Log:A Dark Game of Spells

2021/08/11 Radical|Connor Grimm 1

It's a later summer afternoon. It's just beginning to tip gradually toward evening, the the heat of the day is beginning to wane. After the magical snafu, Grimm has requested perhaps Connor could help her practice some of the magic she's learned from reading Darkside's mind. In exchange, she could help him practice some of the spells he's been learning. She steps ahead as the reach the clearing in the wooded area past Randal's property. It's open enough to practice casting spells, and wooded enough to keep from being noticed.

Connor looks around slowly. "I think we shouldn't be disturbed here. As long as we don't get too flashy."

"Flashy is totally what I think of when I think of you," Gabrielle teases. She looks up to the tree tops. "At least nothing above the tree line. I...might be able to cover up some of this from the notice of others if you want to cast some really big magic. But I'd need to completely focus on it."

Connor nods, "Good. Then my secret identity cover is working. Because I've been plenty flashy recently."

Grimm raises an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a lop-sided grin. "Okay. You have me intrigued. Spill."

Connor smiles slightly, "I ended up showing off in front of the local vampire leadership. I had to prove my credentials, after all."

Grimm lets out a low whistle. "Put in a real show for them, huh?" she smiles. "Some people just have to be shown, y'know? So what spell did you cast to impress them?"

Connor smiles...and raises a hand...and turns into a series of fluttering black leaves. His voice seems disembodied. "Then I shifted to another dimension. So it was like I disappeared."

Grimm's jaw drops a bit, then starts turning into a big grin after that. "Okay. Major style points. Even -I'm- impressed. So...this wouldn't happen to be the same local vampire group your old date was in, was it?"

Grimm reaches out to playfully swat at one of the black leaves. "Like the color, by the way."

Connor returns to his normal state...the leaves coalescing into a human shape first, before his appearance returns. "Yeah. It was necessary. They were getting attacked by someone else, and I needed information to help find the culprit."

"I wonder what'd happen if I caught a few of those leaves," Gabrielle muses to herself as Connor returns to normal. "I think a trick like that is worth some instant mystical street cred," she concedes.

Connor smiles. "You wouldn't be able to hold onto it permanently. But yeah...it's flashy, without being destructive. It got quite a bit of attention."

Grimm nods and steps further out into the clearing. "Mmmm. Probably not. I definitely couldn't grab all of them. I've never fallen apart in that way before. I was just curious what would happen if I captured a few pieces," she shrugs, sounding mischievious. "So," she turns to face him and backpedals slowly, "What sort of spells are you trying to practice and improve with?"

Connor smiles. "Mostly...I'm been working on speed. Efficiency. I've been concerned that in combat, my spell casting just isn't quick enough. And the spell I just used isn't limited to leaves. It could be...bees. Or mist. Or whatever I can think of."

"Bees? Yikes. Mist? Cooler. Just no spiders, please." The Mistress of Tenebration, afraid of spiders? Preposterous! She stops back pedaling when she's a bit past the center of the clearing. "Hmmm, so...you're trying to become a faster spell slinger. Sounds like...a wizard duel!" she declares jokingly, pulling out her finger guns, perhaps in homage to a certain cowboy. "Pew-pew-pew pew." The sounds come from her mouth, and not from any sort of spell or illusion. She hasn't cast anything yet.

Connor grins. "Spiders. That would be good. But generally, I want whatever it is to fly or float. So, birds work, for example." He chuckles. "A duel, huh?"

"Birds, sure. Moths. Butterflies. Or if you want to impress a certain lady, maybe rose petals," Gabrielle says the last with a sly grin. "Hmmm...a wizard duel. Though...hmmm. I suppose a wizard's game may work, but I don't know enough of the right spells to play it, so I lost my match."

Connor chuckles. "What game are you thinking of?"

"It was a game of spell casting to solve a maze puzzle. But...I think the point of that game was more to practice a variety of spells with certain applications of them. But you want to be able to practice more with casting them under pressure, right? So...you need to be prepared to cast them under fire!" And speaking of fire, Gabrielle tries to catch Connor off guard as she flicks a finger towards him casts a fireball at him.

Connor ends up diving to the side, rolling on the ground. "I don't have a lot of defensive spells, you know. My gear provides some defense. If I have it with me."

