I've had no noe but Cyphr to test it all out on... Your opinion is far more discerning than his..." Danna touched the golden hair clasp lightly and took a deep breath. "So, please, I don't want it to get cold..."
He eyed her a moment then smiled, "I'm sorry. I won't let it get an colder. Obligingly, he took some of everything and took his time in savouring it all. It was excellent, some moreso then others but on the average really rather good. Swallowing the bite he'd taken he nodded approvingly, "Well done, Danna, well done." He smiled warmly, and set his fork down so that he might sip from the glass she'd set out. "Thank-you very much."
Danna beamed her very best, her fork of mashed squash hovering in the air before her face. "Oh! You like it! I'm so glad! I told myself that if you really did, I'd make a point of making things for you more often, if you wanted..." Danna babbled happily, the squash wobbling dangerously on the silver tines of her utensil.
He watched the squash wobble as she spoke and couldn't help the soft laugh that rose to the surface. "I would like very much.
"Ah-" He gestured at her fork as the food wobbled dangerously, "You might want to be careful..."
Danna managed to pop the morsel into her mouth before it bailed from the fork and smiled sheepishly as she licked her lips. She set her fork down for an instant and lifted her glass across the table to Astaroth. "To Giving Thanks!" She clearly intoned, calling out her toast.
"To Giving Thanks!" He echoed, voice lifted in toast as well. There was a silky musical edge to it, as though he'd been practicing song. Tapping the glass against hers, he then drank deeply of the liquid.
Danna sipped her mulled apple cider with relsih. "I must say, this is my favourite beverage that I've had thus far." She smiled over the rim of her glass at him, admiring his looks and his dress.
Swirling the drink and inhaling it's fragrance, he nodded, "It's really a very nice drink." He sipped it again and watched her gaze roam over him. Then his gaze shifted to the comb he'd commissioned for her and a bloom of pride warmed him. It touched him that she would wear his gift. After a moment, he cleared his throat and offered a small smile, "You look beautiful this evening."
Danna's expression went blank for a moment as she tried to find a way to respond to his unexpected compliment. At long length, she smiled warmly adn nodded her head once. "Thank you, 'Taroth, truly. It means a lot to me, coming from you."
He bowed his head, "You're very welcome." However, he lapsed into silence as he ate, unsure of what else to say. He wasn't particularly good at conversation and bringing up school didn't seem appropriate. For once he had no idea how to proceed - nothing in what he'd read had really given any clue as to how to overcome something like this, they'd all seemed so smooth and confident. Which, he realized, was most definitely not how he was appearing. Apprently being charming was far more difficult then he had initially thought.
Danna, on the otherhand was perfectly content to sit in quiet and eat, listening to the soft dulcit tones of baroque music on in the background. Some strings by a Bach, she thought Astaroth would appreciate. She was happy enough just sharing some intimate time in his company and smiled a great deal, watching him from time to tim as she ate, to see if he was enjoying himself.
When she didn't pick conversation back up, he relaxed. The silence was comfortable. The tension eased from his shoulders as he ate, even going so far as to take seconds from the things he preferred. When his ear caught the familiar music, he glanced at Danna with an appreciative smile.
She happened to be gazing quite lovingly at him when he caught her glance, chin propped on one upturned hand. Instead of growing flustered, she merely tilted her head slightly to acknoledge his glance, immensely grateful that her hard work had paid off.
He blinked at the way she was looking at him and flushed lightly. Holding her gaze, Astaroth inhaled quietly and then spoke, "Would you like to spend the night, like last time?" He swallowed, trying not to seem awkward, "I'm sorry it's such a humble offering in comparison to this wonderful meal...." He trailed off. The melancholy had wanted to do something special and that had semed the most appropriate.
Danna sat up very straight, her hair sliding away down her back adn her eyes were warm and sincere. "I would like that very, very much. It would be nice to while away the night with you, and to fall asleep in your arms when I am tired...." She reached her hand across the table seeking his.
He paused and then smiled. She was pleased! When her hand sought his, he laced his fingers in hers. "I think... I should like that as well." Astaroth nodded decisively. He'd though long and hard about this.
"Would you like to stay here, then?" Danna asked easily, looking about at the candles and spotless room. "Or would you rather return to your quarters after dinner?"
He looked about as well and considered. Astaroth hadn't really tidied his room before he'd left, never thinking that he should need to dress it up as well. After a moment, he glanced back at her, "If you'll have me and I'm not bothering you." He spoke softly, pleasantly.
Danna grinned and shook her head. "As if you could bother me, 'Taroth!" She nodded towards her bed with its heavy plush quilts. "My bed is really so comfortable, I'm sure you'll sleep well here."
He laughed at that, amused and the light danced in his eyes, "I wouldn't know, I've never been in it but I'll trust your word on it - you've yet to be wrong in such things." He was relaxed now, warmed by the cider and in the company of a loved one - there was no need to be as guarded as he normally was.
She was drawing him out his shell slowly but surely,a calming influence that let him relax.
Danna felt as if she were on cloud nine. The evening was going so wonderfully she was almost beside herself. So ecstatic with the level of comfort and love int he room, she was free to relax and speak her mind freely. "I really feel, 'Taroth," she started slowly, "That you and I are finding some common ground, and setting out on it together. A moment between us like this... I feel as if things are right between us." She hoped he could hear the gladness in her voice
Finishing up his meal - he never ate great amounts - he squeezed her hand. Her words touched him, bouyed him up on some invisible force and made him smile. Not a polite or reserved smile but a genuine, ungaurded grin. "I... feel the same way. I learn from you every time we're together and treasure the closeness that's growing between us." He sighed happily and reached over to cover their clasped hands with his free one. "Thank you for tonight. I truly appreciate it."
Danna pushed her emptied plate away and reached out to stroke his, their four hands clasped together. "I'm glad to spend it with you. I feel I am a better person because of you, 'Taroth. I do love you." Danna gave a little squeeze to his hand.
Smiling, he took the opportunity to lean forward as he untangled their hands and brought hers to his lips, "I love you too. Never doubt it." Gently, he kissed her fingers as a gentleman would. He would be there for her, without question, should she ever need him and he hoped she knew that.
Danna stood up from the table then and moved around towards him, the lnog skirt swishing with the sound of ruffled taffeta. She turned the music up a little and sunk down at his side, resting her head on his knee. "Thank you, 'Taroth, for everything..." she murmured, squeezing his hand.
He tilted his head as she rose and then smiled as she sat down beside him. "Nnn... don't do that. " He cupped a hand under chin, and lifted her gaze to his as he replied, "Don't sit down there." Looking around, he indicated the bed. "Come, sit with me, not on the ground. You're not a pet. You're far greater then that." He smiled then and rose, holding his hand out. He didn't know what had come over him but this felt right, so he didn't overthink it.
Danna chuckled and allowed herself to be steered towards the bed. "I didn't mean to be like a pet... I just wanted to be nearer to you, and i didn't want to just -sit- on you. I'd crush you!" She laughed easily, making a simple joke.
