Inbox

[neverarightstep]

[Grainne has a... phone, but she lacks the understanding to use most of the features. Most messages send to her will go unanswered What on earth is that incessant chiming??? but she has a physical spot for letters outside her room in Perdita's wing.]

Comments

9/3

[gloriamaeve]

Dear Grainne,

On Sunday the fifth, I will have an outing into Eros and would be overjoyed for you attend. Please meet in the front hall promptly at ten in the morning. I look forward to meeting you.

Warmest Regards,
Gloria Maeve

((ooc: I will put up an open log on the 5th that will be everyone meeting with Gloria to go shopping. Don't worry, this is her attempt to meet everyone for the first time. Feel free to use it as mingle type log as well. ))

9/16 Package

[gloriamaeve]

[ On the afternoon of the 16th, Grainne will find several boxes all wrapped in very violets and blues with pretty, embroidered ribbons on her bed. In the clothing and shoe boxes she will find the outfits from the shopping trip. In two small, square boxes, Grainne will find:

Two books: The Secrets of Elementals and Schlaski's Primer for Young Learners. The first book will contain a wealth of information for those unfamiliar with Makoshian elementals and how to successfully court them. The book says that patience, determination, and an open mind are necessary. The second book, though for children is the most robust beginner's book on Amare in existence. It covers every thing from the four basic elementals (Mokosh, wind, fire, water), the most basic of ritual circles, brief descriptions of 'best magical practices', and basic charms and bindings.

An ornate wooden bowl, an iron dagger, and an assortment of basic but neatly packed plant clippings. All the clippings are label with what they are for, where they grow, and their common uses in Amare.

A journal graces one of the boxes. It is hard cover with thick pages and bound in leather dyed a pretty green and embossed with a shield. Inside is a note: One drop of your blood in center of the cover. Speak the words My eyes alone see the truth. The words you write here will show as others to different eyes.

Lastly, there is a note. ]

Dear Grainne,

Thank you so much for coming to my little outing! I hope the second dress will meet your taste. Plaid isn't in style in Eros right now so I had them make something with a touch of plaid just for you. I hope we will speak further soon! I trust you will put these items to good use. The clothing you are free to do with as you see fit. However, the rest are things you shouldn't speak of too casually. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.

All my best,
Gloria Maeve

[ If Grainne looks at the Primer, she will see a section on the general secrecy of magic in Mokosh marked. That might explain the last part of the letter.... ]

((ooc: The journal is meant to be their beginning grimoire; a subject touched upon in the beginner's primer. Once they complete the spell as indicated with the note anyone else trying to read the journal will only see the most mundane things like cooking recipes, a recap of character's day, etc. Well, with one teensy exception. Anything written in the journals will appear in Gloria's Master Copy as written by the character. If you wish, you can make a journal entry and send me the link for anything that might get written down for Gloria to see, or you can drop them in her IC inbox. ))

[neverarightstep]

[This is a plain hand written note, hand delivered by Grainne's maid. The niceties of stationery are a bit beyond Grainne still. Accompanied by an celtic knot made out of cord and charmed with a minor protection spell common among the Druids in Ireland.]

To Lady Gloria from Grainne

I humbly thank you for the favors bestowed and the shopping trip. It was nice to get out of the manor. The plaid is beautiful. I am still uncertain what I have done to deserve such favors, but I hope that I will live up to your expectations. Please accept this as a token of gratitude.

PRANK - 10th Oct.

[chaostic]

(ooc: You can choose if you want this to happen ICly or not but she is on his list. )

[ Grainne in the evening will go to bed and she will fall asleep. As soon as she is asleep she will feel rain.

The rain doesn't get anything wet, per Loki's instructions, but the uncomfortability of dampness permeates her clothes, her skin, and her hair. It doesn't leave lasting damage on any of her belongings mostly because the elemental doesn't want to.

If she did she might but she's nice despite who she decided to bond with.

The water elemental in Grainne's room will follow her around for throughout the night before wandering off again without any explanation whatsoever. ]

10/14

[samantha_grey]

Grainne... sorry I haven't been in touch as much as I should. Losing Kanaya and now ... I think Peter's missing too. Are you alright?

[neverarightstep]

[Grainne deadeyes the water elemental. She has a feeling she knows who set this up, and of course this means that open war had been declared. For the moment, she lets the elemental do its thing, while making notes on a stray sheet of paper.

They were her revenge plans, of course.]

paper note

[neverarightstep]

[in Ogham]
Samantha,

Do not worry overmuch, we did not have phones in Eire. I am missing Peter, too. He seems to be gone from Eros. I have been busy decorating my house in the city and taking clients.

[There is a crudely drawn map to her 'house', actually a three bedroom flat not far from Lilith's Crossing.]

I have tea if you wish to talk.

