Topic: A&M Study Group at Mage Wing Library

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-12-07 21:18 EST
((Open to all wanting to come together for RP in the spirit of everyone trying to figure out just what in the world Professor D'Arcstorm meant in his lectures.))

Ammy sat in the library sipping on some Chai Spiced Tea in a can, noting the flavor not quite appealing but festive enough without the devastating effect Eggnog had on her senses. She sat at a round table, humming idly, looking over the notes of the last two classes from the A&M 1000 Class. She felt like she had a grasp on somethings but only by a small margin and that grip was slick with grease of doubt and a clutter of information on how she knew things from other realms. She knew Fliss had gotten her message in class and so was staying out in the open study area of the library to see if the young girl would drop by to chat. Ammy had also tacked up the study group note by the auditorium they've been using for class to see if anyone else wanted to chat too.

As she waited, she got a little lost in a small tome about Edible Gemstones.

Fliss

Date: 2016-12-08 09:08 EST
Encouraged by the invitation to join her in the library, Fliss wasn't long in arriving, quietly greeting Ammy with a shy smile as she eased down into a seat at the Lupinossai's chosen table. She had an hour to kill before she had to get to the front gates of her siblings' school with Matt so they could catch a ride home, an hour she usually spent mildly despairing over whether she was actually getting more stupid the longer she took Professor D'Arcstorm's class.

"Hi," she said quietly to Ammy. "I, um, I didn't introduce myself before now. I'm Felicity, but everyone calls me Fliss. Thank you for inviting me."

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-12-08 20:46 EST
Ammy looked up from the small tome and smiled hearing Fliss join her at the table. She closed the book and waved it back to the shelf she got it from, letting it float home.

"It's nice to meet you Fliss. I am Amaterasu, though many know and call me Ammy. I remember seeing you and a younger man in Professor Tolmay's History of RhyDin Class that I joined a bit late. You're quite the sharp the young lady from what I've seen, though it seems the class we are both in right now has proved a challenge." She gave a small chagrin of a smile on her white furred muzzle.

"But I want you to know that you aren't the only one having difficulty with the class. I've been stumped a few times during that first home work assignment from Professor D'Arcstorm and I had to have my husband explain things to me in alchemy terms so I could even get a handle on the whole 'Consensus' thing as well as the fact that some realms may not have magic either."

She'd dig in her satchel. "You want some cookies or some Chai Tea in a can' I have some in here somewhere that I can share while we chat. And while we're on that little topic what are we struggling with today in A&M 1000?"

Fliss

Date: 2016-12-09 06:53 EST
Surprised by the offer of snacks, Fliss' smile relaxed as she she let herself stop feeling nervous.

"Thanks, but I'm okay," she assured Ammy, a little embarrassed to have caught the alchemist's eye during the History class. "Uh, the guy I was with in History is Lucas, he's my boyfriend. He graduated last summer - he's training as an EMT right now."

The comment on how challenging Professor D'Arcstorm's class was did not go unnoticed. If anything, it was a relief to discover that she wasn't the only one who was struggling with the concepts as laid out by the professor. She sighed around her grin.

"To be honest, I think it's the language that's stumping me," she said thoughtfully. "Once I got my head around the fact that what he calls a Consensus is actually personally perceived reality, it all kinda fell into place for me. I guess it helps that I live on Maple Grove - it's such an eclectic mix of people there. Piper - one of the moms who lives near us - she didn't know anything about magic until she came here, and she was pregnant with a half-Fae at the time. Her reality didn't have any place for magic, or even advanced science that might be considered magic. It's gotta be a steep learning curve for her, but if she can do it, then I guess I can manage this.

"This whole ....spheres ....thing has me confused, though," she admitted reluctantly. "I don't really get what he means there. Is it like schools of magic, or is it more kind of a general overview of how certain types of magic and this technomancy stuff can be classified? I don't like to ask in class. Pretty sure he's already getting tired of me waving my hand like a dope."

Andu Kirost

Date: 2016-12-09 08:20 EST
Introduction to Arcane & Metaphysical Theory 1000 Second Assignment.....

Departing the lecture hall, Andu makes his way to the Headmistress' office and requests the "Waiver D5", whatever that was, as instructed. The paper is carefully slipped between the Codex and Tablet in his pouch as he departs the building. Once outside he pauses for a moment to think, then turns his lumbering steps back towards the Mage Hall and its Library. Homework needs at least something resembling peace, and that isn't something to be found in his home these days.

