[UofM] Not Exactly A Tea Party - Jygust 30, TT, First Mark

[Viviana Kaleyis]

Freshly scrubbed and smelling faintly like flowers, Viviana stood nude in the middle of her room, surveying the contents of the two cabinets that held her clothing. Now what shall I wear for my meeting with Professor Peckerton? Certainly not a sarong, like I wear into Realt. Too much skin. I wouldn't want the old man to die of a heart attack. Hmmmmm ... most likely he'll expect me to wear robes ... but I'm just too dangerous in robes.

The few times the aspiring mage had attempted to wear robes, her legs kept getting caught in the folds. She had tumbled down the stairs once and had nearly broken her arm. She'd fallen into a pile of dung in the bestiary. While helping to put things in place after the University's relocation, she had tripped, nearly dropping the priceless artifact she had been carrying. Robes and Viviana did not get along well.

I suppose I could wear a kirtle and surcoat ... no, that would be much too fancy for tea, and might give him the idea that I feel I need to gain his favor. Actually, I probably do need to gain his favor ... especially if I'm right about why he wants to see me.

She had read his message over and over, trying to figure out why the head of the University would wish to speak to such a lowly student like herself. He had written that he had heard she was good at organization ... that she most certainly was, but how had he found out about it? And what had brought this skill of hers to his attention?

It had to be the pranks. She'd organized many of those. Was it the time they had stuck “Kick Me” signs to the back of the professors' robes? Or was it the time they had made horse droppings look like crowns, which inspired anyone who saw one into picking it up? Perhaps it was the illusion with the door, or ... the privy incident. That one had gotten completely out of hand. Had Professor Peckerton been one of the unfortunate souls who had been caught with their pants down? She certainly hoped not.

She took a deep breath. Perhaps she was working herself up over nothing. To her knowledge the perpetrators of those pranks were still unknown. Unless one of her partners in crime had broken down and confessed. There was always that possibility when you involved others, but pranks were just no fun when you played them alone. There was no one to laugh with.

Somehow he must have found out she was behind them, though. Otherwise, why would he say he wanted to discuss her future here? If she was doing fine, why would he bother speaking to her at all? He was going to throw her out on her arse, she just knew it. Then there would be no more magic and no chance of ever finding her father. Perhaps she should wear the kirtle and surcoat after all.

Viviana sighed. Worrying wasn't going to do any good. The pranks had been her idea; if she'd been caught, then she would just have to face the music. She knew one thing, though ... she was never going to play another prank again!

Innocent! That was it ... she needed to look sweet, young, and innocent. Maybe then he would be able to forgive her and give her another chance. Clothing had its own kind of magic ... it was important to choose clothing that would give you the image you wished to convey.

She chose one of her newest tunics. Medium blue, scoop-necked and sleeveless, it was bordered in cream. Cream-colored lace adorned the neckline and formed fluttery little sleeves at the armholes. That lace had taken a long time to make. She had also embroidered pink silk ribbon roses around the bodice ... a technique she had learned the last time she had visited Signora Bianchi. She placed a pink sash just below her small breasts and tied it into a bow in the back. Blue cotton leggings, new cream boots, and pink ribbons in her curls completed the look.

Peering at herself in her small mirror, the pretty young achadhiel was quite satisfied with her appearance. Yes, this is definitely the image I wish to show him. I believe I am ready.

Before she left, she glanced around her room to make sure everything was in order. It was difficult not to compare her small space with Magus Urdil's spacious but rather austere chambers. Her own room was warm and welcoming ... and quite feminine. She had done it in white, with splashes of pastels. The lace curtains were a gift from Signora Bianchi. They were held back with garlands of softly-colored silk ribbon flowers. Her bed cover was embroidered with silk flowers as well, and finished with sharks teeth tucks. The ruffle on the chair cushion was also trimmed with the intricate and time-consuming tucks, as was the cloth on the table. Lavishly embroidered pillows with lacy ruffles were everywhere. She was quite proud of what she had done with her tiny abode. She had made it a home.

