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Post by Keleero on Jun 24, 2023 22:36:31 GMT 1
Keleero would have liked to argue he and Flint were perfectly within their rights to try and judge the meaning of magical ramblings, being two elves of (supposedly) sound mind, but he knew to pick his battles. Nothing he said about this would end in a favorable outcome. Better let it pass by unchallenged.
At Flint's next words about his brother, Keleero's gaze turned inward against his will, torn into the past by how Flint assumed his brother would think himself abandoned. Left to die. A death orchestrated by poor luck rather than ill intentions, but happening nonetheless.
"Sometimes," Keleero found himself saying, briefly lost in memory of friends and family long gone, "all we can do for one another is remembering each other." Though not wracked with magic, Keleero's home had contained deaths and betrayals enough to make few elves trust in hope. Learning to endure had been more sensible than hoping for a better tomorrow.
"It's said the High Ones' star home had magic aplenty," Keleero said as soon as he'd shaken himself out of the unwelcome reverie Flint's loss had triggered. Shifting the conversation topic was becoming a more necessary action by the heartbeat. "And that they lost much of their skills when they came to the planet I'm from. Has your magic changed since the Beacon called you here? I understand you sense less magic, that's understandable, but is your control of fire the same as before you came here?" Keleero had himself experienced no change in how well he could shape stones, but then again, he hadn't come here from a world overflowing with twisted magic.
(OOC: That's super neat! Throwing elves into that mix sure shakes things up even further, though is also very fitting. Is Flint's father turning into an owl a homage to the biologist's husband?)
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Post by Flint on Jun 25, 2023 19:32:21 GMT 1
“That's not enough. That'll never be enough.” he whispered, swallowing tears. Keleero might as well suggest he only remember his limbs. Ivy vanishing was one thing, too early in their life, but not entirely unexpected. She'd never been all too happy having children first place. They'd never known their father. But Sapling? Sapling was his everything. His twin, his mirror image, someone he knew better than himself. They'd found each others soulnames – Mahrak had called it soul siblings, though Flint had no idea this words would explain why it hurt so much.
Or knew what to do with his feelings. Giving in to them had been too dangerous, but no one here was Sapling either, knowing what he needed without being told so. The young man would try for the other topics, but there was only so much he could take alone. For a moment he held out his palm, conjured a small flame and listened inside, knowing no different way to learn about his own magic. Snuffing it out again, he shrugged. “Don't think so. But we tried not to use it much, only when needed.” Which was more often than not, but the distinction mattered to them.
(OOC: It was indeed! Would've been a blue fox probably, had I read 'Dead Astronauts' earlier XD)
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Post by Keleero on Jun 26, 2023 19:55:57 GMT 1
"Enough is rarely on offer," Keleero replied, resigned but sympathetic to Flint's obvious distress. "The world can be terribly cruel, magic or no, and all we can do is fight through it and continue living. Remembering those we've lost is better than forgetting them, as painful as it can be."
As Keleero's own tactic of dealing with grief mostly consisted of pushing it down and locking it away at the back of his mind, he had little more to offer Flint in the ways of comfort. Thus, he focused on the magic.
"In my experience, magic that is used only in emergencies is more at risk of going badly than magic you use daily. I understand your world might have been different, but here I suspect we'll better avoid creating any misplaced pools of magic that can stagnate if we hone our skills to the best of our abilities." Magic used in terror or rage could do far too much damaged when coming from an inexperienced elf - damage that wouldn't be seen for years and all the more dangerous for it. "Would you be interested in lessons? I don't know how to control fire, but I have long experience with helping others shape their magic." And have others shape his. Though that was most definitely not training he'd offer anyone else. No matter how 'efficient' Elyro's lessons could be, they were a brand of cruelty Keleero couldn't have made himself inflict on anyone, not even for the reason of survival. He'd sworn he'd never sink that low.
(OOC: Neat! <3)
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Post by Flint on Jun 26, 2023 20:50:54 GMT 1
Flint couldn't quite relate to this. Every moment of his life had been a fight to survive, to go on for no particular reason but that they'd been born and knew not better. They'd been too young yet to contemplate if it was worth it. Knowing nothing better on how strangers should react, he let Keleeros lack of tact slide unnoticed, putting his feelings away to be dealt with in a moment of peace. Of which he had all too many here.
