3 Jun 2020, 05:49
Second Step to Healing
Interacting with @Flash Holmwood @Ross Stephens
Willow watched the fire shoot out from Ross's wand and light the candles, mildly shuddering at his joke. But her attention was caught by light laughter next to her, laughing from Flash. It was one of her favorite sounds. It was a rarer one to hear but ultimately full of joy. A small smile couldn't help but appear on her face as she listened to it. "Luckily, we don't need that big of a fire. Just enough to have the candles lit. But, I'll keep that in mind for the future I suppose?" Willow couldn't really think of a time when she would need a giant fire besides a bonfire but even then she could naturally start it.
With a shrug, she picked up the ribbon in front of her and knotted it at the end. She made it to where the two boys could watch her and hoped that they picked up on the fact that this was the next step. She took an exaggerated breath, hoping to calm down the atmosphere and return them to a more spell-casting mindset. "In this step, you're going to think about the image of a friend you thought of before and bringing them close to you. Being near you physically or emotionally. Either one works. Once you start thinking about that just kind of start twisting the ribbon. This is kind of like tying that idea to you." After a few moments of contemplation, bringing back that image of laughter and comfort that she had conjured before. As she did, she started just twisting the ribbons together, braiding her and that idea of a friend close. She could only hope it worked, not that she didn't have that in Flash already.
Once they all finished, she demonstrated tying it around the base of her own candle, being careful not to knock it over before sitting back and watching the flame flicker and change. To her, at least, it changed. It seemed stronger raising just a bit higher. As the two boys did theirs, the flame reacted the same way. The spell was strong. But she wouldn't tell them that, she wanted them to believe in it's power themselves. Not from her confirming it. "Now we're just going to kind of watch the flame. Contemplating about that friend. Contemplating bringing them to you. Keep doing the breathing that we were doing. If you lose track just watch me."
There they sat for a few moments, meditating. Willow's breaths were slow and deep. She let her mind wander to the two people with her. Their start had been so tumultuous. Their origin story was full of yelling, fighting, mixed emotions, and an almost force to be together. She hoped through this, and their own free will to want to be together that they could slowly mend their open wounds.
After a few moments, Willow gently went clockwise in snuffing out their candles between her two fingers. Glancing over at Flash, since the last time she did this it didn't go over well. "This is quite safe, I promise. Doesn't hurt at all." Slowly she stood back up, her athame in hand. "I ask that you continue meditating and breathing while I close out our circle." Then she started to walk counterclockwise. She made sure to stop at each element and thank them for helping them with the spell and that they're free to go, or they may stay. There was an extra moment given before moving on to the next element. The purpose to make them feel respected, and to know that they were all respected.
As Willow returned to the Earth element, she set her Athame back down and started cleaning everything up. It continued to be methodical, silent, in a clockwise fashion. She put everything back into her bag, folded up her altar cloth carefully... then collapsed on the ground. Splayed out on the wood floors, and laid her head on Flash's lap. "I'm tireddddddd." She moved her head to lazily look up at Flash. "Can you carry me back to Huffle? I don't want to walk. I forgot how tiring a spell can be." She looked back over at Ross. "Did you two enjoy it? You're not necessarily going to feel different and it may take awhile for the spell to come into fruition. But I hope you guys felt like it was worth it." While her eyes had shifted to scream of exhaustion, a bright smile still had a place on her face as usual.
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
9 Jun 2020, 13:36
Second Step to Healing
The ritual was coming to a close, with Willow instructing the two to tie off a ribbon on the candle and to watch its glow, while concentrating and breathing. Flash was too busy concentrating earnestly to see whether Ross was engaging with the ritual, but the fact that he didn’t make any quips or jokes during this time seemed like a good sign, and the synchronized breathing could be felt in the air. In fact, the entire thing had gone off without a hitch. Willow even seemed to joke around and smile with Ross. Finally, one of Flash’s ideas didn’t backfire horribly. Perhaps it was only a tiny victory, but the moment have Flash a huge wave of relief.
Willow acknowledged Flash as she put the candles out, while he only nodded with a knit brow. He might have said something, but instead it felt nice that she was considering his feelings. She told them to continue while she closed the circle with her blunt dagger. This step took a while, but Ross seemed patient enough to get through it, his and Flash’s breathing the only sound besides her periodically halting footsteps.
With that, Willow started to wrap up all her gear. It seemed the ritual was officially complete. Flash couldn’t complain in the slightest, Willow had explained the entire process as diligently as she had promised, so he never had to feel lost or confused for long. Certainly there were a lot of questions he wanted to ask her, but they were more about what her muggle magic was, not so much about the ritual magic itself. It made him even more excited to go to her house and meet her family. Looking briefly over to Ross, he also seemed quiet and peaceful. Good, it would do him well to relax.
While distracted Willow crashed to the ground, landing herself in Flash’s lap, yowling about her sleepiness. Had the magic taken much energy from her, had she sacrificed something of herself to make the spell work properly? Perhaps it was just the hour, or the worry of things going wrong finally being let go. She asked him to carry her, and how they felt.
”Alright, that’s fine by me.” He said, answering her question right away. ”I can say with no amount of sarcasm that the ritual was fascinating. I have so much to ask you about on our walks now. Also, I look forward to seeing the results.”
After getting everything together, Flash knelt down to let Willow easily climb onto his back with her bag of gear in tow. With her size and his strength, it wasn’t a matter of whether he could do it or not. All going in the same direction, the three of them continued to lightly discuss Willow’s magic and the success of the ritual as they walked down the halls. Contrary to what Willow had said, Flash could certainly see the effects of the spell already.
@Willow Anderson @Ross Stephens
Willow acknowledged Flash as she put the candles out, while he only nodded with a knit brow. He might have said something, but instead it felt nice that she was considering his feelings. She told them to continue while she closed the circle with her blunt dagger. This step took a while, but Ross seemed patient enough to get through it, his and Flash’s breathing the only sound besides her periodically halting footsteps.
With that, Willow started to wrap up all her gear. It seemed the ritual was officially complete. Flash couldn’t complain in the slightest, Willow had explained the entire process as diligently as she had promised, so he never had to feel lost or confused for long. Certainly there were a lot of questions he wanted to ask her, but they were more about what her muggle magic was, not so much about the ritual magic itself. It made him even more excited to go to her house and meet her family. Looking briefly over to Ross, he also seemed quiet and peaceful. Good, it would do him well to relax.
While distracted Willow crashed to the ground, landing herself in Flash’s lap, yowling about her sleepiness. Had the magic taken much energy from her, had she sacrificed something of herself to make the spell work properly? Perhaps it was just the hour, or the worry of things going wrong finally being let go. She asked him to carry her, and how they felt.
”Alright, that’s fine by me.” He said, answering her question right away. ”I can say with no amount of sarcasm that the ritual was fascinating. I have so much to ask you about on our walks now. Also, I look forward to seeing the results.”
After getting everything together, Flash knelt down to let Willow easily climb onto his back with her bag of gear in tow. With her size and his strength, it wasn’t a matter of whether he could do it or not. All going in the same direction, the three of them continued to lightly discuss Willow’s magic and the success of the ritual as they walked down the halls. Contrary to what Willow had said, Flash could certainly see the effects of the spell already.
Thread closed
@Willow Anderson @Ross Stephens
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15