[o] [Training] moth to the flame

Sohalia

Between the thick foliage and the thicker fog, Sohalia couldn't see shit.

She'd been to the Mistbanks before, but it must have been a clearer day, because she didn't remember having this much trouble in the past. She flipped to the page in her journal containing her map of the area and studied it diligently; if she continued this way - no, that way - she should get to the still, glassy lake at the foot of the Leap of Faith. And if she got lost? Well, at least she could shift and fly to safety.

In the meantime, she reached out with the Attuned bond, feeling for anything that felt familiar. A bird appeared from the treetops, landing on a branch that she could only just make out above her head. "Hello," she said softly, knowing that the bird couldn't understand her but feeling better for having greeted it anyway. "I don't suppose you can take me to the lake?"

When the bird took flight, essentially hopping from branch to branch, cawing back at her as though to coax her forward, she followed through the mist.

MELITA

In the distance, the sound of water hitting multitudes of trees, rocks, and bushes echoed; likely disturbing any peace within the area.

Followed by a raucous, “Hey! I did it!”

Because for all her abilities and concentration, the amount of chaos swirling about her wild magic had the Honeybee floored. Utilizing it to the best of her ability meant she’d simply have to either put some energy into it, or rely heavily on mere fortune. She wasn’t keen on the latter, but it might be all she had – so, content with the fortitude blistering through, she wondered if she could replicate it or simply angle another way to get another intended result.

Meanwhile, Fangorn rolled his eyes – but Sila, gentle and regal, flew overhead, spotting a familiar individual below the traces of boughs and mist. She gave a light trill towards Sohalia, and likewise the bird she was talking to, before hovering, then turning back the way she’d come – maybe the Attuned would follow.

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight

Sohalia

As Sohalia followed the bird through the mist-ridden trees, a splash of water and a familiar voice sounded ahead, piquing her interest and driving her onwards towards the sound. A dragon found her before she made her way to the lake, and Soh grinned up at the familiar creature, waving as she picked her way after her. Her bird, seemingly intrigued by these events, followed along, and before much longer, Soh and the compelled animals stumbled out onto the lake.

Melita stood on the shoreline, and Soh called out a greeting as she made her way carefully over. She wasn't sure what the demigod had done to cause such a ruckus, but she wasn't inclined to get splashed today, so she waited until what she hoped was the right moment to approach. "Hey," she said cheerfully, little bird following along to perch on a nearby tree. "What are you doing?"

MELITA

Sila warned and trilled, enough to give Melita time to not be aiming or firing anything at Sohalia. Uncertain what to say or do in front of the Luminary, given the last time they’d met had been amidst Halo and fighting off a yeti before Sohalia could escape, the Honeybee kept herself mildly reserved until she could witness the other’s approach.

When it was all cheer, and nothing seemingly barked, incensed, or maddened, a mild amount of relief went through her shoulders; though she’d never give it that name. “Oh hey Soh,” she waved, and Fangorn grumbled from the shoreline as the dragon hovered over, slowly easing herself downward. “Practicing my wild magic – except it's kinda hard to do,” given the whole chaotic point of it all. She wasn’t even sure if she’d experienced and unfurled everything available to her in its range and complexity.

Her eyes went from the mist and lake, then back to the Attuned; some reminders in her brain to be gentle, rather than bestial and barbaric. “What’re you up to?”

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight

Sohalia

Thankfully, Sohalia emerged from the Oerwoud and onto the banks of the lake unscathed. Although her last meeting with Melita had gone perhaps more than a little sideways, she held no ill will for the Honeybee. Indeed, she was happy to see Melita looking well, given that their last encounter had been less than pleasant.

”I wasn’t really doing much of anything,” Soh said with a shrug. ”I don’t think it’s advisable for me to go home, so I’ve been splitting my time between Torchline and the Greatwood, mostly, except I really like the Oerwoud, and I thought I’d come and see if anything here had changed.” A simplistic explanation, but an honest one all the same. ”What does your wild magic do? Anything I can help with?”

MELITA

When nothing dramatic or angry seemed pinpointed her way, which given the course of her actions was rare nowadays, the relief was a potent thing. It slid down her shoulders and up through her Cheshire grin to follow, head tilting as if she was contemplating something devious. “That’s fair.” Stormbreak seemed like it sucked ass, Torchline was the best, and the Greatwood had multitudes to offer in terms of flower shit.

The inquiry about her incantations unfurled the further depths of her smile. “Oh – lots! So far its made me take naps, turn into a frog, the water blast thing,…” she began rattling them off on her fingers. “I think I accidentally healed someone the other day. But I’m also not sure how much or how many options there seem to be. Thought I would try it all out here.” Where she wasn’t likely to run into anyone. “You’re welcome to join, or if you’ve got something you need to work on.” She wouldn’t make the Attuned an actual target, but maybe she had things up her sleeve she’d be more willing to try – out of dangerous proportions.

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight

Sohalia

To be honest, Melita’s abilities sounded like pure chaos to the Luminary - but perhaps that was how the Honeybee liked it. For Soh’s part, she had nothing against various forms of magic, but she was rather partial to her Attuned abilities instead. Still, Melita’s magic was, at the very least, entertaining, and Soh found herself grinning in response to her description. ”That sounds interesting. I’ll be interested to hear what all it can do.”

As for herself, Soh paused to think. ”Well, I wouldn’t mind practicing compelling animals,” she said slowly. ”But I don’t want them to get hurt or anything.” She thought for a moment. ”Do you think your magic would actually harm them, or could I, like… call fish as targets?”