He flushed, embarassed. She -was- quite a bit stronger then he... "Ah... well. I suppose I should sit on you in that case?" He returned with a soft laugh as he settled onto the bed. Sometimes he envied others their strength. "This should solve that problem, eh?" He asked, patting the covers beside him.
Danna sank into the plush bedspread happily, comforted by its enveloping folds. "Climb on top of me, mn?" She murmured more to herself than to him, a wry little smile curling her mouth up as she daydreamed a moment.
"Hrm...?" He paused, confused by the comment and the look on her face. What was she talking about? Tilting his head to the side he watched her, trying to puzzle out the answer.
Danna drifted out of her mini fantasy with a slightly abashed look on her face. "What is it?" she queried catching sight of the expression on his face.
"You..." he searched for the right word, "grew distant after saying 'Climb on top of me'. I don't know what you're talking about... why would I do that? You're sitting beside me." His brow crinkled togehter as he pondered her words, completely missing the meaning.
Danna's earlier composure flew out the window and her eyes grew as wide as her cheeks grew dark. "I...uh...never you mind that. I hadn't meant to say it out loud." She sputtered, giggling embarrasedly.
He blinked and shook his head, even more confused. "Alright..." Astaroth reached out and brushed his long fingers against the warmth of her cheeks, "Are you alright?" Her giggling was infectious when he was in this mood and he couldn't suppress the helpless smile that bloomed on his lips.
Danna nodded, swallowing and calming herself again. "Oh, yes, I'm fine... Just got an idea in my head and it wouldn't go."
"Oh." He shuffled up further on the bed and leaned his back against the wall while his feet hung off the edge, "You won't tell me?" It was a mild question with no pressure behind it.
Danna looked up at him and paused. She had no wish to keep secrets from him, but... "It's sort of embarrasing," She murmured. "You would probably think me strange..."
He smiled at her, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I won't make you speak when you'd rathe remain quiet." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, simply listening to the music and enjoying the company of Danna.
Danna shifted back to lean up against the wall next to him, pulling a pillow into her lap with one arm and resting her free hand on Astaroth's leg at her side
He opened an eye, instinctively stiffening at the touch. After a moment he willed himself to relax. It was Danna not some other person. Unfolding his arm, he wrapped it around her shoulder and tugged slightly, suggesting she should shift closer.
Danna easily folded into his arm, resting her head against his and closing her eyes, a happy smile on her face. A perfect swell in the strings added to the moment. "Just right..." she sighed happily.
He murmurmed his agreement, happy to let the moment stretch on. Astaroth was comfortable, trulycomfortable and the open, soft smile spoke as much. "Happy Thanksgiving, Danna."
"Happy Thanksgiving, Astaroth." Danna replied truly giving up thanks for all the many things she had in that moment that she cherished so deeply.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:57 pm
Tutoring with Elias
Danna found her way to Astaroth's room and knocked lightly on the door. They'd booked a tutoring Session with Elias, and she'd come by to get him on her way to the Observatory.
Astaroth glanced up from his book, first to the door then to the clock and smiled. Early, as always. Rising, the melancholy tidied up his workspace and wandered over to his door, "Hello Danna." His greeting came as the door swung open, as thought he knew who was there without looking. Smiling at her, he bowed slightly before stepping aside to allow her in. He was far more comfortable around her now and even though he wasn't entirely sure why, it was a good thing and thus he didn't question it. Briefly, he hugged her before returning to his desk to gather supplies, "I'll be ready in one moment."
"Hello, 'Taroth," Danna smiled in return, hugging him back warmly. She stepped tot he side of the room so as not to be in the way as he gathered his supplies and shrugged slightly, ajdusting her satchel. "Take you're time, we've plenty to make it tot he Observatory on time."
He nodded as he carefully slid his notebook, well worn quill, and ink pot into his bag. "I saw." Again, he smiled, in a good mood. Astronomy looked to be an interesting class from what he could gather. "Thank-you for dinner, I really appreciated it. Perhaps you'd like to dine with me again sometime?" She was here, why not ask? He liked her cooking and her company more.
Danna smiled, obviously pleased and nodded emphatically. "Yes, Please! What would you like to have, and when?" She asked, casually, not wanting to press him. As he finished gathering his things she stepped forward and extended a hand to him, to hold his while they walked.
He took the proferred hand and squeezed it lightly, "Whenever you have time. As for what we can eat, I'm not sure. Perhaps we could experiment." He flashed a smile at her and he inclined his head to the side, thinking. "Something light would be pleasant, though. Was there something you'd want?" Soon enough they were out in the hallway and starting towards Elias' classroom.
Danna thought as she walked, hrmmmming to show she was considering carefully. "Something light...like a quiche or loks, perhaps?" She wasn't really sure what he'd like, and she'd only tried these dishes as made by the White District Cooks.
He blinked, "A what or a which? I don't think I've tasted either...." He pursed his lips, feeling a little uneducated - something he disliked. "What kind of dishes are they?"
Danna smiled, wondering if he -would- like them. "Quiche is a baked egg pie, basically... But you can put all sorts of things in them, spinach, or ham or shrimp or spices. Loks is smoked salmon, thinly sliced on a bed of soft cheese with cracked pepper, ground salt and capers, on a heavy bread or cracker of some kind." She walked along, mouth almost watering at the thought. "Do either sound appealing?" She asked, glancing up at him curiously.
The egg dish didn't particularly sound appealing, he'd never liked the scrambled eggs from the kitchens... However, the loks sounded like a wonderful blend of flavours, not too heavy or rich. "Hnn... " He turned his head to catch her gaze with a soft look, "The Loks sounds promising. I enjoy fish. But is it an actual entree? It sounds more like a snack type dish."
Danna smiled, pleased that one of the two had caught his interest. "I've usually had it in combination with other cheeses, fruits, meats and crackers. A sort of smorgasboard of evening bread. It's a lgiht meal, but certainly filling. And fool-proof to prepare!" She added, laughing lightly.
He laughed as well, nodding his approval, "Then let's have that shall we? It sounds good." They'd drawn closer to the Planetarium during their conversation and he glanced up, "But I think we should finish planning after speaking with Professor Elias, no?" He smiled at her, brought her closer for a loose hug and then stepped away as he approached the entrance.
Danna nodded and made a soft note of joy and then stepped up to the yawning archway. She ooo'd at the glittering sky visibly against the ceiling of the room, the stars and planets glowing as if they could be touched as palpable things. So entranced was she by those twinklnig lights she did not see professor Elias standing tall before them.
"Welcome." Elias murmured with a smile, his voice soft, his scales glittering under the twinkling starlight. "You're right on time. Watch!" And he pointed into an otherwise dim quadrent of the sky where a series of shooting stars began to fall, making short bursting strekas of light that disappeared as quickly as they began.
Astaroth stepped in behind Danna and his breath caught short. This was a marvelous room... enchanting and glittering with an ethereal beauty. When Elias spoke, his gaze locked onto the professor's for a brief instant before it flicked to where Elias had pointed. Blinking, Astaroth wondered if the show he was watching was real or illusion... or some sort of diagram. Silently, he reached out and set a hand on Danna's shoulder.
