driftfleet | Iskaulit Mingle - Problems with Psychics

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Iskaulit Mingle - Problems with Psychics

Who: Anyone on the Iskaulit!
Broadcast: If you'd like?!
Action: Iskaulit!
When: Today, as Sora's augment glitch starts.

[It's your average day on the Iskaulit. Absolutely nothing seems out of place initially, but without any warning- you might find yourself or your friends experiencing some problems. What's up on that?

In other words, it's an Iskaulit mingle with a twist! Come on in everyone! You don't need to interact with Sora to have it effect you, so feel free to start your own threadstarter! Or talk to Sora, that's cool too. ]

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Alright fair. Think of it like emotions, then.

[He'd explained it this way before, to Maglor and Beverly, echoing his father's words to him as a child. He'd hoped to avoid another harsh pang of memory, but it seems its not to be. It's the only way he knows how to explain it effectively.]

You still feel them, but you can't always show them. Think of a time when you wanted to simply cut an idiot noble's head off because he stood in your way for his own personal gain, but instead you had to be diplomatic. I'm sure that's happened to you. Well, controlling magic is like controlling that anger.

Okay.

[Riona can understand that. Though, she worries a little because she knows she has a temper. And who knows how long this little... glitch will last.]

So essentially, I need to remain as calm as possible.

Sort of. It's not that your emotions control your magic directly. You can get angry without shooting lightning everywhere. Strong emotions just make magic easier to access. It's much easier to envision someone's head on fire if you hate them. That's what I mean about self control.

[He lets out a slow breath, then draws in another, looking at Riona as if he expects her to follow suit.]

As much as the Chantry is wrong in how it treats magic and mages, there isn't any denying that magic is dangerous. It's just not any more dangerous than a sword. What's important, is that the mage isn't dangerous through a lack of control. Don't let the magic control you, you're the one in command. Here, let's try a little something.

[He pulls out a peanut from the bag in his hands.]

If you have my magic, this should be a little easier than a candle exercise. Come on.

[He motions her inside a convenient nearby room; it would be a bit awkward to do this out in the hallways of the Iskaulit. Once inside, he places the peanut down on the floor before stuffing another handful into his mouth.]

Lift it with magic. Try not to throw it, just lift it.

It certainly doesn't feel like I can right now.

[The magic seems very much to have a mind of its own. Riona keeps her hands tight against her as she follows him. When they reach the room, she watches him place the peanut on the floor. She approaches, noticing how he shoves more into his mouth.]

Hungry?

[Strangely, she isn't. Odd. It's likely just the stress getting to her, she tells herself. Swallowing nervously, she reaches out her hands, staring at the peanut. It's such an odd sensation, feeling the magic just under her skin-

FWOOSH. A burst of ice comes out, striking the peanut and sending it flying. Oops.]

Famish- Whoops!

[He snorts, unable to hide his amusement since he did very similarly when first trying to control his magic. Power is easy, finesse is hard.]

You've got to picture what you want to happen in your mind. The magic will follow your directions, but only if you trust it to do that. I know that's going to be hard, but you've got to trust it and yourself.

[If she can. If years of the Chantry preaching the dangers of magic hasn't made it impossible for her to trust it.]

Poor peanut didn't ask for this.

[Once she locates the poor thing - what's left of it - and tries again, doing as Adalwolfe says. Magic frightens her very little anymore; Wynne and Morrigan eased a lot of her concerns. It's still disconcerting to be the one using it, though. Eyes screwed tightly shut, she reattempts the exercise. After a minute of concentrating, the peanut begins to float up.

It goes up slowly for a moment, and then suddenly it takes off, shooting up into the ceiling, sending peanut bits everywhere. Riona grimaces as peanut debris rains down.]

At least it went in the right direction?

You're doing a lot better than I thought you would for a first try.

[He eats another handful before tossing another peanut out to practice with.]

Being able to make it float calmly like that wasn't something I managed until I'd had my magic nearly three months. Usually it went straight to the bouncing off walls. Only we used a pinecone instead of a peanut. Much more dangerous when it comes careening at your face.

It may have very well been a fluke.

[Doing that, and already she could feel herself tire a bit. How did mages do this all the time??

She looks uneasily at the next ~~victim~~ peanut. A part of her is not keen to try again, so she glances at Wolfe. Something makes her uneasy, but she can't quite place her finger on it.]

Would you rather we get a proper meal in you first, given how hungry you seem?

I don't think a meal would help. I've raided all the food in the bar I could take without completely demolishing the stores already and somehow I'm still ravenous. I don't know what it is. This week has been so weird already though that I'm inclined just to ride it out.

[He shrugs.]

Go on, try again. Another good run at it and you should deplete enough mana to have a respite from wayward spells for a bit.

[The more he describes his hunger, the more uneasy she begins to feel. Given what's been going on, she knows it's not a coincidence. He got something from someone. She has magic, perhaps his. If it is his, then-

Suddenly her eyes go wide in terror. Now she realizes why it sounds familiar, and why she's been subconsciously worrying over him suddenly being so hungry. It's just like she was, when she first became a Warden.]

