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Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 17:21:54 GMT -6
'The local pack is full of idiots.' He acknowledged and frowned as eh looked at the selection of craft paper. Hm. 'Hey do you know if there's some more red construction paper in the back? We're making snow men in the control class tomorrow. I was wanting red for the scarves.' Using a rune to attach the separate pieces together, and using just enough magic to activate the rune and not a drop more. He had a lot of cutting in his future to create each of the parts, but he fully planned on foisting a good portion of it off on his PA tomorrow. They'd need extra copies for any mistakes after all. It was a class full of little kids.
He planned on sending the construction paper through the printer to get the pattern on it, then having his PA cut out the shapes. There were work arounds however, if there wasn't enough red to go around. The kids could always just color the scarves after all. That was definitely an option and he considered that as he looked the paper over again.
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Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 17:32:41 GMT -6
'Not all of them are this... dumb. Just these three.' She explained, finding herself looking forward to trouncing them and then giving them back to O'Hara.
But here was Tyrus, interrupting her thoughts with his snowmen. Catherine found the idea rather ridiculous and laughable that that was the assignment for the control class, but there they were in Texas where snow was a rarity. 'More than likely. We had a new shipment come in today.' It was Brandon's foresight and planning for all the kits they'd been selling and class supplies. The shop had to make money some how, and relying on regular customers wasn't going to cut it; no matter how loyal they were.
'I'll check in the back, give me a moment.'
Ducking through to the back, Catherine scanned the shelves and then boxes looking for the paper. She had seen it on the shipping invoice, but wasn't sure what box it was in. After a few minutes, she brought the box back out to the front counter.
"How much did you need?"
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Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 17:36:45 GMT -6
"I only need...probably about five sheets." He joined her up front. "The kids are going to be activating runes tomorrow. Too much and it won't stick." Or at least, that was the idea. It was a fun craft and they didn't often do them. It would be a good treat for the kids though. "Is everything going okay with the court? No one's reached out in a bit." And that concerned him. A quiet court was a court up to something as far as he was concerned. Some one else may have considered it to be a good thing, but he didn't.
It could also mean he was in trouble and this was their version of sending him to the naughty corner. If so, he much rather preferred this than he did the tactics he grew up with. Not having his ass handed to him was a wonderful change and he was all for it.
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Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 17:44:35 GMT -6
Catherine dug through the box, pulling out packages of construction paper before getting down to the packages of single colors. Picking up a small craft knife, she sliced through the package with a practiced ease and then counted out five sheets. "Five red, any other color?" She asked tucking the box down behind the counter. She guessed the next thing she'd be putting away was paper. At least it wasn't clay or cleaning up spilled ink.
"Everything is fine with the court." Catherine confirmed. No one had reached out because Tyrus was always busy, and usually resistant to the suggestion that he lighten his work load. "We understand you're a busy man, and assumed that you had everything under control." She shrugged nonchalantly. It was her own personal version of dealing with a naughty fledgling, and she found it less damaging by far than what the previous court had done.
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Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 17:50:06 GMT -6
"Mostly." He admitted. "I carved out some more time to feed." He didn't like how close to death he had let his previous meal get. So now he made time every night to handle getting a meal in, even if it was only a small one. Luckily, the Dallas area was big enough that he never had to visit the same place twice. "I officially turned in my paperwork to resign from my contractor status yesterday, so that's one less thing to worry about."
Right now, his big things were Broadmoore and the control classes for the kids. His magic studies were on the back burner and he hated that with a passion. But he was giving his deputy more responsibility and scouting for someone to take her job. These things just took time.
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Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 18:01:27 GMT -6
"That's good to hear." Catherine replied blandly. It did seem like he truly was managing on his own, and it bolstered her own confidence in the actions she had chosen. Violence had always been a last resort for her, and only when frustration and anger had reached unendurable levels. Even then that was rare, but individuals like Tyrus and the werewolf trio could very quickly push her to that point. "I'm surprised you finally decided to stop work as a contractor. It pays pretty good from what I know." She added, intent on keeping the conversation to safe and mildly interesting topics.
