[OPEN] Interview With A Mage

[sulahnan]

WHO: Athessa and you!
WHAT: Talking to Magefriends about Magic and Abominations
WHEN: August; Post-Abomination, Pre-Modplot
WHERE: Around the Gallows
NOTES: none yet

i. colin

It's one of the days that sees Athessa helping out in the apothecary, which means busy hands but a mind free to wander. She's separating the buds from dried, woody stems to place each into jars for their individual uses when she speaks:

"I've been thinking a lot about what happened..."

ii. kostos

This isn't a conversation that is going to happen organically. After reading through some esoteric writings on magic in the library, she gives up for a time and stalks off to find Kostos.

"Oi," she calls to him, jogging to catch up with him. "Got a minute?"

iii. isaac

[ Some late night crystal call when Athessa's eyes get tired of reading ]

Isaac, can I pick your brain a bit?

iv. derrica

[ They've had their fair share of difficult conversations of late, and this one bodes no different. The kicker, of course, is that it's far more personal to Derrica than it is to Athessa, so when the latter seeks out the former, she comes bearing gifts. Little spiced cookies and coffee over ice - does Derrica drink coffee? ]

It's not spice cake, but the flavor is pretty close.

v. wildcard/bring out your mage

[ either hmu on disco or plurk and i'll make a starter for you or wildcard me, whichever! ]

Comments

[sulahnan]

She blows a few actually decent smoke rings and hands over the joint.

"Seen any good ones today? Miracles?"

[thereneverwas]

Barrow considers. Then, he takes the joint and draws from it.

"Just this."

[sulahnan]

Athessa snorts. It's the kind of sound a daughter makes at a father's boasting, a disbelieving, embarrassed, but grateful thing.

"Come off it," she smiles, and idly picks at some chip in the carved back of her chair. "Miracles cost extra."

[thereneverwas]

"What about kittens?" LFT is a rattling mound, feet all tucked away as Barrow rests his hand atop him.
"I lost all my money gambling with Fitcher."

[sulahnan]

"Kittens?" She asks, trying to work out if he means that the kittens also cost extra, are miracles, or something else. "Lord Fluffy Tumington just likes you, that's all. If I start heading this way he sprints to your door, even if I keep walking past."

And it's true, too. If Barrow's door were open more, the kitten would probably forsake Athessa's room entirely.

[thereneverwas]

Kittens are definitely miracles and, depending on the situation, sometimes cost extra. His logic is perfectly sound and he would be offended at Athessa's doubt if only he knew.

Fortunately, Barrow doesn't have time to argue, because his reaction to her news is a quick gasp, his hand moving to his heart.
"He does?" he says weakly, "well then I'll start cracking the door, he can protect me from Lazar."

[sulahnan]

This time when Athessa laughs, it isn't an embarrassing snort or disbelief, but genuine delight both at Barrow's reaction and the thought of Lazar being fended off by a kitten.

"He'll serve you well, there," She leans forward and extends her hand first to scritch the kitten's cheeks, then to gesture for the joint. "He's already a good mouser."

[thereneverwas]

He hands the joint back and uses his free hand to pick up LFT in both, bringing the kitten close to his face so they can bump heads.

"Who's my bodyguard,"he asks tenderly, "is it you?"

[sulahnan]

One day, she hopes she can blow a smoke ring perfectly through the center of another, but for now she has to make do with a few disconnected ones.

"Did you hear about what happened?"

[thereneverwas]

"Mm?"

That could mean anything.

[sulahnan]

"In the dining hall," she isn't watching for a reaction, instead focusing on the smoke and closing one eye to see through a ring like a spyglass pointed towards the corner of the room. There's a spider there, and if she leans just so she can center it in the ring just before it dissipates.

[thereneverwas]

"Oh, the--" he catches her drift and winces.

"Yes, I nipped down for a bit to help out."

[sulahnan]

That has her attention.

"What?!" She sits upright, pushing on the arm rest behind her to lean closer. "You're supposed to be on bedrest!"

[thereneverwas]

Busted. He steels his hands protectively around LFT.

"I felt guilty about it after?" he lies hopefully.

[sulahnan]

"D—Barrow!" She thins her lips, but even with a battle scar she just doesn't have the knack for withering glances. So she sighs through her nose and gives him the joint and sits back again.

"Guilty enough to let Colin or Sister Sara give you a once-over? You coulda been hurt bad." Like Matthias, with his charred leg and hand, or Jenny Lou with burns all over, or Derrica with fresh burns over the ones that had just healed, and a scrape down her side.

[thereneverwas]

"Of course," he reassures her, making a bit point of rolling his eyes, "they were both there with me, you know. I got the go-ahead from Sister Sara herself."

[sulahnan]

That, at least, is something that bears more weight than any claim that he's fine. She knows what I'm fine can mean, more often than not.

"Oh. Well. Good," Her leg's idle swinging resumes, and she sighs. "I was only there afterwards. For the clean-up."

[thereneverwas]

Barrow winces. "I can't imagine that was pretty."

[sulahnan]

Athessa shakes her head. "Matthias got pretty burnt up. Derrica, too. And Jenny Lou, and the dining hall was—is a mess."

[thereneverwas]

"Poor kids." That doesn't seem fair, that they should get so injured when someone like him should come out relatively unscathed.
"Did we lose anyone?"

[sulahnan]

"I don't think so. Apparently the mage that turned wasn't one of ours."

Not that she looks particularly relieved or happy about that fact.

"I wish we could've saved him."

[thereneverwas]

He nods pensively.

"I know what you mean."

[sulahnan]

Athessa taps her fingers on the corner of her book, catching a short nail on a dent in the binding and fiddling with it idly.

"Do you think we're helping?" She asks, remembering a bygone conversation with Derrica on the sidelines of Eshal's fighting ring. "With the war? We don't exactly have many advantages."

[thereneverwas]

"We're..."

That's a good question, actually.

"...we're not.. not helping." Barrow shoots her a disarming smile. "We're trying to make a difference, aren't we?"

[sulahnan]

"But is trying enough? Are we succeeding? It feels like every time we have a win, there's a loss waiting 'round the corner to balance the scales again," Her opinion on the matter has changed a bit from the last time this question was considered. When she was in Barrow's position, instead of the one asking.

"I don't think I want the world to go back to the way it was before, which is what I fear happening if the Inquisition is dictating the terms and we're just treating a symptom."