Once inside the Library, he stops at the first empty table he comes to to carefully remove the Codex and a pad of paper. Laboriously he writes out the "activating" sentence. "Property of Andu Kirost, Magus". Snorting softly as he completes the last word, and muttering softly in a tone clearly meant to imitate a certain long eared, long tongued alien from a movie...."How Rude!" The sheet written on is removed, and carefully placed inside the codex as instructed.

With careful consideration, he starts writing on the next empty page of the pad of paper. Apparently Andu has already had thoughts on what he wants to write, because it isn't long before he is finished. After rereading what he has written a couple times, Andu shrugs and removes the sheet from the pad and slips it into the hollow that forms when he opens the front cover of the Codex.

Homework finished, Andu stands and glances around the Mage Hall Library for a couple moments. Spotting Ammy and Fliss, he gives them each a big smile and an upnod if he should catch the eye of either. But he knows how "intimidating" his simple presence can be to those not familiar with him, he seems reluctant to even approach the table they have claimed.

Fliss

Date: 2016-12-09 08:48 EST
As a former long-term orphan, Fliss could recognize Andu Kirost easily. They might never have met, but she knew of him, and her parents - Johnny and Olivia Storm - seemed familiar with him, too. So there was no need for him to worry about intimidating her. Catching sight of the minotaur as he lingered, she smiled, waving at him.

Kincaid

Date: 2016-12-09 18:29 EST
Speaking of orphans, that one guy had shown up somewhere in the middle of things, keeping to the fringes of the small gathering; he was glad for the time that he spent in class with this group, as otherwise he'd be likely to stare.

It's not that he wasn't used to seeing non-humans, he was just kind of curious; there was something majestic about them, something most other humans lacked - and it made them come to life when they were put to the canvas. 'Actually,' he conceded to himself mentally, 'only when I sign them, so does that count' And I wonder when I should ask Professor D about it anyway....I don't wanna go to his office alone after hours. He's....I dunno, weird"'

"Uh, Hi. A&M Theory, right?" he asked, eyebrows raising in the middle of his brow, " he set his Codex down on the table, having already activated it in the hall after class, in what was an epic display of awkwardly positioned writing and juggling of things - until he finally spied a bench.

"I think I understand that spheres thing," he was trying to organize the rest of his tools, various pencils of different density, color, or thickness, and a large rectangular pad of paper he kept his art, and notes, in. But how the hell long had he been listening anyway' And from where?

"Sorry," he continued, "I was in the stacks looking around before I saw you and didn't want to interrupt, until," his glance moved around the group. A warm, friendly smile to Andu; a twinkling eyed nod to Ammy, Minotaur were rare enough, but Amaterasu was a rarer breed still, save here in Rhydin or on their home-world perhaps; and then only Felicity, Ms. Storm was left for him to turn his attention to, just as he was introducing himself.

"Hey everyone, I'm Bastion, but," his words slowed and in the back of his mind, he could feel his face coloring. It was her, the cute one who asked all the questions; the one he'd overheard talking just before he came over. "You can call me, um," he was at that point in his life where he was almost comfortable in his skin, and almost not clumsy. Almost. Pencils and pad went askew, most hitting the table top and bouncing, as the pad landed with a heavy thump. A few went rolling around the floor, under tables and chairs. His eyes had dropped from Felicity to the floor, and his shoulders slumped with a sigh; obviously whatever gods were out there, were intent on his utter humility. 'Did that have to just happen in front of her, though' Ugh,' he thought.

"Bat," he said as he dropped down to gather the strays and replace them onto the table, his voice dropping further in volume, half wishing the ground would open up and hide him. "Some people call me Bat, but whatever's good for you. Was serious about that sphere's thing, honest."

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-12-09 21:59 EST
Ammy smiled to all who were appearing, happy to see students coming together to tackle a hard class. She didn't forget what Fliss had said to her though. A smile and nod to Andu in quick greeting then a smile and nod to Bat, as the young man offered to be called.

"Hello Bat. You can call me Ammy. This is Fliss. And yon moving mountain over there is Andu. Fliss was mentioning some trouble with the spheres of reality and the difficulty of understanding their meaning. I admit honestly, being the first magical theory class I've attended; Spheres of Reality is a new term to me as well. I've been classically trained in either calling magic by Kingdoms, Classes, Schools, or Domains. But then again those terms are a bit more ability or talent focused while Spheres of Reality sounds more larger in scope.

The best way I could sum it up in my own mind was the terms I had become familiar was like looking at a small portion of a map. You can see possibly all of the streets and buildings and maybe the various walk paths you can take to learn your spells and master your chosen talent, while as Sphere is more like a world map where multiple talents touch and overlap each other like some nation borders might and the ways to get where you want could be limitless. Though I could have missed the true meaning quite a bit so I am happy to hear what you all think.