The fireball flies past Connor. He can feel the heat coming off of it as it passes and seems to hit an invisible barrier before it can pass the trees. "So what you're saying is you're at my mercy," Grimm chuckles. "Or you'll have to get faster real fast," she says as green sickly eldritch energy curls and flows around her fingers. It feels...like something Darkside would cast. She flings her hand out at him again, casting the dark spell his way.

Connor is still down. He grimaces...and closes his eyes...and breathes deeply. Just taking it.

In trying to be fast, Grimm is sloppy. The eldritch blast skims just above him and hits the grass and dirt a short distance behind him, causing the ground to sizzle and the grass to whither and blacken as the life appears to drain from it.

The eldritch blast strikes Connor in the chest and begins to make a sizzling sound as his shirt blackens. He feels the sensation of the impact of energy going through him rather than hitting solidly. There's heat, then cold, the darkness spreading from Grimm's evil trick.

The eldritch power even smells acrid with a hit of decay.

Connor gets to his feet, and glares at Grimm, "What is WRONG with you?!" He clearly believes it is entirely real. He gets to his feet...and focuses on himself, placing a hand on his chest to heal himself with Order magic. "I'm not going to attack you. I'm just not."

Connor blinks when his spell doesn't do anything. "No. NO." He breathes in gasps. "No...no..."

Grimm looks shocked when Connor yells at her, then starts to panic. "W-what? No, no, you're okay. I wouldn't actually do that to you!" she says as she realizes he really thinks she would. She quickly sweeps her hand like wiping away something before her as she starts to jog to him, and the apparently wound and all the damage lifts away like smoke and disperses away, revealing there's no damage or harm at all. "I'm sorry. It...it was just an illusion of magic," she begins to explain.

Connor drops to his knees, still breathing heavily, and looking down at the ground. The illusion clearly fooled him entirely. He closes his eyes for a long moment as he tries to control his reactions...taking deep breaths.

Grimm isn't sure if he's really registering what she's saying. She feels immediately awful that she scared him. "Shick...Connor," she says, taking a knee beside him and trying to comfort him by putting an arm around him. She's never seen him like this before. Even in the face of Lord Krul and other threats. Which...makes her realize she really effed up.

It takes a long moment before he speaks. He keeps his eyes closed. His voice is flat. And quiet. "I have no defensive spells, other than the trick with the leaves...and that would do nothing with a fireball. My only other means of defense right now is the portals I can create. Or my armor. And I don't tend to dial my attack spells down...though I suppose I can." He sounds...analytical now.

"Connor, I'm sorry. I...I was trying to get you to rely on offense as a defense and cast quickly. I didn't want to use any power that'd actually hurt you, so I just used an illusion. They were all illusions," Gabrielle apologizes, broken up over having caused this reaction in him. Considering he didn't cast any spells, it's odd that he's gone analytical. It seems like a coping mechanism for his fear. "It's going to be okay. It wasn't real. I wouldn't hurt you," she tries to reassure him and attempts to give him a hug.

Connor nods slowly and opens his eyes, patting her arm as she reaches around him to hug him. His voice still sounds flat, "I'll be okay. I just...am clearly not ready to rely just on magic. Not yet."

Grimm just holds on to him and sniffles a bit. "I thought you'd know I wouldn't hurt you. Let's...let's call it a day for magic. I won't do something like that to you again." Her guilt and remorse and evident. "I can help you back to the house? A short walk and some tea might be helpful."

Connor nods again. "Umm...yeah, I know you wouldn't hurt me." Or at least...that's what he thought before he got blasted. So...conflicting emotions right now. He slowly gets to his feet. "I think heading back to the house is a good idea."

Grimm rises up with him and nods, giving him a moment and staying by his side when he's ready to start walking. "And...I don't know what was wrong with me. I took that too far. It's...it's okay if you really believed I'd hurt you," she says solemnly. Her thoughts drift to some of the past things various figures had said about her and her powers. The danger she poses. "I've hurt friends in the past, after all."

