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 Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:32 pm
 The One was busy perusing the literature section of the library, caught up in a volume of poetry by one Dante Alighieri. It was a fascinating read as far as Astaroth was concerned, flipping through the pages fairly quickly as he leaned against one of the book cases' pillars. He leaned slightly towards the side, slightly off center to avoid pressing the studs along his spine painfully into the wood.
Toying with the stud embedded in his lower lip as he read, the melancholy glanced up as he pondered the current passage and then closed the cover, intent on checking this out for further study. He'd always been fascinated by the angels and demons of literature like this and it seemed he'd stumbled on a particularly useful book.
In high spirits, the normally stern-looking Empyrean smiled as he turned back to the books at hand and pulled out the volume he'd originally intended to check - a volume covering the basic of targeting via passive and active sentences. It was a subtle discipline that had recently caught his attention and warranted further investigation.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:35 pm
Dariyn had dragged Zethyr to the library, the smaller Zero was passionate about very few things, but learning and reading were certainly two of them, and lucky for him, they went hand in hand. He seemed to become a different person within the library, crimson eyes wide and fascinated as they scoured the shelves, almost reverently handling the various tomes that he found, as though they were old friends brought to recall.
It was with his head in one such book that he turned a corner, and for a few seconds he didn't realize anyone else was there, but then, he blinked, as though disoriented, jolted from out of his world of books, and made a sort of squeaking sound. He hadn't expected to bump into a One, much less Astaroth, whom he knew by sight only. The fellow always looked rather intimidating.
Zethyr had been a little bit behind Dariyn, and he turned the corner in mid-sentence. "And I found this one, Dari, you might want to-" Oh, they weren't here alone. "Hello...Astaroth isn't it?" He greeted brightly, voice just quiet enough to be 'library-proper' and inclined his head politely, "I take it you have an interest in reading like my little friend here?" He clapped a hand on Dariyn's shoulder, and the tiny Phlegmatic jumped, startled...he'd still been blinking owlishly at Astaroth.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:03 pm
Astaroth's brow shot up high on his forehead as a little zero bumped into him. With a swishing sound, his ties bumped against his furry legs as he turned to regard the.... newcomers. His smile faded, replaced by a slight frown and a quizzical look as he nodded when greeted, "An interest? Far more then that. It is one of my central studies." Piercing blue gaze shifted from Dariyn to Zethyr then back again.
"Your... little friend seems to have frozen up." A disproving tone was heavy in his voice as he spoke, turning back to regard the books. Squatting, the melancholy started to pick at a few more volumes, having apparently dimissed them.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:23 pm
Instantaneously, Zethyr's interest was peaked. "Eh, he does that." Elbowing Dariyn in the side, he then took a step closer to the other Empyrean. "So you have an interest in literature, do you think you could tutor us?" His tone was courteous, but it was clear that he wasn't going to just go away either. Zethyr was nothing if not tenacious.
Dariyn shook his head, "Us?" He echoed, glancing over towards Zethyr with a look that said he really would rather move on, but another poke from Zethyr shushed him, and he looked back to Astaroth. yes, he was intimidating and a lot...bigger, but that didn't mean that he didn't have something to teach them, sort of like some of the professors, Dariyn supposed.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:53 pm
Astaroth's brow knit together as he blinked, trying to figure out Zethyr's brashness, "Why? You are aware that the teacher's lounge is the best place to seek tutoring.... correct?" With a sigh, he pushed the volume he'd been about to take off the shelf and stood, flexing paws.
"I'm not just interested in Literature, Zero. It's one of my central studies - I've already said that. I work with Literature, Mathematics, Magical Theory, and Astronomy." Frowning, Astaroth crossed his arms over his chest, "It's not that difficult, really... Active and passive sentences... targeting... the wording of spells. That's all part of it - anyone can look it up."
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:57 pm
"Oh I'm aware." Zethyr continued, shrugging elegantly, "But at the same time, you're here now, and you clearly have quite a bit of knowledge on the subject, and as a one, we can get credit for your tutoring. Why not take advantage of the situation?" He smirked faintly, "Please? I do have a vested interest in getting to be where you are." Gesturing at the other's height and additions.