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Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 18:05:29 GMT -6
"It does, but I'm not hurting for money. I'm hoping to pull away from Broadmoor too, though that's taking longer." He much preferred life when he had all the time in the world to research and perform magic, and was likely going to go back into that business. He didn't actually need a job after all. "I've found my replacement, but I haven't found hers." And he wanted that before he stepped away from it. And even then, he didn't know if he'd fully step away from it. They needed someone to keep an eye on them after all.
"Oh! I'm able to access more of our lines abilities. Watch." He concentrated and slowly carefull, one of the sheets of papers moved slightly, then lifted about an inch before he dropped it. "Controlling it is proving tricky though." He needed practice, probably. Hesitating, he asked. "Do you have any control exercises I could try?" She had taught Brandon, right? Surely she had something that could help him out.
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Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 18:15:25 GMT -6
"Practice and you don't likely don't need them." She ventured. Catherine had taught Brandon, but most of that had been a charade of her not being very good. A ten year old boy had had absolutely no need to know just how much power his aunt had. It had been bad enough that he had gotten in fights and picked on as a kid, but she hadn't needing him saying something in the heat of the moment that they both would regret.
Having Tyrus as a fledgling made her nervous, she wasn't sure what he knew or didn't know. The man was also given to being a bit of a know it all, thinking that he'd know better with his books or a few hints he managed to glean from anyone else. The way he treated magic, like it was almost a toy instead of a tool only served to add to the anxiety. It didn't help that Grigoire was constantly inquiring about the status of this particular fledgling, and all she could do was assure him that things were fine.
"Seriously, you don't seem to need my help Tyrus."
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Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 18:29:02 GMT -6
"Ah. Alright." He sounded subdued. He didn't need her help no, but he wanted it. "I was thinking of swinging by the court later tonight, if it's alright. There's some books there I'm wanting to consult." If she wasn't going to help him, he'd read up on it and do his best. It wasn't the first time he'd needed to take that approach. It probably wouldn't be the last time. "I was going to go get a bite then head over." Assuming he still had access to the royal family's library.
He ought to, given he was her fledgling, but its not like either of them had been particularly willing about all of this. Maybe that was part of the problem. he had trapped her in this relationship with his own mistake.
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Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 18:42:04 GMT -6
"You're more than welcome to do that. Unfortunately I will not be there, I'm here until the problem with Cedar Ridge is resolved." She would rather not see the shop torched or deal with the fall out of Brandon finding out that something like that had happened. That was all she needed given how reluctant and adverse he was to anything even to do with the court. "However, I will let someone know you'll be there and to give you access to the archives." Catherine added as she started to package up his purchases.
Squinting at a price tag on a pack of paper, she double checked the numbers against the computer. "Oh for..." Catherine grumbled seeing Scotty had gotten the labels mixed up again. No doubt she had been in a hurry as usual to leave the shop. The problem wasn't helped by Tyrus's propensity to telegraph and project. "Tyrus.. stop." She finally told the mage, as she tossed aside the package of paper and went to find one with the correct tag. "You're projecting like nobody's business."
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Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 18:51:30 GMT -6
His shields slammed down at that. "Sorry. I'm working on it." Still not good enough to be in public it seemed, or at least near other telepaths. Thought he ones in his 'family' were unusually powerful, so he didn't think it was all his fault. "Good luck with Cedar Ridge. Let me know if you want any help dealing with them. They're some of the dumbest werewolves I know." He knew some brilliant packs. Unfortunately, the local ones weren't remotely intelligent as far as he was concerned.
This was beyond awkward and he didn't know how to make it better, how to improve the situation at all. He had known her as Catherine the Warden and La Principessa Caterina was someone else entirely. He shouldn't be surprised. Al-Amir Khuenre was someone else than Tyrus as well, but he was still thrown by the difference.