Connor shakes his head, "No, no. I dont' believe you'd hurt me. I don't." He sighs as he starts to walk. "I'm just realizing that what power I have is not...enough. This is the same result as what would have happened if you had attacked me while I stood up to you on my porch, with no powers at all. Only without the attempt to try to heal myself. That wouldn't have happened, of course." Rather than being angry at Grimm, he's internalizing.

Grimm winces at the reminder. Part of her almost wishes he'd be angry. At least then she'd know how he was feeling. "No...it wouldn't have. I wouldn't have hurt you even then. Still, I guess it was a dirty trick. I thought using illusions meant it was fine that you didn't have defensive spells or your suit. But...you're right. If I were a real villain, and caught you defenseless and by surprise, that...that would've been bad." She thinks of how panicked he was initially. And in odd denial. He had to believe it. "If you didn't believe it, you wouldn't have been so afraid. I saw how you tried to heal yourself like it was real, and then panic. I wish I could take it back."

Connor stops walking, and turns to look at Grimm. "It's okay. Really. I just learned a very important lesson. About hubris. And being too sure of myself." He doesn't sound angry, exactly. But there is a tension in his voice. "The important thing is...I learned it before it was too late."

Grimm halts a half step after he does and looks to him worriedly. "I don't think that was hubris. Some confidence is good for you. And...and I just screwed that up for you, didn't I?" she sighs.

Connor takes a deep breath and swallows. He waits a long moment before speaking. "I've seen plenty of things in my life that my magic could not affect. I...found myself wondering if that was what was going on. What went through my head was that you might have been Darkside. Or someone sent to kill me. A demon? Or maybe I was in a dream. I definitely believed what I saw. It even had a magical signature that I expected to see."

Grimm gasps and covers her mouth as she realizes what was going through his head. "Shick," the word comes out muffled. She lowers her hand some so she can speak clearly. "I...I wasn't thinking. I didn't even think you'd think I was someone else." She thinks on the gravity of that. "I'm so sorry. I guess given everything, those would be possible situations." Her brow furrows after some thought, then she looks at him. "If you thought that, you really should've fought back! Not just held back." It's almost a little scolding, but what comes through more is her concern.

Connor shakes his head, "It was too quick. If your first attack hadn't been...a wide area of effect, I could have just...tried to avoid it and fire back, maybe. But you went with something I had to literally dive away from. And before I could try to calm things down, you attacked again. While I was still down." He says quietly, "It was...very effective. Well done."

Connor adds, "And I wasn't sure at the time if what I was experiencing was real or not. It looked real. And if it was real...I would need to fire back with as much force as I had at my disposal. You know that, right?"

Connor says, "So...my hesitation was due to not wanting to hurt you. And being confused."

Grimm purses her lips and pouts a bit, not feeling good at all about the analytical compliment. "I...I know. And I would've deserved it. You still should've. Next time it might really be a bad guy's trick. Or mind control. Or....something worse." The way she hesitates and looks away, she has something specific on her mind when she changed her response to 'something worse'.

Connor shakes his head, "If I had my gear...I could have retreated. Figured out what was going on. Maybe I need to wear at least the harness all the time. I have to think about it. And potential defensive spells. Maybe a wall of some kind."

"But...you can't have your gear on all the time. Sometimes...sometimes, you can't hesitate in a fight." Even though she's saying it, Grimm would probably still hesitate when it actually comes down to it. "But...more defensive spells could always be useful. I've, uh, been told I need to get better with those, too." Many times.

Connor nods, "I know. But I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself easily if I hit you with full force when you were holding back. Even if I couldn't tell."

Grimm hesistates, then reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder, moving slowly so has not to make any sudden movements. "I'd forgive you. In a heartbeat," she says softly, but with confidence. "I'd rather you be safe. And given my past and current stuff, I...I -could- be trying to hurt you even if I didn't want to."

Connor nods slowly. "Not intentionally, though." He shakes his head again, "I've been thinking that I need more defensive options, anyway. This just reinforces that feeling." At least he doesn't seem so intense about blaming himself now.

"Not intentionally. You're right. That's why I didn't want to use actual offensive spells against you in this practice. But I feel like what I did was even worse," Grimm chews on her lower lip a little. She's at least glad he's not blaming himself. "There's...maybe some additional spells to look into. I, umm. I was visited by the Gentleman earlier today."