Ready at last, the nervous young mage closed the door behind her and headed to Professor Peckerton's study.

[Brytan]

After a walk through the halls of the University, Viviana found herself in front of the door to professor Peckerton's quarters. Not many students were summoned to them. At least not for lack of a very good reason. Professor Peckerton, despite his appearance and his stuttering, which was target of many a new student's mockery, he was a learned man who had spent many a yahren at the University.

He also knew his way around those mockeries quite well, not too pompous to pull a simple jumbling hex or a swift illusion on an unwitting artist drawing pictures of the professor in the back of a classroom.

These acts of reprisal were not always traced back to the professor however. He had a reputation to uphold after all. He could not help but smile after retiring to his study after class when thinking back to the witless expression on a poor students' face when his drawing came to life and started stuttering at him, ordering him to stop what he was doing at once and pay attention.

Were Viviana to knock, she would hear the voice of the professor from beyond the wood with a simple but adequate command;

Enter!

[Viviana Kaleyis]

Viviana's hands were shaking when she arrived at Professor Peckerton's door. Pull yourself together, Viviana, she chided herself. Whatever happens, you can handle it. Remember, you survived four yahren living on the street. Nothing here can be as worse as that. Unless he threw her out. That would be worse. Infinitely worse.

With a deep breath, she knocked in her crisp, no nonsense way. Upon hearing his forceful one word command, she gulped, opened the door and stepped boldly inside. Closing it behind her, she walked forward a few steps, trying to project a meek yet confident manner. She hoped he would not pick up on her inner turmoil. To her knowledge, sorcerers could not read minds. Then again, what did she know? She was still so new to magic.

Noticing her still shaking hands, she quickly hid them behind her back.

[Brytan]

Professor Peckerton himself was a tall man with short brown hair and a face you easily forgot. He garbed himself in the familiar mage’s robe though he kept it unbound so that it fell open much like a common bathrobe. Beneath it, he was dressed in the foreign fashion of World’s Mouth: black trousers, brown shirt and black morning coat.

Much was the case now. As Viviana entered the office, professor Peckerton was standing at the window. His office resided in one of the taller spires of the University, and he had the fortunate luck that his room overlooked a good part of the island of Sierra. Either that or he had moved it. Either way, the view from where Viviana stood looked splendid.

"Ah, miss Kaleyis...please..c-come in. S-sit down, please." The pipe he held had apparently gone out, as he returned to the massive desk behind which a royally upholstered chair stood. He sat down in it and started lighting the pipe using a fairly mundane looking tinderbox. Once it lit he breathed out a nice little circle of smoke before looking Viviana in the eyes. "So...miss Kaleyis. I trust you know why you are here?"

[Viviana Kaleyis]

The pretty young achadhiel curtsied, then crossed to the chair he indicated. Once again, she felt awkward, inadequate, and very very young, but she was determined not to show it. Her first instinct was to sit on the very edge of the seat, ready to flee at any moment. She forced that notion back and sat down like a proper lady, her shaking hands folded in her lap. She would not let him frighten her. She absolutely refused to show anything but a calm, cool confidence. Or so she hoped.

He's the second intimidating man I've met today, she thought. She hoped the guide she had arranged to take her into the jungle was not intimidating as well. That would just be too much to take in only one day.

She followed Professor Peckerton's movements as he sat behind his large desk and lit his pipe. Smoke did not usually bother her, but now she felt a bit nauseous. It's only because I'm nervous. I just hope I don't lose my lunch all over his floor. That would certainly make a fine impression.

When he looked her in the eye, Viviana stared steadily back, trying to project an air of maturity yet feeling anything but. If she lowered her eyes, though, she knew she would look either guilty or inferior or both, and that was not the image she wanted him to have of her.

His question rather surprised her. Of course I know why I'm here. You're going to toss me out on my poor little arse. She didn't say that, though. Just in case she was wrong, she didn't want to give him any ideas. So what should she say? Perhaps honesty would be best.

