ximilialog | Let's Get All-Catching

Entry tags:

Let's Get All-Catching

CHARACTERS: Yzak and anyone!
LOCATION: Various places around the station.
DATE: Different times (will be noted).
CONTENT: Catch-all containment zone.
WARNINGS: Any will be added to prompts.

(( Getting things rolling with current plans! Got some prompts in the comments, but feel free to throw me brand new ones! I'm here for it all. ♥

As always, down with multiple comments to do more than one thing with others. And contact me by PMing here, at

gaignun, or Tara#1768 for any questions/plotting! ))

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[Oh. Oh, that's what this conversation is about!

But Sabriel's expression shifts from shock to a delighted grin in less than a second.]

You're sure? Well, for the baptism I'll need to get a bottle and- wait here. They should have what I need in the kitchen.

[Sabriel scrambles to her feet, already reviewing what she'll need to get. Water and a glass bottle from the kitchen and- well, she can use some of the plants in this room for the ash.]

[ Well that was a quick change of demeanor. ]

Of course I'm sure!

Why — are you suddenly this excited!?

You're my friend. I didn't realize you were interested in- in learning magic. I thought you were more interested in technology.

I'll need to perform a baptism though, to put a mark like this- [Sabriel points to the one on her forehead.]

On your forehead, and establish your connection to the Charter. So I'll need to get a bottle of water from the kitchen for that, and some wood ash, but- in this room, that won't be a problem.

Well of course I'm still interested in technology! I can be interested in magic, too!

[ He pauses though, tilting his head. ] Is it really that easy to do?

I mean, it's an advanced spell, drawing on powerful marks, but- baptism isn't draining the way Charter magic can be.

You don't need to do much, just hold still.

[They baptize infants in the Old Kingdom, and there's not much else you can ask of a newborn.]

So it's still a spell.

[ More to himself. Baptism almost made it sound religious which he is ... not. Not many Coordinators are. ]

Fine. I can wait here.

Sort of. It's... different from others I've used, in ways I can't quite explain.

[But Sabriel's gone for only a few minutes, only as long as she needs to fill a glass bottle from the kitchen with water, and burn a few twigs in the sunlight room to get some wood ash to trace over her mark.]

All right. Ready to start?

[ Burning things, man, he's gonna have the ability to set things on fire all by himself soon. What a wonderful event this is. ]

I'm ready.

You said I just have to hold still, right?

That's right. So now- Please don't talk or ask any questions until it's over.

[Sabriel raises the bottle and starts to chant. The words aren't in English, or... any other language he or Sabriel knows. But they come easily as soon as Sabriel reaches into the Charter, letting the marks flow through her and into the bottle. Unlike other spells, she barely needs to search out and select the marks, instead they seem to come to her.

A light comes to the water in the bottle, pulsing in time with her chanting, growing brighter as the minutes stretch on. Sabriel can't really see Yzak anymore- countless Charter marks are swarming her vision, making the world around her seem faint and distant.

Finally, Sabriel falls silent, clearing her vision with a blink before touching the bottle to the ground, and then to her forehead before dumping the glowing contents over Yzak.

There's a blinding flash of light, and for Yzak, the world falls away. Instead, all around him- above and below, in front and behind- there are Charter marks, shining like stars, all moving and swirling in some vast intricate dance.

But in an instant, it's over, and he's back in the sunlight room, and Sabriel is speaking in a solemn cadence.]

By the Charter that binds all things, I name you Yzak.

[And with that, the wood ash vanishes from her forehead and reappears on Yzak's, a baptismal mark freshly formed beneath it.]

[ Can Yzak do better than an infant and stay quiet?

Yes, he actually can. Because this is important and when he has a goal in mind, a new endeavor to take on, he goes all in, 100% determined and serious. And this is something that will bring another skillset into his life that he'll aim to master.

The Charter marks themselves aren't familiar, but being surrounded in all directions by their lights is reminiscent of being inside his mobile suit, screens of nothing but stars and the occasional flash of light if it was during a battle all around him.

But just as quickly that it appears is is gone. And then he blinks, readjusting his eyesight.

And then look at him, all well behaved and simply raising his eyebrows when she finishes that. Was that all? Is there more? ]

[Sabriel reaches out and brushes Yzak's forehead with her fingertips, smiling in satisfaction when the world falls away for a moment- until she withdraws her hand, at least.]

