Making Time and Space

[Belle]

Belle considers mentioning that she was kidding to Phoenyx about the Lie having emotions, but only for a brief second. She’s seen how direct the Arrow is in conversation…even when drunk. “Well, thank God for that. Last thing we need is an anthropomorphic manifestation of Natural Law developing a grudge against all Mages.” Except maybe that could happen…Magic opens the door on so many possibilities, and not all of them at the behest of Magi themselves.

“For Space especially, yeah. It helped me get over those early vertigo spells when confronting concepts like reading two papers at once. Like how your body extends to be a creative instrument, your mind learns to extend awareness beyond what you might think it to be possible. Naturally there’s some resistance; some stretching of muscles and some aches. But eventually it flows out of you as easily as you might swing a blade or perform a dancing leap.” She stops with a look of genuine curiosity. “Off-topic question, did you ever learn to dance? I mean, I know a lot of self-defense styles are kind of like dance styles in grace and form.” She thinks back to the Mysterium party at Guru’s, where she, Aurora, and even Corn had danced while Guru and Crystal shot the breeze. There’s a bit of a wistful look on her face as she thinks about the faces she’s gotten to know who’ve gone their separate ways.

[Phoenyx]

The Arrow bursts out laughing. Something about that sounded so utterly absurd it just couldn't make sense. She just couldn't comprehend it! "Heeeheehehehe... tha... hehehee!"

It took some time for her to settle down, making small wheezing squeaks as she tried to control her breathing. "I.... I'm sorry... heh... that was ... just... very funny..." She smiled awkwardly. "That would be the last thing we need."

Phoenyx shakes her head. "No. Dance was not something my parents encouraged. My form was encouraged by tai chi and performing different styles, rather than supplementing them with other physical skills. Extending that awareness beyond the immediate was from being attacked by further and further ranges until I could develop a wide situational awareness. I did learn calligraphy though, for manual dexterity."

[Belle]

Oh my God! Is she…did I just make her laugh? Belle spends the first few seconds of Phoenyx’s outburst just standing there, face frozen in an awkward smile about to drop into something more serious. Like when you’re trying to answer the teacher’s question with a straight face, but somebody just whispered a joke in your ear. She feels weirdly accomplished. Then she joins in, laughing with her friend. “Hahahahaha! Can you just imagine though? ‘I am the manifestation of Natural Law! Get off my lawn’! She adopts a pseudo-Schwarzenegger voice (why? Who knows. First thing that came to mind) as she puffs herself up and tries to sound equally imposing and funny. Which in turn causes her to laugh even more. As Phoenyx composes herself, Belle follows suit with a few wheezing breaths. “Oh absolutely, it would be scary as hell and not what we need at all.”

She nods, taking in Phoenyx’s training background. “Makes sense…” She realizes she said this out loud. “I mean, that you had such a streamlined background for your training.” She can’t imagine having such a lack of simple enjoyment; of just doing something because you had the time and enjoyed it and your life didn’t depend on it. “Tai Chi? That sounds like a good focusing activity. And calligraphy will be a nice anchor for when you get more advanced and start looking into having multiple viewpoints at once.” Though maybe a more practical lesson was in order. “Hey! Why don’t we try something? Try going into a Tai Chi routine while having your Omnivision active. And I’ll move around and you maintain focus on me.”

[Phoenyx]

There it was. That warm tingling. Phoenyx could feel her cheeks flushing again. What was it about Belle that kept making it happen? "Thank you. That was very funny."

She nods, thinking. "That sounds like a good idea. I will try the spell." The Arrow begins speaking in High Speech, imbuing the spell with her mana.

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-12-17 06:30:22	Phoenyx rolls 7 to Omni-vision - Gnosis 4 + Space 1 + HS2 (10 Again)	4, 4, 2, 9, 10, 9, 5, 1	3 successes

The feeling of all-around vision was always disorienting at first. After a few seconds, Phoneyx screwed up her eyes tight and shook her head. Urgh. Slowly, she opened them again and made her way to the center of the room.

"Normally I close my eyes for some of the movements, but I'll try and keep them open." Phoenyx begins weaving her way through her Ta'i Chi poses.

[Belle]

First genuine laughter, then blushing? Belle’s starting to think she has a penchant for defrosting people. Now I just need to learn how to do it on command. But the ‘thank you’ Phoenyx gives her brings her own cheeks to a flush as she waves it off. Or tries to. “Hey, don’t inflate my ego any further or else I might try standup. And God knows I’m not ready for that kind of rejection.”

She hears the High Speech and thinks back to her lessons in the arcane language from Aurora. The strange, alien tongue seems to flow off the lips like something familiar. Maybe it’s some kind of ancestral echo of old Atlantis? Maybe it’s that internal mischief all Magi carried within them to push the boundaries of the Lie. All valid options. She watches as Phoenyx’s eyes screw up briefly and nods. “Yeah. The headaches are always the worst part. I still get them if I just jump into spells like that without preparation.” As the Arrow begins her movements, Belle starts walking slowly and deliberately around the room. Her own movements not quite as lithe as Phoenyx, but still smooth and practiced. She stands out of arms’ reach of the Arrow and directly behind her, holding up two fingers on one hand at an angle that would be impossible to notice without craning her neck like an owl. “Alright, first test: how many fingers am I holding up?” ​Simple? Yes. But basic isn’t the worst when learning first steps.