Though you should never be afraid to ask questions in class Fliss. It's why we're students there. We're there to learn, to ask, to grow. If we don't ask, the professors can't discern where their students are struggling and best help them. I will have to say though, the family life you've mentioned sounds quite interesting. Most of my family is magic using except my three youngest children. All born with no ability so I am having to relearn some approaches to life that are not reliant on magic."

She did finally find the cookies in her satchel and placed the large ziplock bag on the table to share. There was enough for a family of eight. Sugar cookies, snicker doodles, oatmeal raisin and even chocolate chip cookies. Ammy made a 'help yourself' gesture to anyone interested in one.

She leaned back, relaxed once more, furred ears twitching. "And you weren't interrupting anything Bat. The study group is meant for all of us to come and go, drop by and trade ideas and notes to help each other out. Fliss hit another point on the head. Some of the terms Professor D'Arcstorm uses can be quite archaic or very arcane specific. So you mentioned you have some understanding on the spheres you don't mind sharing with us?" She asked him with a small smile, keeping canine teeth politely hidden.

Fliss

Date: 2016-12-10 18:04 EST
As pencils and pad went skittering over the table and onto the floor, Fliss automatically ducked to help Bastion gather them up, offering him a friendly smile. "Nice to meet someone else who gets clumsy sometimes," she said conspiratorially as they surfaced, setting her handful of pencils down safely near his hand.

Taking her seat again, she chuckled at Ammy's interest in her family. "We're a pretty odd bunch, I guess," she considered. "My dad's Johnny Storm - you know, the Human Torch' And then there's Mom, who isn't really magical or sciencey, but she's got an eidetic memory. My little brother is telepathic and telekinetic; my next little sister down is an empath, but she's mute, so she communicates with sign language. My baby sister, we don't know about yet. And then there's me. We're all adopted, apart from the baby, so we're still learning about each other. And the pets, of course - dog, puppies, cat, and a water dragon I accidentally bought from the Imps a few months ago. I swear, I didn't know the egg was going to hatch!"

As for the class thoughts, well ...."I don't know whether it's because the language is archaic, or because I'm just not used to looking at these kinds of things from a clinical, academic standpoint. It just ....magic doesn't seem like something that can be split up and compartmentalized the way he does. But I need all the help I can get. I'm completely lost in class, usually."

Kincaid

Date: 2016-12-10 23:55 EST
He'd ducked down to collect his things while listening to Ammy talk, her words providing what would or should have been a welcome distraction from his clumsiness, and then he found Fliss helping to pick up his belongings. More than just the blush from his lack of grace, his face felt like it was burning.

'Quick now, lad,' a voice seemed to speak in his mind, 'say something eminently eloquent!'

"I, uh, thanks," he just barely managed to murmur, he thought at least, before they'd risen. 'Art is art, and poetry is art, but not all artists are poets,' he guessed to himself, somewhat glumly. He deftly opened his pad and absently fingered one of the pencils she'd picked up, grateful for the banter between Ammy and Fliss, as it allowed him to collect some other colored pencils as well. He had a blank piece of paper out, and was drawing exactly what they'd been talking about - spheres, all next to each other, so that they formed a ring so that each ring was adjacent to two more. He kept switching up colored pencils every time he drew a new sphere, shading each of them in so that their sides over lapped one another, and arrows extended from all of them to a central point between them all, which he colored in with every color he used for a sphere. By the time he was finished, and after listening to the two of them chatting, he was feeling at least marginally more relaxed.

"So, um," he looked up to them, glancing towards Andu as well, as he couldn't quite figure on how much the big guy actually knew about magic, having over heard his exchange with the professor after class, Bastion figured Andu maybe knew more than he let on. "In the middle is like, reality, right' Cause he calls them, all the spheres that is, 'spheres of reality', sometimes" Well, it's like, if reality were like a piece of art, or something, and it's made out of all these colors, and I think the spheres are all the different colors - like the primary and secondary colors of....reality' Does that make sense?" It would help if he gave enough time for them to answer, perhaps, but he couldn't stop in the middle of a thought - of an explanation - or he might not get it back. This was his chance to maybe make himself not look like a total knucklehead - if what he thought made sense.