“There was an emergency every other day.” he replied bluntly. Needed his fire to keep warm, needed Saplings growing to eat. Alone, neither of them might've made it this many years. They just had no choice but to be wary of their own abilities anyway. Ivy had not shown them much beyond the essentials, but that point had been repeated to no end. “Always good to learn more. Ivy was too scared off it to bother.” Until she left, they kept most of it secret, though she probably suspected. Maybe it was even why she went away. There'd been no explanation.
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Post by Keleero on Jun 27, 2023 21:18:12 GMT 1
Keleero took Flint's bluntness in stride. Though their emergencies surely differed a lot in practice, the frequency with which they'd both found themselves in peril likely was comparable. Keleero might not have had watery hills or living caves looking to gobble him up but there had always been another elf around the next corner, looking to avoid a sacrifice or gain favor with Elyro through mind-games and duels.
"Yes, I understand you've had to rely on your magic to survive." So had he, in a way. Another thing they had in common and yet was ever so different. "I did not meant to imply you lack control. You seem quite adept at summoning your magic in all manner of situations. I merely meant that practice is a good thing and a way to avoid magic going rotten - it's when you hide from what you can do and only use it unthinkingly that you're at most risk of doing injury to yourself and those around you."
Keleero tsked in disapproval at Flint's mention of Ivy not bothering with training her children in the ways of magic. "I am glad you're open to learning more. I do not wish to speak ill of your mother, I'm sure she had many fine qualities, but not guiding you or your brother in your magic was a downright dangerous decision on her part. Especially if she was scared of magic!" That was like leaving your children to raise the largest of the giant hawks all on their own and then not expecting it to one day claw you to pieces and make off with your children. Two shapers having to teach themselves through trial and error in a world brimming with rotten, corrupted magic - what a nightmare! And impressive that they seemed to have kept their skills under control despite all that.
"When would you like to start training?" The holt didn't exactly follow a set schedule but Keleero wouldn't make the mistake of assuming anyone had an endless amount of free time. The need for more food was constant, as well as the need for tools and other comforts.
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Post by Flint on Jun 28, 2023 6:56:53 GMT 1
Flint wasn't sure where to sort his own skill – how could he, when there had been no one to ask. They had no choice but to use it, to trust their instincts for learning, but they tried to talk out every change, to find rules where there were none. Still, their mothers teaching had stuck somewhat, leaving them worried of hurting another, of loosing themselves to it. Scared him all the more here.
He sighed at Keleeros attempt of diplomatics. Better to call the things by it's name: that Ivy had been a very complicate woman, probably mad and with not many qualities to make up for it. “How could she teach us what she didn't knew herself? Maybe she knew we'd easier be corrupted, if we already had it in us. She knew magic was dangerous. I've no idea why she even bothered to protect us until we could do it ourself, she certainly didn't enjoy the idea of children.” There was no way to put that politely, even if Flint would've known how.
“Now?” With no schedule to speak off, Flint would be hard-pressed to make one up now. He lived from one moment to another, knowing it no different. And with no idea that it could be irritating to others if he walked off for half a day without a word of what he was doing.
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Post by Keleero on Jul 14, 2023 22:31:05 GMT 1
Keleero sighed at Flint's description of Ivy's behavior and its possible roots. "Parents can be almost as much of a mystery as magic," he conceded. "And Recognition rarely gives one much choice in the matter of having children." Recognition remained his instinctual assumption about how a pregnancy had come about, even if a few rare births had been helped along by healers in his old home. "Still, simply leaving you? Even if she knew nothing about magic other than to fear its corruption, telling you to fear it too and then walking away... Well, I suppose there are worse things she could have done." There were always worse things. "It's possible she didn't know untrained, suppressed magic tends to go wrong far more often than trained and understood gifts."
"Now works for me as well." It wasn't as if he had a full schedule for the day. "Shall we work here or go to my chambers?" 'Chambers' was a bit of an exaggeration - he'd only carved out a small room thus far with little more than a bed bowl and an alcove to sit in, but he had plans on expanding its size as much as the mountain would allow.