Danna reached up to touch Astaroth's fingers in a daze, staring agape at the falling stars. "How...beautiful..." She murmured aloud, not realizing she was voicing her thoughts.
He smiled, nodding in agreement as he looked at her then glanced up and over at the teacher, "What is this?" He spread his arm and gestured at the display that surrounded them, "A diorama? An illusion?" He reached out to touch one of the glowing orbs that was floating nearby.
Elias smiled and sank a little lower into his coils as he slid a little closer. "This model around us is a representation of the Soalr system, set to move in time with the planets beyond our world. But that up there...those racing comets, that's the sky." Elias smiled enigmatically and turned a little, to watch the display. "The Pleides. Soon, there won't be any left."
"Hnn..." He nodded, finding Elias' movements strangely hypnotic, mostly because he moved like a snake rather then stepping like the others he'd seen. Astaroth frowned slightly, "Won't be any left? What do you mean?" Elias made it sound like the Pleides would dissappear entirely after the meteor shower was over.
Elias slowly turned his glittering eyes on the pair of Students and answered frankly. "Every year, the Earth makes an orbit through the debris left behind by a destroyed planetary body...either an asteroid or a meteor of some considerable size." Elias smiled up as the last spark of lift died away. "Those bits of light at chunks of that floating rock burning up in our atmosphere. Someday we'll have finally burned up tha last of that detritis, and then the Pleides will be finished."
"... So the Earth draws that debris and they get destroyed? What if there's a big enough piece to cause damage if it falls onto earth?" This was different... interesting, really. "Is that what astronomy is? Simply watching the skies?" He hoped that wasn't all.
The concept that something large enough to damage the planet from beyond all this war and all these monsters startled Danna and she drew closer to astaroth, eyes big as saucers, waiting for the answer.
Elias smiled enigmatically. "Oh, certainly, we've had such collisions before..." He watched the sky for a lnog, silent moment and looked down tot hem again, gaze steady and unblinknig. "But that is the mere beginning of it. Astronomy is the study of the planets, stars, and most importantly the spaces between them and us."
Astaroth frowned slightly, that hadn't answered his question... Still, he broke his gaze away to glance at Danna as she came closer and he wrapped his arm about her shoulder to reassure her. "Yes but what would happen if such an event occurred? ...The spaces between them and us? As in mathmatcal relationships?" He perked slightly - he'd understood mathmatics rather well, if it and this class were related then perhaps he would excell at this one as well.
" 'There were times in the days of ancient yore when rocks from the high heavens crushed the earth with their mighty weight, throwing their ash and dust into the sky so poisinous thick that they did blott out the sun and cast the world entire in darkness. Without the light of the sun, the place grew freezing cold as deepest hell, and many creatures perished, never to walk the sorry earth again.'" Elias quoted with a far-off voice, eyes trained on something in the distance. Then he shrugged and resumed his soft-spoken speech. "Mathematics use these distances quite extensively. But, in Astronomy we study the nature of the heavenly bodies and their effects so that when you get to Math and Circle Magic, the distances can be related to purpose."
Danna leaned into astaroth a little and relaxed again, listening instead with awe and rapture. "Can they affect the things we make as well, like our Hybrids and Golems?" She queried, wondering if Radical mgiht have some unknown weakness she'd overlooked.
Elias nodded, "They affect everything down to the smallest pebble, but we have no way to study such effects as the rocks make no choices. But they set the scale, tune the clock by which we find the best and worst moments to act."
Astaroth could tell the answer was a quote, it seemed too.... prepared for it to be an answer Elias would give on his own. With a sigh, he let it drop - if things fell to earth they destroyed a great deal. Still... he tilted his head to the side in curiosity, "If these bodies are away from our world, then how can they affect something so far away? What is they -do-, precisely?" Just that they affected things wasn't a clear enough answer for the inquisitive melancholy.
Elias smiled a little broader and leaned back into his hips, his coils spreading out to balance him. "Each of the planets has certain qualities that cast out a radius of effect. Like gravity on earth. When they draw near us, their effects pull on the beings of earth the same way the moon pulls and ebbs the tides." Elias paused, wondering if they were beginning to see the depth of influence they were dealing with. "But not only that, they throw their influences on each other as well, and sometimes the combinations amplify or compete with each other for dominance down here."
"Like magnets..." Astaroth murmured, the image suddenly coming to mind. You couldn't see the aura of influence around a magnet or really even feel it, until it drew near something. "Does that mean the further away a celestial body is, the stronger it must be in order to influence us?" He indicated jupiter, "For example, does that mean that planet's strength of influence is stronger then Mars or Venus'?"
"Some argue that..." Elias conceded, but pursed his lips. "But it also depends on the receptivity and sensitivity of the body being affected. As each of us has certain weaknesses or strengths these alter how deeply the different planets affect us."
: Danna piped up a question of her own, more inspired by Astaroth's question than Elias' answer. "Does that mean that a source with stronger or more essence can have an affect on the things around it, too?"
Astaroth's expression brightened as Danna's question and he nodded in agreement, if everything affects everything else then her question should prove true. "Can the body being affected develop an ability to be more receptive to one influence and less to another? Or is this influence always stable? Since the planets affect each other as well, is the end result a summation of individual effects or would, say, two positive influences multiply together to strengthen their influence?" He was full of questions now... wanting pry into the workings of the planets and more importantly this influence that they all seemed to possess.
Elias nodded at Danna's question. "Think on the Metatrons for a prime example." Then he turned to Astaroth's question and pursed his lips for a moment. "From case to case it can vary. Generally speaking, the effects compound, but there are certain skills and precautions that can lessent he effects of certain influences."
He nodded, that made sense. "So the influence each planet gives off is constant but the way in which they interact varies." You could alter the receing end but not the source. "What use is their influence put to then?"
Danna perked at this, wondering if she might not be able to incorporate some form of purpose in her Hybrids and Golems to be.
"I'm glad you asked." Elias declared, arching one slender eyebrow with a grin far more boyish than his otherwise reserved behaviour. "The real question is, what -can't- they be applied to?" Elias continued to smile as he began counting a few uses off on his figures. "Circle magic, Botany, art, Rhetoric, Mathematics, Ritual magic..."
Astaroth blinked, surprised. Was Astronomy really that extensive...? "How can one harness this power? If it affects so much, I would be rather surprised if there wasn't some way to tap into their power." His hands tightened on Danna, an outward expression of his mounting curiosity and enthusiasm.
Elias pointed up into the sky. "The simplest way is to perform tasks under the planets that are in the visible sky, but that is not always convenient. It is also possible to utilize the symbols of the planets to call upon their properties."
"Could one conceivably use them when designing a Golem to imbue that power upon the creation?" Danna asked.
"Would using the symbols be as effective as doing something under the same stars, though?" He nodded at Danna's question, "What about spells? Could one use them to strengthen or weaken a spell simply by including the desired symbol in the casting?" It seemed really very easy to incorporate.
"Well," Elias paused, scratching slowly at his cheek. "In theory yes. But certain planets are really noly useful in certain circumstances. So if you use Mars in a Golem - or spell - for isntance that was not designed for battle, it would not be very effective at all."