"So like, I've heard of these schools, or domains or whatever too," he'd read a lot on his own, but wasn't able to decipher a lot of it, but this class had actually helped those independent studies make sense. "But I don't think that's what the spheres are - I think those things are like, smaller, or more focused than the spheres. The spheres are like....it's like one of those paintings made up of colored dots, that when you look at it from a step away form an image. Like, all of reality - if you think of it like a painting - is made up of all the spheres, to a greater or lesser degree. So they're each like an independent thing, but make up something bigger, right' Then right in the middle where all the colors seem to overlap, that's like reality." He frowned at the seeming brown color that resulted in every color passing over one another. Somehow, it seemed to imply the muddiness of reality, or perhaps in a cruder sense, the crapiness.

He glanced up to each in attendance in turn, and he wasn't sure the conviction he felt was for what he'd just said - or that he'd managed to talk himself out of his own theory.

Andu Kirost

Date: 2016-12-11 05:07 EST
Andu would finally approach the group, to take a seat on the ground next to the table, simply because that was the easiest way to bring his head down far enough so others would at least stand a chance of not getting cricks in their necks looking up at him. Smiles are given to each.

"Hey. I'm Andu, in case anyone doesn't know me. I think that that lecture almost either made my head explode, or just split my mind into multiple personalities. Each time I started to get a hang of what he was saying, it was like he jumped to another topic."

Shrugs. "Or it just may be my wide, but really shallow understanding of magic causing the problems."

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-12-12 15:12 EST
Ammy watched them all with amusement in her golden eyes. It was like watching her own family at home around the table. Listening to them all, some things were clicking into place.

"Ah hah!" She moved up out of her seat, leaned over on the table, resting on her elbows and forearms and looked over what Bat had drawn.

She picked up a 2F lead pencil. "If you don't mind Bat, may I add something to your drawing?"

Ammy deftly started drawing, precise and neat arcane symbols along the edges of each colored sphere Bat had drawn. Then she labeled each one with the name of the school, kingdom, class or domain they belonged too. She grinned and labeled each sphere and drew little boxes on the arrow lines coming in from the Spheres into Reality, labeling the boxes each as Consensus.

"So really what each of us knows is a piece to the whole puzzle. As Bat pointed out, the center here is Reality, every day life we all live. Now then, move out from the center and you see through the Consensus that we discussed in the first class. Whatever Consensus our Reality aligns to in a realm, then further opens up to the Schools, Kingdoms, Classes and Domains for the actual technical magic. Its a telescope. A theoretical telescope!" She grinned and was laughing.

"The more you adjust your Reality to include the improbable you open up your Consensus to these Spheres and Magic is allowed to thrive. It's how Fliss mentioned about her father's realm, their reality only had a Consensus that allowed them to see just Enlightened Physics or Enlightened Biology to explain why he can be the Human Torch. My prior life, our way was the same using the same sphere locking into Biology and Physics manipulation. Those that just like to work with magical objects have their Reality aligned to the Primal Field Theory. If you go a step further and start training, taking classes and practicing magic, you're able to shift your Reality to align to any Sphere to refocus your Consensus to allow you to do any magic you want. That is where Bat and I fall to a degree having, well from what I am guessing with Bat, formal mage training. What would you say you're Sphere of focus is Fliss for letting you control fire, which, may I say is done with a high degree of finesse. Professor Chazore would love to have you in his Art of Fire Magic class. You could learn a lot about fire manipulation there."

She was now sitting on the table staring at the drawing and rubbing her chin, and snagged a cookie. She failed to see the irritated look of the librarian on duty that noticed something other than a book was on the table's surface. She twirled and nimbly manipulated the pencil in her deceptively delicate looking fingers that could snap wrists.

"I think Professor D'Arcstorm is just so familiar with his expertise it's like a mechanic or artist, no offense Bat, that can look at the disassembled parts of a machine or a collection of colors on a pallet and already see the finished product before them. This familiarity can often bring about a hard clinical nature as Fliss pointed out to how things are dissected and presented to students. Which is why, we are all here. Bounce thoughts, questions and voice how we each see or understand the lessons and maybe ping off each other to get the fully assembled picture." Ammy said.

A firm cough behind her, made her head turn and she saw the librarian on duty, a tall, wispy Elf staring down her delicate nose at the Lupinossai. Ammy gave a small chagrin of teeth and the librarian pointed to a chair and made a shooing motion for the Lupe to get her jean clad rump off of the table. Once Ammy moved back to her chair, the librarian left the study group alone. Ammy lifted her hand and stuck thumb to nose and waggled the remaining four free fingers in the air in a mock defiant gesture. She pulled her hand down and looked innocent when the librarian looked back then vanished around a stack of books.