OOC: Sorry for the wait, vacation got almost as busy as work was XD
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Post by Flint on Jul 15, 2023 20:00:56 GMT 1
Recognition. People kept saying that as if everyone knew what it meant, but Flint didn't and the slight confusion likely showed. But they were here for magic, not to answer all his questions about the world overall. “Would've been the kinder fate to leave us to the landscape when we were too young to notice.” Not that he wanted to die, the harsh reality on his home simply was that if someone became corrupted, a danger, could not kept up, you left them. You walked away and hoped whatever came out of it wouldn't follow. Though he never could've brought himself to do this with Sapling, not by choice.
“Rather here. There's already a fire.” Unneeded for his own magic, but it would make things a little bit easier. And it felt more comfortable than being in some cramped spot deeper in, where the walls still could change at any moment. The concept of 'rooms' was clearly lost on Flint.
OOC: No worries, it happens!
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Post by Keleero on Aug 13, 2023 19:12:51 GMT 1
Keleero took note of Flint's apparent confusion at the mention of Recognition and put that aside for later. It was always good to know things others didn't, but deciding how to use that advantage would require time and strategizing. Then again, this place was full of elves who might explain the ways of the world to Flint at any time. Better not dwell on it too long.
It was rare that ruthlessness shocked Keleero. Had he been talking to an elf from his home he wouldn't have flinched, but this wasn't home, and thus someone bringing up leaving newborn babes at the mercy of the wilds truly stunned him.
"Trust me, even the youngest of elves feel pain and fear." He made no secret that he was speaking from experience. No sharing through sending or word, but he made sure the truth shone through his eyes (for once). "But I can't fault your logic. If she'd left you that young, you surely would have ended far quickly." Would he have thought the same thing merciful if he'd been born to Flint's world? Maybe.
"Very well, here we shall work." They likely wouldn't be interrupted by anyone at this time of day and if they were it'd be a good demonstration of the knowledge he had to offer others. 'Always show your worth' and so on. "Let us start with a basic sharing exercise. It will require a sending link that's...deeper than usual. I'll start with sharing the general sense of my magic, how I experience the world through it. Then, you mimic me."
He followed these instructions with a lock-sending. It didn't contain words. Instead, it put forward to Flint as close an approximation to his own sense of the stone around them as could be experienced by someone not a rockshaper. But only that. Keleero had long since learned to be meticulous about what of himself he shared, even in sending. He shared with Flint the feeling of the stone around them, how steady and quiet it was, how it murmured to him in soothing tones with no mind behind it, only a solid and firm presence. The magic that linked him to the stone was a secure, controlled glow in the center of him, honed by uncountable years of practice and familiarity.
Gently breaking the connection, Keleero simply said, "Your turn."
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Post by Flint on Aug 14, 2023 13:33:39 GMT 1
It was a different kind of ruthlessness to the one Keleero must be used to: one born not out of cruelty, but necessity. Taught by nature, who did not care about such things as moralities. Not that he would suggest leaving any elf here behind, where the lands clearly posed less of a danger.
Sending he didn't mind – how often hadn't he and Sapling shared information such way, since there were no words to describe their experiences. New things to learn every day, that might be important or never appear again. Putting it into pictures instead of words would certainly be easier for him.
Of course he had not as much experience closing of his sending nor with magic and fire was different too. The magic cursed through his veins, a bright energy that was contained, but anything from tame, the excess warmth spilling out from his body if you got close. He felt the fire, a spot of energy he could pinpoint even with closed eyes, knew to be well-fed, how good it burned, if it was at risk of breaking free. Something he could add too or redirect, but not extinguish. It came with a hint of fear, that the one in him would run out of control without anyone to stop it, which was why he was so careful about keeping within his known boundaries. Sapling had been his balance and vice versa, now he was gone. And fire was always dangerous, would consume until nothing was left for it if given the chance.
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Post by Keleero on Aug 27, 2023 21:07:37 GMT 1
Keleero frowned gently as Flint shared his magic in sending with him. This wasn't the first time he'd felt emotions of fear entangled with an elf's sense of their own magic – fear made sense to feel, up to a point. But fear could cost you control.
