Welcome to Gaia! ::

Thali was excited about this student; she had never met the girl personally, but knew about her from her son. She had something special planned for Ebony, as a reward for helping Vincent through his difficult time. Illusions would be perfect for her, Thali had decided. That, and well. It was the elf's favorite magical practice. It was a beautiful art form, and easy to do, if you focused and practiced enough. Naturally, Thali was of the belief that anyone had the ability to make something beautiful.

The elf carefully cleared the room of everything but her desk and chair, before sitting down. They wouldn't be needing any real objects for this class. She took a sip of her tea, hoping that would calm her nerves. She wasn't nervous at all--just excited. She was a natural teacher, and loved her work.

She folded her hands in front of her, and waited.

Thali looked up as her first student arrived. "Hi Ebony," she greeted with a smile. "You can call me Thali, I don't do the formal stuff. To be honest, being called Mrs. Sadril makes me feel old." She paused, and smiled again. "I was hoping you'd recognize me. Hopefully I will be much more lively than I was when we first met. I have a special treat for you today, Ebony," she paused, and thought about how she would explain what she was about to say.

"You might have noticed that the classroom has been cleared of most objects. We won't be needing any tools today. We'll be working with illusions. It's not an especially difficult form of magic, but it is one of my favorites. If you master it, you can create wonderful and beautiful things. Of course, you could create frightening things as well, but... Let's focus on the good. It's a treat for helping Vincent open up. Thank you," she added with a smile.

Thali was slightly relieved to learn that Ebony knew something about illusions, then she wouldn't have to work so hard at explaining what to do. She disliked explaining, because she knew she was lackluster in that area. "I really am quite glad he plucked up the courage to ask you," she said. "He's been shy lately--you know, ever since that fight he had." She shook her head.

"Anyway, back to illusions. I want you to focus, Ebony--do you have a nickname? It seems rather formal and repetitive to call you by your full name all the time--" So that was where Vincent had gotten his dislike for using his full name. She paused for a moment, looking to her student with a smile. "Anyway! Before I'm distracted again. Close your eyes. Picture whatever you'd like. It can be something small, or something not-so-much. Size doesn't mean complexity when it comes to illusions. It can be an animal, or an object. I must warn you though, stationary items are easier than those that move. Go on. I'm interested in what you'll think up."

Thali looked surprised; she had figured Vincent would have told Ebony about 'Zuba by now. Maybe she was reading the signs wrong. "I'll tell you after this," she promised, folding her hands neatly in front of her, curious as to what her student would think up. A smile crossed her face, but then--no, it must have been a trick of the light, because in a moment, Thali's smile was back. "Well done, Ebby," she complimented her student.

"You seem to have a natural talent for this sort of thing," she added quickly, glancing to the eye. "You're very accurate," she said, glancing at her son's girlfriend. "And very neat about your work, as well. I like the additions you made to it, it makes it look more decorative."

The elf paused, and looked again to the eye. "Would you like to try something more complex?" She asked. "Or shall I tell you about the fight Vincent had with 'Zuba first?"

Distracted from the lesson she was supposed to be teaching, Thali started to explain. She explained about how Vincent had insulted Adhara, she told how 'Zuba had gotten angry and attacked. "Really, I only know this because he told me after I found him. I went looking for him; he was supposed to be on his way home. I found him down a few blocks, on the sidewalk. He was barely concious," she sighed, shaking her head.

Something snapped her back to the present, and a smile made it's way across her elven features. "Anyway! Back to your lesson! What would you like to know about illusions? I'm horrible at explaining and I do better if I'm asked questions. Do you have any?"

Thali blinked, a little surprised. "Um, well. I need the practice explaining anyway, don't I? To be honest, I don't think I'm all that good of a teacher, really. I pick favorites." Naturally, the elf wouldn't list all her flaws. She paused, and tried to think of a way to explain.

"Well... Complex illusions are like those who have a full form. Living creatures are much more difficult than non-living, with the exception of plants. Those are simple enough; they don't move. Would you like to try forming an animal? It can be any animal you wish. Imaginary or not; with magical children, it usually takes form of their invisible friend." She chuckled at the memory. "Anything you like, Ebby. Just focus. You have a natural talent with illusions, and I'd love to see what you can do." She folded her hands neatly in front of her, apparently waiting for something to happen.