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Post by Circe on Jan 24, 2021 18:21:57 GMT -6
Catherine sat at the opposite end of the table, dressed this time in a simple gown of a changeable blue silk with her hair braided loosely before being tucked up into a bun and secured with a black ribbon around her head. She wore no jewelry except for a fine gold chain around her neck, disappearing down into her bodice and a heavy silver ring on her right hand. "Is everything alright? You took quite the fall from Pyrebone." She asked him. It was a wonder anyone kept such a difficult horse around, but the moments when the animal wasn't practically spitting in your eye were worth it however.
Catherine suspected that Tyrus had gone off to mope and sulk about her choice to bring him there, among other things. Instead of going after him, like she might a child, she had given him his space, and for once correctly assumed he would come around when he was ready. At some point he would have to start accepting that some things were unlikely to change, and deal with it the best he could. If he had been one of her officers, she would have put him on leave for the next three weeks. But he wasn't, and there was little she could do.
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Post by demikara on Jan 24, 2021 18:58:04 GMT -6
"Just some minor bruises." He assured her. "I ended up having to redo my hair because of the static electricity I used on the horse to get him to let go of it. But other than that, it's been a quiet day." Quiet days were not things he looked forward to. They tended to very quickly end up with him mourning his family. It wasn't like he was granted a lot of time to do so otherwise. His parents had faced the sun of their own accord and everyone knew it, regardless of what the council party line may be. The council wouldn't have been able to touch them if they hadn't allowed it. But now he was working for and directly related to his brothers' murderer. It meant he rarely felt good about what he did at all. There was some level of self hate on that relationship as well, given it was his own damn fault. He forced himself to turn away from his dark thoughts though. "We should figure out what we're going to do for the solstice. My magic has already begun to react." They didn't have much time to make plans. He wasn't sure he'd trust himself to cast any larger spells right now, not under the circumstances. Even smaller spells took more concentration than he would like, and he had to put off the idea of casting a monitoring spell to record output. He'd have to make an estimate again, which wasn't something he much wanted to do. "I'm worried that staying in our rooms for it may not be the best idea. But I don't know enough about the fae realms to be sure." This was his second time here and he wasn't all the thrilled to be here as it was. It was better than expanding an artificial ley pool on his ranch and shifting the ley lines further, but he didn't know how much better.
There was more innate magic here. But that could lead to more magic to fuck things up with. And he didn't want to somehow end up blind all over again. He didn't know how to avoid it though other than hope to sleep through the entire situation, which he doubted he'd manage without a spell cast on him to ensure it.
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Post by Circe on Jan 25, 2021 17:00:29 GMT -6
Catherine nodded as she reached for her glass. Meals here were not a complicated affair, but the food was good and it was plentiful. A slight step up from the fare at the farm Molly's mentor had provided, though only by a small margin. Despite the McBride family's status as being close to the monarchs, they still didn't possess much in the way of a title or extensive lands. Perhaps it was this lack of simplicity and preteniousness that had endeared them so long ago. Catherine however didn't know the exact reasons, just that things had been the way they were for as long as she knew.
"You had suggested a sleeping spell or something similar earlier?" She inquired. Being put out of her misery, if only for as long as necessary seemed preferable to being lucid enough to know what was happening. The summer solstice had only been memorable simply due to the fact that it had gone so wrong.
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Post by demikara on Jan 25, 2021 17:11:15 GMT -6
"If we can find someone to cast it on us, that may be for the best. Or a potion, if we can find a trustworthy one. It would at least keep us from reacting." It was the winter solstice, but the seelie realm was warm enough they wouldn't freeze. "This close, I don't trust my magic to do so safely." Sleeping spells were tricky to do correctly. Once you learned how, of course, it was fine. But they could be addictive and could go terribly wrong. Wrong enough it had made it into fairy tales in the past. The mage sighed and took a bite, trying to think of how to handle the whole affair. "I'm concerned with overflow. Even with you asleep last time, that tree grew rapidly." And he hadn't been much better where he had been at.
His hadn't been an ounce better when it came to overflow however. "We may want to be outside for it, just in case. I don't want to damage your home." And he didn't know for sure that he wouldn't do just that. That was the problem. He didn't know what would happen. They had an idea, of course, but this was not exactly something they had enough information to plan for on. "It may not damage your house at all. I don't know what the change in location will do."
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Post by Circe on Jan 25, 2021 17:37:04 GMT -6
Catherine didn't need to be reminded what had happened last time, they were still sorting through the fall out. "This close, that's likely not a possibility." She replied as she pushed the food around her plate. The situation was really one she didn't want to be in, irregardless of how she happend to have gotten there. "A potion may be a better option, if you can separate cook from her kitchen and stove. There should be herbs at least in the still room off the kitchen, I really don't know what you would need." Catherine added, admitting to yet another gap in her knowledge.
