Something Borrowed, Someone New

by **Inwe** on March 22nd, 2012, 4:12 am

Hadrian's creation glittered before her. A shining mask of ice, shaped in Inwe's likeness, that had moments ago been malleable, glowing sphere of… unidentifiable matter. Pure magic, perhaps? No, that seemed to fanciful. It was simply beyond her comprehension to understand it, but the end result was something tangible, real. Inwe lifted one delicate hand, hesitantly tracing over the curve of the mask's cheek. Her cheek.

It comes from the magus.

"Amazing…" It was cold and wet. It felt like ice. There was nothing magical about it anymore, it was simply water. Inwe had seen magic before, but up close, it was so incredible.

She took the mask in both hands, tracing her thumb and fingers over the mask's features. Her eyebrows, her nose, her lips. There had been, in Inwe's mind, the belief that Reimancy would mostly be used offensively. She had wondered how it might mesh in with the use of her spear to make her into a formidable warrior. But Hadrian had made art out of magic. She might have to rethink it.

"It's beautiful, Hadrian. You are an artist, too?" the Vantha looked up again. The gold in her eyes was engulfing the bright inquisitive emerald, pushing it to the edge of her irises. Pain? Risk? Something in his words frightened her, but it was a wondrous fear. It was the apprehension of brave, naïve soul venturing into a deep, dark cavern.

"You would, really? You would show me?" She bit her lip, fighting back the rise of guilt that tightened her throat. Fin wouldn't want her doing this. Inwe could almost hear him calling her home. He would ask what took her so long. These thoughts only made her bitter; her husband's suspicion didn't daunt her. "I understand. No… I do not understand, but… you will tell me? What is the initiation?"

by **Hadrian** on March 22nd, 2012, 5:05 am

"Not an artist, no," he claimed. "I just pay attention." Her face was an aggregation of details, and he somehow managed to switch between details and the larger picture with fluid ease. He considered her for a few moments longer, and it was only then that he realized she was beautiful. Those details merged into a single entity, a single person, and she was lovely in the Vantha way.

He opened his mouth to speak, paused thoughtfully, and started again.

"There is minor cutting of the skin, and I have to push djed into your body to change it so that it recognizes what it needs to do. It can be painful, or merely uncomfortable. It is a trial, and if one passes the trial, one can learn to master the elements."

He bounced his hand up and down a few times, palm up, and little jets of res appeared, each coalescing into a small orb of different color: blue, green, yellow. Holding his other hand out too, he made as if he was juggling the energies, though they never touched his hands. One by one, he transmuted them, yellow into a puff of air that blew their hair back, blue into water that splattered the wall, and the green came to his hand like an eager puppy and then coalesced into a small stone, the which he held out to her.

"So it's just a matter of being willing to suffer through things and risk worse."

by **Valkyrie** on November 8th, 2012, 1:49 am

Hadrian :

I did not grade for Inwe as she is retired. Inwe, if you should return and would like a grade for this please contact me.

You Will Be Collected if Worthy

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.