"Hmm." Picking the right words here would be important. He wished he'd known Flint as long as he'd known others he'd guided in magic. The hint of fear could be a temporary, small thing, or it could be a seed that'd grow and uproot Flint's control and focus. No way to tell right now.
**It's good you know the dangers of your magic. Fire is indeed very prone to destruction and must be handled with care, but…** Here Keleero briefly shared the weight of the rock, the mountain above them. **All things, as you know, can become a danger, with or without magic. And things can equally be made safe with its help. The first step is to understand what you have to work with, as you seem to do. Fire wants to spread and consume. It can destroy. If that is how its wielder chooses to view it, it can only be a weapon, only ever be used to hurt.**
Keleero straightened up before he shared the next step of his knowledge. He had to remind himself no one was listening in on their lesson and that there were no rules against 'frivolous magic' in this place.
**It's clear to me that's not how you choose to use your fire. Trust in that. Fire and stone are their own things, but your magic is you, as much as your hands and your eyes. You can choose to kick or punch or bite, but that is not all your body is for, and such things will not happen unless you allow it. Magic is the same. Here, at least.**
High Ones only knew how things worked on Flint's homeworld, where everything seemed to twist and change at the drop of a feather, but Keleero felt safe in this promise, which he made clear in his sending.
**The first step of magic is knowing its dangers and limits. The second step is more of a challenge, for most.** It had been for him, once, long ago. **It's trusting in yourself. Just as you trust your fingers to grasp your tools and your eyes to see when you open them, you need to trust that your magic is part of you and will do as you will it.**
Another sharing. Keleero did it carefully, only letting a hint of his memories and experiences reveal themselves to Flint, but at his age his security in his magic was firm. To Keleero, both his rockshaping and his gliding were as limbs – important limbs, yes, but just limbs.
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Post by Flint on Aug 29, 2023 21:38:26 GMT 1
The young elf flinched at the reminder of the mountain. Caves weren't comfortable for him first place and while he understood the point, Keleero could hardly create a whole new mountain over him, if out and about. Fire, to him, seemed more dangerous. Easier to run out of control.
But he did not see it as just that, indeed, shaking his head lightly. **It's not that, no. It's light and warmth in a world that held too little of it. And – it never was the best choice to fight. I'd have to stand and keep it up and hope whatever I aimed at could burn at all. Easier to use an actual weapon.** Like the sword he got, sharp and long enough to deal damage, for all it was crudely fashioned.
This second step however... of course Keleero trusts it to be safe, if nothing ever happened. On Flints world however, trust was a dangerous trait and for a long moment he struggled how to best explain that. **But I don't. Not just the magic, anything. It all could change and go away and the only safety is walking away when it happens. While you're still enough of sound mind to do so.** A world where you could not trust yourself anymore than the lands.
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Post by Keleero on Sept 5, 2023 19:34:59 GMT 1
How ironic to hear fire thought of as a poor weapon – Keleero had far too sharp memories of those with keen skill at using flames to hurt – but this seemed a day for irony. It didn't escape him how ridiculous it was for him of all people to try and tell someone else to trust more. Then again, trust should be hard won. He didn't wish to mislead Flint into thinking he could trust anything or anyone blindly, there was nothing to gain from such falsehoods. But there had to be balance. **I'm not saying you've been foolish or wrong. Your home was clearly a far different place from where we are now, with other dangers and rules. I can tell you've been good at adapting to those or we would not be sitting here together. But this is not your world.** Though it might be mine.Another reason Keleero preferred to stay within the caves. He'd recognized some of the star patterns above the few times he'd been out at night and he'd found himself wishing he hadn't. It could just be a coincidence or a mistake on his part. If he didn't look again, he could hold on to that possibility. **Not trusting in your own body makes sense in a world that's ever changing. But you're not there any longer. There, everything was wary of things changing. Here, only you truly hold that worry. This will put you at disadvantage.** Keleero leaned forward, showing with both his posture and the pressure of his sending voice how serious he took his own advice. **Adaptation is still important but you have to know the rules you're adapting to. Tell me, honestly, have you seen or felt any sign of corrupted magic since you arrived here? Any hint at the dangers of your old home?** OOC: Just gotta say I'm loving getting to have Keleero try to convince someone else to trust more  It's deliciously ironic and very much the pot calling the kettle black, but it will hopefully help Keleero realize a thing or two about needing to let go of his own brand of lifelong paranoia  |
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Post by Flint on Sept 6, 2023 20:31:54 GMT 1
Were Keleero to confine about his worry, Flint could've told him more about the stars. That they are like looking into a forest from different angles, ever so slightly different. That they moved through a planets whole lifetime. That there could be more than one planet to a sun.