Either way, she couldn't really call what had happened last time being asleep. Xiaolian had administered some sort of paralytic that even her magic could barely begin to burn through. There had been little use fighting it, as it had held strong for most of the day. She almost wished she had asked the other for assistance this time, but she had been determined to not be so reliant on anyone. This was something she needed to deal with herself each year, unfortunately the summer solstice had been specatularly bad and it had taken her weeks to recover.
"If you feel outside is necessary, then it is." Just where would be the question, as she would prefer it not be anywhere near the property. She didn't have near as much land as Tyrus, or the ability to wall portions of it off from others. What land she did have was covered with orchards, grain fields, and other things necessary for livelihood of the village and the estate.
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Post by demikara on Jan 25, 2021 17:44:55 GMT -6
"I know of one. It only lasts eight hours, but you can safely dose yourself a second time. It wouldn't be the full day, but it would be enough to get us through the worst of it. Hopefully. It tastes terrible though, as a warning." It wasn't something he used often, but he could do it. "The ingredients are relatively common. I'm sure your cook would be able to help." It was just a sleeping potion after all. Nasty, but doable. So it looked like they'd be using a potion to spell themselves to sleep. It wouldn't have anything on Xiaolian's paralytic spells, but it was better than nothing at least. "The good news is that both of our magic seems predisposed to strengthening the area around it. I noticed some orchards? We'd only improve the trees there and cause them to grow. Hell, you may get a crop just out of us being here."
That would be interesting, but he could see it. He hesitated a moment and admitted. "A very magical crop. You, ah, might want to test if its safe to eat first, if we do." It would certainly be rich in magic if nothing else. "If you're not comfortable there, then we should try for the nearest woods that are safe. I can set up some wards so people look past us that shouldn't be effected." Shouldn't didn't mean wouldn't, but it was the best he could do.
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Post by Circe on Jan 25, 2021 18:08:44 GMT -6
"I.. would not recommend it." Catherine disagreed. The orchard had never had any problems to her knowledge and she wasn't about to introduce one by virtue of Tyrus's suggestion. The food in the realm may have had the reputation for being magical and trapping people, but that was really just a product of dishonest courtiers who were looking for what they considered entertainment. The food was normal food in many cases, and did little other than perhaps offering upset due to unfamiliar ingredients. "The orchard provides a crop for the estate and those who tend it. A crop this time of year would fall out of sync with the wheel, and likely give rise to concern." The fewer who knew about the issues with the magic, the better. It was something that she had been cautioned with early on as a child, not everyone would be as accepting of her gifts.
Catherine continued to push around and pick at her food, unsure what to do. There wasn't time to think any of this through, and they were already running out the clock; quite easily she might have added. This seemed like such an unnecessary and awkward conversation to have. One that they likely should have had before hand, but Tyrus had assured her that he would have a solution, one that had never materialized. "Cook might be able to offer help, it only depends on what you require of her." She finally said after a moment. Potions like other magic elluded her except for their basic concepts, and even then it was generally in relation to what was or wasn't legal on the other side.
"There are some woods not far from here, not on anyone in particular's land. In there is a small clearing with some old ruins, they should provide shelter if nothing else." Catherine suggested. By virtue of being so far out of the way and in a place few visited would they be safe. But, Tyrus's wards would likely add to the protection.
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Post by demikara on Jan 25, 2021 18:19:42 GMT -6
"The the orchard is definitely out of the running. The clearing sounds like a good idea. The two of us that close to each other may not be ideal, but if it's what we have to work with, then it will do." They couldn't afford to be choosy. "If someone can show me the way, I can ward it tonight, before my magic decides to get any worse." While he still had enough control to make a ward. The ward would hole, with his magic as it was now. He took another bite of his food and considered their options. They didn't have many. He had waited too long to tell her and he knew it. He had been so hopeful he'd have some sort of solution though, some way to get past the power needed.
But the veil was powerful and they were both very thoroughly attached to it. When the solstice came, the magic would move through them, and it was rather like trying to contain the veil itself. Damn impossible. The mage sighed and picked at his food a bit more. This wasn't ideal at all. Ideally the spell would have worked on him, or they'd be a few miles apart somewhere that could absorb the magic. He didn't know how well the fae realm would be able to do so. Better than the human realm, by far, but would it be enough?
He didn't know. And both of them so close was dangerous.
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Post by Circe on Jan 25, 2021 18:53:24 GMT -6
"I'll have someone show you later tonight then." She confirmed. "Then perhaps you stay at the ruins and I can go further afield? Distance may be necessary and I can take one of the borrowed horses." Who were settling in just fine and more than happy to share a paddock that opened out into a large, lush field with Pyrebone and the others. She hated to consider the calm and sweet horses as expendable, but the truth was they were in the grand scheme of everything. Time was running out and survival was the only thing on either of their minds.
