Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 19, 2010 20:51:53 GMT -5
((A day or two after "Cause for Alarm", parts 1 and 2))
Vincent had been fortunate enough to finish grading his students' musical theory quizzes more quickly than he'd hoped to; that left him with plenty of free time in the evening, which he planned to use practising his new magic. He stepped into one of the empty labs Smoke had recommended for use, and looked around for ideas.
The light above his head was flickering slightly; Vincent observed it quietly for a few seconds, then smiled as an idea came to him. First he focused his mage-sight (or, more appropriately, mage-hearing), and listened again to the magic that sang to him from within himself and the very walls around him. Still looking at the flickering light, he called up his magic and sang purposefully.
"Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation; Darkness stirs and wakes imagination..."
As before, the voice of his magic blended with his real voice in unison, commanding the light to obey him. Immediately all of the lights in the room dimmed and went out one by one, leaving Vincent in darkness. He smiled as he fell silent, and the lights came back on all at once, making him wince at the sudden brightness.
Well, that had certainly been interesting. What else could he do?
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 19, 2010 22:21:12 GMT -5
Nina had never actually been in the music or band rooms. She hadn't even been in the corridor that housed them-- which was odd, seeing as she had been a Dunehelden student for two and a half years. As such, she had never heard Vincent sing. Even though he did so outside of classes, Nina never seemed to be around when he was. It was an odd thing, seeing as Vincent had subbed a few times in her History class, and she liked him very much. She liked to think that if she had had a father, he would be like Vincent. He was a bit like the old snake charmer, a bit like Haneul (when Haneul was in a cheery mood), and something like the fathers Nina saw on the indie shows Kemekin liked to watch on the internet.
When she passed by the labs, she heard a male voice, and she noticed the lights dim and recharge, as if rebooting. Curious, Nina approached the door and blinked through the pane of glass set into it. She was surprised to see Professor Hawk here-- oh, but what was he doing?
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 19, 2010 22:36:18 GMT -5
Vincent's ears were still focused on the sound of magic around him; he looked curiously toward the door as he heard another voice join the others. It was rough and faint, as though from want of use, but still audible. He wasn't sure he recognized it.
He raised his eyebrows a little and smiled in greeting as a fair-haired, green-eyed girl peeked at him through the little window in the door. Ah, it was Nina Paem; he recognized her from the times he had subbed for Conall's History class while he had been comatose.
The new music was clearly coming from inside Nina; it matched her own voice quite closely. So she was a mage? Really, now? He was tempted to keep listening to the song of her magic, but it would be rude to listen to that rather than the girl herself, if indeed she intended to speak with him, so he politely broke his focus before addressing her.
"Come in, Nina," he called out, moving toward the door and opening it with a smile. "What can I do for you?"
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 19, 2010 22:43:19 GMT -5
Nina watched him for a few seconds, glanced up at the lights, and then returned her gaze to him.
"I was just passing by, and...ah..." A faint grin curled across her features. "How... did you do that?" She blinked, then remembered what Kemekin had told her-- and what the rumors around the school had confirmed-- about Vincent's new... abilities.
"Was that your new magic?" she asked, curious. She wondered how it worked.
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 19, 2010 22:51:47 GMT -5
"It was," Vincent answered with a nod, mirroring her grin. "I'm doing a bit of experimentation to find out more or less what I can do, since library research is proving rather fruitless at the moment. My magic is something rather unusual, it seems. I focus and sing, and things happen according to the words I choose. It's even more interesting when I'm using my mage-sight -- or mage-hearing, I suppose. Every magical person or thing has a different song, a signature of sorts. I heard yours as you were coming up the hall."
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 19, 2010 22:55:24 GMT -5
Nina's eyebrows shot up. "Oh really?" Her raspy voice broke a bit on the second word. "What does it sound like?"
Mage-hearing, instead of mage sight? That was kinda cool. "So what you're like a magical synaesthetic, ne?"
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 19, 2010 23:02:45 GMT -5
"It's rather rough and soft, not unlike your real voice," he told her. "It sounded as though it isn't used very often. I didn't quite recognize it at first."
He thought for a moment about the idea of magical synaesthesia. "Hmm... I'm not sure about that. Synaesthesia is a blending of the senses, not a preference of one sense over the others. I hear magic, but I don't see it, the way I'm sure many other mages do. I think magic tends to be unique to each person, and since my life's passion has always been music, it would make the most sense that I perceive and use my magic that way."
