09-29-2025, 08:26 PM
Cadence was shocked. Casey had never mentioned this to her or anything. All those years together and they both could use magic. "I...I never knew...you mean it? You can use magic too? For how long?"
Casey looked away a bit in shame and grimaced. Cadence knew that Casey had her own struggles - particularly with guilt for things that her parents had told her were bad and really weren't. Magic was probably one of those things.
"Yeah...since I was about sixteen I think. I've only used it a handful of times, and not as easy as you can," Casey hadn't looked back up.
This was an odd moment for Cadence. Casey had always been solid and strong. She had always worked hard to keep it together because Cadence needed it. The proof was in Cadence's mood, which had shifted from a potential crash to a more positive one. But this was appearing to be something that opened some old wounds for Casey. The two women had never kept score about such things, but Cadence could help her friend here.
"Casey," Cadence said softly and waited until Casey met her gaze. "This isn't wrong...it's part of who you are and that's not a bad thing. You don't need to feel guilty about it." Casey nodded and her posture relaxed a bit. Casey knew what Cadence had said was true, but old guilts didn't go away fast.
The best way to help though would be for Casey to embrace her gift though, something that she was clearly struggling with, but there was something more important. If Casey didn't have control, she could get sick. "You get sick every time you use it."
Casey shook her head. "The first time, I got a bad migraine. The same happened the second time with the added bonus of nausea and fever. The third time, nothing." Cadence let out a breath she had been holding. "It's difficult for me to use...partially because I keep hearing "suffer not a witch to live" in my head all the time, but I have been tempted. It feels so powerful and almost sweet. There is a weird comfort to it, but like I said...not as easy as you do it. Ever since that third time, any time I've tried, I can't...hold it. It's there, but it's like there is something keeping me from accessing it. I don't know why."
Cadence nodded. "I couldn't use it unless I was guilty for a long time. I think it's something like that...maybe not guilt," Casey looked at Cadence, her gaze one that Cadence was unfamiliar with seeing from her friend. Cadence wasn't sure what it meant, but she guessed. "It's not a bad thing. I've seen a lot of good things done with it. Is part of your concern doing something bad with it?"
Casey shrugged. "I think that's part of it. I think the rest is just old guilt that's hard to get over. Part of me really wants to learn what's wrong - I mean - why I can't access it, but I'm scared to do it, and I don't know how."
Cadence nodded and touched Casey's hand gently. She would help, and she knew others who would help too. "We can find out - you and me. I have some friends that can help us figure it out. Casey," Cadence paused, looking at her friend with the genuineness only Cadence Mathis could conjure. "You've always been there for me...for anything. Let me be here for you with this. Will you trust me?" Casey looked at Cadence and her eyes brightened as Casey smiled and nodded. "Okay...let's go get you figured out."
The two women stood up and got their coats on. Casey ordered a cab as they thanked the baristas and left the shop. Cadence would take Casey to Kallisti and they could figure out what was blocking her. Maybe then Casey would realize what a gift she had.
Casey looked away a bit in shame and grimaced. Cadence knew that Casey had her own struggles - particularly with guilt for things that her parents had told her were bad and really weren't. Magic was probably one of those things.
"Yeah...since I was about sixteen I think. I've only used it a handful of times, and not as easy as you can," Casey hadn't looked back up.
This was an odd moment for Cadence. Casey had always been solid and strong. She had always worked hard to keep it together because Cadence needed it. The proof was in Cadence's mood, which had shifted from a potential crash to a more positive one. But this was appearing to be something that opened some old wounds for Casey. The two women had never kept score about such things, but Cadence could help her friend here.
"Casey," Cadence said softly and waited until Casey met her gaze. "This isn't wrong...it's part of who you are and that's not a bad thing. You don't need to feel guilty about it." Casey nodded and her posture relaxed a bit. Casey knew what Cadence had said was true, but old guilts didn't go away fast.
The best way to help though would be for Casey to embrace her gift though, something that she was clearly struggling with, but there was something more important. If Casey didn't have control, she could get sick. "You get sick every time you use it."
Casey shook her head. "The first time, I got a bad migraine. The same happened the second time with the added bonus of nausea and fever. The third time, nothing." Cadence let out a breath she had been holding. "It's difficult for me to use...partially because I keep hearing "suffer not a witch to live" in my head all the time, but I have been tempted. It feels so powerful and almost sweet. There is a weird comfort to it, but like I said...not as easy as you do it. Ever since that third time, any time I've tried, I can't...hold it. It's there, but it's like there is something keeping me from accessing it. I don't know why."
Cadence nodded. "I couldn't use it unless I was guilty for a long time. I think it's something like that...maybe not guilt," Casey looked at Cadence, her gaze one that Cadence was unfamiliar with seeing from her friend. Cadence wasn't sure what it meant, but she guessed. "It's not a bad thing. I've seen a lot of good things done with it. Is part of your concern doing something bad with it?"
Casey shrugged. "I think that's part of it. I think the rest is just old guilt that's hard to get over. Part of me really wants to learn what's wrong - I mean - why I can't access it, but I'm scared to do it, and I don't know how."
Cadence nodded and touched Casey's hand gently. She would help, and she knew others who would help too. "We can find out - you and me. I have some friends that can help us figure it out. Casey," Cadence paused, looking at her friend with the genuineness only Cadence Mathis could conjure. "You've always been there for me...for anything. Let me be here for you with this. Will you trust me?" Casey looked at Cadence and her eyes brightened as Casey smiled and nodded. "Okay...let's go get you figured out."
The two women stood up and got their coats on. Casey ordered a cab as they thanked the baristas and left the shop. Cadence would take Casey to Kallisti and they could figure out what was blocking her. Maybe then Casey would realize what a gift she had.