towerofanimus | ❝trying to talk my way out of this❞

Entry tags:

❝trying to talk my way out of this❞

Characters: Willow and whoever. OPEN.
Setting: Sixth floor (the forest).
Format: I slightly prefer action over prose, but I'll match whatever you want to do!
Summary: Willow's been doing a lot of magic lately, and tries to meditate to help manage it. Unfortunately she picks the worst place possible. Run into her in A or B, just let me know which one in the subject!
Warnings: Grief. Addiction recovery.

A.

[Since she got here, she's been doing magic almost nonstop. Well, not really, but it feels that way. Casual, advanced, ritual and on the fly-- she's even been teaching it, a little. Willow desperately needs to meditate and feel the Earth beneath her before it catches up with her. She can feel the temptation, feel how easy it is, to just solve everything with a burst of power and a hand gesture, maybe a well-placed word...

But it doesn't solve everything, and it won't bring Tara back. Tara, who had just wanted the best for her; who had wanted her to use magic for good things, as an expression of compassion toward the world. Not for selfish reasons. Willow feels intensely ashamed that she still struggles with this, but that doesn't mean she doesn't. She needs the grass under her hands and trees above her head to recenter herself. To find peace.

She shakes out a circle of ash about five feet in diameter, within sight of the stairs. It's a magical perimeter, intended to stop anything with malicious intent from crossing in and harming her. She hasn't had to use one in years, but Eridan had warned her about the monsters lurking in the woods. Willow uses one now, and settles herself cross-legged in the middle.]

B.

[Some time later, just as she'd really been settling into her inner space, the part of herself that stays calm and undisturbed no matter how much black magic roils through her... she hears a voice, and her breath catches. She could've sworn her heart stopped.]

Tara? [she whispers, and a moment later, she hears another trace of it echoing again.

No. She's dead. Willow lurches to her feet, leaving the small bowl of ash behind, forgotten, and rushes over to the stairs. She's breathing fast, almost hyperventilating, as she races down them.]

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[Willow has been a Scooby for seven years now, which means she's been an unofficial superhero sidekick for that long, too. There's no hesitation-- she jerks up to her feet and out of her meditation, and her eyes immediately go wide at, from what she can see, is a bunch of loudly rustling trees and crashing noises.

She glances at her protective circle and makes a snap decision. That's either someone in trouble or an enemy, and if it is someone in trouble she's not going to save them standing around. Quickly toeing the ash line to make a gap, Willow steps over it, any protective power it once might've had dispelled.

She makes her way to where the noise is coming from, weaving between trees. Whoo, boy. Whatever this is, it'll undoubtedly be interesting.]

[And lo, there was nothing but a hella beat up troll trying to disentangle his ridiculous horn from a rather stubborn tree. Sorry Willow, nothing too exciting]

[He doesn't spot her for now, too busy being frustrated at the tree instead]

[You, sir, distinctly underestimate how excited Willow gets about multiculturalism.

Though this is a bit of an adrenaline let down so far; she'd been expecting a fight. She stops several yards away, feeling her heart rate slow.]

Those are some mighty big horns. Do you want some help?

[Startles, like he's on edge, which... yeah he is, though he noticeably relaxes when he looks down and sees... a regular human lady. Thank god. The humans all seem to be pretty mellow so far. Mellow... ness... is definitely a thing he's into even a week after having his shit wrecked by the Grand Highblood]

[Watches her a moment, curious... and then shakes his head a little. Troll pride is a terrible thing baww]

I think I can get it... Uh, thank you, for offering though.

[It'd be pretty simple for her to just wave her hand and slice off the offending tree branch in question with her magic, but the entire point of this excursion had been to regain her balance. To stop using unnecessary magic.

So Willow doesn't offer, and she doesn't want to push (some species really are defensive about their pride). She just stays where she is, eyebrows raised. This is a pretty funny sight, but she isn't as giggly as she was when she was younger.] You're welcome.

Can I ask, um... what happened?

Edited 2011-12-15 01:47 (UTC)

[Gives her a little, careful smile and turns his attention back to untangling himself. He sounds... frustrated]

Uh... I didn't pull up, fast enough, I think. [His wings open up as he speaks, though a couple of them hitch at the halfway mark, and he winces in pain, breathing an annoyed sigh out through his nose. This sucks. Being hurt sucks] Also, these trees are thicker then I thought... hm.

[...GODDAMMIT TREE THIS IS REALLY RUDE. LET HIM GO!!!]