MELITA

Sohalia, at the very least, didn’t seem to find it all terribly foolish. It wouldn’t have much mattered in Melita’s opinion, but she tilted her head, listening to the wake of the Attuned’s options. The Honeybee didn’t want to hurt any animals either, and so it took her a couple of moments, wrinkled nose and all as her thinking face prevailed, to ascertain how both of them could increase their endeavors.

Reminded of her own practice with that star kid earlier in the season, she nodded. “How about we find a target both of us can use? You can try and get your animals to hit it,” she figured with a shrug, not unlike when forging onward against monsters and enemies. “And I can attempt with my magic. We’ll take turns.” So no one was in the way of the demigod’s pending…mayhem.

She sent Sila off to find something suitable, and eventually the dragon pinpointed at a gigantic rock nestled towards the end of the lake – easy to spot and see even in the mist. “What about that?”

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight

Sohalia

”Oh, that’s a much better idea,” Soh said, relief evident on her face. She hadn’t really liked the idea of compelling animals into the line of fire, especially when Melita didn’t seem all that sure of what she was capable of. It didn’t take long for Sila to find a huge rock in the lake, easy to find even through the thick layer of fog that hung around them like a cloud. ”Sure, that’s perfect!”

She might as well start with the bird that still lingered in the branches overhead. Calling upon her Attuned abilities, she commanded the creature towards the rock. It didn’t really want to go, but the bore down with her will, and after a beat, it took off, soaring over the misty water until it lit upon the rock with a screech.

MELITA

Content with the arrangement, Melita beamed at the approval, and then watched as Sohalia took her endeavors first. A bird, seemingly of its own free will (but likely not), soared downward, mulling over the rock until it hit with talons and screeched. Sila chirped back, seemingly encouraging.

“Nice,” the Honeybee commented, not wholly certain of Attuned skills in those regards – especially where shifting was usually the highlight of their parameters. Shrugging her shoulders and needling herself into place, her eyes narrowed, striving to concentrate, urging her focus into the magic spiraling along her veins.

And within the next few moments, a spray of confetti was laced around (and unbeknownst to her, any advantage towards any ally) – hitting the stone…just not with the intention of damage behind it. “Huh. Well,” she offered, nose wrinkling. “Your turn!”

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight

Sohalia

Compelling one bird was simple enough, especially when she was asking it to do something relatively simple and not entirely against its nature. In theory, after all, her bird friend could elect to land on this rock of its own accord. Still, Sila chirped encouragingly, and Melita offered her own words of praise, and Soh grinned in response. "Thanks," she said before calling the bird back, so that it was out of Melita's way for her own endeavors.

For a moment, nothing happened; and then a sudden spray of confetti appeared, fluttering against the stone. Soh tilted her head to one side, thoroughly confused. Melita's magic seemed... well, not particularly useful, if she was being honest, and that was surprising, given that her friend was entirely capable in so many other ways. Still, she nodded encouragingly. "That was fun!"

This time, she called up two birds, and she sent them skimming over the water's surface, racing for the confetti that littered the ripples around the rock. With a frown of concentration, she asked them to dive upon the water, scooping up a bit of confetti, before returning to drop them at Sohalia's feet.

MELITA

Perhaps it depended on what anyone deemed …useful. Melita could argue that the randomness of the incantations flowing through her were to amuse, rather than appease anything in particular – though Sohalia was kind in the encouragement. Maybe she’d have something else to show for the chaos.

Then the Attuned called to two birds, and the Honeybee watched as the fluttered from the distance, then went skimming over the water’s surface, breaking the tension in fine ripples, before striving for the confetti. “At least you’ll have something to decorate with,” she winked.

Before, of course, extending her own reaches again.

She could remember the surging power of lightning before – in multiple instances – once through her entire frame before she died. This one was her own though, and so she attempted to stay committed and not scattered to the residual trauma, as the elements curled, contorted, snapped, then sizzled, laying waste to the rock with burns and marks across, as well as the grass nearby. A showcase of power, laden and layered within all those tempestuous edges.

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight

Sohalia

Soh's twin birds returned to drop confetti at her feet, and the Luminary stooped to pick it up, pocketing it rather than leaving the litter in the woods. Melita's next attempt was decidedly different from the last; Soh jumped as lightning struck from nowhere, leaving burn marks across the stone. Her birds took flight, terrified and flighty, and it took an effort to reel them back in, pulling them back to the trees nearby as she silently soothed their fears. "Nice!" Soh said, impressed. "So, it's just... random, what your magic does?"

As she listened to Melita's response, she released her birds from her control, and they fled the scene. Shaking her head, Soh reached out to find a molten tiger within her range and called it. This was different from compelling a few birds. If she messed up, they could be in real danger from such a creature, and it took a great deal more willpower to control it than it did to control smaller, weaker-willed animals.

Still, as it stalked into view, Soh couldn't help but admire the tiger's beauty. Under her direction, it came close enough to the pair that they could feel the heat wafting from its body, then took a running leap towards the rock. Landing neatly atop it, it sat, facing the women, and curled its tail around its paws, watching and waiting for further instruction.

MELITA

Nice, Sohalia said, and Melita ignored the clench of her own jaw, the stiffening of her shoulders. “Yeah,” she agreed, though with a lot less enthusiasm and more dread curled and collected in the corners of her mind.

Shaking it off, she watched with interest as the birds dispersed, and a tiger came into view. She glanced pointedly at Sohalia, perhaps in a ‘are you serious’ sort of look, waiting for something outrageous and dangerous to happen (and then she’d shoot it!). “Oh. Huh. Well. You may want to move it.”

Waiting for the Attuned to do just that, the Honeybee took a big breath, and then unfurled the rest. In a repetitive pattern, at least from earlier counterparts, the incantations unwound in a absurd display of water cannoning at the rock – blasting and sending a spray of droplets everywhere.

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight