Crossed Lines

[West (The Mage)]

Continued from Here

She nodded to his lessons, doing and learning were one in the same; even if playing with this sort of thing could get you killed. There was the reassurance though, she thought as she could feel the weight of his hand on her shoulder.

It made her feel small, like she was growing...but the fear that had seated itself in her stomach was more present than before. What if he can’t save me?

She let out a shaky breath and reset the way she was standing, at her hip the rosary shifted as she focused on pulling down the Aether to touch her.

“Yeah.” Another breath and in a moment she had pulled the imago of flames into sharp focus and twisted the strands of otherworldly shaping around that image until it flared in her (now raised) hand.

And into the circle it went, a slight spin on it like she had thrown such a thing before. Again the breath came, this a bit of relief but still a lingering touch of fear. “Again right?”

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-06-25 01:21:49		Vaeltia rolls 5 to cast Celestial Fire (10 Again)		10, 4, 4, 2, 1, 6		1 success
2012-06-25 01:21:21		Vaeltia rolls 1 to Dox [1 - 1 (dedicated magical tool) (10 Again, Chance)		7		failure

West watched, tempted to smile, but the situation was too serious for it to come out. There was a part of him that loved seeing magic used. It was an acknowledgment of the Supernal self, and he thought far too many Mages shied away from spells which tempted the Abyss. They were meant to change the world, and you had to be willing to Change. The. World.

He waited a few moments, making sure his shovel had cleared a large enough patch, and held up a hand.

"Yes... but. No Tool. We're trying to accomplish something, and that's slowing it down. I also want you to feet it. The surge. You know the spell well enough, pay attention to that feeling that comes with it that isn't the spell. Feel the intrusion. Even if a Paradox doesn't manifest, it's trying."


Vaeltia slumped forward, the very picture of a stubborn child complete with pout. “You’re taking away all of my protections?” she said through the pout, knowing that it couldn’t even hope to crack through his gaze. She mumbled under her breath as she untied the rosary and handed it to him.

She turned back to the brown circle and drew on the threads of the Aether again this time feeling the cold-fire of something travel down with the thread. The flame erupted in her hand, but as she threw it the strands that would normally keep her attached to such a spell snapped.

And the spell was free.

“Um....West?”

  Spell goes off, Paradox (Havoc)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-06-26 22:25:15		Vaeltia rolls 7 to Wisdom for havoc spell (10 Again)		5, 8, 7, 10, 7, 6, 9, 6		3 successes
2012-06-26 22:20:36		Vaeltia rolls 4 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis-1 Dox] (10 Again)		1, 8, 3, 3		1 success
2012-06-26 22:19:48		Vaeltia rolls 2 to Dox [1 + 1 (Successive Castings)] (10 Again)		10, 3, 5		1 success

[West (The Mage)]

Rather than a bolt, the fire blossoms, exploding outward like gasoline dumped on a grill.

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-06-29 11:42:26		West rolls 10 to Counterspell Prime (10 Again)		8, 4, 2, 10, 4, 6, 5, 6, 2, 9, 5		3 successes

The white-hot fire of heaven blue splashes across his vision, but West had been waiting on the razor's edge of anticipation, and cast. His own spell was also the stuff of Prime itself; a latticework of threads that contained the fire, then abruptly collapsed and snuffed it out in the blink of an eye.

"And that, was Paradox wreaking Havoc," he said softly.

"The least of what The Abyss can do -- severing your Will from the spell so that there's only the spell and chaos."

He glanced at her to make sure she was unhurt before continuing.

"This can get really fucked up, really fast -- especially for Arrows. A battlefield is one of the worst places to lose control of something that could hurt your friends or help your enemies. Unless you're dying, it's almost always better to absorb the Paradox and keep control of the spell. Did you feel it? The taint? You can hold that, keep it from getting out with the spell."


She stepped back the place she had been standing in, her eyes wide at the sky where the flash of blue had vanished “Right, like a sponge.” she said with a nod as she herself checked over her skin.

Not even cosmetic damages.

“Well here we go again.” she said with a small smirk before pulling down the Aether again. This time she was ready for the dark threads that wrapped around the shining gold spell line. Before the fire blossomed in her hand, she pulled the darkened strands from the Imago and tucked them into herself.

As she threw the spell at he dirt circle she felt the cold burn encircle her wrist, leaving a light bruising. She looked at her wrist with a distant expression. “I feel dirty.”

