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[Amelia falls silent at the latter half of Gale's remark. She leans against the wall of the elevator with her arms crossed.]

Interesting is one way to put it. It was certainly challenging and it prepared me for other dangers in my world I would have to face later on.

[Gale is a stranger. Of course, he wouldn't know the full irony of what he said and how it unknowingly got under her skin. So she conceals the dull pain of the past. In her world, only other witches could grasp the extent of what the human that the Witch King stole went through.

None of them could do anything for her and she couldn't do anything for herself except wait.

She changes the subject.]

How does one grow into and learn the ways of wizarding in your world?

Edited (grammar stuff) 2023-10-30 04:24 (UTC)

[He studies her for a brief moment as he considers her response, but doesn't seem to pick up on anything necessarily out of place (Perception 2). They all have their tales to tell, he supposes, and they'll each tell them in their own time, should they so choose.

He does note the subject change, but doesn't pick up on any underlying rawness he might have caused, only follows her lead as directed.]

Through study and practice. Like music or art, talent does play a part, but it is a skill to be honed, one that will only grow with use, dedication and ambition. I started with independent study, but was fortunate enough to study under the Blackstaff as part of Blackstaff Academy— an opportunity only granted to the most promising of wizards. In return for such an opportunity, these elite apprentices were expected to protect and serve the city of Waterdeep using their abilities.

[An academy for magic? Fancy that. She's bursting with questions now and they could all go in any direction.

➡ Ask him about his slice-of-life magic school days.
➡ Ask him about the curriculums of Blackstaff Academy like a huge nerd and talk hours upon hours about grading standards and tests.
➡ Ask him about the city of Waterdeep.

She'll opt to ask about the third because if she recalls correctly...]

You mentioned Waterdeep before, as part of your title. Does that mean you were a top apprentice and you worked your way up to becoming a protector of the city?

[Gale approves of that dialogue choice.

He smiles— he always seems to be smiling— as she recalls the way he'd introduced himself several days before.]

Indeed— something along those lines. My reach went a bit further yet, but Waterdeep remains my home, and shall therefore always have a place in my heart. I have offered my services to the city, as well as places beyond. I was quite fortunate in having one of the most famous wizards of our age or any other serve as my own mentor, and with such opportunity comes a great deal of responsibility. In time, perhaps I'll mentor an apprentice of my own, but I've been— a touch distracted, as of late.

[He's a cheerful fellow. Informative too. In so many words, Gale already makes her want to learn more and she finds herself intently listening even if she wasn't unfocused to begin with.]

Distracted? Something of urgency came up then?

[Although she asked him what he remembered doing last during their previous conversation it was just the immediate happenstance. Clearly, this was implying a bigger picture.]

I'm afraid so. A long tale in the telling, and there are a few steps between my affairs in Waterdeep and the business that brought me to Baldur's Gate— the city I was visiting before finding myself here. Astarion, as well. We started out as allies of convenience in this venture, I suppose.

[There's a wry quirk to his smile, and he only briefly glances at the little display that tells him how far they've gone on the elevator. There's still several floors left to go, but he hardly minds answering her questions. He asks plenty of his own, and he's always been fond of talking.]

We both found ourselves among a number of people who had been taken captive and afflicted with a particular— condition. Not to worry! Nothing contagious, nor anything anyone here need worry about. [He hopes.] We were closing in on what we'd hoped would be a cure.

It all sounds like you and Astarion are in the middle of your own tall tales.

[She almost, almost sounds bemused. But there is a concerned sort of frown that follows as her green eyes give him another once over.]

If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have been able to tell that you had any condition at all. You're both so lively... In a manner of speaking.

[Cause har, har, irony if her inferences about Astarion are correct.]

In other words, you both look and act fine. I'll take your word for it. However...

[Amelia holds up her finger.]

Should something come up related to your condition, let me know. I don't know if I'd be of any help but far be it from me to leave something so serious alone.

I am glad to know that it doesn't seem to have caught up with either of us— though I confess, that in itself is unusual. Most people in our position have a matter of days in which to find a solution. Often less. I don't suppose you're at all familiar with ceremorphosis?

[His expression is more serious than what he's shown her thus far, though his tone remains light, even and matter-of-fact.]

Not that I aim to be dramatic about such things— only to say that this 'vacation' is indeed quite welcome. I hope to use the opportunity to expand the breadth of my research. I'll certainly keep your offer in mind, as well. Having another magically-minded person to speak with on such matters can only help. That said, it's good to know that even in this state, I haven't lost any of the usual charm.

[He's all smiles again, and the elevator comes to a halt with a soft 'ding!']

Ah! Here we are.

Ceremorphosis... I haven't heard of it but...

[She's an English teacher and while that word doesn't exist in the dictionary, the word roots aren't hard for her to figure out.

cere. / (sɪə) / noun. a soft waxy swelling, containing the nostrils, at the base of the upper beak in such birds as the parrot.

