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f o u r. ( VIDEO ) . look again and you'll be startled
[ It's not that Kate hates video or voice, but generally - for posting - she prefers text. It's easier to sound together when you have time to think of your content.
However, text doesn't really work for what she's about to do here. She's sat in a spire apartment that a few eagle-eyed people may recognise as her own, twirling a pen between her fingers.
The words that come out of her mouth begin awkward and stilted. Although this should be easy, should just be as simple as advertising a new item for the clinic - that's what it was, on the surface, anyway - this is the first public post she's made since the entire mess with the fog, and she's not sure what kind of reaction to expect at all. ]
So.
[ She clears her throat, gets rid of some of the jerkiness in her tone and fiddles with something that's just off camera. This needs to be announced, now that she and Carlisle have finished it. He isn't here with her right now, but she's asked him to keep an eye out for any questions that might arise about how his powers work. ] We've been working on something.
[ She holds up the pen between her thumb and forefinger. ] This is a healing cell - it stores healing power. It can heal your injuries when activated. [ The explanation comes relatively easily, like she's reciting an answer to Dagny. But there's still the distinct, nagging thought that if she doesn't demonstrate it - and, hell, maybe even if she does - that there'll be a million questions from people who know how she was involved last month all asking 'how do we know we can trust you? or this thing?' ] Like this:
[ She drops the pen into her lap and takes out a small knife, and - with a sharp intake of breath - drags it across her palm until it bleeds. Then she picks the pen back up, clicks the bottom and presses it along the cut.
After a moment - and a wince, as Carlisle's healing power burns out of the pen - the injury has disappeared entirely. She clicks the pen once more and withdraws it from where the injury was, almost immediately wiping her bloody hand on her jeans and swallowing. ]
It won't perform surgery but it can heal most basic injuries. Wouldn't recommend it for more than a minor fracture. [ The original prototypes made back home had a tendency to overheat dramatically if used for something more serious, and she expects it to be the same here. ] At most, you'll get thirty uses out of it before it's empty. Needs to be recharged every month, as well. [ Yeah, there's a good amount of drawbacks, but it beats having to panic about first aid supplies? Sort of?
She picks up a handful of other trinkets - a stone here, a ring there - and holds them up. ] We've got ten so far - making more. If you want one, stop by the clinic. Located opposite the Colosseum.
[ And that, Hadriel, is as close as Kate is gonna get to publicly saying sorry for breaking the murdercave. ]
However, text doesn't really work for what she's about to do here. She's sat in a spire apartment that a few eagle-eyed people may recognise as her own, twirling a pen between her fingers.
The words that come out of her mouth begin awkward and stilted. Although this should be easy, should just be as simple as advertising a new item for the clinic - that's what it was, on the surface, anyway - this is the first public post she's made since the entire mess with the fog, and she's not sure what kind of reaction to expect at all. ]
So.
[ She clears her throat, gets rid of some of the jerkiness in her tone and fiddles with something that's just off camera. This needs to be announced, now that she and Carlisle have finished it. He isn't here with her right now, but she's asked him to keep an eye out for any questions that might arise about how his powers work. ] We've been working on something.
[ She holds up the pen between her thumb and forefinger. ] This is a healing cell - it stores healing power. It can heal your injuries when activated. [ The explanation comes relatively easily, like she's reciting an answer to Dagny. But there's still the distinct, nagging thought that if she doesn't demonstrate it - and, hell, maybe even if she does - that there'll be a million questions from people who know how she was involved last month all asking 'how do we know we can trust you? or this thing?' ] Like this:
[ She drops the pen into her lap and takes out a small knife, and - with a sharp intake of breath - drags it across her palm until it bleeds. Then she picks the pen back up, clicks the bottom and presses it along the cut.
After a moment - and a wince, as Carlisle's healing power burns out of the pen - the injury has disappeared entirely. She clicks the pen once more and withdraws it from where the injury was, almost immediately wiping her bloody hand on her jeans and swallowing. ]
It won't perform surgery but it can heal most basic injuries. Wouldn't recommend it for more than a minor fracture. [ The original prototypes made back home had a tendency to overheat dramatically if used for something more serious, and she expects it to be the same here. ] At most, you'll get thirty uses out of it before it's empty. Needs to be recharged every month, as well. [ Yeah, there's a good amount of drawbacks, but it beats having to panic about first aid supplies? Sort of?
She picks up a handful of other trinkets - a stone here, a ring there - and holds them up. ] We've got ten so far - making more. If you want one, stop by the clinic. Located opposite the Colosseum.
[ And that, Hadriel, is as close as Kate is gonna get to publicly saying sorry for breaking the murdercave. ]
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It's easy to remember them now, all these runes. Remembering them in the thick of things is the real issue. And even if you know them, you still have to draw them.