Dariyn really wondered just why Zethyr always had to press things, but the other did have a point, biting his lip, he shuffled forward. "'Thyr's right." He said softly, "I mean...I know its probably an inconvenience, but...I'd really appreciate it...if you'd tutor us." The soft-spoken Empyrean was clearly stepping outside of his comfort zone, hugging his book tightly to his chest.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:10 am
Astaroth could and would say no to Zethyr, easily. The boy was far too pushy. He wasn't some on call professor to give out lessons at random - he was a busy Empyrean. Magic was a difficult discipline, especially when combining it with mathematics.
Thus, his attention. drifted from Zethyr to Dariyn and for a long moment he held the little Phlegm's gaze. "I am busy... however." He uncrossed his arms and turned, tucking the few volumes under his arm as he walked away suddenly, "I suppose I could spare a few minutes." Something about Dariyn had made the melancholy bend where Zethyr's approached made him all the more adamant in his refusal.
"But only a few." Waving over his shoulder, the One gestured for the two to follow him as he headed towards a nearby booth.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:49 am
Zethyr eyed Dariyn, and then Astaroth, and then Dariyn again. All right, so it seemed the kid's utter adorableness was good for something anyway. With a sigh, he decided perhaps he might want to keep his mouth shut and slid along behind the other, letting Dariyn take the lead. Little imp had won, so he might as well go first.
Dariyn smiled faintly, still obviously shy. "Thank you." He said sincerely, still holding the book as though it was some form of security blanket, and padding after Astaroth. He was a bit less intimidated by the icy One now, for reasons he couldn't really name.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:13 pm
Pausing at the entrance to the booth, he glanced back to see if he'd lost the pair of zeroes and sighed as he found them close behind. "This way." Making his way into the familiar study booth, the melancholy set his books on the table walked around to the side opposite the chairs.
"I do hope you have some form of notebook or paper and writing utensils..." He nodded to each as they entered. Barely waiting long enough for the pair of them to sit down, Astaroth began, "Literature is not only the study of reading and writing books, it is a vital aspect of spell casting as it enables one to precisely target some object or opponent with something as simple as tone. It is also central in the upkeep and duration of spells you have already cast."
Opening one book, he skimmed until he found a passage with an appropriate section demonstrating both active and passive cadences. Lifting it so that it was cradled in his arm, Astaroth continued, "First, you must understand the difference between a passive and active sentence and the importance of tone. Active sentences are those where the actor moves or effects something by way of a verb. Passive sentences are those in which an object is affected by another object by way of a verb. Simple."
Glancing up, his gaze played across the two, "Tone is the manner in which something is said - when casting a spell, you must reign in your emotions so they do not skew your targeting. A neutral, unbiased tone is best whereas something more intimate can bend the spell towards allies or loved ones. Understand?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:34 pm
Dariyn went for his bag, pulling out books and writing utensils and shuffling a few over towards Zethyr, who quite clearly had not thought to bring such things to a trip to the library. Dariyn, however, was never without them, and he always had some to spare...just in case, and it served him well in this instance. When Astaroth finished the first bit, Dariyn paused from his frantic scribbling to catch every word, and then nodded. "Understood." He said quietly. He had had no idea that tone could be of such import.
Zethyr already had a question or two, but he kept them to himself, if the other was going to cover them shortly, then he didn't need Astaroth more disgruntled than he already seemed to be, and thus, Zethyr was writing his notes in flowing cursive, dark eyes flicking up only occasionally to their 'teacher'.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:08 pm
"Good." Astaroth offered a small smile to the little phlegm and glanced over at Zethyr then back to his book, "You can ask questions whenever you like if there's something that catches you up - I'm a supporter of critical thinking." Flipping the page back and forth to compare pages on opposite sides, the melancholy cleared his throat after a moment, "A simple active sentence is something along the lines of 'I cast the spell' or 'he borrowed the book' - it is an involved connotation, directing the energies outwards. It is best when casting a spell at an opponent." Setting the book down once more, he turned it so it was readable by the two zeroes, "And a passive sentence has a... more shy connotation to it. More private, directing energies inwards. Such as "the spell was cast by me' or 'the book will be borrowed by him'. The difference is subtle but very important."