It's okay, flying is pretty tricky even when you are all uninjured, and there aren't dastardly trees in the way, [she says sympathetically.] It happens. [Willow's been off and on trying to teach herself how to fly, but hers is telekinetically powered and takes a lot of concentration. It's been seriously slow going.]

Maybe you should, um... a little bit to the left? And down?

[Glances at her again and... she definitely hasn't got wings. So she must be a lowblooded human. Well that's a comforting thought anyway, even if he's learning hemospectrum prejudice is not actually universal. Maybe someday he'll learn rainbow blood isn't universal either...... BUT UNTIL THEN]

It's, not that bad, once you get the hang of it. At least uh... that is my experience anyway. [He doesn't even know how psionic flying works tbh. Seems like it'd be really... unnecessarily hard :T] I'm just a little, stiff. I guess.

[And now!!! He will try that suggestion, leaning to the left and fiddling until he can finally pull down and out, though the last tangle OF COURSE ends up being a cluster of thorns and he grabs right onto without suspecting. So yeah... there's hissing and flailing and glaring at the offending branch, while he sucks the blood off his thumb for that. Screw you, tree, see if he ever calls you again]

[She winces in sympathy when he grabs onto the thorns, and can't help but curiously notice that his blood is brown. Huh. But that would be rude to mention, so she comes a little closer, craning her neck back to look up at him.]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you have way more experience with it than I do, so I'll take your word for it. [Psionic flying is extremely unnecessarily hard, and pretty much does nothing her teleporting can't do already, but it's a good exercise in control.]

Are you... okay? Can you get down now?

[Takes another second to glare at his thumb for good measure, before nodding and... well he could just fly down. But at this point, his back is starting to ache again and he doesn't want to risk tearing open half healed wounds. Instead he... finds a path with his eyes first, and then slowly... slowly climbs down. This would be better if putting weight on his arm wasn't still a pain @_@]

[While he works his way down though, he's curious: ]

Um... why can't you fly yet? If that is a thing, you are okay with answering... [A psionic who couldn't use her powers to their fullest by the time she was as old as this lady appears to be... would probably get culled! Like right now!! He is wondering how she's still alive lksdlfkj]

[She watches him being careful and feels her concern amp up. She really shouldn't be doing more magic, but maybe some Earth-based healing would be okay? He's turning out to be totally nice, and she can't just leave him injured if she can do something about that.]

[For now, though, getting to know each other through cultural exchange should help break the ice.] I sort of went from totally powerless to completely ridiculous in about four years. Um, I think that'd be not quite two sweeps? I'm still adjusting. Hovering is about all I can do reliably on the flying front.

I'm Willow, by the way.

[...dammit, he's stuck. Where was he going from here again???]

The Summoner...

[Oh right, there it is okay okay almost down]

Uh, unless you'd rather call me something else?

[HAHA!! FINALLY! He drops to the ground and dusts his hands off against his pants, smiling at Willow once again. He's had experience with that... sudden power thing. Or well... the sudden flight thing anyway, so he gets it. Learning after you've grown up is hard sometimes!]

It'll get better. [...] The flying thing, I mean. As long as you keep practicing...!

I am equal opportunity titles or names. No prejudice here. [She gives him a friendly smile.] The Summoner is fine.

And thanks for the encouragement, but I'm not too bummed about it. I can do plenty of other things. Healing, for example, [she goes on suggestively.] Which maybe you are in need of? Cause I am totally offering.

[...Willow, no. No, you don't understand. Flying is basically the coolest thing that can ever happen to a person. Ever]

[Also he has NO IDEA what are you're talking about lkjsdf]

Healing...? Like... first aid? I'm not dying, though?

[Yeah, she really doesn't understand. She's been kind of grieving and upset lately, so it hasn't even occurred to her to get excited about something like that. Though she is, a little, to be honest.]

[And most people find Willow at least somewhat confusing, so this is not new...] You might not be dying but you're clearly not at 100% if you're flying into trees, [she says firmly.]

And hey, here I am, a witch. Who can heal. So if you're game, I am. I'm all about the good deeds. [She's starting to get this sense that trolls don't do a lot of random acts of kindness, based on how they keep reacting to her.]

[Pause... And then he takes a sort of... confused breath. :T Willow, what... Oh look, it's a skeptic here he comes!!!]

You're talking about, magic?