  Spell goes off, Paradox (Soaked)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-06-30 00:58:10		Vaeltia rolls 4 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis-1 Dox] (10 Again)		10, 3, 6, 7, 3		1 success
2012-06-30 00:57:50		Vaeltia rolls 3 to Dox [1 + 2 (Successive Castings)] (10 Again)		8, 2, 4		1 success

1 R Bashing

[West (The Mage)]

West watched intently, and when she was done, reached out and took her arm, carefully turning it over and looking at the bruises. He didn't stop there, though, moving around her side and inspecting her for any other signs.

"It's important to know how it usually manifests," he explained. "And it's not always the same, sometimes The Abyss throws you a curveball."

"Can't heal it, either, with magic. Gotta wait," West added. He wasn't sure if he'd told her that before, but if he had, it didn't hurt repeating.

He thought about what she'd said.

He sighed, and shook his head. "Some people get to like it; the pain, the taint, the power. Some people think they can control it. Don't ever think those things; you can't. It'll stain you."

There was more to say on that, but later. Right now, it was about The Abyss and Paradox, not Abyssal Wardens.

"Ready to keep going?"


As he inspected her bruises she smiled, Vaeltia realized she felt comfortable around him. It almost surprised her, but he wasn’t hurting her, just helping her.

“It doesn’t really hurt though, I mean the pain of it all, it’s not physical, you know?” she looked at her wrist again, it was the same place. She shook her head, “I can’t self-heal yet any way, so it’s not that bad, but...I’m assuming it’s gonna get worse, right?” she asked before nodding.

“Yeah.” This time as she pulled at the aether the cold-slime of the abyss caught the thread and rushed straight through her before she had a chance to even let the flame manifest. She shut her eyes as she felt the tingle of pain stretch to her other wrist and the start of bruising appear on her neck.

That one started to hurt, but only because she had felt it’s twin.

  Spell Fails, Paradox (Soaked)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-07-03 23:34:19		Vaeltia rolls 3 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis-2 Dox] (10 Again)		3, 5, 7		failure
2012-07-03 23:33:43		Vaeltia rolls 4 to Dox [1 + 3 (Successive Castings)] (10 Again)		3, 5, 10, 6, 10, 2		2 successes

Her hand went to her neck, she could feel the tenderness of the skin and muscle there.

“...can’t heal it magically....” she sighed and her features caught a more distant look before she snapped her hand open again.

I haven’t died yet, and I still have the mind to cast.

The Aether flowed pure for a moment as the spell sapped at her pattern. Pieces of power, of mana slid away from her, as if being eaten by some dark creature before it struck too suddenly. She could feel the slimy touch as her thoughts were darkened, Although the spell struck the ground she had sent it too, her eyes were darkened.

“Can I have my rosary back now.” she asked calmly not looking at the Acanthus and holding out her hand to him.

Every time, like he’s trying to make it hurt more.

  Spell Goes off, Paradox (Bedlam), -2 Mana

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-07-03 23:44:38		Vaeltia rolls 7 to Wisdom for Bedlam (10 Again)		2, 5, 1, 9, 9, 10, 6, 6		3 successes
2012-07-03 23:36:42		Vaeltia rolls 3 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis-2 Dox] (10 Again)		10, 9, 3, 8		3 successes
2012-07-03 23:36:25		Vaeltia rolls 3 to Dox [1 + 4 (Successive Castings) - 2 Mana] (10 Again)		3, 10, 6, 8		2 successes

3 R. Bashing, -2 Mana

[West (The Mage)]

"Right," West agreed.

He watched as the next spell went off; ready to extinguish it, but not needing to. He'd noticed the bruising spreading, and moved closer after the last spell, leaning forward to examine it.

"No, not yet... but you can stop holding in the Backlash," he said.

He'd figured she'd need to wind up before something more than a spell going Havoc would happen -- and had cast enough now that it was becoming more likely.

"Again."


Vaeltia looked over at her master, her eyes wide for a moment. “Are you Trying to kill me?!” She asked, the the shock and hurt filling her voice. “Every, EVERY spell since you took my rosary has had an Abyssal ride-along.”

Her shoulders slumped, Who am I kidding? It was inevitable, wasn’t it? But did it have to be right now, right after she managed to start trusting him...

She lifted a hand to her throat and felt the bruises there.

’Again.’