"Of course, you'd have to select the proper influence so that it resonated well. Although..." He pursed his lips in thought, "Could you interrupt or cause a misfire of the work of someone else if you used a planet that was opposite to what the opponent was working on?" He was asking mostly because he wanted to know just how useful these planets could be. Could they serve both an offensive and defensive purpose?
"Through certain spells it is possible." Elias conceded, shrugging slightly. "But without the use of magic, simple 'hexing' someone with a contradictory planet won't do much. It needs to have context...you need to narrow the field, as it were."
"Oh? How?" Astaroth stepped forward, ushering Danna with him and looked for a place to sit. This was probably going to take a while and he'd rather sit down and take notes on all that he was learning.
Danna was already scribbling into a little notepad with a stick of graphite when Astaroth ushered her to have a seat.
Astaroth smiled as he noted Danna already taking notes. He'd have to copy them. Pulling out his papers and quill, he wrote down a few notes then looked up at Elias, "How do you 'narrow the field'? Is that like focusing the influence on something?"
Elias' mouth softened into the hint of a smile, but he kept his face sober and replied softly. "Planetary bodies follow their own paths over which we have no control. Everything within our system feels their effect... Therefor, to target out a subject upon which you want that effect to magnify, you need to connect that subject with the planet. The most straightforward concept to explain this is Geometries, and literally drawing a line between the Planet and the subject of choice."
Hmmm... He pondered that, thinking. "So if I were to lay out a selection of planetary symbols in a certain way and get the subject to walk between them so that a geometry was set up, their influence would be focused on that person?"
"To put it simply, yes." Elias nodded, watching them curiously. "True mastery of Astronomy requies mastery of the supporting arts that utilize it."
Astaroth nodded. "Understandable. It's a subtle art, from you've said. No doubt you must be precise and capable if one is to utilize it." His writing flowed across the page, doodling here and there to help visualize the notes.
Danna made some notes, and in the margin of her page copied down the symbols floating around a planetary model to their right, enjoying the curving astronomical glyphs. "Can they further amplify other modifying skills? Like the Styles of completion?" Danna queried, wondering what effect putting the glyph of earth together with a Ceres style of creation might yield.
Astaroth nodded, and turned to look at Elias. Was Astronomy more of an indirect art then? Carefully he jotted down her question and made a mark by where the answer would go.
Elias smiled. The two certainly compliment each other well. Many of the supporting arts work thusly. Keep in mind however, the more forces you attempt to combine, the harder and harder it becomes to control. However, should you be successful, the more potent the results. Find that balance wisely. Do not overreach your grasp."
That made sense - you were drawing more power and past a certain point you probably wouldn't be able to control it as well. "Is there an example of such a blending that we might see?" He asked after a moment, wanting to see for himself how astronomy might be worked into other things. Theory was all well and good but if it didn't work practically, it wasn't much use.
Danna perked at that, straightening her back a little more erect and pushing her long hair out of the way over her shoulder. Her eyes were wide as she drew to rapt attention.
"An example...?" Elias repeated, pondering carefully to himself. "Perhaps I can show you a little something..."Elias made a small gesture with his hand to beckon each of them closer. He lifted a palm to float just before Astaroth's Brow, and then before Danna's. Then slowly, he traced the symbol for Mercury on Astaroth's Brow and then Earth on Danna's. Then, slowly he slithered back from them and drew 2 right-facing crescents on the floor where they began to glow. Elias flicked a finger out from each, drawing a line of light from each crescent to its appropriate student, adn then drew the matching sumbol in the space where the points of the crescents met. Mercury for Astaroth, Earth for Danna... He held his palsm out flat above the crescents for a moment, forcing his palms steady as if pressing down on a bouyant weight.
Danna watched curiously, feeling the tingle oft he symbol on her brow... She looked over at Astaroth curiously and saw the symbol on his forehead, and wondered curiously if she had the same symbol on her own face. She watched the drawing of the crescent and watched as Elias drew his hand flat over the glowing marks. She was about to inquire as to qhich spell the Professor was working when she felt a great deal of strength and calm fill her bones. They were sensations that were quite familiar to her, things that she was comforted with for their often arisal within her life... and yet, these sensations were much bolder and more acute that she could ever recall them being before...
Astaroth looked on, watching intently and noting the angle that was drawn, the direction of the crescents... and when he glanced over at Danna, the symbol upon her forehead. Blinking, he looked slightly confused as curiosity filled him and a depth of understanding greater then what he was used to.... Reaching up, he gently touched the symbol that was on his brow and looked at Elias,"What... are you doing?"His voice was quiet... surprised even.
Havind affected the spell of his choice, Elias let his hands relax and settled into his coils, tucking one arm along his stomach and resting his other elbow no the upturned palm. "That was a Stage One Circle Magic Spell, called Waxing." Elias paused smiling, "You two would be able to perform it if you practised. And if you were so inclined..."
"Hnn..." Astaroth jotted down a few notes, "Does all Circle Magic use Astronomy? How do you perform the spell?" He tilted his head, looking on with curiosity. Was Elias offering to teach them the spell?
Circle Magic does not -have- to ultilize Astronomy, it is quite open to Substitution, more so than most of the other Magical Types. That said, Astronomy is the swiftest way to performt he Circle Spells. But Chromatics, Philosophics, Geometrics, all can be used in place of planets and Zodiac signs so long as the meanings match." Elias smiled. "You'd like to learn the Spell, would you?"
Slowly he nodded, making a mental note about substitution - he hadn't realized it could apply to such things as well as physically using one thing in place of another. "If you wouldn't mind..." He glanced over at Danna, wondering if she wanted to learn as well.
Danna tucked her quill into her blotter and stood up, smoothing her shirt as she stood. She'd never learned any magic before... Could this be the type she'd end up utilizing? "What do we do first?" She asked meekly, glancing over at Astaroth with a small excited smile.
Elias pointed to his brow. "Since we had direct contact, The spell took effect right away. You can however, draw the symbol on your target from a distance, but then the spell takess twice as long to go into effect." Elias paused and extended a lnog forefinger. "Also, note that the Waxing Spell and WAning spell can for basic purposes be used interchangeably, but that each has its strengths for specific circumstances. Waxing, obviously, is more attuned to increasing a pre-existing strength." Elias drew out the symbol for Mercury on the floor in front of Astaroth. "You need to find the symbol that best represents the qualities you are trying to bolster." Then he drew Earth before Danna. "If the qualities you select do not already exist in a substantial enough range the spell will not have any effect at all."
Astaroth nodded, made a note of the symbol used for him and the one for Danna then stood as well. "Wouldn't that require knowledge of the target's strengths and weaknesses /before/ you cast the spell? Otherwise it's essentially a shot in the dark, right?" He frowned slightly, mulling the spell over.
"Yes indeed. One should never face an enemy before understanding why one faces an enemy. What differences do you have? What shared weaknesses? You cannot rely solely on your own strengths, because since we are all connected, your strengths may be weaknesses in the face of your opponent's skills. Always make a point of knowing thy enemy." Elias flicked the very tip of his tail lazily, its glittering scales flickering in the dark with a hypnotic quality.
