04-15-2018, 03:20 PM
He fiddled with his Wallet, set an image to dance on the air between them. Genuine interest kept Natalie's attention rapt as he explained the knotted pattern, though her curiosity did not diminish the scald of questions in its wake. At first glance, this research seemed far more complex than she would have guessed. He professed limited knowledge of the differences between men and women, but freely made the assumption she would not be able to see the threads weave together as he created the flame. She didn't dwell on it, though. At least, not at the moment.
Fire? She blinked pale eyes, and wondered if there was a meaning behind that. Rumours abounded after her family's home had burnt to the ground -- with her still in it. But that was ancient history, in the days when magic had been a fairy tale. Nothing in his manner suggested he intended to make a point with his choice, or that such links had even occurred to him. Still. It stirred the ashy taste of memories; the red wisp of the threads floating and catching against the papers in the office. The choke of smoke in her throat.
Her expression shuttered, blanking out even the mild curiosity of before. She was interested. But it was a polite interest.
"It's always happened through instinct. Until recently, I could not chose when it worked for me."
Her tone was even, but she meant it as a quiet warning. Her gaze moved from the vacant space where the flame had flickered up to his face. She was not adverse to taking the risk, so long as he realised that it was one. Control was something she fought for; it was not something she had won. "It doesn't look the way I would think to accomplish the same task. But I can try it this way, if you wish?"
He nodded, and she found herself in the position of needing to call in the light on command -- with another watching on. Her gaze drifted away from Marcus to the hologram, studying the twists and turns whilst she emptied out her other thoughts. Frustration simmered at her outer edges; the dark haze of other memories, strewn bodies and the searing heat of the hospital. Fire was not where she would have started her exploration. And yet, as she surrendered to the recklessness of it, the power flooded in.
With careful precision, she began to replicate Marcus's weave. Though it felt. Wrong.
Her eyes widened in the moment she felt it unravel.
The flame spun, widened. And exploded.
[[Marcus modded with permission]]
Fire? She blinked pale eyes, and wondered if there was a meaning behind that. Rumours abounded after her family's home had burnt to the ground -- with her still in it. But that was ancient history, in the days when magic had been a fairy tale. Nothing in his manner suggested he intended to make a point with his choice, or that such links had even occurred to him. Still. It stirred the ashy taste of memories; the red wisp of the threads floating and catching against the papers in the office. The choke of smoke in her throat.
Her expression shuttered, blanking out even the mild curiosity of before. She was interested. But it was a polite interest.
"It's always happened through instinct. Until recently, I could not chose when it worked for me."
Her tone was even, but she meant it as a quiet warning. Her gaze moved from the vacant space where the flame had flickered up to his face. She was not adverse to taking the risk, so long as he realised that it was one. Control was something she fought for; it was not something she had won. "It doesn't look the way I would think to accomplish the same task. But I can try it this way, if you wish?"
He nodded, and she found herself in the position of needing to call in the light on command -- with another watching on. Her gaze drifted away from Marcus to the hologram, studying the twists and turns whilst she emptied out her other thoughts. Frustration simmered at her outer edges; the dark haze of other memories, strewn bodies and the searing heat of the hospital. Fire was not where she would have started her exploration. And yet, as she surrendered to the recklessness of it, the power flooded in.
With careful precision, she began to replicate Marcus's weave. Though it felt. Wrong.
Her eyes widened in the moment she felt it unravel.
The flame spun, widened. And exploded.
[[Marcus modded with permission]]