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Post by demikara on Jan 25, 2021 18:59:01 GMT -6
"That's probably safer. Just let me know where to put the wards." It wasn't going to be pretty regardless and they both knew it. They were both going to be out of it and weak. It was good they were safely in seelie lands, but he still worried. It wasn't the same safety he felt at his ranch. The mage finished off his meal. The entire event was disturbing and he hated every second of what they had to do. They didn't want to owe Xiaolian though. She should be allowed to do her work for the day, not have to babysit the two of them. As it was, he knew something as going to go wrong. With this much magic, it was only fate. He pushed his plate away as his stomach turned.
"Do you know of someone who can check on us as the day begins to end?" Someone to make sure they had come through it okay and who could help get them back to the house, if they needed the help. He didn't know what state they'd be in. Last time, he had needed serious help because he had been blinded. This time, who knew? It was a new environment. It could take more magic, theoretically at least. He may end up fine, if groggy.
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Post by Circe on Feb 5, 2021 21:06:48 GMT -6
Catherine looked at Tyrus as she debated how best to explain the precarious nature of the situation his or really their lack of planning at put them in. "No... not everyone here takes well to magic." She said slowly. They would have to sort this one out on their own, and that wasn't anything new to Catherine, but it might have be to Tyrus. "We're on our own unfortunately."
Catherine just prayed that whatever god was listening would take pity on whatever might remain of their souls after all of this. If they even had them to begin with, it was a question that she didn't want to dwell on too awfully long most days. It was hard enough to have centuries of existence under one's belt, even if most of it was thanks to time dilation between the fae and human worlds.
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Post by demikara on Feb 6, 2021 8:42:01 GMT -6
There was a moment when his mind had to reset. "How do fae not take well to magic?" He said, incredulously. That didn't make any sense whatsoever. She wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true though and he pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to ignore the insanity that was such a magical race not taking well to magic, as if they didn't breathe it. "Just. Ignore that. I'll ward the sites after we're done here, and hopefully that'll be enough to keep us safe. Whoever is able to move first can come check on the other one. I doubt we'll both revive at the same time." It had taken different tolls on them last time after all. "Do you want a sleeping potion as well?"
He needed to know how much he was making, after all. This entire situation was a result of poor planning and wishful thinking on both their parts. He could do without having to put up with this twice a year from now on. It was a pain in the ass.
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Post by Circe on Feb 6, 2021 11:29:08 GMT -6
It was rather hard to ignore Tyrus's question, and Catherine suspected that if she didn't address it head on, it would come back to bite her. "Unfortunately I can't." She replied. "What I meant was, not everyone here is like you or I. Magic is used for quite a bit, a charm to ensure your bread rises properly, or bespelling a everyday item to do something we take for granted in the human realm. I mean that big magic raises a lot of questions, usually the sort that brings her majesty's mages around. While they're well regarded... they also mean trouble of a kind I don't want."
In her opinion, they were bullies of the worst sort. Dead set on traditional methods and means of controlling magic, there was no thought for the scale of time or that things changed. They had gotten even worse since the death of King Oberon, seeing fit to tell the Queen herself very little. And if they were to find out that two veilbornes existed, and that it had been hidden from them, there would undoubtedly be hell of a kind Catherine shuddered to think about. "Look, the people here are kind. But they're not fancy folk, and my father treated them and their village well as their lord. But, he was not a mage, nor really much of a magic user at all." She explained. It seemed that as time wore on, further distancing her from that terrible day, that the details of who Sir William had been grew hazier each day.
"And no... on second thought the potion seems a bad idea. Given the last solstice you tried to spell something, no. I'll take my chances." Catherine added. She would just have to ride out whatever was in store and hope that she didn't loose herself in the process.
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Post by demikara on Feb 6, 2021 11:42:27 GMT -6
It sounded like they were allies who couldn't be trusted. He didn't much want to be examined as a curiosity himself, and so hoped they wouldn't attract the attention of her majesty's mages. He knew perfectly well how a mage reacted to curiosities, given he was a mage himself. Still at the note of her caution he hesitated a moment. "I suppose you are right. A sleeping potion should be relatively safe, but just in case, perhaps I should forego it as well." That meant being awake through the entire event, which wasn't something he much wanted to do. He was just about to the point where he was thinking he should have just owed Xiaolian all over again, more than he already did.
He just had to not react to it right? Just let it be, and he should be fine, theoretically. He hoped. He finished his meal and considered their options. None of them were that great, when it came down to it. They would likely be noticed if his wards fell, and that wasn't something either of them wanted to deal with.
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Post by Circe on Feb 6, 2021 12:15:58 GMT -6
"I'm not going to force your choice either way. You'll eventually have to learn to do what's best. I might not always be here." Catherine knew she had been exceedingly lucky to survive this long, but she also knew that that had been at the cost of other things. Her career, her marriage and relationships, children; all things that had encountered her and been left barely intact afterwards. In some ways she knew she was a plaything of the fates with little control, but that didn't alter the fact Catherine didn't like it. If she were to believe the way Grigore told it, the only reason she still existed because he hadn't deigned it necessary to be rid of her. A thing that she was entirely and too painfully aware of.
For now though, Catherine knew that they were relatively safe. That Grigore couldn't reach them here, even if he tried.
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