“Actually, sir, I have no idea,” she answered politely, “although I admit I am quite curious.” She smiled sweetly. That's right, Viviana. Be sweet. Be meek. Be completely unlike your true self.

[Brytan]

"You do not?" The professor sounded honestly surprised. "Ah, but I think you do. Though it sometimes takes a while to sink in, our actions speak for ourselves and sometimes even precede our own concious reasoning when it comes to being perceived by others." He opened the drawer of his desk and extracted a small wooden box, which he placed on the table and opened. Then he got up and started walking through the room before ending up back at the window, blowing smoke from his pipe.

"I hear many things when it comes to the students here at the University. I heard you have some ability. I also hear you have a knack for disobedience and some teachers would gladly dismiss you were it not for your obvious talents. It is not lightly that we accept students here, nor am I quick to dismiss them out of hand." He turned around and walked back to the desk, placing his pipe on a pipe rack which sat on the left most corner, next to an ornate ink well.

"In fact, those fair few who choose to think outside the box usually tend to turn out to be valued members of this University. I am certain you know some of whom I speak." He rose over Viviana as he stood there, but he did not seem to do so to be intimidating. That just sort of happened.

"So, as to why you are here then. You are here to think inside the box, so to speak. More specifically, the one on my desk. Would you care to pick it up and place the contents of it on my desk?".

[Viviana Kaleyis]

“Of course, sir,” she answered politely, although her thoughts were in turmoil.

He knows.

He knows everything I've done since I arrived.

Why she thought that she couldn't say. Perhaps it was the way he loomed over her. Perhaps it was what he said or how he said it. Whatever the reason, she had the feeling that he missed nothing as far as the University was concerned. Did he know about the pranks? Probably. Yet it looked as if he might give her another chance.

It was curiosity more than anything else that propelled her out of the chair and over to the box on his desk. Curiosity usually won out with Viviana. It was both one of her best and worst traits. Not stupid enough to pick up the box without seeing what was inside it first, she leaned over and looked within. A few stray curls fell over her shoulder and onto the desk in bouncy ringlets of brown-gold-red.

[Brytan]

The box was ornate, delicate carvings covered the box, depicting flowers and other natural shapes. Peering inside the box was lined with cloth. A linen of sorts, in a deep red color.

In the center of the box lay a stack of tarot cards. Not a full stack, it wasn't thick enough to be a full stack. Maybe ten, fifteen cards in total.

[Viviana Kaleyis]

Cards. Strange cards, with interesting pictures on them.

She had been taught to play cards by some thieves in the Citadel, back when she lived on the street. She had been quite good at it, too, sometimes winning a few banners for herself which she usually used to buy food. Perhaps that was why she had excelled at the game ... it helped her to survive. Those times were long past, however, and she realized she had forgotten how to play.

These particular cards didn't look like they were for playing with anyway. She had never seen anything like them. She wondered if they were somehow magical.

Remembering what she was supposed to do, she picked up the box, lifted the cards, and set them, still in their stack, on the desk. She closed the box and looked down at it, her free hand caressing the ornate carvings. “This is a beautiful box, sir,” she said, looking up at Professor Peckerton with inquisitive blue-violet eyes. He was still looming over her, but she no longer felt intimidated or awed by him. Curiosity had pushed those feelings right out of her mind, causing her to be bolder than she would normally be to one such as he.

The aspiring sorceress set the box gently back on the desk. “Where did you get it? Did the cards come in it? I've never seen cards like this before. Do you play a game with them? Do the pictures have meaning? Are they magical? Or do they have another purpose?”

She paused to catch her breath, and lowered her head when she realized what she had just done. “I'm sorry, sir. Sometimes I ask far too many questions. But ...” She raised her head and looked straight into his eyes, her own eyes sparkling with mischief. Her lips turned up in a cute, lopsided smile. “... You said you've heard things about me, so you probably already know that, don't you?”