  No paradox, Spell goes off

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-07-12 07:26:52		Vaeltia rolls 5 to cast Celestial Fire (10 Again)		9, 5, 3, 4, 6		1 success
2012-07-12 07:26:04		Vaeltia rolls 4 to Dox [1 + 5 (Successive Castings) - 2 Mana] (10 Again)		5, 7, 7, 3		failure

The spell came like a trickle, but blissfully clean. She looked away from him, there was no need he should be able to see the faint look of relief on her face.

-3R.Bashing, -4Mana

[West (The Mage)]

"No... and that's... kind of the point."

West looked at his Apprentice, unsure if she was struggling with pain management, or something else. He'd known people who got the giggles when they were in pain, and plenty who got surly.

When she looked away, he touched her shoulder lightly, not sure himself it was meant to be comforting or meant to get her attention.

"Listen. We do this now so this isn't a surprise when something's on the line."

If it ain't raining, we ain't training.

"Again."


She cringed at his last word.

What good is it if you won’t let me get to a point where I can use this ‘lesson’ outside of training? She thought before straightening. “Like what?”

She pulled the supernal down to her hand again, and along with it, the taint of the Abyss. She was really starting to hate that sick slimy feeling, even more than before; especially with the pull of the Mana from her pattern and the fact that it was what he wanted her to feel.

The orange blast hit the dirt, and her expression was still hardened, her finger tips were starting to hurt, and her left hand gravitated to her right upper rib cage. It was something of an unconscious move, but a slight press right beneath her bra line made her wince.

  Spell goes off, Paradox (Soaked)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-07-13 15:18:44		Vaeltia rolls 4 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis-1 Dox] (10 Again)		1, 9, 8, 2		2 successes
2012-07-13 15:17:56		Vaeltia rolls 5 to Dox [1 + 6 (Successive Castings) - 2 Mana] (10 Again)		10, 4, 1, 1, 6, 6		1 success

-4R.Bashing, -6 Mana

[West (The Mage)]

"Whatever you decide is worth it," West answered.

Everyone had their own private wars. It was one of the differences between them and the Guardians -- different wars, different costs.

His brows knit slightly in concern as he watched her wince. It was happening faster than he'd expected.

"Again... but this time... don't hold it in."

The words came out with a slight tenseness to them, as West mentally prepared himself for whatever Paradox might be unleashed.


It did shut her up, specifically as a mental picture floated through her head of what she thought would be worth dealing with this sort of pain for. She looked down at the dirt, until that fight truly came she’d just have to toss fire at dirt, right?

She raised her hand again, realizing that she could feel the heat of her own displayed nimbus, Since when has that been happening?

Vaeltia pushed the thought away as she opened her hand to contain the Celestial fire when she pulled it down, but as she reached out to the supernal she couldn’t find it at first. And the confusion hit slightly, especially since she had felt the withdrawal of energy from her pattern

  Spell does not go off, No paradox

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-07-18 16:17:19		Vaeltia rolls 5 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis] (10 Again)		5, 2, 3, 2, 3		failure
2012-07-18 16:16:51		Vaeltia rolls 6 to Dox [1 + 7 (Successive Castings) - 2 Mana] (10 Again)		7, 3, 7, 4, 3, 7		failure

Breathe, just like in practice, breathe. He said to let it go, so he doesn’t want you to die.

She pulled down the supernal again, and when the dark strands of the Abyss piggybacked down she let them through her body, not stopping them like he said to.

But the spell didn’t explode outward like last time, it fell exactly where she wanted it to.

  Spell goes off, Paradox (Branding)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-07-18 16:20:07		Vaeltia rolls 1 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis-4 Dox] (10 Again)		10, 8		2 successes
2012-07-18 16:18:00		Vaeltia rolls 9 to Dox [1 + 8 (Successive Castings)] (10 Again)		10, 1, 5, 8, 1, 4, 10, 2, 3, 9, 4		4 successes

“What happens if I don’t put myself in the way of the abyss?” she asked, her voice echoing beyond the normal timbre that was added with her nimbus flared, sharper more feral. She turned sharply to her master, her eyes narrowed bright with controlled anger, the pupils slitted like a cat’s.

“Why?”

-4R.Bashing, -8Mana

[West (The Mage)]

West's eyes widened slightly at the Nimbus distortion, and he looked around with Sight to see if anything had happened. When Vaeltia turned, he sucked his lips in, compressing his mouth in a thin line to keep from laughing.

Honestly... it was kind of cute. He'd seen worse.

"Ummmm..."