[Which, if the way he's been practicing is an indicator, is a part of his problem.]
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The word is only familiar to her because Diana has mentioned it in her enthusiasm for obscure old religions, and she has no idea what each symbol is meant to mean. ]
What're they used for? [ She doesn't comment on the script because... well, they've both seen her written works. ]
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I have a pupil now. I'm supposed to convey these in a meaningful manner to another person.
[That... wasn't exactly the question, but that's apparently what he's going on about.] And I can list them out just fine with preparation, but did I ever tell you how poor I am with drawing these on the spot? The lines just don't cooperate, and my hands shake because because they're worthless.
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(Or maybe all those hangovers make her the best. Who knows?) ] Didn't answer my question. [ She points it out with the sharpness of someone who did actually want to know.
But all the same; ] D'you need to draw them on the fly?
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[Also not really an answer. He didn't mean to avoid answering her other question either. He sighs.]
They're for my pupil. I mean, they're for glyphcrafting, which she's doing, or trying to do? Doing. Doing is more accurate. Did you know you can just throw whatever you want onto a glyph all willy-nilly and it'll just almost work? Because that's what happened.
[Sorry, Kate. He's kind of rambling.]
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So- [ Sorry, Carlisle, glyphcrafting is not a thing in her world; ] They're... what? Like my enchantments? [ Drawn instead of tapped and imbued, but still a thing that stores power? Or has power? ]
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[He shoves a breath through his nose.]
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I started with mending, just to see if she could even activate the glyphs. She asked me once [he fills in that circle with a symbol that looks a bit like a Y] if I could teach her magic, and while I still don't know if some magic is intrinsic to my world or not, I thought, "Ah, it can't hurt to try, now can it?"
[More circles, and a triangle in the circles. Maybe it's the alcohol or maybe it's his unsteady hands, but boy, is he bad at drawing circles.]
And it works, and that's just great. I've managed to teach someone something. But then she starts going on about some other language she can write in and how those letters have meaning. And before I know it, she's inscribed them in the glyph [probably between the outer and inner circle, if the way he taps the end of the brush there is an indication] and it works. Not exactly the way she wanted, but the fact that it got even close when she's got next to no experience with glyphcrafting is astounding.
[There's venom in that last word. He grips the brush between his hands and snaps it with a little effort, dropping the pieces onto his newly-made glyph.]
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[But it obviously does matter to him. In good news, despite how wobbly it is, it does work: he places his fingertips in the little wedge he drew at the bottom of the big circle, and the entire thing lights up for just a moment. The broken brush in the center pulls itself together, and is back in one piece again in a matter of seconds.
But despite the apparent success of the glyph, Carlisle continues to look sore.]
She's good at it. Probably very good, once she's practiced and learned the runes. I can spend years studying this same art and never get anywhere, but someone else from some other world picks it up and has it down in no time at all.
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guess whose job it is to make sure that doesn't happen, carlisle?]no subject
I suppose I'm... I'm just frustrated with my own ineptitude.
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what would dagny do here? and when will she ever stop trying to think of dagny's reaction in situations like this and start thinking of her own?
(oh, right, when her own reactions stop being terrible.) ] Can't be th' master of everything. [ she says, as if she doesn't wish she could be most of the time. as if she doesn't wish she was at least as half as useful as marc was - smart, strong, personable and with a power that was more useful than fucking enchantments. ]
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I don't want to be the 'master of everything.' I'm not even the master of the one thing I am good at. Desth, I'm not even adequate at most things!
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[His eyes trail to his pen on the coffee table. The one he's always using is an intricate piece of work: the barrel is inlaid with bone and etched with swirling designs, details easily missed at a glance. The lever is silver, matching the band at the top of the cap; said band features an engraving -- K. L.
He sighs for what feels like the millionth time, picking up that pen and turning it over in his hands as he utters to himself.]
I probably shouldn't be drinking. My apologies, Kate.
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her brows raise slightly at him as she takes another drink and shrugs. ] Daft way to look at it. [ like. it really is. oh no we have someone else who can keep us alive down here. ]
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How so?
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That may be, some of us are more suitable for the task than others. Some of us can be of use in other ways. What do I have besides healing, so far from my church and my home?
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but - with a swig of a new mug of wine - she adds, with a sigh that is audible. ] Teach. [ you're already doing it, carlisle. ]
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[He's just going to drink straight from his flask. It's that kind of day.]
I'm not interested in taking on more students to further highlight my inadequacy.
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... Who are we kidding, it's still supportive. ]
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[Carlisle, ladies and gentlemen.]
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