[Brytan]

Professor Peckerton waited patiently for Viviana to place the cards on the desk. Touching them revealed them to possess some form of power. Like small weaves had been imbued into the paper from which they were cut. He took the cards from the desk and started shuffling the small deck absentmindedly.

"There is nothing wrong with questioning the nature of purpose. In fact, it are just those questions which bring many students to this place to begin with. Why is the world what it is? How can magick dictate the nature of things like it can? What can we do to harness the potential dangers that face us?"

He started dealing out the cards in the air in front of him. They tilted upwards and started hovering around Viviana in a perfect circle. This revealed the images displayed on the cards. Three of them had seemingly perfect portraits drawn onto them, the cards themselves carrying the tags; The Warrior, The Speaker and The Wizard. The other seven, for there were ten in total, had basic tarot drawings on them, depicting The Priest, The Emperor, The Thief, The Merchant, The Scholar, The Alchemist and The Monk.

"It is the nature of the last question which has led you here. Tell me, how much do you know of the Mage Hunters?"

[Viviana Kaleyis]

Although Viviana had felt the tingle of magic when she touched the cards, she was so nervous that it didn't really register until Professor Peckerton sent them hovering around her. Now she felt it in abundance. She slowly turned in a circle, examining each one and reading their captions. Each one depicted a certain figure and held some sort of power, but why? And what did they mean?

She was about to ask when he mentioned the Mage Hunters. She turned to face him, cocking her head to the side in her kittenish way, considering. She had heard the name mentioned a few times. She had meant to ask someone if it was an organization that did what their name implied, but she was so busy with so many things that she had completely forgotten. If they truly did hunt mages, though, she supposed she needed to learn about them. Know your enemy.

“I have heard the name, sir” she said finally, “but I am afraid I know little more than that.”

[Brytan]

"Well then, allow me to explain..."

A motion of his hand called the cards in a straight line in front of Viviana so she could see them all at once. He moved to stand beside her rather than across from her, indicating the set of cards with his right hand as he spoke.

"The University as you know has a flair for attracting attention from all sorts of individuals. Some of these are natural, Tether born like the mortal and immortal races. Others are supernatural, creatures of the Aether and the Nether even that are drawn to the University's energy. Ofcourse the University itself it warded against many dangers, many barriers are up or still being put up to bar anything unwanted from coming into these walls and harming the faculty or more importantly the students."

He paused a few flickers as he took some time to glance at each card individually.

"But as always there are some dangers that can not be kept at bay merely by static means. Some enemies of the University are to be faced head on. To this effect the Mage Hunters were called into being. This group of students, each of them with individual talents that make them both powerful and unique, was and is tasked with the defense of the University by any means."

He pointed again at the group of cards.

"These are the Mage Hunters. And I would ask you to join them."

[Viviana Kaleyis]

Viviana blinked.

She had not expected this.

For once, she was totally and utterly speechless.

Myriad thoughts attacked her all at once. The Mage Hunters didn't hunt mages; they were mages who hunted threats to the University ... like demons. She wanted to fight demons. This would give her that chance. But why her? She was not only just beginning to learn magic, but she was trouble with a capital T. Professor Peckerton must be pretty desperate to choose the likes of her. Perhaps the Hunters had abnormally short life spans. If that was so, then he was quite clever for coming up with a convenient way to get rid of her. Let the nuisance be killed by demons. No stress, no mess ... or maybe lots of mess. How did demons kill their victims anyway?

Why was she thinking like this? What if his offer was sincere? What if she truly was worthy enough to become one of these Mage Hunters? She knew she had quite a bit of talent ... or at least a lot of determination ... for she learned much faster than most of her classmates. She might know only a little magic, but she knew it well. She was always pushing the limits of what she knew, using it in different ways, even some that her professors hadn't thought of. She was smart, clever, a born leader, a logical thinker. Come to think of it, being troublesome could actually be an asset in some situations.

So which was it? Did he truly wish to give her this honor because she deserved it or because he wished to be rid of her?

Finally she found her voice, although it was a bit shaky at first.

