• Solo • [Westguard] Watching the Watcher (Graded)

[Woe]

He complied, of course, always an eager student. Yet he was beginning to feel impetuous, and considering using her tangle to track her, rather than use the Compass technique she'd told him about. He, however, managed to resist the temptation.

It took more than a few bits, but soon enough he felt a unique signature, whispering to him like a draft through cobwebs. He could hear her presence, if that made sense, while not actually hearing her. It was difficult to reason out, yet there he was.

When at last he opened his eyes, she was not in the room, having sneaked out of it while he was concentrating. Sighing, and rolling his eyes, he supposed this was all part of the teaching. So he rose from his seat, and began listening for her frequency. Several other whisperings echoed through the small shop. There was a small quadroped, or what appeared to be a feline. The meow as he walked past confirmed it, as the darkness of the shop obscured the black-furred animal.

Their game of hide and seek came to an abrupt end, when he found her, in her wardrobe. Hiding. Like a child. Was this just a game to her?

Woe for one took it seriously, and he hoped she did as well. "Alright. Is there anything else then?" He asked, having swung open the door to the wardrobe. She shook her head, "Just keep up your practice... that is if you want to use your spark. Which I do advise. Don't want the Blackguard or their bosses finding out about an unknown mage. Remember, use static to conceal yourself at need. Your best bet is to throw a bit of static whenever you meet someone, and whenever you part ways with them."

[Woe]

And so, after giving him some parting advice, it was time for the two to part ways at least for the time being. "I still have more to teach you, if you've a mind later." Brigantia said with a sly smile. "These aren't the only magics I know of."

"Ah..." Woe backed up slowly, out of the front door to her shop, "More magic?"

"Aye. I can teach you to change the fundamentals of matter. Transmutation is a powerful foundational magic for arcana."

Woe shrugged. He wasn't interested in picking up anymore parasitic beings from Emea, not now at least. For the moment, his only thought was to return home to his daughter, and see if she was still safe at home. So Brigantia bid him goodbye, and he was off into the streets.

As he moved through the streets, he felt slightly overwhelmed by the press of the tangles and frequencies of everyone that passed him by. The Sun could be seen to be rising on the horizon, and soon enough it would give way to dawn. There were people about already. Woe experimented as he went along, feeling out their frequencies and tangles, while throwing up a static during his efforts.

Brigantia hadn't warned him that his empathy magic would be disrupted by the technique of static. So it came a bit surprising that he couldn't recognize their tangle as he tried to shake up his own frequency.

"Interesting." He muttered. A few people gave him odd looks as he passed them by, but nobody gave a bother about him.

[Woe]

It took him a break or so, but he finally arrived at his house. Everything appeared to be as he left it. A watermark, a small leather strap he'd set up on top of the door was still there. That at least meant if anyone stole into his house, they were clever and careful enough to replace the strap where it'd fallen from. Most burglars weren't, so this set his mind at ease.

Almost without thinking, he reached out with his ether, to see if he could locate his daughter's tangle, and thereby identify her frequency. Sure enough, she was still in bed, although her tangle returned a mind and emotions in turmoil. She wasn't comfortable. Cautiously curious at this development, he entered the hallway which led to her room. Once at the threshold of her door, he peeked inside. Softly he called her, "Werthom."

A loud sigh, and a toss and a turn. He tried again, "Werthom!"

"Miste... Wo... I mean Dad... I can't sleep still. Is Emea still dead?"

Woe shook his head. If it were dead, he was gathering ether somehow. And he was pretty sure he'd dreamt a vivid dream the morning before he departed. "No Emea is not dead. It must be the heat."

She snorted, and sighed heavily again. "I want to go up on the roof, to cool off."

"Go ahead, I'll join you in a mo..."

"You're not invited to join me!" She blurted out, seemingly at random. Then she threw aside her coverlets, and ran out into the hallway, stomping her feet. Wasn't she too old for that kind of behavior? Perhaps being a street orphan had stunted her emotioal growth. He'd have to work on that... With his psychology expertise of course.

[Woe]

He went in and made her bed, after she'd stormed off. He sorted through her bed sheets, trying to straighten them as best he could, to make them comfortable for when she returned. Which she would. She needed to learn discipline. He just wasn't sure if now was a good time, or even appropriate. Children were still very much a mystery to him. Even as a child, he'd not gotten along with other children, as he remembered.