Connor raises a brow, "Oh? What happened?"

Grimm takes a breath and lets it out. "He brought some of my dark thoughts to the surface. I didn't realize it was because he was secretly walking alongside me for a bit. He came to tell me he has a stake in the Outsiders not destroying this reality, said I could be used by the Qliphothic forces in this war, and...suggested I not be here. Or kill myself before that happens. Which." She pauses for a moment, her eyes averting from his and glancing down and to her right. "Is stupid." She was very confident that it was stupid at the time the Gentleman suggested it, but for a brief moment, after what just happened with Connor, there's a wavering of her confidence in that.

Connor nods slowly. "You're right. That would be a poor decision. At best. That would be like when that choice could have been made with N'zrathol...only THAT was an actual threat we knew about. This is just guessing that you MIGHT be a target. It's far more likely that some cultists will come up with some other method than trying to hunt you down."

Grimm slowly becomes convinced by Connor's logic. "Yeah, and you stopped N'zrathol from breaking into this world through me. We just have to figure out what the entry point or event could be this time. There was another Elder God trying to affect the minds of some of the asylum patients. I think some of the visions they're seeing could be a warning."

Connor nods again. "You're probably right on that. I'm not sure exactly what they'll do, but it sounds to me like The Gentleman is trying to push you into an action that doesn't really make any sense. He's preying on your fear. And on your guilt."

Grimm winces faintly at the mention of guilt. She has a lot of it weighing on her. "Yeah, you're right," she says and rubs at her eyes. "Just messing with my head. Besides, if I really was turned and became a threat, it can be dealt with then," she says and lowers her hands from her eyes. She forces a smile, her eyes a bit glossier than usual. "I think we could use something a bit stronger than tea when we get back. And I owe you like a week's worth of homemade swedish meatballs or something."

Connor goes ahead to give Grimm a hug, if she lets him. "You don't owe me anything. You know that."

Grimm hugs back, her head dropping down against his shoulder as she sniffs a few times. "I know," her voice breaks a little. She hesitates and clears her throat, trying to cover her emotions as her head lifts again. "I want to do it. I'm supposed to be comforting -you-, silly."

Connor smiles slightly. "I'll...be fine. My issues get overridden when thoughts of suicide come up. That has to be dealt with first."

Grimm blinks, pulling back enough so she can look at him. "I wasn't thinking of doing that," she says sincerely. "I'm not about to off myself because some evil jerk suggests it," she smirks a little.

Connor looks her in the eyes, and then nods. "Good. I needed to be sure."

Grimm nods once firmly. "Good." While suicide wasn't in her mind, there's always the whole heroic sacrifice thing. She gives him another hugging squeeze, then pulls back, releasing him from the hug but keeping one hand on his shoulder. "Come on. Let's get a drink."

Connor nods. "Sure. A drink sounds good." He walks with Grimm back toward the house. Things are pretty quiet, aside from the occassional car passing by on the road past the house, or small furry animals moving about in the brush.

Grimm slides her hands in her jean pockets and is mostly quiet. The walk helps clear her head and think on what she did. Sometimes you just need to walk instead of teleport. After some time of silence, she murmurs, "Now I wish I had my thank you gift finished instead of still a work in progress," she finally breaks the silence as the house comes into view.

Connor smiles slightly, "Mmm. That's okay. I appreciate the thought." He walks up to the back door of the house, and opens it, letting them both in, leading into the kitchen.

"Well...I have some of it done," Gabrielle admits. "Just...stuck on some parts. I suppose I could always give you part of it. Or a preview," she says as they step into the kitchen.

Connor smiles as he grabs his open bottle of scotch and a couple of glasses, "Only if you want to. I don't mind waiting." He pours two drinks, but puts a couple of ice cubes in his.

"Well. Maybe it'd be nice to calm things down after earlier," Gabrielle shrugs, still feeling terrible about it. The image of Connor's muted panic and thinking he was dying will stick with her for some time.

Connor seems to be calmer, if not exactly confident now. He sets the bottle aside, and offers Grimm her drink. "It's still up to you."