“I ... I am honored, sir, but why ... why me?” she asked. Turning away from the cards, she looked up at him, staring straight into his eyes. You could tell a lot about a person by looking into his eyes. Eyes rarely lied. “I have just started my magic studies and I am certainly not a model student. You even said so yourself. What qualities do I ... a known mischief-maker ... have that compels you to choose me instead of a more experienced and obedient student?”

[Brytan]

"Quite simple."

Professor Peckerton met her gaze and his eyes spoke of nothing that indicated any joke or setup as far as Viviana could tell.

"Being a Mage Hunter is serious business. Being a Mage Hunter is dangerous business. Being a Mage Hunter might get you killed. But if I have to choose between an obedient bookworm or a mischievous quick on her feet scoundrel to save my life, I choose the scoundrel in a heartbeat."

He walked around the table and sat down into his chair, leaving Viviana to stand alone before the row of cards which still hovered in mid air.

"You might know me as a professor, but I was young once, just like you. This University is considered by many to be the pinnacle of knowledge, built on a foundation of books and scrolls and warded by the powerful magicks within them." He paused. "Fact of the matter is; This University was built on blood. Same as any great city, castle or institution. We are at risk every day, hence all our protective wards and active countermagicks against infiltration. And like every great bastion it needs great soldiers to fight for her."

He picked up his pipe and started filling it with tobacco once more.

"You strike me as a prime candidate for the job. The question, should you accept the job however. Since yes, you are allowed to decline the offer, would be; which of the remaining roles would you pick for yourself?"

[Viviana Kaleyis]

So ... it seemed his offer was sincere. You'd be a fool to pass it up, she told herself. It's an opportunity that will probably never come again.

She studied the cards floating in front of her. Which one would she be?

She dismissed the Priest and Monk immediately. She was not at all religious. Oh, she believed there were gods, but she wasn't sure which ones actually existed and which ones were simply made up. She wasn't about to start worshiping one until he walked up and slapped her in the face, therefore proving his existence. Besides, monks didn't speak and Viviana sometimes had a difficult time stopping.

The Alchemist wouldn't do either. She had taken only a few classes in the Alchemy Tower and the many smells there sometimes made her a bit sick. No, alchemy was not for her.

The Scholar? Probably not. She studied enough to learn and master what she knew, but she wasn't the type to spend long marks in the library studying for the sake of studying. That wasn't any fun, and fun was important to the impetuous young girl.

Three were left: the Merchant, the Thief, and the Emperor.

She owned a very small bare-bones business, so she supposed she could be a merchant. She didn't sell a product, though; she sold a service. Come to think of it, what would the Merchant do in a fight? The others were quite self-explanatory: the Priest and Monk would use their faith, the Alchemist his alchemy skills, the Scholar his knowledge. The Thief would be sneaky and have a lot of illicit tricks up his sleeve and the Emperor would use his leadership and organization skills to lead the fight.

But what about the Merchant? You certainly wouldn't want to sell anything to a demon, except maybe a one-way ticket to oblivion. A merchant was good at negotiation, as well as organization, and probably a decent leader as well. She wasn't sure how good she'd be at negotiation, but she had the other two skills in abundance.

Therefore, the Emperor would be a good choice. But would anyone listen to someone as young and inexperienced as herself? And would she truly want to lead a fight? Well, of course she would. She wanted to be right in the thick of things, where she could do the most damage, either with magic or her daggers. She was not afraid of much. She would be a good choice for the leader of a battle.

But the Thief sounded interesting as well. Picking pockets and pilfering food, sneaking around in the dead of night doing odd jobs for thieves and assassins ... all that had been fun. Although she had been away from that life for four yahren, she was certain she could take it up again with great success if she had to.

She wasn't ready to dismiss the Merchant yet either. It sounded like something she could do as well.

The aspiring mage had narrowed it down to three good possibilities. But how could she choose?

She glanced over at Professor Peckerton. Perhaps she should let him do it for her ... or at least tell her more about her three choices so that she could make a well informed decision.

“I have narrowed it down to these three,” the girl said, lightly touching the three cards she was interested in. The tingle of magic snaked all the way up her arm when she touched them. “But I am not sure which one is the best for me. Can you tell me more about them so I can make the right decision?

“Oh, and I have one more question. Why are so many of these positions vacant? What happened to the people who once held them? Are they dead? Or are you just really careful about who you choose?”

[Tristam]

Peckerton nodded at her questions. Her desire to understand confirmed his gut instinct that she would be a fine Hunter. "The p-positions are vacant simply because they h-have not been filled." Peckerton explained. "Though the Hunters were founded concurrently with University, it has only re-recently been re-revived. I do try to choose carefully who joins even when n-need is great."

"As for the c-cards," Peckerton shrugged his shoulders, "they are much like viewing the Aether. It differs for each bearer. Still there are s-s-some commonalities. The Thief focuses on acting unseen. It has enhanced illusions and mental misdirections as well as the natural quickness and stealth of its bearer. The Emperor is attuned to the forces of command both on the Aether and Tether. There is a record of one student gaining the abilities of the bardic voice through it though that must be taken with grain of salt I feel." Peckerton paused for moment and then continued. "The Merchant enhances negotiations. Summoners have found it useful when dealing with the creatures they bind. There are also some records of exchanging energies on the Aether being easier under its influence."

"They do say that the card chooses the mage though." Peckerton points out. "Do not agonize over the choice. Go with what feels right. Above all, the cards are designed to bring out your strengths. Even those you do not yet know you have."

[Viviana Kaleyis]

So the one she chose should bring out her strengths. Hmmmmm...

The Merchant wouldn't do then. She had never really tried to negotiate before, so she had no idea how good she'd be. In her business, she just named a price and her customers paid, no questions asked. She'd never really thought about it before, but maybe the reason they paid so willingly was that she was underpricing her services. Perhaps she should raise her prices a bit and see what happened.

But that was something to think about later. She still had two cards to choose from.

Cocking her head to the side, the young achadhiel considered the Emperor first. She knew she had leadership skills. Her mother used to say she was born with them. She did remember organizing games that were happily played by much older children when she was barely five or six. She became a leader among the street children almost as soon as she joined them, at the ripe old age of eight.

She had a vivid ... too vivid ... imagination, and often came up with interesting solutions to problems, as well as new uses for her sewing skills and what little magic she knew. And she thought quickly and calmly in a crisis. She wasn't the panicking type.

She had heard of bardic voice but wasn't exactly sure what it did, so that would definitely not be a factor in her decision. For all she knew, it might only work when you sang, and every time Viviana had tried to sing, someone had begged her to stop.

Next, she considered the Thief. She loved illusions and she was good at the ones she knew. She was as quick on her feet as she was with her thoughts, but she wouldn't exactly call herself stealthy. Still, sneaking around unseen would be quite useful in the case of demons and such ... if they couldn't see you, they couldn't hurt you. Or at least that's how she thought it went.

The problem with the Thief, though, was that she might be tempted to use its special abilities for pranks and other mischief. She could already see some opportunities to utilize it in ways that were not intended. If she did this, she had no doubt it would not only be taken away from her, but she would be kicked out of the University for certain.

So I'll just resist the temptation. Oh, who am I kidding? If I could resist temptation, I wouldn't constantly be getting into trouble. I'm impulsive. I act without thinking. I would misuse the power before I even knew I was doing it.

She turned her eyes back to the Emperor. Professor Peckerton had said it was in tune with the forces of command. Did that mean it might help her with all of those spells that appeared in her mind and wanted her to perform them, whether she knew what they did or not? Could she just command them to go away and they would? If that problem was solved, then perhaps she would not make so many magic mistakes, like setting things on fire or blowing them up.

Besides, she was already good at illusions, and she had a quick and sneaky mind. The Emperor with the qualities of the Thief would be very valuable. But so would the Thief with the qualities of the Emperor.

