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

[just_a_shadow]

Shadow goes back to not saying anything.

[make_opportunity]

"Tell me about this hunter's schedule?"

[just_a_shadow]

"...What do you mean?"

[make_opportunity]

"I mean, is he consistent about going to bed at a reasonable hour, does he sleep soundly? Or am I taking my life into my hands entering his home in the middle of the night?"

[just_a_shadow]

"Once he's asleep, he's asleep. Fire used to try to wake him up in the middle of the night by yelling from downstairs and it didn't work."

[make_opportunity]

"Okay."

Write, write.

"Why doesn't he have the place warded right? Is he stupid, or cocky, or is the place riddled with traps, or what?"

[just_a_shadow]

"He's not... I mean... I don't think he thinks anyone would come in and steal someone from him. People don't do that."

[make_opportunity]

"Which definitely means I can only do this once."

[just_a_shadow]

Shadow shrugs.

[make_opportunity]

Write. Write. (She's doing a lot of that.)

"Okay. I can stay up till - an hour or so past midnight. We can do it then."

[just_a_shadow]

"Thank you," says Shadow.

[make_opportunity]

"Not quite yet," says Maurabel wryly.

[just_a_shadow]

"Thank you for even planning to."

[make_opportunity]

"For that you're welcome. I've never shadow-walked before. Can we do a dry run of that?"

[just_a_shadow]

"Okay," he says. He stands up out of his corner.

[make_opportunity]

"The fact that I haven't actually covered this in class will probably help with plausible deniability. I don't even know how. What's the procedure?"

[just_a_shadow]

"We have to be touching. You can just hold my hand or something," he says. "And I'll do the rest. Humans aren't very good at steering a shadow walk, anyway. It's like all the parts of dark scrying you're bad at, but more so."

[make_opportunity]

"Okay," says Maurabel. She holds her hand out.

[just_a_shadow]

Shadow takes it.

Complete darkness envelops them both. He switches to darksight without a problem, and navigates the shadow spaces, taking them out of Maurabel's room and then back into it at the other end.

[make_opportunity]

"Okay. So that's - straightforward on my end, anyway."

[just_a_shadow]

"Yes."

Light returns, what little there is of it in the room. He lets go.

[make_opportunity]

"I think I'd better keep you checked out overnight. If I return you to the night attendant he's more likely to think it's weird since I'm usually not there at night."

[just_a_shadow]

"Okay."

[make_opportunity]

"And then you and Fire can have your reunion right away as long as it's quiet - and I'd like to get some sleep before class even if it's only a few hours."

[just_a_shadow]

He nods. "We can be quiet," he murmurs.