Hm. That's probably not what he means but there are the implications of a forcible transformation that are apparent enough though from what he said, normally this condition would have been the end of him much earlier on in the process. Her brow scrunches up as the elevator stops and opens up for them. Before she takes a look outside she has to ask:]

Gale, are you sure you're alright?

Edited 2023-11-01 05:04 (UTC)

Perfectly fine, in fact!

[His answer is, perhaps, a bit too immediate, too cheerful, and there's something about his boyish smile that doesn't reach his eyes. He gestures forward to the corridor ahead of them, and rather than look ahead to see what might await, steps out into it and turns to face her, his smile going just a bit slack as he reaches up to touch his hand to the side of his face.]

Why? I've not gone pale, have I?

[There's a note of genuine concern in his voice, however small.]

As far as I can tell, this little problem of ours won't progress while we're here— at least that's what all evidence points to, thus far.

[Amelia shakes her head as she steps outside first though she keeps facing him, brows furrowed with concern.]

No, your complexion is fine.

[Travel weary perhaps, but everything else about him seems healthy. Though he reassures her again she doesn't look entirely settled.]

May I try something? If you don't mind pausing a second.

Edited 2023-11-01 06:39 (UTC)

Of course— I'm in no particular hurry.

[He answers without hesitation; they may have only met recently, but Amelia is the sort of no-nonsense personal he feels it's very clear is trustworthy.]

Be my guest.

Alright. Let me take your hand and just...

[She moves and reaches for his right hand, taking it gently by the wrist and then turning it over, palm side up.]

I'm just applying some of my magic in the form of a rune; this one is just for soothing and relaxation.

[Her finger carefully traces the rune above Gale's palm. It's a singular character that encompasses one of the many languages of magic she's had to master. The emerald green letter hovers for a few seconds before settling on his hand.]

Tell me how that feels.

I trust you— though I do appreciate the explanation. I would have had to ask, otherwise.

[There's no turning off that inquisitive mind of his, after all. His smile pulls to one side, his fingers giving a faint twitch as he lets his hand go lax in hers, letting her do what she will. He watches with interest, his gaze following the trace of the rune and the green energy that follows. The immediate feeling he gets is warmth, soothing, just as promised.]

It's pleasant. Soothing, as you said, and— oh.

[His reaction is accompanied by a purple glow emanating from the center of his chest, bright enough to shine through the dense fabric of his robes, but even brighter where it creeps along the vein-like markings that snake their way up one side of his neck and fan out beneath his left eye.]

That's... interesting.

[Interesting and concerning. Amelia's brows knit together again the purple glow emanates from his chest and all the way up to his left eye.]

... That's not supposed to happen, is it?

[Gale doesn't sound like he was hurt by that, just mildly surprised by the result.]

Is that the affliction you were referring to? The rune didn't do anything else, did it?

[The distress in her voice is notably rising and she wills the rune away from the surface of his palm and lets it hover in the air between them.]

It's hard to say what's 'supposed' to happen with this particular ailment, I'm afraid, given it is without precedent, but I don't believe any harm was done. It's not painful, at least— perhaps a bit warmer than usual?

[He gives a thoughtful little frown, laying his free hand over his heart and finding it a bit warmer to the touch than he might have expected, but compared to what he's felt as a result of the orb's activity in the past, this is nothing. A faint tingle, at best.]

I'm afraid this is another affliction entirely— though one of my own making. I don't believe I'm in any danger, but it's clear enough to me that my magic is reacting to the presence of your own.

[Well, 'his' magic. The orb is an entity all its own. Regardless, he remains calm, if puzzled.]

[The witch frowns.]

Then at least my magic hasn't done anything drastic to you, though the rune wasn't malicious to begin with. On that note, I won't proceed any further.

[Amelia's quiet as she reaches out to her rune making it disappear in her grasp.]

Maybe it's best to be cautious of other magic users unless they're native to your world; you'd know best how to deal with them. The nature of magical energy most likely varies from realm to realm so crossing magical energy streams seems—

[Ah, she realizes she's still holding his hand. Let her just drop it unceremoniously and awkwardly.]

—Like treading on unknown territory.

[Nailed it.]

Quite the contrary, I enjoyed the opportunity to see your magic at work, however briefly. It was quite pleasant, before I found myself startled— and that's hardly on you, Amelia.

[Still... her advice is sound. His thoughtful frown remains, and he gives a small nod of agreement.]

I'll be certain to practice due caution. It would be unforgiveable if I were to be careless and someone else were to be hurt because of— this.

[He lightly pats his chest with the hand that still rests there, having allowed the other to remain in hers— until she drops it. He'd almost forgotten about that, distracted as he was. Ah. When was the last time he'd—?

No, none of that, not just now.]

I do owe you a bit more explanation, it would seem, though I do not wish to cause you alarm.

[Amelia has her fingers intertwined and fiddles them together.]

There will probably be other opportunities to see my spell casting. I think I just want to make sure it's not directed towards you.

[When Gale offers her an explanation, the witch pauses. And then shakes her head.]