Gabrielle accepts the drink. Maybe that'll also help him get his confidence back. She takes a sip, then closes her eyes and swallows the burn down. She exhales slowly after to cool off her throat. She leans back against the counter and smiles faintly. "I...guess." She thinks for a moment, reciting something in her head. "Why don't we find a place to sit and chill. Your study or some other place?"

Connor nods. "My study sounds good. It's...more comforting than the living room, honestly. At least for me." He leads the way to the study, and it's much like Randal's study in his home. Lots of books on shelves and a couple of comfy chairs to sit in.

"Good. Sounds like just what you need," Gabrielle says as they head to the study. Rather than taking a seat right away, she's browsing his bookshelves for something. Maybe a well loved book related to mathematics.

Connor takes a seat, not really looking up at the books initially. There are several books on mathematics that are there, but the most worn looks like a paperback. 'Journey into Genius'. Well, that and a second paperback book. 'Flatland'.

Grimm ponders between the two books and smiles. She pulls both carefully, stacking the 'Journey into Genius' on top since it's his skills and mind that needs some confidence. She walks over to him and leans down, setting the books in his lap, then steps back a few to sit into another near seat. She hasn't explained anything yet, but she does get a coaster and set her glass down on top of it after another sip.

Connor raises a brow, and takes the books. He chuckles. "I've already read these, you know. Often." He takes a sip of his drink, and sets it down on a coaster on the table next to him. He looks at both book briefly...and smiles, before flipping through the book of proofs, picking out one to look at in more detail.

"I could tell by the condition of the spines. Which means they're familiar. Comforting." Gabrielle smiles as he begins looking through the math book. She had a feeling. Reaching a hand to her side, she makes a grasping motion as she opens a small teleportation gate to her music room at home and pulls her blackwood acoustic guitar. She rests the body on her knee and grasps the neck lightly with her left hand. Her hand lightly drums a beat on the body. It may or may not be familiar, but then she gently sings the lyrics to the cover of Kate Bush's "Pi".

"Sweeeeeet and gentle, sensitive man...with an obsessive nature and deep fascination for numbers..."

She begins strumming the main melody. "And a complete infatuation with the calculation of pi. Oh he love, he love, he does love his numbers. And they run, they run, they run him in a great big circle. In a circle of infinity."

The song goes on into a sweet crooning of the numbers of pi, which Grimm has actually memorized with considerable effort. Which is maybe why she needed to be sober. "3.1415926535...." and on it goes, making the numbers sound romanticized.

Connor sets the book back down on his lap as he listens. He smiles as he continues to listen, and he takes another sip of his drink.

There's a break in the number and she sings the chorus again. Gabrielle has perfect pitch as she sings the cover.

"Oh he love, he love, he does love his numbers. And they run, they run, they run him in a great big circle. In a circle of infinity. But he must, he must, he must put a number to it. Fiiiiiiive...zero two eight eight four one nine..." and she caries this on for many more decimals down the line in an impressive show of memory that could've been useful if she applied it to her schoolwork. Maybe using music was the key for her.

It ends with the chorus again. She meant for it to just be calm music to accompany his reading. "...in a great big circle. In a circle of infinity." The gentle strumming continues a little and slows before she stops.

Connor smiles and claps. "Very nice." He then chuckles. "You've memorized more digits of Pi than I have now."

Grimm chuckles at that. "That...is wild. If you learn the song, then you'll have it memorized, too. I don't think I'd have normally been into a song like that, but...that song made me think of you in some ways. So...you could say you're the inspiration for me learning all those digits," she smiles.

Connor raises his glass. "Well, thank you. That was very nice. And a great idea."

Grimm sets her guitar aside and raises her glass. "You're welcome." She takes a sip, now needing that drink, because she's going to say something sappy to help his confidence. She rests her drink on her knee. "You've inspired me in a lot of way. Mainly to try and be a better person than I was. Even if that's still a road I'm traveling on. You helped me realize there really are good, selfless men out there. That not all magic users are selfish or power hungry. And after learning about all you went through as the Cartesian and to relearn magic and fighting skills to help others? Maybe you aren't prepared for -every- possibility, but few are. I know you're making a difference out there. And I really believe you're going to help bring balance to this universe."

Connor listens quietly and smiles. "Thank you." He takes a deep breath.. "That helps a lot."