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx smiles. "I am sure you would be good."

Warm fluttering continues. Frowning at herself, the Arrow tries focusing back on her movements. "Maybe it will calm down if I do the spell more often."

Her eyes follw the movement of her hands around to the side. ".... Two," she answers after a pause, continuing the movements. She could feel a different feeling in her stomach - one far more recognisable. Seeing through the Omni-vision was starting to make her feel nausious again.

[Belle]

"Sure! Practice makes perfect." She likes the Arrow's persistence. And her compliments. And FOCUS DAMMIT!

"Okay, hold on. I'm going to turn down the lights." Belle rushes off to the light switch for the living room, inspiration hitting. She runs back into her room and comes back holding a simple Bluetooth projector that she sets on a countertop and aims at the ceiling. When she turns it on, it projects a map of constellations up on the ceiling. "Alright, now identify the constellations you see above while continuing those motions. Extend your senses with those motions just like you extend your reach with your limbs and muscles." She's excited now, focused pacing now replaced with quick darting movements and occasionally short hops as she watches Phoenyx grapple with her Omnivision and start getting more comfortable by inches. "Just let me know if the headaches get too much. I've got some ibuprofen in the back."

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-12-22 22:27:53	Belle rolls 5 to Improv Casting: Omnivision (Gnosis + Space) (10 Again)	4, 1, 7, 3, 2	failure

You know what, maybe I should give it a go myself. A refresher would be nice. But somehow the Will fails her. She's just so caught up in the lesson and the spinning stars on the ceiling and how her friend was nailing it! Seeing Phoenyx push her comfort zone was just so encouraging to Belle.

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx kept moving slowly through the motions. Her stomach lurched again. "Uuuurgh." A hand went to her head on reflex, but it didn't stop her seeing out of the back of her head until she screwed her eyes tight shut.

The Arrow manages to continue to move again through the motions... with her eyes shut. There's a frown as she listens to the words. "I will try.... Astronomy isn't one of by better skills." Slowly the Obrimos tried opening her eyes again. The dark helped, admitedly.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-12-23 16:02:05	Phoenyx rolls 5 to Identify Constellations: Wits2 + Academics 3 (10 Again)	7, 7, 2, 3, 8	1 success

"Um. I beleive that is Orion? And.... on my right, Ursa major?" The movements are becoming a little faster, more fluid. "Umm... I am... struggling with identifying any more. But I can see where you are!" she adds, while facing away from her friend, pointing behind herself at Belle. "I think the dark helps. It helps your eyes relax."

[Belle]

Belle winces as Phoenyx grapples with her innate human limits of Space perception. She resists the urge to pull the plug on the exercise just yet. She can take it. "Good! Good." ​So far the exercise is working, pushing Phoenyx to simultaneously perceive the ceiling while focusing her physical eyes forward or along the movements of her Tai Chi. "Yeah, very good. See? You're getting the hang of it." ​She's honestly flattered to be the clearest thing in the room in the middle of a pop-up swirling galaxy, but she swallows her pride. ​"Awww...well, that makes sense given that I'm on an equal plane with you and the ceiling is on a plane above you. What's really trippy is trying this on a glass surface looking down so you can see the floor underneath you as well as everything around or above." She makes a mental note about the dim lighting. "Good to know. You've been a wonderful guinea pig for this aspiring Magister." She says with mock pomp in her voice and a ridiculous bow like a stage magician. "Okay, let's take a break for a bit. Don't want you puking your guts out with the secrets of the universe flowing through your head." She turns off the projector and grabs a couple of bottled waters from the fridge nearby. "Nice work, Phoenyx!" She high-fives the Arrow before handing her a water. "I hope this all helps. It's kind of the first time I've tried teaching somebody before." In the dim light Belle can just make out Phoenyx's outline. Hair flowing and the beginnings of sweat tracing along her brow and limbs like teardrops. The high-five has put her within arm's reach of the Arrow, and Belle notices her hand hovering in the space between them as if the friendly gesture wasn't enough. ​"Hey, you wouldn't mind me teaching you how to dance, would you?"

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx nods a little, still focusing on the spell and her motions. "I suspect identifying people is easier for me. It is more a part of situational awareness," she adds. "I can't think of a situation where I would need to see both through the ceiling and floor." Didn't mean it was impossible, of course.

Eyebrows raise a little - though she is looking one way, her gaze is now back on the Mastigos. "Magister?" The Arrow asks. "Is that something you will be going for soon?" There's a smile as Belle bows - somethig about her playful nature just drew the Arrow out of her shell.

The spell is held as she finishes her set and moves over to Belle, taking the high five (though the sound is a bit lackluster). She takes the water with a "Thanks", and drinks a little. "Your instructions make sense. Though I would recommend not gambling on knowledge your student may not have... like constellations," she gave a small, teasing smile. This close, there was less sweat on the Arrow than Belle initially suspected. Phoenyx frowns a little. "Dance? Is that... helpful?" she asks, a little confused at the change in tacks. Aurora was always telling her to try new things. Maybe it would be fun?

We've only a day to go - we should look at wrapping up