**Disadvantage? There is nothing bad about different outlooks. If something unexpected happened, having one to find a solution could save all. Can't do that if we all think the same.** The words to evolution and such had gotten lost, but the concepts stayed. Adapting to an ever-changing environment meant being unique, being able to keep pace, to try new ways. Nothing was ensured to stick and those who got too comfortable with one found themselves lost in it. No rules found amid it or none that'd make sense.
**There's corrupt magic right here.** He gestured to the beacon, along with... the sense of what it did. How he knew, fractions of moments ahead. Yet it wasn't evil, none of it was, just powers beyond them that one ought to avoid. **We've walked all our lives with no spot of safety. You could walk all yours and never see one of broken magic. How does that proof either doesn't exist? That it can't come up when you aren't looking? That it isn't already there, too small to notice?** Crispin could check them over, perhaps, not that he'd know – but his was a different kind of weariness, bound not in rules but eventualities.
OOC: And what a good thing Flint doesn't know what a hypocrite is lol
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Post by Keleero on Sept 17, 2023 22:32:12 GMT 1
Keleero bit back a sigh of frustration. It seemed they were talking circles around each other. Maybe if he shared more of himself in the sending... But no, that was not a risk he'd take this early on in an acquaintance.
**You misunderstand me. I'm not saying broken magic doesn't exist here, as you've so clearly pointed out already.** A brief flash of the Beacon appeared in Keleero's sending. **But what you describe is aggressive and all encompassing. Hills that eat people. Elves that turn into owls. Of all the elves in this place, how many have had such experiences? Because while I agree we must always be prepared for the unexpected, being prepared for what's likely is even more important. If you're occupied with unlikely dangers you might miss one that's right in front of you. There's a difference between having varied outlooks on a situation and someone knowing the rules of the situation better than you - that grants them the advantage.**
Knowing himself as well as he did, as loathe as he was to admit it, Keleero was aware he was speaking of himself as much as he was speaking of Flint. While the stone and trees and grass here was no different from where Keleero had been born, the rules of interacting with other elves were far different from the social codes and machinations he'd spend millenia learning to read and navigate. He was trying to adapt, because he too wished to survive, but it was slow going. Thus far he'd not made any outright enemies but he knew himself to not exactly be well-liked, and most chose to meet him in what he offered them - polite but distant cooperation. Only Mahrak had chosen to push against this, since Mahrak seemed to like pushing everyone, but that was a far cry from making himself a truly established part of this 'holt'.
**I'm not advising you to stop keeping an eye out for corrupt magic. It's not impossible dangers you're familiar with will come here one day. I'm only saying that if you keep living and acting as if you were in your old home, you might blind yourself to new dangers and new rules that apply here. For example, the control of your magic. I'm not disparaging the skill you already have with your magic, but I am telling you that the rules of how it works in this place may differ, and to be safe in using it, you should explore it. Carefully, of course.**
Keleero very deliberately shut down the part of himself that kept yelling at him for not following his own advice. Flint had come from a world overrun with twisted magic. This place still very much had elves in it and Keleero knew far too well how dangerous and unreliable even the kindest-seeming of his kinsmen could be. Once they'd established themselves better here, who knew what intrigues would start - or what had already started?
OOC: These two sure are an interesting match for having discussions on life XD
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It's deliciously ironic and very much the pot calling the kettle black, but it will hopefully help Keleero realize a thing or two about needing to let go of his own brand of lifelong paranoia 