Tapping a paragraph as he leaned over the table, he looked from Zethyr to Dariyn, "Read this passage and show me at least two instances of passive and active sentences." He fell quiet, waiting for questions and the answers to his challenge. "It is also a good idea to think about how the meaning will change if the phrase is spoken in angry, intimate, or neutral tones."
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:01 pm
Zethyr nodded quickly, "That was something of what I had in mind...you've mentioned the affects of a neutral tone, as well as something a bit more intimate, but what, for instance, is an example of what an angry tone might do to one's spell?" He tapped his writing utensil on his paper thoughtfully. Zethyr could put a tight reign on his emotions, but when they let loose, there was very little he felt he could do to stop them, and that worried him, especially if he was to pursue magic more intensely.
Dariyn eyed the paragraph, and ran his finger quickly over the words, brushing through them with a practiced scholar's eye. "Passive: 'the books were written by him.' Active: 'I performed the dance.'" He cocked his head towards Astaroth, looking for approval.
Zethyr supposed it was his turn now. Heaving a little sigh, he took a bit more time going over the paragraph, "An active sentence...lessee..." He murmured, before he poked at the page with one fingertip. "'I traveled the path', and a more passive sentence would be...'the darkness was dispelled by him'." He seemed a mite unsure, unlike Dariyn, who was more confident in this particular area.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:13 pm
"Anger takes away control, making it harder to direct the spell... passion is a double-edged sword in that it can add strength to your spell but be too passionate and again, you lose some control. Much the same with more private tones - it's like walking a narrow bridge over a drop. Lean too far one way or the other and you lose your footing." Astaroth answered seriously, pleased by Zethyr's question.
To Dariyn Astaroth nodded, "Well done. It's really that simple. Of course, the more flowery the language the more difficult it is to spot the subtle differences but developing that skill is particularly useful if you're reciting a chant of some sort or reading a lengthly oral component to a spell."
Pausing as Zethyr replied as well, he actually brightened some, pleased that both his students caught on so quickly. Had they been slow... he would have lost patience quickly. "Excellent. Now... You use this knowledge to target vary parts of an opponent. Everything can be reached, including heart and lungs but it's extremely difficult to successfully attack those things even with targeting.
"Moving on.... The next two parts of Literature are large components of magic. Duration and upkeep. Duration extends the length of your spell, requiring great concentration to do so and is developed with practice but does not involve doing something else in the process. Upkeep on the other hand, is the maintenance of a cast spell while performing another action. This also requires concentration but the degree of control is far greater - wavering at this stage of spell casting can have dire effects. It's best to master tone and cadence before attempting to prolong or multitask."
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:37 pm
Zethyr quite obviously made a mental note of that. Control seemed so much a part of so many of the things they had learned, he wondered just where passion did come into play...privately, perhaps...or in more personal fighting experiences, though that was something he knew he'd likely never excel at, though he'd be damned if he didn't give it a try.
"Duration and upkeep." Dariyn murmured as he jotted that down in his notebook as well. More complicated still than tone and cadence. That was something he felt he could...and would do...master it, learn it. Magic thrilled him and he wanted to know more of it...he'd been enthralled from the first class that had involved it, and he still was even now.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:50 pm
Warming to the two a little, he stood back and half sat on the table, crossing one leg over the other in the motion, "You can tell wonderful stories with the skills learned from literature as well as become a top-notch marksman. It's a wonderful study... one of my favourite subjects. For anyone who wishes to become a grimoire or circle mage it's a very important discipline." He took the book and flipped to a passage he'd liked when he'd been reading it earlier, "To demonstrate...."
He cleared his throat and began reading the passage to the two, tone and cadence playing off one another beautifully to turn the piece int a thing of flowing poetry that danced with metaphors and bright images. As he read, the melancholy began to glow softly, a black aura surrounding him as his essence becoming visible like when any other Empyrean when focusing on a task suited to their alignment.
When he finished, the glow faded and he looked up a sort of calmness in his normally intense eyes that made it clear such pursuits were his most enjoyable past time. "I do believe that is everything for now... any questions?"
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