"Your family doesn't sound odd one bit Fliss. I am familiar with the Human Torch. My Sword of Damoclese Foundation is helping finance his emergency center he wants to build. Your family sounds a bit like mine. My husband is an avatar that contains the well spring of all Lupinossai magic. My wife is a former god killer that loves to bake and cook now. My eldest daughter moved out a few years ago and is creating her own kingdom and is a goddess of Winter, a title and an ability she gained by defeating a god on her own. The twins I have can control various elemental magic though one in particular is gifted in controlling Chaos. And my three youngest have no magic in them at all. Then you have me and all I'll say to that is I am complicated.

Though you mentioned a water dragon that hatched recently' I may have have a book or two in my store that may help on rearing water dragons. If I can find them, would you like them Fliss" And with that many pets I may know a good veterinarian you can contact sometime." Ammy grinned.

"Though I am curious Fliss. How do you view or see magic for yourself" Same for you Bat and Andu?"

Fliss

Date: 2016-12-12 16:30 EST
Fliss was absolutely fascinated, glued to the page as first Bat, then Ammy, elucidated on the subject that was giving her so much trouble in the first place. She couldn't say that she absolutely understood it, even after this interesting breakdown of what it meant to two others, but she thought she might have hold of a thread that might unravel it with a little more pulling.

"I never thought about it like that," she murmured to Bat, smiling gratefully to him as Ammy expanded his theory.

The comment on Professor Chazore's class made her smile deepen, nodding in agreement with Ammy's assessment, though Fliss wouldn't have said she had any particular finesse of her own. Mentioning her ability with fire, however, was enough to make flickering flames crackle through her hair briefly before she caught herself, not really wanting to be scolded by the librarian.

"Oh, we could use all the help we can get with Lir," she nodded to Ammy. "He's about the same size as a dog now, but he's still dribbling on everything and he doesn't seem to want to fly at all. He's got this bond with my brother, which is good, but my dad's kind of wary of having anything that can control water in some way in the house."

But it would definitely help Liv feel better about being on top of things if she had a couple of books to read and memorize, Fliss knew that. Anything that helped her mother not to worry any more than she absolutely had to was a definite boon, especially now. And then came the kicker ....how did she see magic?

"It's a pain," she sighed, shaking her head. "I didn't have any choice. My brother and sister don't have any choice in what they can do, either. It's not fair. I-I had to learn how to use magic ....I mean, I nearly burned the Seven Towers down when I was there. Although ....if that hadn't happened, my mom and dad wouldn't have known about me and wouldn't have adopted me, so I guess that had a silver lining."

Kincaid

Date: 2016-12-14 22:53 EST
His jaw had worked soundlessly as Ammy began to add to his sketch. That hadn't exactly been what he was going for, but she probably knew more than him, honestly, and who was he to correct her"

Plus, exactly what foundation did he have for his own theories" Outdated tomes written by people who were, or you hoped were at least, dead" If they weren't dead, then they probably had delved a little too deeply into some sort of dark magic to extend their life to an unnatural length.

He couldn't help but scratch his head as she assigned various labels. It seemed almost as complicated as Professor D'Arcstorm, just in a different way. "It seemed so much, um, simpler, in my head, I guess," he managed to eke out in regards to Ammy's modifications.

"Ah," he cleared his throat at Felicity's praise, and couldn't repress a smile, "um, thanks." He'd studied his own face in the mirror before, trying to draw himself, so he was intimately familiar with the feeling of most of his facial expressions. He could feel that he was giving her what he was sure others down at Dragon's Gate would call a 'dorky grin', but he took some solace in knowing that at least it wasn't the 'you're probably wondering if I have brain damage,' grin. He hadn't actually said much, instead listening to her talk; he benefited as well from hearing because among other things, it gave him time to formulate his own. After a moment of silence after Fliss offered her answer to Ammy's question of how they saw magic, he began his.

"I don't have some....history with it being bad," after hearing Fliss, he felt a little guilty that it wasn't something that had caused him woe, but he had other things for that. "It's just something that's there, like any other....skill" Is that the right word" I mean, I know you can be skilled but it's also....just there for some people, right' Whether they develop it as a skill or not' I dunno. Anyway, I want to....not be no one, and I think I might be good with that skill. Does that make sense" Like, some people can run fast, or sing, or play sports or instruments, or I dunno like I bet Professor D'Arcstorm can do like, really hard math in his head, really fast. Stuff like that. And of course he'd do magic, too, but I see it like that. I hope, at least. I want to....use it in my art, to....I dunno. To make a living. To make a....I dunno." His last words grew softer as he drew to conclusion. 'A name for myself,' he almost added, before thinking about how arrogant that sounded.