Astaroth agreed whole-heartedly and grinned for the first time during their tutoring session. He was enjoying this and it showed in the bright sparkle of his eyes. The melancholy glanced at Danna, "Or those close to you." Inhaling he briskly looked back at Elias, "Once you've chosen the symbol, then what?"
"You mark it on the brow of the person you intend to bolster. Then you draw a WAxing Crescent - that is a Right-facing Crescent at your own feet. Redraw the chosen symbol in the space where the upper and lower points of the crescents would touch were you to connect them." Elias drew a crescent of light int he air to demonstrate the shape and indicated the space where the symbol should be drawn.
Danna smiled back at Astaroth and leaned back over her notebook to make some quick diagrams for later use in studying.
He did likewise, copying out the diagram that Elias had drawn. Astaroth also drew a little stick figure to demonstrate the method and labelled a space for the varios symbols - didn't know them too well and decided to familiarize himself once he had the opportunity to visit the library.
"The next stop takes some concentration," Elias went on, seeing that the two students were following along well enough. "Now that you have your Waxing Crescent and the two symbols at either ends of your Spell, you need to conncet the crescent with its target. The easiest way to do this is to draw a straight lnie between the symbol of your crescent and the symbol on your target." Elias demonstrated a smooth, confident drawing of a line with the pointing index finger he brandished.
Another diagram followed and he frowned as the line he drew wasn't perfectly straight, "If the line isn't perfectly straight, will that effect the spell at all? And do we draw a line like you just did, or...?" He indicated the glowing line. It seemed the professors could all do that and yet he still had no idea how one went about doing it.
"You focus, visualize seeing the essense connect your two lines, trace the essence with your finger like drawing filaments of metal with a magnet..." Elias demonstrated again. "As for your lie not being perfectly straight, it won't damage you spell, but it will weaken the amount by which your spell bolsters the chosen qualities."
"Not as clear a channel for the spell to act through..." He mused, making a note of how to draw a line. Then, concentrating as Elias had said and reached out into the air, drawing a line of glowing black. It looked like some sort of astral body to be part of the model that hung around them. Tilting his head, Astaroth tried again but the line wasn't as bold and he frowned, realizing he'd lost his concentration. A third attempt yielded a straighter, more crisper line and he looked to Elias, "Like that...?"
Elias gave a soft incline of his head and calmly clapped his hands together in approval.
Danna bubbily clapped for him and then took a deep breath to try herself. She reached out into space and poited her finger, willing there to be a spark of light. With a fizz and a pop a spark of chartreuse sparked and then faded. Narrowing her eyes in concentration she kept pointing her finger, willing the spark back. Over her shoulder, Elias murmured, "Relax, let it flow...don't force it..." Danna took a deep breath again and let her shoulders drop, staring ahead into the place her finger ponited. Slowly, a faltering spark of yellow-green rekindled, and then glowed faintly. Slowly she pulled her finger, as if leading the line forward with baited line. The jumping spark sprang to life and rolled after the motion of her hand, truly, as Elias had said, like magnets pulling.
It was Astaroth's turn to clap and he beamed at her, proud of her accomplishment. "Good for you!" Then he was struck with a question and glanced over at their professor, "Would anything happen if two people drew a line, one of top of the other?"
Elias smiled. "There is no shortage of essence in the world. If you were to both draw a line in the same place in space, likely each of you would be drawing essence from your own wells of strength. Astaroth from Melancholic Elements,a dn Danna from Choleric Elements. And even within the same Alignment, there are many sources of power which make each Empyrean's wielding unique." Elias paused, a twinkle in his eye. "That means every spell cast is Unique, and has a streak of power that is like a signature of the one responsible for casting it."
He nodded again, "So you could potentially trace a spell back to it's specific caster because the spell is unique... But, what if one wanted to draw from more then just themselves for energy? Is there a way to... join the different signatures together to power a spell?"
"Ah!" Elias said, nodding. "You mean Co-operative Spell Casting! It is certainly possible, adn the results are extremely powerful. Just think, if one of each Alignment were to join together in the casting of one spell - the weaknesses of each of the casters would be supported and the entire spell would gain a fortified strength. Mind you, this sort of collaboration is usually lost on simple spells but on the more complex ones, it can be an amazing work of art all told..." Elias paused. "For isntance, if each contributing member cast their own augments, each of the augments would take affect on the spell results, without extra strain to any of the castors." Elias shrugged slowly. "But in order to truly complete a spell in this fashion, it takes a great deal of practise,a nd a very intense connection betweent he casting members. A good example being the Ju Ju groups of Tribal Magic."
So it wasn't as simple as drawing a line with another's... Not surprising though. While the increased power was appealing he wasn't sure he'd be able to form such a bond with someone - he wasn't exactly social in nature. "Interesting..." He rolled his shoulders and added the bit to his notes and fell silent, mulling over the information.
Danna wondered if she'd make much use of magic. She'd thought of it as an offensive thing until now, but the possibility that she might use it to strengthed or augment a comrade was appealing... She glanced over at Astaroth, with not a little admiration.
Elias shrugged easily, and turned a slow circle on the dark floor to stretch himself uot. "And that is Astronomy in a nutshell." He murmured softly, gazing up at the twinkling stars over head.
He felt her gaze on him and glanced over, flushing ever so slightly. When the professor spoke, Astaroth glanced up and took his posture as a dismissal. Bowing formally, the melancholy spoke softly, "Thank you for time - it was very informative, professor." Turning, he gathered his things but paused in case Elias had anything else to add.
"Thank you very much!" Danna added, as she gathered her things, hurrying tokeep pace with Astaroth.
"Practise that Spell, if you've any intent to make use of it..." Elias murmured offhandedly, as if he was otherwise distracted by something he saw up above.
When he noticed Danna hurrying to keep up with him, he slowed and waited for her, "Of course." The comment was directed at Elias but he doubted the Three would hear him - he seemed rather distracted. To Danna he smiled brightly and held out an arm, "Ready?"
Danna smiled and nodded, swinging her satchel to his usual position on her shoulder. "Indeed! Shall we?" Danna was in bright spirits, having fonud the topic both interesting and useful. Moreover, she felt she understood it well enough to make use of what she'd learned. She, no doubt, would be visiting Grave very soon for Books on the Subject!
He noded, "We shall." With a farewell gesture to Elias he departed with Danna. "What would you like to do now?" He was feeling refreshed and accomplished, as he always did when he'd learned something new and useful. More energetic then usual, he walked briskly, head held high.
Danna kept pace, smiling and relaxed. "How about....dinner?" She asked, rememberign their earlier agreement to cook together again.
He made a show of pondering the suggesting then nodded, "Sounds wonderful, my dear." His hand caught hers as they turned down a hallway. "Perhaps we could try that dish you mentioned?"
"Ah, the Loks?" Danna inquired, happily interlacing her fingers with his.