He turned from side to side, and then pointed at the truck.

"Go look in the mirror and see."

Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Don't laugh.


She gave him a confused look before walking carefully past him. There was still something that despite everything that made it okay, even if it shouldn’t be.

There was something in his tone that she couldn’t quite place as she looked in the truck’s mirror.

“WHAT?!” She jolted as she moved backwards a few steps. She was out of range of the little circle, but she was almost positive her voice could carry. Especially with the timbre change.

Are they really.... she said as she looked again, noticing her blue eyes and their very noticeable vertical slits. And then the hotheadedness set in as she stomped her way through the field back to the Acanthus.

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” she stated more than asked, as she jabbed a finger into his chest. Her slitted blue eyes flashing as she spoke.

Then a moment and she stepped back, calling the fire to her hands again, and feeling mana the being taken by the abyss from her pattern. And yet still the abyss felt invited through her body again.

Who cared any more, He had planned the whole thing just to see her suffer and so he could laugh.

She pointed the spell at him, let him take the blow for it all.

  Spell goes off, Paradox (Bedlam)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-07-28 00:06:56		Vaeltia rolls 7 to Wisdom for Bedlam (10 Again)		4, 9, 7, 1, 2, 9, 6		2 successes
2012-07-28 00:05:59		Vaeltia rolls 3 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis-2 Dox] (10 Again)		5, 10, 3, 8		2 successes
2012-07-28 00:04:23		Vaeltia rolls 8 to Dox [1 + 9 (Successive Castings) - 2 Mana] (10 Again)		9, 4, 1, 4, 1, 10, 5, 6, 5		2 successes

And then the spell was zipping along the lines she had placed.

-4R.Bashing, -10Mana

[West (The Mage)]

OK, so... not funny. I guess we're lucky it wasn't a tail or hooves or something.

"It's... a possibility... with Branding," West admitted.

He barely got the Counterspell up in time, the Fire unraveling into sparks and embers before dissipating.

"Hey... not cool. This isn't the time for pranks."

West's eyes narrowed in seriousness, all humor from the appearance of her eyes slipping away.

"Just... do what you're supposed to do. I know it's not fun. I know it hurts... but... now you're learning," he added, trying to soften his words.

His hand moved up his side, pointing to his ribs, then to her.

"You OK? You need a break?"


She was breathing heavily from the exertion and her hand returned to the pain in her side. He hadn’t moved to stop her...

Battered and bruised, at least it’s not his hand, it’s my own.

“I’m fine.” She said letting her hand drop and willing the pain off into a world of complete ignore.

I don’t know what a break would do to me now.

“I’m sorry...I shouldn’t have....” it was all so confusing: the twisting words in her head all leading back to him. Especially since what she wanted would never happen.

“No, I can keep going. It’s fine.” She turned back to the circle of charred dirt.

It was what he wants, right? For me to keep going, to keep learning.

  Spell does not go off, Paradox (Branding)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-08-05 11:11:38		Vaeltia rolls 1 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime+Gnosis-4 Dox-1 bedlam] (10 Again, Chance)		7		failure
2012-08-05 11:09:24		Vaeltia rolls 10 to Dox [1 + 10 (Successive Castings) - 1 Mana] (10 Again)		1, 8, 8, 2, 4, 9, 2, 2, 3, 8		4 successes

Her hand hurt a little, and then she realized two things: The spell hadn’t gone off and her nimbus was getting more and more difficult to control. And then the last thing: her teeth.

Her hand snapped over her mouth. What if he actually laughed?

-4 R.Bashing, -11 Mana

[West (The Mage)]

West brow knit and he frowned slightly; it was a look of concern more than displeasure, and he simply nodded at the apology.

In truth, he wasn't thrilled, either. He'd been hoping they'd see an Anomaly by now -- but he wasn't fool enough to think that the Abyss would move to his whim. It was, after all, part of the point of this. He just wasn't sure how much his Apprentice could take.

As her hand went to his mouth, he took a small step backward.

"You OK? You going to throw up?"

The concern was still there -- especially if she had internal bleeding... but there was also an undertone of distaste.

Blood, he was fine with. Vomit... ew. Not so much.


Vaeltia shook her head, her eyes slowly becoming a more normal size than the saucers they had been a moment before. Her tongue was carefully exploring the sudden intrusion into her mouth.

Fangs. And they’re sharp she thought as she tasted copper and salt. She tried to relax, but she really didn’t need him laughing, it wouldn’t help.