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Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 19:12:12 GMT -6
"Of course." She acquiesced. His skills were better, but the only thing that would help would be practice. It seemed that practicing that particular skill was something he was still struggling with. The Constantin line had now been proven to produce exceptional psions, but getting Tyrus up to snuff was something that even she didn't know how to do. She couldn't even remember anymore how she had learned with the so called gifts so rare where she'd grown up.
"God damn it Scottlyn.." Catherine muttered going through the rack for the second time. They had all been mistagged and some even placed in the wrong spot. This just made more work for her, given that she hadn't put the entire shop to rights after the terrorizing trio had gotten done with it. She had only done enough to get the three out of the shop, but they still seemed to think she was some kind of human with tricks up their sleeve.
"Look... Tyrus, I dislike this situation as much as you do." She finally said breaking the uneasy silence between the two of them. "You're a child to me in a lot of ways, and a very... challenging one at that." He didn't communicate what he needed, and instead went off on his own with ideas she hadn't even given him. "And while I like children, you're not exactly one either." Catherine explained. He was an adult, and she expected him to take responsibility instead of just blaming it on things. "That being said, get your nose out of the books, take responsibility, and actually learn some practical skills that don't revolve around research."
Finally finding what she wanted, she brought another package of paper up to the register. It wasn't the same thing, but it was the same price. "Allow me to demonstrate, help with Cedar Ridge would be most appreciated. They'll likely be back tonight spoiling for a fight." She smiled conspiratorially. With the glamour up, she looked entirely human down to the teeth and eye color.
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Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 19:18:43 GMT -6
He grinned at that one. "I'll be glad to help." He didn't mind doing that at all. He was always up for that spot of fun after all. "I'll come by after sunset? I just need to put the supplies away, and with the mirror station, that's a lot faster trip than it had been. That was a great idea. Thanks." It had felt pressured at the moment, but it was working out well as far as he was concerned. "And I do have practical skills. I prefer my books but I'm not without ability." He wouldn't have been a contractor if he couldn't hold his own. And he could do so much more than just fight. He had been taking care of himself for some time and was in charge of an entire institution and was doing a damn fine job as far as he was concerned.
But Catherine seemed convinced his books were all there was to him. That he didn't take responsibility for himself or his actions. It was going to drive him nuts if she kept it up. It looked like she'd be no help on the new ability front though, so he was very much on his own there. Perhaps Brandon would be of some help, though he didn't know how much.
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Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 19:45:04 GMT -6
"Yes, after sunset. But seriously Tyrus... when I first met you, you practically said you don't do any practical skills." Catherine admonished the other. The first weeks in Dallas had truly been rocky, and there were times when she thought that she was going to wind up back in the institution. But if anything it had taught her than hell would have been a better choice than those first few days outside in the world. Coping had been difficult, and she still found herself using coping strategies that were less than helpful, like shutting people out. Getting close in her world had always meant putting people in danger, it was just the nature of her job and her family ties; not to mention being a powerhouse of excessive proportions in her own right. "You stood in the corner and waved the rest of us on like farmhands."
She had learned as a child that words while pretty, were often hollow and full of lies. A person's actions spoke more to the truth of their belief or being than anything else.
"Remember people will come to you with their mouths full of platitudes, but their actions will reveal their true intents beyond the pretty words and flattery."
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Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 19:50:20 GMT -6
"I'm not an officer. I was there as a magic expert. That's all I ever was for MCU. I have no clue why they assigned me to actually investigate." He pointed out. "I don't have the skills to do that. I'm a battle mage. I'm an academic. I can kick ass and tell you all about obscure magic. I have practical skills, but there's never nay call for transfiguration or charms or crafting an artifact. I have skills and they're being used as an administrator for Broadmoor, where its all soft skills and non-magic things. I'm not incompetent. I'm just not what you're looking for." She had been looking to him for something else the entire time.
"I wasn't in Dallas because I wanted to be. I was there because it was a compromise with my parents who abused me. I could play nice with MCU in Dallas or I could come home to the court." Those had been his options. He had chosen MCU, which had chains of its own sort, but it wasn't like the chains he dealt with in court.
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