It seemed to her that both of them wanted her to choose them.

“Professor Peckerton,” she asked, “is it possible that I could actually be two?”

[Tristam]

Peckerton's brow wrinkled as he considered the question. "I do not recall any Mage Hunter on record that possessed more than one card." Peckteron said at last. "It was c-considered n-necessary to keep the cards f-free for future H-hunters." Peckerton crossed to a bookshelf and took down a slim volume. "There are a f-few that chose one card and switched it out for a s-second as their p-personalities changed."

Peckerton fell silent as he found the passage he wanted in the book and began to read. A few burns later, Peckerton looked up. "However, it seems there is no pr-prohibition st-stated about taking two c-cards." He admitted. "I don't kn-know what would happen if you tr-tried though."

[Viviana Kaleyis]

“I don't really want two,” the confused girl mused aloud, “but it seems as if they want me.” She stepped closer to the cards. “I know I am quite strong in magical talent and in will, although not so much in body. Perhaps they sense that I will be able to handle both of them. And maybe they sense that they will need to be used soon, and no one will come to claim them before that time comes. Someone will eventually come along who fits one better than I, and then I can always give it up.”

She studied the cards for a few more flickers and then looked over to Professor Peckerton. “What happens when I choose one, anyway? Does it give me immediate power? Does it change me in some way? Will I feel different? Does it affect me only mentally or physically as well? And I can cast them away at any time, right? So that if I choose two and they start warring with each other for my attention, I can just let them go? Is that how it works?"

She knew she was once again asking too many questions. She hoped he would understand that when you were about to try something no one else had tried before, you needed to be cautious and have as much information at your disposal as possible.

[Tristam]

Peckerton eased back into his chair. At least these questions were on more familiar ground. "The cards are latent sources of power. At first, they m-must be consciously tapped to draw on their power thought at t-times their bearers are aware of w-when the card could be helpful." Peckerton explained. "Over t-t-time, the powers of the card can be drawn on subconsciously, almost like an extension of your energies."

"There is a small ritual to attune you to the card and to free you again from their influence, but those can be performed at any time." Peckerton went on. "As for whether they will change you," Peckerton shrugs, "power ch-changes everyone. In my experience, people do not change so much as become more extreme versions of themselves. The c-cards do match themselves to like spirits after all."

[Viviana Kaleyis]

“Oh. So I can take them both but only attune myself with the one I believe is most useful at the time. But ... I don't know. That doesn't seem quite fair. I'm not a greedy person. When you grow up like ...” her voice trailed off when she realized what she had been about to say. When you grow up like I did, you're just thankful to have anything at all.

No, she wasn't greedy at all, but she did feel two of them calling to her. With a small sigh, she reached out to pluck them from the air.

Don't take two. Take only one.

The intuition came out of nowhere, but it was very compelling ... and very strange. She had never had a feeling quite like it before. It was frightening and yet oddly comforting. She didn't know what to think of it, except that the compulsion was so irresistible, she could not just dismiss it.

The aspiring mage sighed. Her hands fell back to her sides. She didn't know what to do.

On a whim, she closed her eyes and held both hands toward the cards. Two of them seemed to pull at her, and since she knew their positions in the line, she knew that they were the two she could not decide between. However, if she didn't know their positions ...

She opened her eyes. “Professor Peckerton, could you do something for me, please? After I close my eyes again, can you move the cards around so that their positions are changed? I am hoping that if I don't know where the two cards are, then I will feel one of them pulling at me more than the other.”

[Brytan]

"O-ofcourse my dear." The professor smiled and waited for Viviana to close her eyes.

"It is done. Feel free to c-continue i-if you will."

Extending her hands it was still quite difficult to sense anything from a singular source. She could feel her fingertips brushing over the surfaces of the different cards if she extended them far enough. Each was filled with it's own energy. As she turned her attention to finding one, she could at one point dismiss the three which had already been chosen, since their energies were clearly different than those of the unclaimed cards.

That still left several to be chosen.