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 19, 2010 23:06:29 GMT -5
Nina smiled fully now. "Oh, I use my magic all the time, sir." She rolled her wrist and felt her magic slide along her joints like warm water. "I just forget it's there sometimes. It's just not very strong. I can't do much with it other than shield-- though I've gotten very good at that over the years."
Nina opened her mouth in an ah expression. She hadn't known much about synaesthesia-- she had heard Jaebi talking about doing a project on it, though, and it had sounded interesting.
She found herself wondering, yet again, why she had never stepped in to watch any of Vincent's music classes.
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 19, 2010 23:21:16 GMT -5
"I see," Vincent nodded. He knew that most of the mages at Dunehelden had some sort of specialty -- most of them seemed to be either elementals or illusionists. They could really use a few more healers, what with the sheer amount of injuries the people on campus suffered on a nearly daily basis. And illnesses, he thought, recalling his sudden bout of fever and hallucinations not long ago.
"I imagine you primarily shield yourself, am I right?" he asked, recalling that Nina was an avid student of martial arts. Her small, slender body didn't look like it would stand up to much -- but appearances were very often deceiving.
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 19, 2010 23:43:27 GMT -5
"Ne." Nina nodded. "I shield my joints when I contort and when I train-- it keeps them from ending up like my vocal chords." She gave a raspy heh, then quirked her lips to one side. "I can't keep up a barrier that extends much farther than my skin, though. Watch--"
Nina's magic came eagerly to her call, like a child anxious to make their patron proud. She concentrated it around her left arm-- it showed first as an opalescent sheen on her skin before, slowly, it expanded. Losing contact with Nina's epidermis made the shield flicker, and Nina furrowed her brow in concentration. The magic continued to creep outwards, and was maybe an inch or two off the girl's skin before the opalescence dissolved into nothing.
Nina blushed a bit. Her magic was best at working with her body. She reinforced her joints, kept her skin clear from the pores out (an excellent perk), and even strengthened her fingertips, knees, and elbows for jabs during sparring matches. But she could not protect anything beyond herself (even her own skin from cuts and bruises), and could not even perform any other basic magical tasks.
"It's, ah... It's a quirk, really."
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 19, 2010 23:50:16 GMT -5
Vincent watched curiously as Nina demonstrated the extent of her magic, which admittedly wasn't much. A part of him wondered what had happened to Nina's vocal cords, but he politely refrained from asking.
"That seems like a useful quirk," he smiled, borrowing her term. "Especially for a martial artist. I wouldn't mind having an ability like that myself."
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 20, 2010 0:50:54 GMT -5
Nina beamed, her smile making the corners of her eyes crinkle.
"That's true," she agreed, "but there are times I wish I were a stronger mage. Or a shapeshifter. I would love to be able to turn into a snake or a monkey, instead of emulating one using kung fu." It was a childish dream, she thought to herself as soon as she'd said it. But she could remember pretending to be animals when she was little-- always a boa or an adder, or a monkey or crane. She could remember playing with the snake charmer back during her time with the circus troupe, dancing around like an entranced serpent while old Peizhi conducted her movements with his hands. It hadn't occurred to Nina until after she had spent some time in China that Peizhi had used snake-style kung fu to charm the cobras and vipers.
Nina smiled again.
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 21, 2010 21:58:48 GMT -5
Vincent grinned. "Well, you never know what can happen. I used to wonder what it would be like to be a mage, and then a week and a half ago my magic first manifested. I'm sure you could grow stronger in your magic with practice. Though I rather doubt that mages can become shapeshifters -- they're two completely different kinds of magic."
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 24, 2010 17:26:41 GMT -5
Practice? She'd been practicing for as long as she cared to remember. Her magic had started out like this-- it had not grown or evolved at all.
At the remark about the different kinds of magic, she smirked. "Oh I know that, silly," she chuckled. "That's something from basic lessons-- I could've told you that back in freshman year. It's just wishful thinking, is all."