He nodded, "Yes, that. It sounded simple and easy enough to make - I'd like to help you if you wouldn't mind."
Danna spun about, walking backwards down the hall before him, clasping his hand betweenh ers. "'Taroth, I'd love that!!"
He leaned forward a little as she fairly pulled him along, and laughed softly, "Agreed then."
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:14 pm
Science with Abrid
Danna moved up the hallway, and checked the clock as she rounded a corner. It was almost time for their next tutoring lesson. She was overtly curious about this one. She'd heard nearly no mention of this course from other students and had yet to lay eyes on the Professor. She drew up to astaroth's door and rapped swiftly.
Astaroth was actually out at that moment and was just arriving back when Danna knocked on his door. Coming up behind her, he leaned over her shoulder and spoke softly, "Can I help you?" He'd run out of ink and had gone to fetch more.
Danna jumped at the sonud of a voice in her ear. "B'ah! Oh, 'Taroth, it's you..." She giggled sillilly and smiled as she turned. "Are you ready for Science?" She bounced on the balls of her feet and grinned up at him.
He arched a brow and smiled, "Yes, I am." Showing her the bottle of ink, he laughed quietly, "Did I scare you? I was getting more ink." She seemed rather excited. Was this class something above the others then? It would be pleasant if it differed greatly from the other classes he'd taken thus far.
"Just startled me..." Danna shrugged it off, happy he was here and ready. "I'm excited about this one, 'Taroth. I hope it proves useful for Golems." She moved off down the hall, towards the rooms provided for Abrid's use.
Ah, so that's what excited her. Astaroth nodded, "Judging from the class name alone, it probably will be." Walking along beside her, he adjusted his bag and watched her for a moment. "Have you met the professor? I haven't seen him before."
Danna shook her head. "No, I'm not sure what he looks like. I haven't heard mention of him from the other students, and I've not seen him before. Have you?" She glanced up at Astaroth curiously.
He shook his head, "No... I haven't." Raising his gaze, the Melancholy watched the doors and hallways with a perplexed expression. Was that a good or a bad thing? Either way, he was curious and looked forward to the class, "It doesn't matter though. Our session starts soon, so we'll learn soon enough."
"Indeed!" Danna positively buzzed with anticipation. And when she caught sight of the brass plaque she paused, adjsuting her satchel and her hair pin before marching up to the door.
Astaroth followed after her, excited as well but not nearly as obvious about it. When they drew near the door, he strode ahead and opened it for her, gesturing for Danna to preceed him through. "After you."
"Why thank you!" Danna courtseyed and entered the room, looking around the multitude of glistening pans, charts, floating specimins in coloured fluids, and at the end a tall skeleton of something man-shaped that waved a hand.
"Why Hello!" the skeleton called out, its naked jawbone wriggling without muscle to move it.
Astaroth paused as the skeleton waved, eyeing it with more then a little distrust. What was a skeleton doing talking? Stepping up beside Danna, he crossed his arms but remained silent.
Danna stared bug-eyed at the skeleton. Perhaps this was why no noe talked about their professor? Could this be a possible addition? Danna swallowed and looked over to Astaroth with silent question traced across her features.
"Well now!" The Skeleton rattled on, rolling its head to regard them. "No need to be shy! Step in, come closer. You're here to learn about the Sciences, I presume?"
"Who are you?" He asked, nearly demanded, "And what are you?" He would go no further in until he was sure of this place. Setting his jaw, Astaroth had inadvertently taken a more protective stance - a little in front of Danna and staking perfectly erect.
Danna winced a little as Astaroth bluntly threw out the question. She hoped that the professor would take offense.
The skeleton laughed, its ribs rattling and its jawbone threatening to wriggle right off its gaping skull. "Ha ha ha! What an inquisitive you mind you are." There was a pause and then the skeleton fell still. From somewhere behind a row of filing cabinets a Three walked out, choleric by his colours, with floppy puppy ears perked and long prehensile whip tail reaching up to flick some dust from his mane. "I am Abrid. Your Professor of Sciences."
That... was not funny. Astaroth's expression hardened as the Professor revealed himself. That was not funny in the least. However, he wasn't able to keep the curiosity from his gaze the Three flicked dust from his mane not with a hand but his /tail/? Nodding stiffly, Astaroth took a single step forward. "We are here for the tutoring we requested...."
Danna looked releaved that their Professor was not a set of bones, and promptly began wondering who they belonged to.
"Of course you are! Which is why I've prepared this assistant to help me explain matters." Abrid indicated the skeleton, who lifted a boney hand and waved again. Astaroth eyed the skeleton then dismissed it with a flick of his head and returned his gaze to the Professor. "What matters?" Digging in his bag, he retrieved his notebook and writing supplies as he sat down near the door. The professor and indeed the skeleton hadn't left a particularly good impression on the melancholy.
Danna sidled up to one of the long lab tables and sat on the stool, pulling out her supplies, and resisting the urge to sketch the skeleton's lines in her margin.
"Why the matters of Science, of course! Anatomy will be our study today. This fellow here was once a John Burnham." Abrid indicated the skeleton, who this time remained still. "I find it is easier to explain with a visual aide." Abrid smiled cherrily, clearly unphased by Astaroth's dour expression.
Astaroth jotted down the tittle and the name of the skeleton and then paused. What a strange name... his eyes narrowed. It didn't sound like an Empyrean name.... "Who was that?" He asked, tapping his page beside the question mark he'd written.
A twinge of something long since forgotten nagged at the back of Danna's brain when the name was said. When Astaroth asked his question she stilled, morbidly curious to nkow the answer.
Abrid did not so much as blink an eye at their question. "An Outsider, naturally. It is hard to see the resemblance beneath all their graftings... But when we get down to the bare bones of the issue..." At this Abrid chortled softly to himself. "We're a great deal alike, Outsiders and Empyreans."
Astaroth sat up straight then, his attention rapt and focused as the professor answered his question. An Outsider? His frown deepened. "I don't see how..." Astaroth replied, deliberately comparing Abrid's form to the skeleton's. To him, they looked nothing alike.
An outsider? Danna looked down at her own hands. THe skeleton before them looked an awful lot like her, like a Zero, before the additions grew in. and hadn't Abrid said that this was an Outsider with its Additions - its 'Graftings' taken away? She shuddered involuntarily.
"The bare basics, m'boy!" Abrid exclaimed, and the skeleton beside him sprouted mimicking additions to abrid in a filmy transparent smoke-like substance.
Astaroth's brow lifted in mock amusement, "Are we learning of the Outsiders to better be able to face them then?" He could think of no other reason. Weren't the Outsiders the evil ones bent on destruction? Why would you make light of such a thing and even go so far as to cast your image on one of their /dead/? His lip curled slightly.
Abrid sobered someone at the boy's disdain and took a step closer. "Do you know the difference between an Outsider Child and a Husk?" Abrid asked, his tone grave, and his face watching closely, his whiskers curling up against his cheeks.
Astaroth met the Professor's gaze but shook his head. "It has not been explained. A Husk is an Empyrean to be and that is all that I know." He spoke crisply, with no attitude or arrogance. "I can only operate on the knowledge I possess."
