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SunshineJesse

Shadow 2

SunshineJesse
Feb 11th, 2020
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  1.  
  2. [20:57] Lemuria could never get over how amazing the atmosphere within her own home was. And, to add to that atmosphere, an occult aura enshrouded her body!
  3.  
  4. "What I need is less practice about the method and more an in-depth explanation of your mindset when using it. Well, as in-depth as you can. The underlying philosophy behind magic is what helps me utilize it the most, I feel."
  5. (Lemuria Augustus)
  6. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  7.  
  8. [21:05] The utterly mad masked one sits in silent contemplation for a moment, as if they were trying to properly put their thoughts in a line.
  9.  
  10. "Well, initially..? It was entirely about discipline, learning from watching the Occult but not falling to it.. wielding the darkness inside of oneself but not letting it rule you." The mask is removed to reveal an eerie grin on her features. "Though now of course... I have changed that position."
  11.  
  12. The sound of wood against stone as her face wear was placed upon it. "Now it's the opposite, embracing the darkest parts of myself.. It's not too different from the Occult really, the hearts of humanity are as dark as pitch, I merely accept the fact... and the shadows greet me as an old friend." A hand is held forward as if to illustrate, shadows from around the room seem to peel away to come closer to her. "In a sense it's almost like a mixture of like attracting like, but the weaker of the two bends to the stronger."
  13.  
  14. It was how she saw it at least.
  15. (Paradox)
  16. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  17.  
  18. [21:09] Lemuria Augustus says, "happens0"
  19. [21:16] Like attracts like...
  20.  
  21. "Hm... I see."
  22.  
  23. That made sense. A lot of sense, even. Perhaps she had been going about this all wrong. Perhaps, rather than draining light, she'd flood the shadows with even more darkness. Her own darkness, at that-
  24.  
  25. Or maybe the two methods could be used in unison.
  26.  
  27. If nothing else, this place had a lot in the way of shadows. It being dimly lit meant that there was darkness everywhere, and within every corner carried an abyss to be gazed into. Not only did they perhaps carry actual spirits, but if gazed into, they could reveal some of Lemuria's greatest fears.
  28.  
  29. As an occultist for so long, the darkest parts of herself were on full display whenever she utilized her magic, so perhaps acting those out was her best option.
  30.  
  31. "Do you think it would be possible to consolidate your old method with your new one? Every paradox can be reconciled, after all."
  32.  
  33. She didn't intend that to bea pun at first-
  34.  
  35. "Maybe therein lies the key for both of us. New heights for you, new frontiers for I."
  36.  
  37. But when she realized it could function as one, she just smirked.
  38. (Lemuria Augustus)
  39. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  40.  
  41. [21:22] The waited for Lemuria to process what had been said and respond before taking a few moments of her own. She didn't see how she could do both, given how strict and controlling her previous method had been.. She would have killed one of her own students for falling into the path she has at one point.
  42.  
  43. Weird how things change.
  44.  
  45. "Well, perhaps..? Though my former method was quite brutal in terms of discipline, it could even perhaps interfere with my Occult magic to do it that way.." Given it was about using those emotions, but keeping a stranglehold on them.
  46.  
  47. "Though perhaps with some testing.. we will see." Something to concern themselves with another time, or even here if the opportunity presented.. but she would rather do the lesson itself in regards to Lemuria before attempting to alter her own methods.
  48.  
  49. "However, the main issue is I have no desire to rise above my own darkness. I'm fine swimming in it now.. so even ifI do succeed at it... I would likely continue as I am." A hand rising to her chin for a moment. "Although you're entirely welcome to try, just try to hold yourself above your Occultic desires... but.. hm.. perhaps put your feet in the water so to speak.. Or perhaps consider yourself a tree, and you root in it, but don't truly fall into it." She blinked a few times, could it work..? It would be up to Lemuria to see for herself in the moment, but hopefully results would be had.
  50.  
  51. The woman was a sharp one after all.
  52. (Alyssa cos D'Arnette)
  53. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  54.  
  55. [21:33] Hold herself above?
  56.  
  57. ...no, she had a slightly different idea.
  58.  
  59. She gazed upon the shadows in her room, as plentiful as they were, and repeated the same process as she did last time: True observation, an emptying of the mind, and becoming one with what she was observing. And, just as before, she managed to make the shadows around her wiggle around, but not much more than that; it was hardly noticeable!
  60.  
  61. Then her 'true' observation came to an end, as her occult aura flared up, flooding her heart with emotions, the shadows growing in intensity. This caused her to loose control of them, forcing them to go back to normal, but it at least gave her something to work with, right?
  62.  
  63. "Discipline to function as dams to redirect the flow of your emotions, while still allowing them to flow just as powerfully as ever. That is what I am thinking of."