He grew up not all alone, there were always others around, but not long term others. Not family. No one who stayed, and was going to be there forever and ever. Ultimately whether conscious of it or not, he felt alone. He wanted to be able to do something that made people want to be around him, near him; he wanted to be....valued.

A simple and humbling enough realization that he didn't voice it allowed, instead all but croaking a single word, remembering that there had been at least one more person that had been asked to give their view of magic, and hopefully his new, physically imposing friend Andu would draw attention from him once again.

"Next...?"

Andu Kirost

Date: 2016-12-15 10:19 EST
"Hrrmmmm..."

Andu leans back and carefully considers the question and the other's responses to it. "That is a tough question. For me, magic is many things. A way of life, and a way of viewing the world around oneself. But it is also a tool and a danger to both those using it and those around them."

Andu raises the ornate brass tank shell mug of steaming dark chocolate and expresso that just suddenly seemed to be in his hand, as if it was in there all along for a long sip.

"I have had a 'lot' of experience with magic, but until recently, it was all either as a user of items created by others or as a target or observer of other's use of magic. As a realm-traveller, I have seen many different....paradigms of magic in use. I'm starting to think that very experience is making understanding this topic more confusing for me."

After another long sip of his coffee, Andu gazes at Kincaid for a long moment.

"Young sir, if you would accept a bit of unsolicited advice.....Don't pursue magic, or anything, as a way of making a name for yourself. The path of glory and fame is a dangerous one. One that becomes more dangerous the more success you have on it. Pursue it to help others, or as a way to make a living, or even for the Art and science of it for itself. When doing anything for glory, it is all too easy to fall prey to the twin pitfalls of hubris and libel."

Kincaid

Date: 2016-12-21 01:24 EST
Bastion's face colored at Andu's advice, and he at least had the good grace to look down to hide the still defiant - perhaps even more so - look upon his face as he tried to brush off his own admission with a joke.

"Well," it was half a mumble, "Can you really blame me for wanting something grand out of this class? That guy gives notes like no ones business, and on top of that I'm not entirely sure he's on the level, I mean, he just goes on, and on..." he just let the comments die on his lips. He'd feel his face burning long after the color had left it; he felt as though he'd taken two steps forward, one step back, and in general thought that his own feelings were very....petty. And probably largely ignoble. But no one is wearing his shoes, except for him, and it's not like wanting to be a rock star makes you one, as it were.

Fliss

Date: 2016-12-21 03:26 EST
"Why shouldn't you want to be the best that you can be?" Fliss asked, half-curious, and half-defending Bat's ambitions. She was a big sister, after all, and protecting the delicate balance between opinion and idiocy was practically in her job description.

"I mean, if you have these abilities, what?s wrong with mastering them so completely that you can do whatever you turn your hand to' It's not like Bat said he wants to be master of the universe or anything; isn't it possible to have ambition without it being twisted or corrupted into something bad?"

Andu Kirost

Date: 2016-12-21 11:51 EST
"Hey!, I didn't say anything about wanting to be the best you can be, or even striving to be the best there is. Those are both good goals. It is just the goal of Fame and Glory in and off themselves I mistrust. Ambition can be a good thing, it is just 'what? that ambition is for that can steer one wrongly."

Shrugs, a bit uncomfortably.

"It is just that I have seen too many who chose to strive only for Fame or Glory lose sight of the need to learn and grow in the field they want that Fame or Glory in. It seems to me there are mainly two types of people who are famous. Those who are are "household names" in their own times, and those who are remembered by history. Many of those remembered by history were practically unknown in their own times because what they did wasn't flashy or much given to public interest. But they earned the respect and recall of their peers and those who paid attention to the field they strove in. A lot of Fame and Glory is hype and flash. Granted, those are good things for those who are entertainers, politicians and the like, but they are secondary things for many others. I don't mean that it is bad to find Fame in your own time, just that it is easy to lose sight of your work if that is all that you seek."

Chuckles softly, they are in a library after all.

"Rock Stars are actually a good example. If you were to study the history of rock music, you would find that many of the 'Greats', those whose names and music were popular far beyond their own times were those who played not for the fame, but for their love of the music. While many of those whose names and music were lost to time were those who put more effort into 'selling themselves' then they put into learning their craft."

Andu turns his attention to Fliss consideringly for a moment.

"Fliss, if I recall, in your own family you might find examples of those who are great both in their fields, and as people to be respected. I know your father is famous, he can even be considered a 'household name' back on earth, but does that make the accomplishments of your relative, the doctor, any less just because her name is not so well known? I believe it does not."

Gives a wry grin.