"Ah... Of course not. They don't think it fit to tell you so young..." Abrid sighed and leaned forward conspiratorily. "There is no difference. They are one and the Same. So you see, understanding the anatomy of an Outsider is a precurser both to understanding your enemy, and better understanding the tool that is your body."
Danna's eyes nearly fell out of her head, she'd stretched them so wide. It occured to her that her mouth was hanging open and she shut it with a click of teeth and furiously scribbled down these notes as if they were precious secrets soon to be lost if not captured.
Astaroth blinked... repeatedly. Empyreans were derived from Outsider children? Frowning, he wrote the notes down and glanced back up, "Then why is there a war? If the only difference between an Outsider child and any Zero is the fusing of essence." There was a slightly sarcastic ring to his tone, as though even that small difference was more then enough to completely separate an Outsider from an Empyrean. An Outsider was an Outsider and an Empyrean was an Empyrean.
"because they made us barren, unable to breed. So we resorted to stealing their children and turning them into our kind with the use of essence, raising them to fight against the very families that birthed them. This is not a tale of good and evil, young one. It is a chance at survival." Abrid's eyes were not condemming, but sad. He knew he oughtn't tell so much to a Zero... But Abrid was rather known for his overlly loose tongue.
Astaroth sighed and shook his head, gaze falling to the floor, unsure of what to say. He hadn't expected such information and it was difficult to digest. Falling back on his pride, the melancholy straightened his spine and returned his gaze to the professor. Even if the Outsiders and Empyreans came from a common route, it did not mean they were still the same. Not even close. "Maybeso, but I came here to learn about the Sciences. What would you teach us?" He spoke quietly but the desire to move on was there, clear as day.
"Anatomy, if you'll give me a chance." Abrid replied, trying to resume the lgihtness he had started out with. "An understanding of it will not only help you control your own skills better, but will aslo teach you the weaknesses of your enemy."
Danna's mnid was reeling and she felt very small and very stupid at that moment. When Astaroth straightened his spine and spoke out at the Professor she felt herself cringe. "'taroth..." She spoke, but the word died on her lips and she doubted he'd've heard her at all.
The melancholy nodded and returned to his notes, mildly summarizing what Abrid had said. This might proove to be a useful class. He heard his name, barely, and looked over at Danna with intense eyes. "Hnnn?"
Danna threw him a meaningful glance, full of sympathy and support, and fear and uncertainty. She'd certainly have something to talk about after this.
"We start with the basic skeletal system, which, as you can see, is the same." Then a series of red and blue lines laced the skeleton before them and a thumping heart took up residence in the ribcage. "Then the circularoty system, again, much the same."
The sound of quill on parchment ceased as Astaroth smiled uncertainly at Danna then had his attention stolen by the appearance of veins and arteries. Tilting his head to the side, he tried to trace the path of the blood vessels down one leg and back but the complexity foiled the attempt. Interesting... He noted where the largest vesels ran on his paper and waited for Abrid to continue.
"Then we have the nervous system..." A set of pale green lnies exploded over the semi-sorporeal body before them. "Which is the same between both Empyreans and Outsiders..."
Danna stared intently at the skeleton as it developed its systems and tried to remember the intricate lacings of systems, but had long since given up the hope of copying it down.
Again, Astaroth noted a few of the more important-looking junctions. Abrid seemed deflated in comparison to the beginning of the session but he didn't mind. At least the professor wasn't trying to sound clandestine anymore.
"Next the Lymphatic system..." At this white lines traced themself closely alongside the circulatory system, collecting in nodes at the groin, armpits, throat and nose. "This system is typically healthier in Empyreans than in Outsiders, but this is atributed tot he Outsider's grafting, which typically weakens their lymphatics."
"What does the Lymphatic system -do-?" He tilted his head to the side, trying to determine it's function in the body. "Does it work with the circulatory system?" From the way the two closely followed one another, he figured that was a decent guess.
"The lymphatic system is your body's first defense and produces the antibodies of your immune system. It works together with the bone marrow to create your bloodcells. You can feel the nodes grow tense when your body is fighting off an infection. And when you cut yourself, it's that clear ooze that comes if you haven't hit a blood vessel."
"Ah." He marked that on his paper and nodded, glancing down at his paper. Falling quiet, he waited for Abrid to continue. So far so good.
"And that is where the similarity veers. For an Empyrean there is one final system: The Essence." A shimmering opalescent film covered the entire shape oft he skeleton, shifting and moving, constantly in motion, and in its center 7 points of light glowed brightly, marking the seven chakras.
"So they /are/ a system of their own...." Astaroth brightened and sketched them out, glad to know his guess was right. Pointing at the knots of light, he looked at Abrid, "Those are the chakras, correct?"
Abrid smiled and nodded. "Now, as you may notice, the system of Essence follows a different pattern than the previous systems. There are not leylines in the body as there are with the others, but rather a skin of shifting energy that covers the entirebody. Because of this, the Essence can be pushed into the furthest corners of the anatomy. But, it is important to note that it is extremely difficult the control the Essence in its raw form because since it is always shifting, focusing on a specific body lcoation does not mean you have targeted and frozen a chunk of essence. Therefore, we use the Chakras to focus on the Essence running specifics in the body."
"Like some sort of flow control?" He asked, interested, "Concentrating on the heart chakra focuses Essence in that area?"
"Something like that, yes." Abrid replied, pondering a good way to phrase his facts. "More than controlling the Essence in that area, it -draws- Essence to that area. Which is why it is important not to unbalance and of your Chakras. If you draw too much Essence to the same point over and over, you will create a blockage of Essence in that location which can lead to disease."
He nodded, "But wouldn't careful use of the chakras make them stronger?" Astaroth hoped is wasn't a bad thing all in all... it would make it difficult to truly delve into Rhetoric if every time he did so threatened his health.
"Careful use, yes of course." Abrid agreed wholeheartedly. "And regular cleansing of the Chakras, as well as making sure to give attention to them all. This is how to regulate a healthy Essence system."
"Exercising one's chakras then." He concluded and made a note of the ways to keep healthy on his page, "But how do you cleanse your chakras?"
"THere are many ways, though you'd do best to ask Ardys or melonia about such things. They are far more expert in such things than I." At this he glanced at the skeleton and it's shimmering skin of Essence vanished without a trace, leaving the other systems intact. "As for the Outsiders..." Abrid murmured.
Sighing, Astaroth nodded and continued to pay attention. "Do the Outsiders have something different but comparable to an Essence system then?"
"Not quite comparable..." An artificial laser-like eye developed in one empty socket, pistons appeared above the heart pumping the muscle at an unnaturally fast rate, metals grafts developed along skin and bone providing strength and durability. Abrid watch as the skeleton began to look like Mr. Burnham as he has been when alive. "Grafting." Abrid spoke the single word with a heavy weight.
Astaroth frowned as the skelton started developing metal... additions? It looked... ugly and sad. Glancing over at Danna he wondered if she thought the same thing. It seemed so... inorganic and foreign.
