strangetrip | [For Carlos, Dorian, and Molly] Take chances, make mistakes, get messy

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[For Carlos, Dorian, and Molly] Take chances, make mistakes, get messy

Corbie really didn’t know what she thought about this.

She had been making a shift into more modern clothing over the period of months she’d been here, because really, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. It was all that was on offer, and the gray dress she’d come through in could only be worn so often. The undergarments were the hardest part, really, because they were right next to her skin, and that took a long time to get used to.

This? Was a leap of a different kind.

She stared at herself in the mirror in a pair of jeans, trying to reconcile the sight with the sensation. She’d never worn pants before, and it felt… different. Not as bad as she’d though, but different. Her legs were still covered, so maybe Gran wouldn’t disown her. She’d have to hem them, they were a little long on her legs, but today rolling them would do. She’d already done this. If she took them off and saved them for “later,” it might be weeks before she was brave enough to try again. Best get it over with now.

Best get it over with now.

While she was at it, she may as well get some other things done. After all, worst that could happen was she’d be right where she started at the end of the day. And if she was awkwardly dealing with people, she wouldn’t be thinking about the fabric tubes on her legs.

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Corbie stopped and stilled as she considered this information. "I dunno what ley lines are," she admitted. "Or kinetic energy." And her own ears had never been pierced. Given she never expected to be able to afford jewelry, there wasn't much reason.

"Think of them as rivers of magic that run below the surface. We don't physically touch them but we can reach out with our magic and tap into them. Same with kinetic energy."

Molly tapped into the energy in her metal rings and pulled an illusion of a young thunderbird sitting on her shoulder. It was the size of a bald eagle. "This would be a lot harder without kinetic energy."

The white bird shook its head and ruffled the tuft of feathers on the top.

Corbie jumped back, her eyes going as big as saucers. "Holy shit."

"I'd be interested in seeing them, if you're willing." If nothing else, whether or not they were books on magic, Dorian thought he'd be able to pick up at least a hint about how people's minds worked in Corbie's universe. That had to tie into magic, somehow. "Where I lived before this, I was surrounded by the things. One of several benefits to the Inquisition, not that it exactly balanced out the parade of world-ending horrors."

"Of course," Corbie agreed at once. If for no other reason than because it would be so much easier than trying to explain by herself what theory she knew. "Whenever you want them. I'm getting close to practically memorizing parts of them anyway."

Molly reached up to stroke the back of her knuckle along the bird's chest and its feathers moved as they naturally would have if the bird had been real. "I can make her fly, too."

With that, the Thunderbird took off and did a slow circle around where they were standing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. It comes in handy. It can be used as a distraction, but it can also cause injury. Not real issues, but the mind thinks that a talon is cutting into their skin, then their mind sees it.

Once she got over the initial shock, the whole thing was pretty damn neat. Corbie watched the bird, trying to wrap her head around the idea that it wasn't actually there. "Whoa... So, are you casting anything on me to make that work?"

"Yes and no." Molly said with a laugh. "How's that for a vague answer? It's a spell, it allows me to touch your mind so that you see it. I'm not really in your mind, but like a fingertip to your temple."

"... It don't hurt anybody, does it?" Corbie's first and swiftest lesson in mind-related magic had been Felix telling the story of how he'd shattered Isaac Garamond. And while she'd forgiven him for it, it still frightened her to think that she had that kind of potential as well. Not to mention being taught by a Cabaline, the idea of touching someone directly with her magic wasn't easy.

She thought of her friend, Rosie and how she'd unintentionally hurt her. "It can." Molly was honest. "Especially if you don't know what you're doing." Or if you mean to hurt them, but Molly left that out.

"But it's not that kind of magic to make illusions."

There was something more there, Corbie was sure. But that wasn't a point to push right now. "Okay then."

"Not a bad thing, I assure you. Magic is often a matter of practicing and practicing until you can only get it wrong with extreme effort." Which, in Dorian's view, was really where northern mages got it wrong. They mixed fear and religion into things when it really was best regarded as nothing more than a sword permanently affixed to one's hand. Practice, practice, practice. "May I ask what sort of actual training you've had up to now?"

Molly let the Thuderbird fade away in mid-circle with a smile to Corbie. "Whenever you want to start, come find me."

"I was going to school for 'bout a year," Corbie began, though that really didn't feel very accurate. "But really, it was me and my mentor and a couple other teachers. The classes at the Women's College sucked." She pulled a face at her memories of frustration. "Most of it was theory, I've got a lot of practical experience building thaumaturgical engines. And Regina's been teaching me... I guess offensive magic would be the description I'm looking for."

Corbie smiled back. "I'll bug you in the morning."

Women's College? Her world separated men and women for education? How odd! But Dorian let that puzzle go in favor of more practical questions. "Are there any particular dangers you were told to be aware of? I ask because in Thedas - my world, you know - magical talent makes one particularly attractive to spirits and demons. Is any such thing the case for you?" Not that he wouldn't teach her about the Fade and spirits, but if her magic was different and it wasn't a matter of her and everyone's survival, it didn't need to be a focus.

Corbie considered that question. Not because she hadn't been taught this, but because it had been so ingrained in her education that it was hard to pick out. "I was taught some about defending myself against spirits. But I ain't aethereal, so it's not a problem for me like it is for Felix. Not as much anyway. What I understand, I'll still do if a spirit's mad enough. But mostly... I was taught to keep myself safe from other wizards."

"Looking forward to it." Molly was definitely looking forward to it. She liked the idea of passing the torch like Harry had done with her.

"Always a good plan." Dorian, experienced with Tevinter politics, did not discount the absolute necessity of defending yourself against other mages. And, thinking of Tevinter, "Are there any magical taboos for you? For me, as an example, I will neither practice nor teach blood magic. Quite apart from the personal dangers, I prefer to keep my blood and that of others inside, where it should be."

Corbie didn't have to think at all about that one. "If I had the first thing to do with blood magic, I couldn't look anybody I love in the eye again."

"That's a good place to work from." And a very different place than most of Tevinter, but that was perhaps not a good first-conversation topic. "I don't foresee any major disagreements, in that case."

He nodded slowly. "Makes sense I suppose. Unless there is a radical different approach to magic in a world, it would seem that there are a lot of basics that are the same, or it wouldn't work here."

Corbie tried not to start bouncing again. "Pleeeeease?"

Corbie squealed.

And then covered her mouth with her hands and turned bright pink, but the urge to jump up and down was still there and barely restrained.

He tried to give her a stern look, but knew it would never last, so he just shook his head and smiled a little. "We can try on condition that you try to teach me something from your world." He might as well learn something out of it.

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[For Carlos, Dorian, and Molly] Take chances, make mistakes, get messy

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