In any event, he felt Werthom climbing the walls outside, the vines and lattices to get up on top of the roof. There, she sat atop the crest of the house. Probably watching the sunrise. He debated whether to go meet her, or make breakfast first. He opted for the latter. Perhaps some food would lighten her mood.

He sorted through his larder, fetching a fly-eaten apple, some black bread, and water. Woe didn't dare try and cook anything, having never done so in his entire life, outside some field scorching of squirrels.

Somehow he doubted the girl would appreciate his offerings of a bruised apple, black bread, and milk, but it was worth a shot. And there wasn't anything else to do at the time.

So he climbed gingerly over the lattice on the side of the housing, and up to the roof. Almost losing his balance at several portions of the roof's surface, he held his arms out for balance. Yet made it to her he did, and plopped down on the angular roof next to his daughter.

[Woe]

He offered the apple first, thinking it'd be the most appetizing of the articles he'd brought. Then he slipped the milk bottle out of his satchel, offering this as well. Werthom turned up her nose at both. Dare he even venture to try the bread? No. So, he was determined to get to the bottom of her mood. But he wouldn't use magic on his child.

"Nice and cool up here." Woe remarked, his feet kicking lightly at the clay roof. "Are you sure you aren't hungry?"

She twisted her face in disgust, shaking her head. "I just want to get cool and watch the sun, alright?"

Woe couldn't help nodding to that. So he watched the sunrise with her. For a few bits they said nothing, but watched as the sun turned from red, to deep orange, to yellow. Finally, after what seemed like a dozen bits, the girl broke the silence first. "Why did you leave last night, where'd you go?"

So there it was. She was upset and perhaps felt abandoned? He could understand that, given her background. Likely abandoned and left to fend for herself by many people, peers and parents in her time. Trust would take a while for them to build. But he was determined to see this task through.

Woe bit off a piece of black bread and chewed, wincing as he nearly broke a tooth. After chewing a bit, Werthom elbowed him, "Huh?!"

He swallowed the bread quickly, and then rubbed his side where she'd elbowed him. "I went to visit... that old lady that made your clothes."

[Woe]

Her face contorted in what might've either been amusement or confusion. Somewhere between the two. Perhaps bemusement. "I... was arranging to have something made for you."

"You're a shit liar, you know!" She giggled.

"Who taught you to swear like that, Werthom?"

"Who do you think? I'm not fresh out of finishing school." She elbowed him again, this time harder, "Friends, stupid drunken beggars, street gangers."

"So I see you have an accomplished vocabulary." Woe smirked, taking another bite of bread. He coughed when she leaned over to kick him in the side.

"Shaddup." Werthom snickered. "Now tell me where you went and why you REALLY went there..."

Woe sighed, "You know? I can't tell you. You'll just have to accept I have secrets. There are things I can't tell you... Just trust that it's for your own good, that you NOT know. Alright?"

The streets were filling up again, as morning pressed on. Finally, Werthom stood up on the crest of the roof, looking down at Woe. "Yer stubborn as an ass."

With another kick to his side, she ran off down the roof, and down the lattice. Woe, meanwhile, was left to enjoy what remained of the sunrise, and the ambient noise of the street. Within a few bits he'd go inside again. But not before testing the limits of his magic, attuning to Brigantia's frequency once more, to see if he could tell where she was this far away.

However, no luck. She was too far out there. He slid over toward the lattice, leading down to the ground, and clambered down roughly, as agile as he could manage. Then he went on inside. They had a lot of work to do.

[Doran]

Woe:

Knowledge:
Attunement: Frequency: Werthom, a human girl and Woe's daughter.
Attunement: Frequency: Brigantia, a weaver and Woe's mentor.
Attunement: Static: Scrambling your own signal so as to hide the fact that you're a mage.
Attunement: Compass: Once you have a frequency, keep aware of where it lies.
Attunement: Initiation: Not as gentle or understated as the magic itself.
Climbing: Climbing up a lattice.
Detection: The smell of old perfume and dried flowers.
Detection: Noticing others watching you.
Empathy: Noticing the intricacies of a tangle.
Meditation: Taking slow breaths
Meditation: Close your eyes to shut out distractions.
Stealth: Leave without your child noticing.

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: Yes, for Attunement.

Points: 10

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Comments: It’s always interesting to read another magic initiation thread. I especially like the fact that you didn’t fail to mention the dangers of initiation and wrote that Woe was anxious. Your description of the process was quite detailed. Great job, and please enjoy your rewards!