  64. (Lemuria Augustus)
  65. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  66.  
  67. [21:42] The D'Arnette had always been a woman of extremes, she was either total discipline, or out of control entirely.. she had never been able to attain a true medium between the two and she didn't think that would change now.
  68.  
  69. Watching as those shadows subtly shifted, the woman speaking to inspire those thoughts. "That could work for you, but it simply not who I am.." It would be lying to herself to say otherwise, but she watches a bit before saying more.
  70.  
  71. "Though of course one of the most simple things you can attempt is to swipe with the shadows, I would like to see you attempt your method with that task.." She had learned to turn herself into shadows first, but it seemed the newer generations had gone about a different way of doing it.
  72.  
  73. If she was truly capable of what she was suggesting she should be fine, channeling those emotions should allow her to have fine control over at least a few shadows at a time..
  74.  
  75. If she didn't directly manifest them from herself, as the D'Arnette often did.
  76. (Alyssa cos D'Arnette)
  77. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  78.  
  79. [21:56] "Well... as you may or may not be able to tell, I do not like making things simple for myself."
  80.  
  81. Was she being tongue-in-cheek, or honest?
  82.  
  83. "Now gaze upon my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
  84.  
  85. ...
  86.  
  87. "...well, given you are my teacher for this, you will probably do the opposite of despair."
  88.  
  89. It was genuinely hard to tell with her.
  90.  
  91. She opted to consolidate every method she had developed thus far. Lemuria formed the same glyph as she always utilized within her hand: The one that stabilized mana, and allowed it to flow much easier. Then, she observed the shadows, her eyes glazing over, allowing herself to become one with them, metaphorically speaking. And then, she flooded her emotions into them, but rather than dispersing...
  92.  
  93. They began to flow into her glyph.
  94.  
  95. Rather than draining light, she applied the 'like attracts like' philosophy to this, draining the shadows that she destabilized with her emotions. Through draining them, she kept them small, so to speak, allowing herself to maintain control over them. And as the shadows were focused within a single spot, and thus closer to her, that gave her the ability to more easily manipulate them; to give them form and shape.
  96.  
  97. And so, she gave the shadows within her glyph form, forming something that could do exactly what Alyssa said, but rather than a claw, Lemuria formed a sword; a weapon much more befitting of someone who preferred precision.
  98.  
  99. "See? Overcomplicating things is not all bad."
  100.  
  101. The problem was that she needed to make that about a dozen times more efficient to be able to use it in combat, but at the very least, she knew how to do it. At this point, it was all about refinement.
  102. (Lemuria Augustus)
  103. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  104.  
  105. [22:02] The noble didn't make a sword, her own manifested as a massive shadowy limb... Not that it was superior or inferior in any capacity, but it just spoke of the way their minds operated differently.
  106.  
  107. As she had told the Witch before, her father had said she was a hammer forced into the shape of a dagger.
  108.  
  109. Silver hues watching as her teacher, now student, succeeded in manipulating the shadows.. even if not combat readily it was something.
  110.  
  111. You had to start somewhere.
  112.  
  113. Replaying the actions of Lemuria in her mind, perhaps for future reference for herself or a later student.. if her own method didn't help someone perhaps offering a variant of Lemuria's would.
  114.  
  115. "Perhaps not.." For her at least.
  116.  
  117. "Now it will simply be a matter of basic practice I think, and then a bit of adjusting movements to compensate for the weapon... but you should be more than fine from here." Or at least she hoped so. "Though you always know where I can be found, my door is open if you require more help." Her own massive limb forming for a moment before fading. "I have the same amount of belief in you, that you had in me."
  118.  
  119. "Perhaps for refinement you could even work on adjusting the size of the blade as you move it.. could turn into some interesting maneuvers that way if nothing else." Offering help however she could get it through.
  120. (Alyssa cos D'Arnette)
  121. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  122.  
  123. [22:08] The shadowy blade dispersed, along with the glyph. Rather than a smirk or anything, Lemuria gave off a smile. A genuine, warm, smile.
  124.  
  125. "You know... We actually make a pretty good team, as far as learning from each other goes."
  126.  
  127. That's something she couldn't say for anyone else. She was such a lone wolf in personality that feeling like she was actually part of a team with someone was almost entirely foreign.
  128. (Lemuria Augustus)
  129. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  130.  
  131. [22:10] She had grown in leaps and bounds in the last few years, even when crippled by that crystal in the snow.. she had persevered.. losing her ability to enact hand-to-hand combat but somehow emerging stronger for it.
  132.  
  133. Even if now her hands shook to pour tea.
  134.  
  135. "I won't deny it, experience has proven otherwise." Her smile is returned, the noble's rising slightly higher on one side than the other.
  136. (Alyssa cos D'Arnette)
  137. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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