[OPENING] magical training log

[spellslash]

Who: Brie, whichever newbies want to show up.
Where: The beach.
When: Day 4
Open/Closed: OTA

[It's about noon on the island, based on the position of the sun. The newbies have had a few days to settle in, but that doesn't mean they've fully mastered their newfound abilities.

As much stock as Genette puts into telepathy, Brie is more concerned about their other newfound gifts. She's aggressively tried to wrangle as many newbies as possible onto the sandy shores of the beachfront area for some magic practice.

She's got a list of everyone's magic -- only a few vague notes, limitations are for you to discover -- and she's handing out missions for magic training. If you want to participate? Feel free. If you don't? Suit yourself.

But understanding your magic isn't just an activity that benefits the group. Learning your magic's abilities may be what stands between you and survival, which is something she makes perfectly clear.]

Comments

[rebells]

It says "ability to project his emotions onto other people," so I assume I have to summon a feeling within my heart in order to push it onto someone else.

[And that had better be possible, or this is the most useless power ever.]

I thought I'd start with my emotions of general annoyance at this situation. --If you don't mind, of course.

[parodeity]

General annoyance is a-okay with me.

[ it doesn't sound like an emotion he'd have trouble, like, dealing with. ]

Do you need me to do anythin' special?

[rebells]

No, just--I have to touch the person I'm projecting onto.

[This is another thing he doesn't like. He is not a touchy person.]

Give me your hand?

[parodeity]

[ ...

okay yeah that is a pretty big downside. still, dave holds out his hand. it is a pretty normal hand! there are sword callouses and some scars, though. ]

A'ight, then, let's do this.

[rebells]

[He grabs hold of Dave's hand, then, a little awkwardly, as though he's going to shake hands or something. (He doesn't.) He also closes his eyes as if concentrating, but that doesn't actually seem necessary to activate the power, because the moment his hand touches Dave's he'll start to get, well--

The predominant emotion is in fact annoyance at this general situation, or perhaps frustration--it's the feeling you get when there's something you need to do, that perhaps the rational part of you recognizes you should do, but you really, really don't want to. It's sullen and slow, with a kind of prickling discomfort underlying it. Underneath that is impatient anger directed at someone else, a sensation like chafing under a restriction (this may be identifiable as the you-kidnap-us-and-ask-us-to-help-you? emotion), and then a shaky, unsettled feeling that may be familiar to Dave, as though something awful has just happened, something your emotions have no idea how to deal with. It feels a little like guilt, and a little like fresh grief.

And then underneath all of that, a dry, earthy bouquet with a hint of peat moss. No, um. It's like that for a moment, and then Jay closes his eyes and the annoyance intensifies, drowning out the other feelings, although the anger takes a little while longer to separate out. The feeling holds for several seconds before Jay drops Dave's hand and it cuts out.]

. . . well?

[parodeity]

[ yes. he recognizes the uncertain feeling like a punch to the gut, the guilt-grief swirled flavor. but jay chose his target properly: dave is capable of minding his own business. there might be a flicker of understanding across his hard-to-read expression before it's gone, but he doesn't ask and won't bring it up.

people's feelings are their business, especially when they're feelings like that.

he'd been carefully keeping tabs on his own feelings, knowing what was about to happen, and he thinks he can sort out whose was what, even if some of them are shared. ]

Annoyance - frustration? You really don't wanna do this shit but you know you gotta.

[ that's the stuff he thinks jay was trying to get across, so that's the stuff he says aloud. ]

[rebells]

[That's a little more than he would have chosen to reveal voluntarily, but when he asks himself what he would have wanted the answer is something like "not to have this power at all," so. Close enough. (You're a bro, Dave.)]

Essentially. [He makes a face.] I can see how this power might be useful as a distraction or deescalation technique, assuming I can learn how to control it more finely, but it wouldn't have been my first choice.

[But he can totally learn to control his emotions. This Is Fine.]

. . . thank you. I appreciate your help with this.

[parodeity]

No problem. But...do you always have to touch people to make it happen, or is that like trainin' wheels, do you think?

[ in a battle jay won't be able to pause to hold hands with enemies maybe is dave's concern ]

[rebells]

[He sighs.]

The paper said "by touching them," so I presume that's a necessary component. I wonder if just brushing someone with intent would be enough . . . .

[parodeity]

You can try it? I mean, you can try it on me right now, if you want.

[rebells]

. . . if you're all right with that.

[Jay cannot imagine being super all right with that, in Dave's situation, and it startles him out of his funk a little.]

[parodeity]

I'm ok with it. Just don't make me want to throw myself off a cliff or somethin' and we're cool.

[rebells]

Of course.

[He frowns, clearly thinking about something. After a few moments, he'll reach out to brush his fingers against Dave's arm. The feeling that passes through Dave at the moment of contact isn't the annoyance from before: rather, it's the feeling of calm contentment that comes from being with people you love. It's knowing instinctively that you are safe here, physically and emotionally, and that you could stay like this forever, were that possible.

It's a soft, warm feeling, although the impression is somewhat hazy, more like something remembered than something felt in the moment, and it's undercut by a twinge of sharp-edged sadness. It also fades away quickly once Jay is no longer touching him.]

[parodeity]

[ ...oh. it's a feeling dave isn't always familiar with. he's getting more used to it with rose and john around in person the both of them, rose steadier than she was on the meteor, but even with them here the feeling of being safe is not really a familiar one. not like this.

it's a nice feeling, a warm one, even with the sadness underneath.

it somehow feels more wrong to specify aloud what he felt this time, so he doesn't. he just nods. ]

I felt that one, too.

[rebells]

[Jay is glancing down and to the side--he'd really only been trying to call up calmness, as a feeling, but when he thinks of times when he's felt calm, at peace, what he thinks of first is the Oresoren. A light on in the distance, welcoming him home, and nothing he needs to do in return but be.

That feeling's a little too close, more vivid than he wants to be feeling in front of someone he honestly doesn't know that well; he swallows down the lump in his throat and tries not to think about how they're doing right now, whether they're safe in his absence, how they'd chide him for the bargain he made for them. They're--good, the Oresoren; they'd want to do the right thing, the best thing for everyone. He couldn't be further from that. He just wants to keep them safe.]

I was trying for--"calm." To see whether I could call something up deliberately. You'll have to--be the judge of whether it worked or not.

[parodeity]

It did, [ dave says, and because jay shared something precious, he admits: ] I've never really felt that before. But it was...nice.

[rebells]

[You've never been calm? he almost asks, but if he's being honest with himself, he knows that there was more to that memory, that feeling. A sense of peace that he's lost now, and might not ever regain.

God, he needs to learn how to control this power better, is his first thought. But he doesn't really want to tell Dave he didn't exactly share that on purpose, not least because of what it says about him, so he's at a bit of a loss for what to say.]

That--well--I know.

[He's not so good with feelings.]

Thank you again. For--your help.

[parodeity]

No problem. If you ever want me to, like...help again. I don't mind.

[ it's a weird offer to make, maybe, but he's aware that not everyone would be discrete about whatever they might feel.

dave, at least, doesn't plan to share the emotions that got across with anyone who isn't jay. ]