Wait, is this a troll thing where none of you believe in magic? Cause, yeah. That's what I'm talking about. I'm a witch, I do magic.

[She's lucky! He is distinctly less skeptical then... say... Eridan, but he's still looking at her like he's trying to figure out whether she's crazy or if she really means... she can do magic]

[Honestly he's kind of hoping for the second. Magic would be a pretty darn cool thing to find out about existing]

[After a second, he nods] Uh... okay perhaps it is a troll thing, but... I think I will try not to be skeptical about magic existing, for now. What, do you need me to do...? For your magic to work? [Assuming healing is still an offer on the table here..........]

I appreciate it. This'll probably go easier if you aren't trying to tell me it's impossible.

Healing is actually not one of my strengths, so do you mind if we... have a little powwow in the grass? If we sit, I mean. [She should probably try to be less, uh, herself if all of this is confusing for him.]

[Oh good it's not one of her strengths. Fantastic. That little voice that trolls have would normally now be shrieking PULL OUT PULL OUT SHE'S GONNA KILL YOU]

[But he doesn't have that voice, so he just... bobs his head, sighs faintly, and... sits. Of course, sitting for him is a remarkably awkward thing seeing how he has to make room for his wings, and his wings are some of the worst hurt parts of him. There is a lot... trying to make it look like he's not actually in pain though... because that is what cavalreapers do in the presence of people who can help them in such a vital way. Try to look strong when they're not... Troll pride and all that]

[At least it's better once he's settled? He's definitely ready to not be hurt anymore, anyway. What was that about cultural exchange to break the ice? lskdf]

[Willow settles across from him, cross-legged, and to her it doesn't matter how much he's in pain or not. She's going to help regardless.

She takes a deep breath in through her nose, and finds herself sliding easily into that quiet, still place that lets her do white magic. It had helped a lot, meditating, until she'd been interrupted. She definitely needs to do it more.]

Okay, [she exhales, and then holds out her hand.] We need to hold hands, and then just... sit and be patient. But this should work, I promise. [She gives him an encouraging smile.]

[GASP HOW INTIMATE!!!! lkjsdf no not really. He does eye her sort of warily for a moment though... But if her hands are going to be taken up, that probably means it's slightly less likely that she's going to try to hurt him...]

[Sets his hand in hers and... smiles back, carefully again. He's still not sure what to think about this, but he suspects he'll know soon enough!]

How long?

[Her hands grip his gently, and it's not like she does anything this forward with a relative stranger unless she has to... Willow is intensely aware of social boundaries, and shoots him an apologetic look for how awkward this inevitably is.]

It depends on how injured you are. This might make you a little tired, but I figure it's a good trade off, right? I'm just going to use the energy in the E-- er, planet, to speed up your own healing process a little.

Ready?

[Glances at her hands when she actually takes them because... welp this is the first time he's actually felt human skin? He's KIND OF SURPRISED that it feels as delicate as it looks. How do these people even survive their trials, wow...]

[But he just smiles a little wider at her apologetic look. S'okay, brosis. You do what you gotta do sometimes]

Yes, if you are.

[Willow is definitely a delicate little flower, physically. It's her glaring weak point.

She feels bolstered by his smile, and gets down to business. This guy, healing, stat.] Then here we go. [She closes her eyes, focuses. And... okay, she can do this. This is healing, it's good magic, she's doing good. The complete lack of guilt involved is a huge relief.

It takes a few moments, but then there's a warm, faintly tingly feeling, almost like pins and needles, wherever he's injured. Gradually, slowly, flesh knits together and pain lessens. It's almost like trying to watch a plant move-- they do, but increment by increment, so that you see the result and not the process.

White magic is all about a fair trade, equilibrium. It means not getting something for nothing; it means paying respects to the Earth. So there's a price to pay for healing, and that is energy. Willow wasn't kidding-- the more he's healed, the more drained and tired he'll feel, and so will she. She's using some of her own energy to bolster the process. Just a little.]

LOL I love this.

ffff he is The Most Graceful!!!

he is B)

lkjsdf slamming into trees, interrupting medititans, clearly the best there is at grace 8>!!

LOL he is okay. it's beautiful. and just the distraction Willow needs XD

wow *meditations typing is hard BUT YES good. He will gladly be a distraction for humans ('8

OH BTW she'll probably offer to heal him a little IF THAT IS A THING YOU WOULD LIKE?

I'm totally cool with that!!!

okay :DD

excellent <3 <3 <3

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