It doesn't have to be now, Gale. You don't really owe me anything. We should probably see what this floor has to offer, right?

[In fact, the floor they've stopped on seems to be a grassy grove of sorts and in the distance, they can hear the sound of water falling...]

[He exhales a sigh of relief as she shakes her head and deters him, his chin dropping slightly as his smile pulls to one side.]

That we should. Another time.

[It's not a secret he should keep from people he's sharing living space with, just as he'd not wanted to keep it from his companions back home, but there will be other days. For now, he doesn't believe his self-wrought condition to be a danger— that should be enough.

He turns his head towards the sound of water, curious.]

Is there a waterfall nearby? I can't say I expected to find all this, but it's actually quite lovely.

[Without wasting more words, Amelia takes several steps forward and pushes aside the branches of the trees that obscure their view. Her eyes widen and a soft "Oh," escapes her lips. Several vividly colored butterflies flit past the witch and wizard and they can now fully take in what the floor has to offer.

Simply put, it's breathtaking. In the distance, the sky is blue with soft white clouds in the distance. Amelia immediately recognizes the long flat structures that are floating in the air, that being giant domino pieces. You'd think that'd be at odds with the otherwise beautiful nature around them but there's whimsy and dreaminess from the brightly colored mushrooms, both small and tall, the autumnal leaves, the sound of the running water, looking as clear as crystal...

And is that a humungous snail shell that's part of the cliffside?? And six-sided dice, the size of boulders?

There's a lot to explore. There's no way to compare grading papers and sending emails to this.

The witch turns to Gale and her green eyes are barely hiding their excitement.]

Gale? I think we've found something rather special.

[He follows just behind her, allowing her to take the lead, but he doesn't miss a single opportunity to take in the details of their surroundings as they go, admiring the trees and passing butterflies as they draw nearer to the source of the sound.

When they're at last in a position to fully appreciate the view, he lets out a breath, feels himself smiling as he takes a moment to appreciate the wonder of it all. It's like no natural landscape he's ever seen; dice where he would expect outcroppings of rock, game pieces suspended in midair. The mushrooms remind him strongly of certain parts of the Underdark, bright and beautiful, and though the scenery is lovely, peaceful, there's something about it that seems almost achingly lonely, as well.

Simply put, it's breathtaking.

She turns to face him, and he meets her excitement with an eagerness of his own, his smile pulling just a touch wider as his own excited gaze flits past, towards the nearest cluster of mushrooms.]

Amelia, I do believe we have. It would seem we chose well!

[He takes a few steps forward, reaching out to lightly, carefully touch the edge of a nearby mushroom, though he doesn't venture past her.]

I wonder how far on it goes? In all my travels, I've never seen anything quite like it.

[There are giant marbles too; Amelia has to squint before realizing that's what the large transparent and globular structures are floating alongside the dominoes and some lay on the ground next to the dice and...]

Huh. Jacks.

[Referring to the spiky metal-looking objects with rounded tips. Also bigger than the both of them.

Amelia takes a few strides ahead of Gale and replies to his question.]

Maybe it goes as far as it needs to. Cryptic but I think it's less about finding the end and more about how much time we'd like to spend to explore the possible corners.

I think we should find the source of the waterfall. It'll make for a nice late-night walk... Even though it looks to be about high noon here.

[Not only a nice walk but there will be lots of platforming as they'll both soon find out... In fact...!]

The quality of the air here feels... Light? It's a bit difficult to describe but I feel like I can move and glide with ease across the ground.

[He laughs warmly at her response, letting a fist come to rest against his hip.]

Ah, the true scholar's approach— you're quite right, it's hardly about the end. All in the journey and the exploration, yes?

[He's eager to see what might be tucked away in this place, as well. He gives a nod of enthusiastic agreement as they start to make their way along the stream and towards its source. He, too, notices there's something different in the pressure of the air, and he pauses to give one foot an experimental tap against the ground.]

It is a bit different. I've felt something like this before— I've an idea.

[He angles himself to move past her, taking a few steps before jumping forward. He lands on a mushroom that's low to the ground, serving as a shrub, and lets out thoughtful noise of approval.]

The gravity isn't nearly as strong here as what we're used to. Give it a jump!

Oh—!

[Before she can even reply, Gale is already ahead of her taking a literal leap of faith that perfectly demonstrates the type of gravity they're working with. When he invites her to jump, Amelia wrinkles her brow.]

I don't... Well. Fine. I brought it up after all.

[She takes a few steps forward, past Gale, and more towards one of the steeper ledges that leads further into the glade.]

Let's see, I'll just...

[Amelia takes a deep breath and jumps. And instead of a rough landing, she makes a soft landing on the grass and only barely stumbles.]

Okay... Okay, I see what you mean! [She looks behind her again and then calls out to Gale.]

I think we'll have to be jumping a lot. There's flat ground, yes but if we're going to navigate this floor, the terrain isn't going to a stroll in the park.

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