Kiga shrugged and looked about, albeit without the reverence that Ely might reserve for the place. It was all very new to him but it didn't register as quite so important, he was rather focused on the company rather than the surroundings.
"Well... how about you start with something simple and I see if I can effect it?"
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
She would have to start a fire. A simple thing calling fire, or so many might believe. But, it wasn't that simple. She needed a flame to work her magick, and flames were not abundant in the middle of the evening on the top of a deserted hill.
But. She had created several fires here before. She did have flint and tinder. She always had flint and tinder. She built a small fire pit and lined it with the dry grasses spread out around the circle. It did not take her that long, and she was helped considerably by the fact that her energy was already familiar to the stones.
Once the fire was started she turned to Kiga, stood up, and held out her hand. A small ball of flame darted from the fire to her palm and began to spin around above it.
Kiga looked at her a little nervously. Not because he wasn't sure of his own control, but because fire was a far more temperamental and dangerous element that wind. At least in it's simplest form. So he moved closer instead, til he was as close as was comfortable, then moved his hands to rest beneath hers, palms up.
He whistled and the tiniest wiff of air wafted over her palm, then took purpose and with a gentle, spinning current, rose upwards toward the flame.
He watched, completely transfixed now.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely was watching the fireball. The hackles on the back of her neck were standing up and she couldn't decide whether it was Kiga or the energy in the stones. It was an idle thought that went zipping through her brain before she tell herself to ignore it. She needed to concentrate on the flame.
The little ball was spinning perfectly above her palm, just like she had been taught. It was the first lesson. Control of the element. You'd have a bunch of fire mages blowing up buildings otherwise. And, it was tricky; fire. Unlike the rest of the elements it seemed directly tied to the user's emotions. Perhaps, because everyone reacted to fire, without fail. Ely had read a theory once that stated Fire was the first magick tamed by man. She did not believe that, but it certainly caused people to sit up and take notice.
Kiga's swell of air swept past the little ball and gained mass and size.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Kiga stopped his manipulation then... and broke out with an excited laugh immediately. His eyes were as big as milk saucers (cause you know, kitties has milk in saucers) and he was smiling as wide as you like.
"Hey, that works! I mean, it only makes sense, but that was so easy, yeah? C'mon, try something else! Anything else!"
Well now he was altogether enthusiastic, grinning madly and just buzzing with energy, watching to see what she might do next.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely narrowed her bright emerald eyes. The fireball split into two equal parts and then into four. Four of the little balls of flame began spinning in a circle around her hand instead of just above her palm.
"Try to move them Kiga. In different directions."
Her voice sounded far away, and it was sharper than normal. She could hear the hum from the menhirs, she could even feel heat forming around them, or maybe they were forming around the heat she couldn't be sure.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Kiga wasn't at all sure how he should do that. He could move air, as much or as little as he needed and at any velocity, but she was controlling the fire. He couldn't be certain at all how him shifting the air about the flames should work, or if it would do much other than cause the fire to grow or perhaps, even blink out.
So he watched the flames a while, watching as they circled her hand lazily but with masterful precision, him lifting his palm to face her. He truly was worried that something could go wrong and she might get hurt... so he would work it away from her.
He snapped his hand closed then pulled it back, a pocket of air suddenly rushing over Ely's arm and only big enough to affect one of the flames as it came to the 12 o'clock position. He tugged it fast, hard and with firm force, to see if the flame would travel toward him, or whether it would just elongate the flame... there was no way to know what might happen.
Could she maintain a flame and him simply move it about in such a fashion?
Perry regarded the bard for a moment, having looked over his shoulder to see the two others retreating over the hill. He sighed, wistfulness in the sound, taking a seat next to Dom.
"A history. Yeah. Something like that. I met her when she was barely more than a kid, and I wasn't exactly long in the tooth either. We...had a thing..." He felt uncomfortable speaking about it, counting out the coins into a smaller bag and handing them to Dom, changing the subject as he did.
"I'll get things tidied up, thanks for the help. I think we're going to knock all their socks off with the next performance if she'll come back and do her thing. Maybe you can think of some more elabourate backing too, or a story or something to go along with it. I just know how to shoot things good." He chuckled, standing and adding "Tomorrow morning, then, and I'll tell Ely."