Danna felt that mechanical eye stare out at her and physically winced. It seemed a painful way to live. She rubbed unconsciously at her palm, grateful for the soft fleshy feeling of it. She watched the heart pump tiringly fast and sighed, weary from watching it. "Just awful..." she murmured softly.
"Why? Those... augments couldn't possibly be natural. Why add such things?" It painful... and he nodded in agreement with Danna.
"Because they are not protected in as we are in this City. They do not have magics. They need a way to protect themselves and repair themselves after disease ravages them, or Monsters attack. They augment their bodies with these Grafts. To make them better fighters and more resilient to our magics. This is what a full grown Outsider becomes. Just as we develope Additions so too do they create their own." Abrid regarded the skeleton with a long, scrutinizing glance.
"It looks more like some sort of monster then a flesh and blood creature." He murmured, looking the skeleton over. It only reinforced his rather biased view that the two were different and that Empyreans were better.
Abrid nodded slowly. "A monster that can certainly hold its own. These Grafts prolong their natural life span much the same way our essence prolongs ours. When they die, or malfunction too badly to repair, the kill off the damaged Outsider and strip the grafts they might be able to reuse on another wanting Outsider."
Astaroth recoiled at that, unable to suppress the look of disgust. How utterly barbaric! Shuddering he shifted in his seat and for the first time since he'd started his classes he wondered when this session might be over. "Cannibals?" His tone was laced with revulsion.
Abrid looked up with a speed that had previously been unused. "No. They do not eat the flesh of their own. But they do reuse the technological augments where they can. Though, whether or not an eye stolen from one like John..." He indicated the skeleton with a soft hand. "Would still possess an imprint of the man it was made for is a worrying thought to my mind."
Astaroth shook his head, disagreeing. Taking from the dead was horrid and disgusting. Of course, he didn't understand Abrid's latter comment and blinked, wondering why he would be worried. For a long moment he remained silent, only watching the Three. Why did things keep getting sidetracked onto the Outsiders....?
Danna looked first to astaroth and then to the skeleton, slowly raising her hand and asking a question. "What do you mean, Professor? What imprint?"
Abrid turned to her. "Like the Corched Souls in our Melancholic District. Or a pendant used for dowsing. A physical thing was touched by a living thing, connected with. It leaves a shadow, a memory in that inanimate thing, no matter how faint." Abrid eyes the skeletal model, and the thing flsuhed away all its insubstantial systems to become merely a skeleton again, motionless and plain.
"Wouldn't that mean that every time an Outsider's parts were cannabalized for use in others they could potentially gain some form of strength from the previous owner?" Astaroth asked, understanding dawning on him. It would be a cumulative effect then... truly monstrous.
"We don't know enough to be certain of the way the Outsiders work in full, but from what we've gathered...yes, that does seem to be the case." Abrid took a deep breath.
Sitting back against the wall, Astaroth regarded his professor intently. Was this what the discipline of Science looked at? Outsider biology and customs? If so it was disspointing.... and frightening at the same time. He had learned concepts here that others had danced around. The melancholy wasn't sure what to make of it.
Abrid seemed to shake himself and regained his warm smile. "Well, that's really all I have to say on an Introduction on Anatomy. There's is a great deal more to Science, the chemistry of Castor Shells, for instance, the medicine of healing..." Abrid smiled and shrugged dismissively. "But those are studies for another day."
Astaroth frowned, sighing audibly. "Those seem rather interesting...." He would have liked to learn more... Standing he bowed formally, "As you wish. Danna?" He glanced at her as he closed his notebook and tucked it in his bag.
"If you think those subjects interesting, perhaps you ought to study more about Science?" Abrid half-asked half-suggested the question. He was always glad to have a new student to teach. "I'd be more than happy to help you with your studies, if ever you have questions." Abrid made sure his full sincerity went into the words and smiled warmly for good measure.
Danna had gotten up to leave whent he Professor added on his final remarks. "Thank you very much, Abrid... Mr. Brunham..." She added with a wary glance at the motionless skeleton. "I think I may just take you up on that..." She looked to Astaroth to see if his opinion was visible in his expression.
But it was neutral, neither grateful nor dismissive. Astaroth pondered the offer but doubted he'd truly delve into Science if he were to learn from Abrid - his style just didn't suit Astaroth. "Thank-you for your time, professor."
"Take care of yourselves..." Abrid replied softly, waving with his tail tip and issuing a small sigh. He'd hoped that would have gone better than it had. Ah well... You can't win 'em all. And with that he turned away.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:16 pm
Books Taken Out The Power and Majesty of Crop Circles Aligning with the Signs Short Stories by Edgar Alan Poe
Notes from Library Books Mathmatics 9 - Nine indicates cosmic significance, as nine is the number of Ethereal Spheres in ancient cosmology. As the highest of the numbers (as ten equals 1+0 = 1), nine symbolizes spiritual achievement and initiation. Keywords: cosmic significance. 0 - Zero is the concept of nothingness,absence of good or evil, a starting and ending point. It is the point of infinity, and it is nothingness. Standing alone, zero has no power and no meaning, but coupled with the other numbers it grants immense power, especially to casting. sometimes referred to as the number Ten, which stands for completeness. Keywords: Ether. Inclusive Geometry - Inclusive means that the power the shape holds takes effect on anything within the shape, whether ir be 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional. These can easily be constructed around, drawn around, or the item placed within them to have a desired effect. Some are helpful and others hindering. The forms used to affect whatever they surround are called Shapes. Circles: Circles are the most powerful of the protective Shapes. Circles are intensified is drawn with potent materials, such as salt for purification and against spiritual attack, blood against physical attack, purified water against monsters, and sacred earth against Outsiders. Pyramids: Pyramids are amplifying, projecting wishing, hopes or intentions to the universe. Pyramids, obviously need to be constructed, and can be built to align with constellations, the planets or moon to apply to certain qualities of the celestial bodies, but even a small scale pyramid crafted from stone or mirror is a powerful tool. You place the object(s) symbolizing the wish to be obtained within the pyramid and meditate on the subject as often as possible. Cylinders: cylinders are a safe Shape, protecting from tampering with other energies, as opposed to physical protection, as that of a circle. They are useful in dealing with certain monsters (such as the Hiisi) and are also good for holding parchments, scrolls, or talismans with inscribed curses or Hexes.
Literature Eye - +10% difficulty - Targeting the Eye renders the opponent sightless for the remainder of the fight. This can be reversed by some healing magics, but Outsiders and Monsters do not have such healing magics, and cannot reverse the affects. Sightlessness makes the opponent unable to target you, and raises their difficulty on actions meant to hit or block you by 10%. Groin - +10% difficulty - Targeting the Groin stuns the opponent for 1 turn, and then decreases stamina and strength for the remainder of the fight by 5% each. Solar Plexus - +10% difficulty - Targeting the Solar Plexus stuns the opponent for 1 turn, and then lowers magical and energetic proficiency for the rest of the fight, raising your opponent's difficulty on any magical or energy manipulation (such as chakra work) by 10%.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:33 pm
Journal Entry about the Metatron Council Event
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:34 pm
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