eachdraidh | 1 ✦ voice ✦ unseelie

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1 ✦ voice ✦ unseelie

[it isn't that she doesn't trust those Seelie folk. it's only that she doesn't see the point in associating with them for the time being. time will come to meet them, and she has little down it will be with them on the opposite end of her scythe.

in any case, she believes if people can ask after their friends and loved ones, after transport and expeditions, one more question cannot go amiss. she clears her throat, and the voice that comes out is calm yet stressing words in a somewhat theatrical manner.]

The beauty and fierceness that inhabits this land...oh, the words of the poets struggle to match up to what can be seen, to what exists in every breath. Let one be silent in that instance, and all the better for it to merely experience it all. Bringing such an obvious thing to notice is not my purpose in addressing this device and by extension all of you, however.

Since arriving here, much has intrigued me, from the hows and whys behind our new circumstances to our recent encounters with the worms to the overwhelming presence of magic in this world. The latter, really, has been most attractive to me, especially with the newly opened possibility of being able to wield it myself.

Yet I am not so prideful as to think I can achieve such a thing on my own. To that end, I am wondering if someone out there has the time and inclination to take on a pupil in learning the arts of magic. I can promise you I am a faithful and punctual student, and I would be sincerely in your debt.

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[Waver nods as Grell makes her way over. He's armed with a messenger bag full of books whose combined weight threatens to break the strap, with a few more in his arms for good measure.]

Nice to see you in person.

The sentiment's mutual. Thank you for being willing to meet with me.

[her eyes catch the books, but if he's not obviously struggling, she thinks there's no reason to offer him help with them. Instead, she reached back to make sure her hairpins aren't slipping.]

[Waver pauses to readjust the strap on his shoulder, and continues.]

Don't mention it.

My plan, going into this, was to get an idea of your fighting style, and then looking to the books here [Waver moves his hip slightly, so that his bag sticks out] which are full of basic spells to find something you're compatible with. If we can establish that, then the books in my arms will provide a good place to start.

For me, the major thing I'm focusing on today is your learning pace and style, and so I can adapt accordingly.

That sounds reasonable. I don't suppose you'd be willing to be my sparring partner for the demonstration?

[her tone makes it clear she's joking. it's nothing to ask one of the others around if they'd mind a quick round, and Lord El-Melloi doesn't look like he'd last any decent length of time against her. no need to be cruel to someone who was willing to impart knowledge.]

I'll have to politely decline and beg pardon, as I'm afraid I'm more of a walking stick with no endurance, and that I find it hard to observe what I'm looking for if I'm going to be flailing my limbs in a terrible attempt to match what are probably much more precise moves.

[she laughs openly at that, and puts her hand on the hilt of her sword.]

What a shame. Should we get to it, then? I'm quite curious to see what you've got in mind, my lord--or should I call you professor instead. The latter has its own charm.

[without listening for the answer, she moves to ask another who seems interested in working on their skills for a bout.]

Professor, please. It sounds less -- [Waver takes a beat to wrinkle his nose, like that sums up his feelings on the matter better than words could ever hope to do.]

I'll start stepping back now, tell me when I've reached a safe observational distance.

[she has him step back several meters before gesturing that it's good enough -- she has enough restraint to know how to keep herself contained in an area, and should her opponent prove otherwise, she'll just contain them as well.]

Can you see from there?

[Waver nods, and takes a moment to set down his bag as well as his books.]

Perfectly. Whenever you're ready then!

[Grell turns back to her partner and nods once before each of them fly at each other. her fighting style is based heavily around attacking and dodging rather than blocking or keeping up a reasonable defence, using two hands to slash with the sword. it's also definitely a type that shows off with its moves, and speed and power are necessities -- hit hard, hit fast, and keep going until Waver has decided he has seen enough.]

[It takes Waver a few minutes to adjust to the speed at which Grell moves. He hasn't seen a fight like that in a very long time, so he has to remind himself how to look at movements like Grell's, what details to notice, and where he should be looking next so that no movement is missed.

Speed, that's what sticks out to him the most. Which means that anything like long incantations is right out, or else anything that involves elaborate preparation.]

Hmmmm.

[And with that, Waver dives for his bag, and begins to search for a particular volume he's lugged with him. Everything in the bag is arranged by topic, thankfully, which means that plucking books out and then putting them aside goes quickly. Alchemy no, it'd be the opposite of what would compliment Grell's skillset. Runes, nope, too much time wasted in writing. Wand work maybe, he puts that book aside. Spellwork, maybe, but there'd need to be something more precise. Evocation, definitely not. But that's the end of what's in the bag, and with that, Waver clears his throat.]

I think we have some options.

[hearing his voice, she pulls back, quickly bowing her head to her partner and sheathing the sword. they hadn't been as swift as her, but for a human, they weren't too bad. in contrast to her speed, she walks back over leisurely, barely breathing differently even with that display.]

Please, Professor, I'm all ears.

The biggest immediate challenge that I can foresee is that you're used to a certain amount of speed when attacking. A vast majority of the spell work I've run into here thus far has incantations, some of which are hideously long and require precision.

[He pauses, mulling over the best possible options available.]

I don't think it implausible to get to a point where fast incantations can be used, or else spells thought mentally and channeled through something like a wand - although I'd need to read more on that particular branch of magic here to confirm how to even go about that - but it'll take time and I want to get your opinion on how you'd cope with that potential roadblock.

Adaptability is a source of pride for an actress. It would simply require knowing my enemies were coming before they got to me. That, or we simply dance the minuet instead of the quadrille.

[she's simplifying it, but all truth told it is possible. not her preference, but slow magic is preferable to no magic.]

All right, that's that concern alleviated. My gut instinct then is to start with a week or two with written magic - runes, most likely - to get you accustomed to how to channel magic energy and get it to do what you want. From there, we can move onto what you actually are after. It's just a priority for me to make sure you've got the basics down before moving onto complicated things that have a greater destruction potential in case things go well, awry.

Sounds like a decent plan. I'd really rather not be set on fire with magic for the second time in a month, in any case. What times would you be amenable to meeting for these instructions?

I'd definitely need a good fortnight to set up a viable curriculum - that'd give me adequate research time, at the very least, and account for any sudden adventures the court decides to throw at us. I don't want to be in the middle of a lesson and then suddenly worms again.

Then I'll make sure to speak to you in a fortnight, unless the worms have come back for vengeance. If that's the case, I'm sure you'll understand if I'm slightly delayed in following through.

Absolutely. If anything happens, worms or even more ridiculous, I"ll wait a week or so for dust to clear and then get in touch. Agreed?

Agreed. I'll look forward to your message, Professor.

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1 ✦ voice ✦ unseelie

Works for me!

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sorry for the delay!

Don't even worry about it, stuff happens!

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