(OOC: Gonna duck out of the thread until it moves on to the following morning.)
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely kept her focus on the four floating balls of flame. It was not her task to move them. That was for Kiga. If she had been thinking of anything past keeping the balls aloft and of the same size and shape she might have wondered why she was not worry about being hurt at all.
That might have led her down another path of thought, too. She trusted Kiga. Once upon a time Ely had naively believed everyone was to be trusted. Cathians, in general, lived in communities where crime was rare. They cooperated with each other and with all other known races; even the Drow. They were usually the first to lend a helping hand to those in need. Some Cathians had even gone so far as to visit the reclusive Garou. Many were diplomats, loremasters, teachers and entertainers in a variety of human cities all over the world.
When Ely had left her community it was, in part, to study. And there, in the human cities, crime was much more prevalent. She learned to keep her personal belongings with her at all times, and even better to hide them. Of course, there was the whole incident with the fire and being hauled back to Brindisi by the guards.
Her ability to trust people had taken quite a beating. Still, she kept the fireballs rotating around her hand, unconcerned that - at any moment - the combination of Kiga's air magick and her fire would blow up in their faces.
The fireball Kiga had targeted elongated into a line of flame while the other three wavered, stretched, and then snapped back into shape.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Well, whilst the effect wasn't entirely an anticipated one, it was certainly a desired result. The two of them toyed with combining they magic a while longer, til it was late and the pair simply had no time left. Kiga looked a hair disappointed, for the briefest of moments and then shrugged, smiling and scratching his head.
Hard not to smile right before you kiss your girl after all.
"Alright Ely, I will see you later then. Just whistle if you can't fine me."
He gave her a laugh and held a skip in both his heart and his step as he walked her home, quite happy with the day's events. He'd like to see the show at night, but that would simply have to be another time. He didn't want to interrupt and well, he had other commitments he should likely see to.
(Exiting thread.)
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Kiga slipped away and Ely smiled. She watched him dart off whispering an almost silent goodbye. She should have been tired but she was not. She should probably go inside and figure out the fireworking tomorrow but she did not. Instead she was standing here while the sun turned everything around her to flames.
When it finally slipped beneath the horizon she sighed and went inside. She had offered her home to Perry earlier in the day. He would be around soon enough, or so she assumed. When he did she should probably have something for him to eat or drink.
Ely's stomach made a growling noise at her with that thought. Maybe she should make them both something to eat and drink. Except, well, she was comically inept when it came to a kitchen or anything inside one.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Perry kicked out the embers of the fire, holding the bag of coins in his hand but thought better of his plan to stash them there. They'd probably be there for all of five seconds before someone who overheard the conversation snuck up to take them. So he ambled away from the field, mulling over what plans could be made for the next day, what choreography might work.
He thought about anything other than the girl who he'd be rooming with for the forseeable future. He approached the place, an old library or somesuch, that she'd indicated was her abode and opened the door. "I'm back. I'm not interrupting am I?" he asked, trying to keep the little coil of bitterness out of his voice.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely's head stuck out from around a brick wall. She was leaning backward in her chair and tipping the seat back on two legs.
"Hi, Perry."
She did not seem to pick up the tone in his voice. Her words were light, easy, and cheerful.
"I have some bread, cheese, and fruit if you are hungry."
She had not tried to make anything, or they could be currently watching a blazing fire, or who knows what else. No, she had played it safe by just finding a quick plate of things she did not have to cook.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Perry managed a small smile, ambling in and tossing the little bag of coinage on to the table. "For the show. People really took to it. We'll really wow 'em with the next show. Just like old times..." His voice trailed off then, eyes turning from her as he took a seat, dropping his pack, bow and quiver.
He idly looked about the place, searching for some bit of conversation. "Well...you've got a lot of books around...guess you didn't have much time to read when we first met..." He can't help going back to when he'd first met her.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
"Perry. You did not need to give me money. I... well... we are not working together these days."
Ely put her chair down on all four legs. She pushed it in against the table and turned around to survey her home. There were a ton of books. They lined the walls, they were stacked up on the floors, there were dozens in small piles here and there. She waved her hands at them.
"We did not have a place to keep them, you know... before. But, yeah, I have been busy..."
Her voice tailed off into silence.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”