"To get back to the lesson at hand....I think, for purposes of discussion, we might map the ability to use magic onto two scales. These would be talent and skill. The reason I say scales, is how much of each is needed can vary by the style of magic, the magic/science paradigm in force, and the power of the mage. Talent is how much potential for magic a person is born with, while skill is how much one has learned about using the talent one is born with. I know this doesn't have much direct impact on our assignment, I find it handy to have definitions agreed to when possible. Less confusion that way."

Taking a long sip of his coffee, Andu then sighs.

"Sorry if I seem long winded or judgemental or both. I find myself falling into a sort of....'guiding elder' role too easily these days. the temptation to try to help others avoid the mistakes I've made and seen made is almost omni-present. No judgement is meant, just 'food for thought' as the saying goes."

Andu gives another wry grin, and says one thing more before going back to sipping his coffee....

"And now I'll go silent before I put my boot any further into my mouth."

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-12-21 17:40 EST
Ammy snatched another cookie while listening to them all talk. It was evident to herself that her addition to the picture drawn by Bat was most likely too much and off the mark. She silently chided herself for not reeling back her perceptions on things.

"Sorry....if I made a mess of your picture Bat. I forget that I am so used to being over organized dealing with my Alchemy and the shop I run. The OCD bleeds into everything. It seems we all have a workable grasp at the Spheres with formats that work best for each of us." She gave a warm, encouraging grin.

Hearing the explanations on how each one of them felt about magic tugged at her soul some, white furred ears lowering just a little.

"I view magic as....well....I'm not sure how to really explain this. I don't talk much about past lives in public as most people think I've grown a few heads and sprout wings. I once was pure Celestial Energy, way up there..." She pointed a finger up to the ceiling to indicate the heavens and space.

"What little I can remember some days or nights is that I had everything I wanted as pure energy. Everything but emotions. I would watch living creatures on many realms and see them have emotions. Watch them live lives, be born, live, fight, love, do things, even boring things, even die. And I wanted that. So I pestered everything until I got my wish. A mortal life with a soul that never rests. My death means just the end of one life experience and the start of a new one for me, but there is something I miss from being Celestial Energy. Energy. The very life blood up there is magic. Magic was part of me, part of every fiber of my being and mortality came with many prices, one of them is the bittersweet punishment that every new life, I lose memories for a while, I lose my ability with magic, and so I have to learn and study over and over again. That is the only reason I know some of the things I do. I've forgotten more than I can remember." Ammy giggled just a little with a small, wistful sigh tacked on.

"So I can understand why you all wanted to try this class now. To have something that can start to manifest without your control, the infinite possibilities to make a dream soar or just that extra bit of understanding to keep you from harming yourself unnecessarily. All good reasons. Hard reasons sometimes to come to terms and sort out. None of them bad reasons at all.

It may be scary right now Fliss, but I am sure your father had the same moments when he became the Human Torch. With work and study, practice and patience, like you're trying right now, you'll do well. Is it fun that you're forced into magic this way' It may not seem that way, but if you shift the view point of the dislike just a little, you may notice that if you didn't have your magic, would you have met so many interesting people" Or have had a chance to meet Lucas, your boyfriend you mentioned" Magic isn't scary, it's often just misunderstood and needs the right touch and understanding, like a pet that is starting out in life. You'll get to the point of being very proficient in handling your ability Fliss and then you will be able to help many people, protect your siblings and even blend in and hide your powers away if that is what you want.

The ambition you have Bat is commendable. Life is never free if you have a talent that will help you get far, then hone and practice it well. That said, Andu does have decent points. I'd say, just keep an eye on the focus of what you want to do with your talent. If you ever find yourself hitting days or a period of time where nothing feels right, like you feel you've sold yourself out, then hit the eject button and pull out of what you've gotten into. Also, don't ever be afraid to talk with people, lean on them, get advice and ask them to back you up if you need it. Everyone needs a hand to help them up when we've all fallen. I'm speaking from multiple experiences.

As to learning more on how to handle the high end magic, Andu, that may take some doing. I would say for certain to keep an eye on all the various spheres and ways magic is drawn or used that is discussed. It may give you a few ways to build up, build in, or practice methods to keep from shorting yourself out. Soultrii Lupinossai in our home world often had a nasty habit of casting magic until they were fur and bones. Their magic worked with the soul as the focusing point to channel magical energy through and it took a lot of bodily energy to do so. They sorted out the issue by creating soul gem talismans that they would meditate and store a bit of energy into every day. That way when they had to use magic, they could lean on the talismans as magical batteries and save their own bodily reserves for critical or emergency needs."

Ammy sipped at her Chai Spiced Tea. She'd gotten quite a bit wordy too it'd seem but she didn't want anyone to feel that she was just listening and not sociable. She'd suffered enough with that self erected wall over the years.

"Something I would like to add to this conversation some as we are discussing our views on magic. Caution must be used often in whatever we do. Many people joke about disasters happening with magic, alchemy, and other arcane and mystical arts, but accidents can happen if we don't slow down and take time to really know what we are doing. Patience and calmness works well for all aspects of magic. Caution is also a must with magic in how we use it and when we use it. I know we all live Rhy'Din, which is fairly open and accepting but I'm sure we've all seen too just how quick something can be seen as dangerous or threatening to others.

The reason I mention this is because you mentioned what?s wrong with being the best you can be and mastering what you can do. Jealousy, envy, greed, spite, and hatred are things some people can feel if they think they can't outdo another. I'm not telling you all not to master things, but to keep an eye out for times where people may confront you about how good you are at things driven by those emotions. Also, the stronger you become in taking care of people and protecting them, the higher you rise in the view of those who may offer potential harm. If people know you can protect others well, they may come after you first and try to remove you first.

Again, not telling you all no or discouraging you all. More like I am trying to give you all a good awareness of the side effects that come with getting better at things. And it's not just magic that this can happen with. Anyone that gets proficient with a job, a career, socializing, sport or celebrity status has the same problems too. It's more of a case of accepting that the more we learn, the more we grow and get better, the more we will have to deal with and overcome. This in turn leads to better understanding in our lives." She finished her tea and looked at them all.

"Uhm....more than welcome to tell me to chew on a tennis ball if I am getting too odd." She smiled.

Kincaid

Date: 2016-12-21 22:55 EST
He'd still been focused on the floor when the comment finally clicked in his mind.

"Oh, um, I mean, I don't even know how right I am about it, so don't worry about it, right' I don't know that it's any more or less a mess than what I was talking about anyways," he managed to look up towards Ammy, a wan smile on his features - but at least it was an effort. He was glad that Ammy had brought things around, more back towards a focus on their class together. That was his only comment to her on the matter; he found a lot of what she said mimicked Andu's tone. He didn't like that, but he did at least understand.

As it was, he'd been listened carefully to Andu's words, somewhat stunned by his verbosity and eloquence. It had been an apology, of sorts, though after his initial shame, he wasn't sure if he really deserved to be apologized to. He'd cracked a book while everyone else was talking, while he was trying to maintain his silence. He sketched a few different things, just hastily done. He didn't know what was making him feel so mercurial, so all over the place. Just his age, perhaps" Each of the other three present provoked, in a short time, very different emotional responses from him - maybe it was just him. To top it all off, he knew exactly why they elicited those responses but that didn't help him at all to mitigate the accompanying feelings.

"I don't think you're crazy, or whatever. You just....say so much, in so many directions, I dunno if I can keep track, ya know?" He half smiled, talking to Ammy, though looking at none of them - save for the occasional glance towards Felicity that, when he could help it, didn't last long enough for her to catch him staring. "You need to slow down, either that or, I'm going to need to take notes for our study sessions." He laughed, a terse, soft bark of a laugh that sounded perhaps a little forced - but again, at least he was trying. "So, if we all know these Sphere things, or think we understand them, does that mean that our meeting is like, done" Are we going to have one after every class you think, or...?"

His sketchbook was filled on the left hand page, a work he'd done of someone in the class, and very detailed - though he tried to keep it mostly obscured as he worked. The page he was working on, the right one, bore the growing image of a nightingale.

Fliss

Date: 2016-12-22 05:21 EST
Fascinated by the explanation Ammy offered, Fliss smiled apologetically to Andu. She hadn't meant to sound so confrontational, hoping she hadn't offended him too much. He had a good point about the pursuit of fame, and tying it in with her own family made it that much easier to understand.

"I think I get it now," she nodded thoughtfully, glancing at her watch. "Shoot, I gotta get going or I'm gonna miss my ride." Pouting a little, she gathered together her stuff. "I hope we do this again. I think I'm actually going into my homework understanding what the hell the lesson was about this time!"

Grinning, she rose, offering a wriggle of her fingers in goodbye to the little study group. "See you next time!"

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-12-22 20:15 EST
"Have safe travels, Fliss and Bat. And this study group is open all the time for anything you're not sure on in the class, or if you just want to hang out after class, kill some time and chat. I wouldn't mind friends. Too many treat me like a teacher still and not the student I'm struggling to be." She smiled to them all.