Well. That's the first step. Now, what I want you to do next is to commune with the Charter- what you just saw. Reach out to it, let it flow through you. Don't try to call any marks yet, just- connect to it.

Commune with it?

[ He asks as he, too, reaches up to touch his own forehead after she does so. ]

I can do that.

[ He doesn't ask - and also doesn't want to ask anything more than that. No tips or 'how's because he wants to go into this as much as he can on his own merits. If he succeeds, great. If not, he'll just try again until he gets the hang of it and adapts properly. But he knows he will do it, regardless. ]

[ So Yzak closes his eyes and focuses, trying to revisualize what he just saw, the familiar yet not-so-familiar feeling of being surrounded by points of light in all directions. And he also focuses on connection, on understanding - what he always so desperately wanted and still seeks from others, occasionally difficult as it has been and could still be.

And he's better at that than he gives himself credit for, sometimes. He doesn't doubt his ability for it or anything, but he knows he's been clumsy about it before and it isn't close to his most shining talent.

So when he reaches, he connects— ]

[ —and then blinks his eyes open again, after he does so. After those feelings of floating as if he was in the middle of space disappear again. ]

... Amazing...

[ That's all he can offer after the fact. ]

[ Nailed it. ]

Yes.

[Sabriel's voice is quiet, and almost... reverent.]

The Charter contains and describes all things, and the bonds that tie them together.

[But! This is a lesson, so Sabriel reaches into the Charter, drawing out a mark she's known since childhood and tracing it out in slow, easy motions so Yzak can see it clearly before it collapses on itself, forming a small point of light that shines as bright as any lamp or electric light on the station.]

This is the mark for light. It's the first spell every Charter mage learns.

What I want you to do is reach back into the Charter while holding that mark in your mind- and look for it within the Charter. Don't rush, don't try to draw on any other marks, just that one. When you find it, draw it from the Charter, and let it flow through you and out your fingertips as you trace it- and you need to hold your connection to the Charter steady as you do so. Don't break the connection until you've finished tracing the mark.

[An easy enough task, although one that could be surprisingly draining to a new mage- as one's connection to the Charter strengthened, magic became less tiring to draw upon.]

Hold the connection, got it.

[ BACK TO FOCUSING HE GOES, after watching her trace out that mark and committing it to memory. He's good at that part, anyway.

Of course while he's repeating the process and looking for the mark in specific within the Charter, he realizes how much focus is going into it. Yzak knows he's just starting out, so he gives himself a little grace, but he immediately notes that one of the first things he need to start working on is the balance between casting and focusing on whatever he'd be dealing with. He'd be defenseless, useless, if he were in battle and doing this.

(and that's not even considering that he'll have to strike that balance between different fighting styles, being able to "switch off" from focusing on the magic to return to using his weapons, especially so he doesn't break any of them)

With that thought, it takes him a moment - but he finds the mark eventually, repeating those movements Sabriel just made to trace it out into the air with his fingers. ]

Ah-

[ And it too follows suit to form a small point of light. Probably not as impressive as Sabriel's, but is THAT going to stop Yzak from witnessing that and looking pleased about it? Absolutely not. ]

[It might not be impressive, but Sabriel is still beaming.]

Congratulations- You've cast your first spell!

[It's a sight she's seen many times before, but there's still something amazing about seeing someone call upon the Charter for the first time.]

Now- do you want to try another?

Of course I do!

[ He puffs up oh damn look at him suddenly feeling like the hottest shit. ]

I actually wanted to know the difficultly levels of some of those specific spells I saw you cast during the mission. It'd be useful to at least start out with an even spread, wouldn't it? Something offensive - maybe like fire. Something defensive, like that protection spell you cast on me. And something to heal and sustain myself if I get injured.

I was thinking more along the lines of 'learn how to link two marks together'. Perhaps conjuring a flame or pulling water from the air.

[Why was everyone so interested in fire?]

With Charter magic, it's important to make sure you've mastered the basics before moving on to anything else. But of all the things you listed... A healing spell is probably the first thing I'd teach you, or the spell of the silver blades- a very basic combat spell.

[ Fire is very important, Sabriel. What if there's somebody who needs to be ~~set aflame~~ warmed up from the cold?? ]

If that's what you think is best, then I'll follow your lead, of course.

I'll just be sure to excel so we can get to those points that I mentioned in no time at all!

[ Again, here he is with the assuredness that probably comes off so honest that it can't even entirely sound too arrogant. ]

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Let's Get All-Catching

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