She turned slightly, still covering her mouth. “No, I’m sthine.” She spat red into the dirt circle. “Not gonna thuke.” even with the echo-enhancement of her voice it sounded weird in her head.

How did they talk with the fangs in? she asked herself, immediately as a mental image of a pair of fanged goths from SAIC came to mind.

That made her laugh, unshielded for a moment before her hand snapped back to her mouth and she looked at him for any sign that he had seen.


The laughter surprised West, and he looked over at Vaeltia.

His eyes widened slightly and lips compressed again as he tried not to crack a smile. He'd seen Brandings that ended up with tails -- he wondered if that was next.

He glanced down at the ground, and moved closer.

"It's no big deal," he said, trying to be reassuring.

West made a little waving 'come closer' gesture.

"Open up, let me see. You cut yourself? Uh, just nod or whatever. Don't try to talk."

[West (The Mage)]

Vaeltia let out a shaky breath before moving closer like he asked, her face flushed furiously red. Her hand was pale in comparison, but she lowered it slowly, before nodding.

She could feel the heartbeat singing in her ears. And she slowly opened her mouth, revealing the fangs, doubled top and bottom.

Her eyes searched his. Is it okay, are you going to laugh? Could....

Her blush deepened.


West gave the flush a curious look, not sure if she were embarrassed or angry. Given he didn't think he'd seen her embarrassed before, but... angry... yes. He reached up for a moment to tilt her head, then thought better of it and withdrew his hand. Instead, ducking and turning his head to see if the top teeth matched what he saw of the bottom.

"Hmmm... yeah. Just... be careful, don't talk, keep... them... together," he finally said. There wasn't any trace of humor in his voice; if anything, concern. He wasn't positiv that he could heal her if she bit her tongue off -- the wound might be Abyssally resistant to such an attempt because of the source. That concern, he didn't mention aloud.

"You're doing great, little flame. One more, and we'll call it lesson done."


Vaeltia closed her mouth slowly, and felt the beginnings of a frown and pout begin before she pushed them away. The fangs didn’t even fit together all that well, and it kept her jaws separate, otherwise they would poke into her gums and cause further bleeding.

He probably wouldn’t like that, but then he probably wanted her to do it, otherwise he wouldn’t have said to keep them together.

But to a point she was glowing at the compliment, and that had nothing to do with her Nimbus as it was. She nodded.

Just one more. And she tried, but nothing, the slightest touch of the Abyss but even that didn’t do anything.

  Spell Fails, paradox (havoc)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-08-15 18:59:20		Vaeltia rolls 7 to Wisdom for havoc spell (10 Again)		7, 7, 8, 6, 7, 6, 5		1 success
2012-08-15 18:58:57		Vaeltia rolls 3 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime + Gnosis - 1 Dox - 1 Belam] (10 Again)		5, 3, 3		failure
2012-08-15 18:57:53		Vaeltia rolls 12 to Dox [1 + 11 (Successive Castings)] (10 Again)		6, 2, 4, 5, 2, 7, 7, 5, 4, 6, 8, 5		1 success

“Um....” she said with her jaw almost all the way closed before pulling down the Supernal again.

The blood that had collected in her face, disappeared and she turned white as a sheet. It was a bad idea, she should’ve just stopped at the failed spell.

  Spell Fails, paradox (partially soaked to an Anomaly)

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-08-15 19:13:03		Vaeltia rolls 1 to cast Celestial Fire [Prime + Gnosis - 6 Dox - 1 Belam] (10 Again, Chance)		8		failure
2012-08-15 19:10:52		Vaeltia rolls 13 to Dox [1 + 12 (Successive Castings)] (10 Again)		9, 9, 10, 1, 7, 8, 2, 8, 3, 10, 5, 6, 4, 7, 5		6 successes

When she wound the threads of the supernal around her fingertips there was something like a jerk and her hand moved. It felt like a freight train of explosive, sticky power. It felt wrong, too wrong, and much too powerful.

“No”

She froze in fear for a moment as the immediate thought of using herself to take the Abyss into herself started working on her body. She felt the bruises darken and climb her limbs, and she could feel the tearing of the scar again and she fell to her knees. The tears streaming down her face weren’t clear but crimson.

“No, no no no no.”

It hurt, it hurt so much, and even despite that all it still snapped through to the world around her as above the two mages a thunder storm appeared.

She was shaking like a leaf.

-7R.Bashing, -11 Mana