Adalwolfe, listen to me. [She ignores the peanut and strides over to him.] Are you hearing anything unusual? Like something in the back of your mind? [She doesn't know what effect it'll have him on, but she's not about to take any chances.] Do you feel unusually... robust? Like you have a lot of energy?

I'm always robust.

[He winks at her like that makes any sense as a joke, but then looks at the ceiling for a moment in thought, munching the last of his pilfered peanuts.]

But yes, I think so. Usually I'm dragging about this time but I feel I could probably run laps around the ship. I'm not really hearing things, though. A sort of buzzy feeling yeah, like an itch at the back of my mind, but not songs or anything. Not like with Maglor's powers a few days ago. Did you know he hears music from everywhere all of the time? It's terrible. I almost went insane.

[Only a mild overstatement. Adalwolfe reaches for more peanuts and pouts at the bowl to find there are none left.]

Damn.

[Ordinarily Riona would at least give him a chuckle or a playful roll of her eyes for the joke. However, at this moment it doesn't cross her mind. As she listens, her chest tightens. Those are all symptoms she knows too well.]

Wolfe, you have the taint.

[She's not sure if he's already figured it out or if he still hasn't caught on, but regardless, there's no point in beating around the bush about it.]

If one successfully becomes a Warden, the taint heightens their stamina, but it increases appetite considerably. That buzzing is part of the taint, too.

What? No. How's that? I never drank any da-

[He interrupts himself and lets out a sigh, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.]

The ridiculous power exchanging. This is yours, isn't it? Explains it, since you have my magic. This has been going on all week.

[It has to be hers since Anders is taint free. At least the Calling is practically out of the question; Riona's still too young for it if it's an average of 30 years, and these swaps haven't lasted more than a day tops. Not that he's going to bring the Calling up at all. Besides Tranquility, the Calling is the second entry on the list of things Adalwolfe doesn't like to talk about.]

Besides what you just told me, is there anything else I should know? Anders has explained some of it, but always in reference to himself.

I'm afraid so. I thought it strange that I wasn't as hungry as usual, but then the magic showed up and sort of derailed everything else.

[If he's not hearing anything, then she's not terribly worried. No darkspawn prowl the fleet, and an Archdemon is certainly out of the question.]

Hmmm. Well, you've noticed the increase appetite. That's to compensate for the increased stamina. Honestly, with no darkspawn about, there's really not much to it. Luckily, you'll be rid of it pretty soon, if these exchanges are temporary.

[Perhaps she can find some way to enjoy being... normal, for a day or so. Assuming she can keep the magic under control. Though she has nothing against it, suddenly having it and having so little control over it sort of ruins the novelty of being taint-free.]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Sorry Riona, his brain has gone elsewhere with talks of increased stamina.]

Um. I have. Something I need to take care of. Just keep practicing, I'm sure you'll be fine. And like you said, you'll be rid of it pretty soon, right?

[He has to go make use of this stamina.]

[Riona just. Raises. Her brow. A lot.]

You're just going to leave me with all this magic I can't control? What's so pressing?

[It hasn't quite hit her why he suddenly needs to leave. She's more surprised that he feels she'll be fine on her own so suddenly.]

You're doing fine! You know how to focus now, or have a start at least, and you have my magic so it's not like I could stop anything going wrong when I don't have it at my disposal. Unless Wardens have some kind of Templar abilities or something.

[Which he knows they don't.]

I just have. Stuff. To do.

[HUFF.]

Fine. Maker preserve me in not burning this whole ship down. But go do your-

[-and that's when it hits her, why he suddenly "realized" he had things to do, especially right after telling him about Warden stamina.]

...oh, for- really, Wolfe?

What?!

[She can't have figured it out, can she? He didn't even say anything!]

Oh please. I fell for another Warden on the road. You don't think I wasn't happy for the stamina then? Besides, why else would you suddenly want to go after hearing about it, hm? [Certainly he had knowledge about Warden stamina firsthand, from Anders.]

Well I mean- It's just that- Uhh....

[Look Riona, you caught him, but you've got to understand.]

Anders is - was - a Warden too. Now I'm no slouch generally when it comes to stamina, but in the face of that, well...

[He doesn't want to actually outright say it. If she was one of his companions that would be one thing, but she's still the Queen of Ferelden, even if he's come to treat her fairly normally.]

I would just very much like to take this opportunity to turn the tables and we have no idea how long it'll last, so...

[He's a heel. An absolute cad.]

[You really are something else, Wolfe.]

Oh just go you horny thing.

[To be fair she can't entirely blame him. She's never been with a Warden when she wasn't one herself, but she could only imagine that it must felt a bit... deflating.]

But if you do start hearing things or anything else that doesn't seem right, you need to tell me right away.

Of course, of course!

[Though the only sounds he intends to hear are ones he makes Anders utter that are certainly not fit for a queen's ears.]

And... if you do have more trouble, like emergency lighting things aflame trouble, I'll leave my communicator on.

[See? He's not totally thinking with the lower head.]

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Iskaulit Mingle - Problems with Psychics

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