"Now, Kung Fu," she put her hands in her pockets and her look seemed to focus somewhere far-off. "Kung fu is something that really grows with you-- it's like a skin. A skin for your spirit." That was an odd analogy, but it made sense to her. "That is my kind of magic. If I ever had to choose between being a mage and being a member of the Li temple, I would go back to China in a heartbeat." As a matter of fact, she had very nearly made that choice before. She hadn't wanted to come to Dunehelden when it was time to enroll. If Haneul weren't here, she'd never have attended in the first place.
Now, of course, she was glad for following Haneul.
Nina arched an eyebrow and looked up at Vincent. She wondered what style of Kung Fu he would be suited to, if he wanted to learn. Southern Mantis, maybe. But no, that was far too forceful. Shanting? Close, but no.
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 24, 2010 20:16:36 GMT -5
"That's an interesting analogy," Vincent grinned, trying to picture it. It didn't come easily. He chuckled to himself.
"I didn't know you were from China," he commented brightly. "Have you always lived there?"
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 24, 2010 20:36:52 GMT -5
"Heh." Nina tucked her hair behind her ears. "I've been living at the Li temple since I was about seven or eight." She smirked again. "You know how some kids run away to join the circus? Well, I ran from the circus to a Shaolin monastery. Er, I tried, at least. I got lost and fell into a snake pit, and was rescued by a kind stranger. Didn't get hurt, though-- the guy was covered in bites, but I wasn't touched. He took me to the temple and gave me to Haneul-oppa, who took me in and didn't have the heart to give me away to an orphanage or a nunnery, or a family down in the valley-- the monastery's up in the mountains, you see. Ol' Peizhi had taught me what he was able of snake-style kung fu, and when Haneul found out about what I could do, I was sort of claimed as his personal padawan."
She shrugged. "I really miss some of the other monks when I'm here. And old Peizhi. I wonder how he's been doing."
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 24, 2010 20:53:41 GMT -5
Vincent smiled, listening interestedly to Nina's story. He waited until she was finished before voicing the many questions that burned on his tongue. Well, some of them, anyway.
"You ran away from home at seven?" he gasped, incredulous. "In a foreign country? What were you thinking, child?"
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 24, 2010 20:59:27 GMT -5
Nina flapped a hand lightly in the air, as if to wave his worry away.
"Ran away from the circus. It's a travelling troupe-- no country is a foreign country when you don't actually live in a single place. We were travelling through the area anyway, and Southeastern China was where Peizhi was from. He'd told me enough stories that I thought I could get by. Thought."
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 24, 2010 21:03:46 GMT -5
"I see," Vincent nodded, relaxing a little. "When did you join the circus in the first place? Were you born into it?"
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 24, 2010 21:08:14 GMT -5
Nina nodded. "Yup. My mother managed the troupe. I was originally going to stay with my grandparents, but when Rosia-- er, mom-- saw how flexible I was, she figured she could make money off of me and put me in the show. She wasn't much of a mom, really. The trapeze artists and the snake charmer took more care of me than she did."
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 24, 2010 21:13:21 GMT -5
Vincent blinked in amazement. The thought of a parent not taking care of her own child was all but inconceivable to him.
"I'm so sorry," he said automatically. "I can't imagine a mother not caring for her own daughter. I'm glad there were others there to take care of you, and not just use you to make money."
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 24, 2010 21:21:24 GMT -5
"Bah." Nina shook her head. "She's a businesswoman. Profit first, pleasure second. I was somewhere closer to the bottom of that list." She made a face. "But it didn't bother me much. I liked my carnie family." She grinned, adding mentally, Not like I knew what a normal family was like, anyway.
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 24, 2010 21:28:09 GMT -5
Vincent nodded again. "I'm glad someone was there to care for you. You turned out just fine," he said with a smile. "Who was this Peizhi you mentioned earlier? Part of your troupe, I imagine?"
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Nina Paem
Keme
Academy Junior: Mage
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.
Posts: 427
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Post by Nina Paem on Jun 24, 2010 21:48:53 GMT -5
"He was the snake charmer," Nina explained. "Gave me my first Kung Fu lessons. He's actually the one that discovered my magic."
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Vincent Hawk
Ireth
Sexy British Professor of Music
~ Sing like no one's listening ~
Posts: 722
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Post by Vincent Hawk on Jun 24, 2010 22:03:35 GMT -5
"I see." Vincent smiled and nodded. "How long have you been studying Kung Fu?" He didn't bother asking what type she practiced -- her earlier comments about contortion and imagining herself as a snake gave that away.
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