dark scrying

[make_opportunity]

Maurabel ignores her classmates, by and large. She most especially ignores them when she is on the path that leads to the elemental barracks, because on those occasions they are more likely than usual to laugh at her.

She has considered their arguments, insofar as they have any, and they're nonsense, so now she ignores them. As best she can, anyway.

The amulet-minder knows her, too, and doesn't stop her on her way in to ask what element she wants the way he would anyone else. She'll take an amulet on the way out, probably. (Usually.)

She lets herself in and starts scanning the population. She saw two Shadows out flying on her way in, which means unless nobody else has one checked out, the selection's going to be pretty thin. She can use another element if she needs to, though. She doesn't need to do dark scrying specifically for this project - in fact, she could work entirely out of her personal affinities, if they wouldn't give her the time of day - dark scrying just interests her and she doesn't have enough of her own Shadow affinity to pull it off alone.

She counts Shadows, assessing how much time it's going to cost her to get the willing help of whichever feels like working "cheapest" today - and she sees an unfamiliar face.

A nearby Water leans in the new Shadow's direction. Maurabel stands back politely, hands clasped behind her, and lets her talk to him.

"That's the weird one I told you about," Water whispers to Shadow. "The one who makes it all - transactional, has all these fussy rules for herself."

When Water appears to be done talking to Shadow, Maurabel takes a couple of steps forward.

"Hello, Shadow," she says gently. "I'm Maurabel. Looks like you're new. I'll leave you alone if you want me to but I would like to talk to you. Do you prefer to just be called Shadow and told apart from the others with your university checkout number, or do you have a name you like?"

Comments

[make_opportunity]

Quiet is fine.

She makes sure the amulet is clear and returns it to the minder.

She doesn't need any elementals all week, but she does drop by on that weekend to see if Earth and Lightning want it. She doesn't mind fronting Earth some time or giving it away outright when she has it to spare.

[pythbox]

Earth and Lightning do in fact want the weekend. Lightning is even in one of his less belligerent moods when she asks; he smiles instead of ignoring her or glaring.

[make_opportunity]

That will make the escort to her room pleasanter! She checks them both out, tells the attendant it's going to be all weekend, mutters something inaudible about homework that seems like it might involve insulting her Wards teacher, and then absconds with the amulets and their attached elementals.

[pythbox]

They hold hands on the way; Lightning's sparks fizzle harmlessly on Earth's skin, and the loose end of a vine from Earth's halo loops itself around Lightning's wrist.

[make_opportunity]

Maurabel lets them into her room. She's already packed a weekend bag. "Are you all set?" she inquires.

[pythbox]

"Yep!" says Lightning. Earth nods corroboratively.

[make_opportunity]

"Okay. Have fun, don't alert the neighbors, the media, or the faculty," she says with a wave, and she puts her bag on her shoulder, tucks the amulets under her shirt, and goes off to visit her parents for the weekend.

She is back in plenty of time to sleep on campus the night before her next class, and knocks conscientiously first.

[pythbox]

Earth opens the door.

As usual for when the pair of them spend a long time in her room, the place is completely spotless - bed made, floor swept, surfaces dusted, all garbage deposited in the bin. Lightning looks more cheerful than usual, and Earth does too, although on him it's much harder to tell.

[make_opportunity]

"Hi, guys. Ready to go back?"

[pythbox]

"Yes," says Earth. Lightning sighs and hugs him, halo crackling.

[make_opportunity]

Maurabel escorts them both back to the barracks, vaguely apologetic.

[pythbox]

Earth makes sure to say thank you to her before they're back inside.

[make_opportunity]

"You're welcome."

She turns in the amulets.

The next time she needs an elemental is when she's checking other students' work on the scrying ward assignment. She actually needs a bunch, to check all the boxes she is supposed to check; she can do Shine herself, but has to borrow a Water, a Glass, an Air (maybe she'll ask Dust), and a Shadow.

She looks for Shadow first, the first block of time she has set aside for the assignment.

[just_a_shadow]

And there he is, sitting quietly in a corner. He does that a lot.

[make_opportunity]

"Hi. How're you doing?"

[just_a_shadow]

Shrug.

[make_opportunity]

"Want to come help me scry again?"

[just_a_shadow]

"Sure."

[make_opportunity]

"Okay."

She checks him out, she walks him to her room.

[just_a_shadow]

He goes along. He doesn't say anything.

[make_opportunity]

Today she doesn't let the silence reign for the entire walk. Instead she says:

"How old are you? - You don't have to answer me."

[just_a_shadow]

"I'm not sure, anyway," he says, shrugging.

[make_opportunity]

They are all the way to her room before she says:

"If I get old - for a human, anyway - and nobody's figured out how to get us living longer or forever by then - I'm going to grab every amulet I can get my hands on, take them and all the elementals out to the middle of nowhere where there's nobody but me to get caught in the invariable subsequent destruction, and let them all go at once."

[just_a_shadow]

"Why?"

[make_opportunity]

"It seems like the most efficient thing to do if I'm staring inevitable death in the face anyway. Mind, I'm planning to work on the inevitable death thing. But if I don't get anywhere and I'm ninety..."