From Grainne

Action

[samantha_grey]

[Oh, so she'd managed to get a house in town? That explained quite a bit. Samantha breathed something of a sigh of relief and, rather than trying to have a courier deliver a note, made her way to the place Grainne had gotten around dinner time that day. Knocking at her door, she quietly waited outside, hoping that she hadn't chosen a time when the other was taking a client.]

[neverarightstep]

[The three bedroom flat has a long way to go before Grainne's satisfied with it, but as it stands it holds all the scents of home, or at least the Eros equivilent of it, and that's a comfort to her.

Grainne looks up at the knock, brushing hair out of her face and set the apples she's slicing down.

When she answers the door, she's wearing her dress and brat, the clothing she arrived in, hair tied back and flour marring an old apron she got second hand from some place in town. She brightens when she sees who it is.]

Samantha! You found my letter?

[samantha_grey]

[Sam was, as always, in a vest and slacks, the tie neatly put in place and her hair tied severely behind her back. The way she dressed? It would have been hard at a distance not to mistake her for a man sometimes. Smiling over at Grainne, she slipped in and nodded.]

I did. Thanks for that. I really should have been here to offer a house warming gift. You've been well, considering, I hope?

[neverarightstep]

Oh, yes. [She doesn't pause or dim, but she does sound a bit more vague.] I have kept myself busy. No need for a gift, please make yourself comfortable.

[The main room of her flat is arranged with cushions and floor level seating, around a brazier that holds a cheery fire. Grainne's focus stones sat on a table nearby, telling she's used it to practice her elements.]

Are you hungry?

[samantha_grey]

[Samantha made her way into the place, looking around and settling herself near the brazier, relaxing with a sigh before looking up at Grainne, considering. She'd half expected the offer, so she hadn't eaten since breakfast.]

Something to eat would be nice. Do you mind if I add a little spice to it? I... keep a little bottle with me all the time for that.

[Why ask something like that? Well, mostly because the kind of 'spice' she needed was blistering.]

I see you've been busy. Any progress?

[neverarightstep]

I don't mind, Samantha.

[Grainne steps over to the kitchen, taking an obviously home made loaf of bread and slicing off a hunk, and gathering a few other things before serving up a plate.]

Progress? [A pause as she figures out what Sam means.] Well, yes. I feel comfortable with all the elements now. Fire had given me some trouble, but it is making sense. I'm thinking of replacing that brazier with a proper hearth soon.

[Returning, Grainne holds out a plate of meat, cheese, bread and a sliced apple. Simple stuff.]

[samantha_grey]

[Samantha watched from the living room as Grainne worked, nodding.] Good. It takes time to work with the elements. There's always one that's harder than others, one that's easier. Oddly, I seemed to have the best knack for spirit myself. I think it's because all of the illusions I've heard of are spirit at their base, even if they draw on water and air.

And I don't know. A brazier's not a terrible thing until winter. [She took a bit of meat and cheese, rolling it up between her fingers and chewing on it thoughtfully, nodding in thanks. Gotta love carnivores.]

[neverarightstep]

A hearth would warm it up more, and now I can spell the smoke away. [Grainne laughed, settling down into a cushion.] This is nothing like home, but it is close enough.

How did you learn you are tied to spirit?

[samantha_grey]

There were a few rituals I went through, early on. The ones tied to spiritual magic were the easiest. It's not that I'm bad at the others. Those just come to me more quickly. Everyone has one they're talented in.

[She nodded, munching while the two talked.] And you're right. There's at least a little similarity here. It's helpful at times in learning how to do this.

[neverarightstep]

That is strange, I have found little on actual spirit, and even Gloria's- [Grainne pauses here, a worried tightening around her eyes.] Well, perhaps you can help me with it. Fire gave me enough trouble. I have been thinking on making an offer to some elementals.

[samantha_grey]

Spirit's harder to find information on. [She glanced over at her for a moment at the mention of Gloria's name. No, she wasn't surprised the woman had come into this. And she was going to play dumb. She trusted Grainne, but this was the agreement. Her training was to be an absolute secret. She didn't want it getting to the other sisters. Grainne knew that she was studying, and that was enough.]

I can help you with spirit, yes. It isn't easy, even if it's your talent. But I can help with it.

[neverarightstep]

I imagine that it is so because it is more powerful- and less physical than the others. I believe I am ready for it at least.

[She sighs and settles back on her cushions.]

Anyway, your note said that Peter was gone. Did you wish to talk about it?

[samantha_grey]

I'd... rather not speak about people that have gone missing today. As much as I do miss him, I'd feel better if I actually spent time with someone that's here in front of me. Does that make sense?

And I'm not quite sure I'd say more powerful... but it is kind of in everything a little.

[neverarightstep]

[She nods.] As you wish, Samantha. [The incident in the garden keeps popping up on Grainne's mind whenever people are said to disappear, but she doesn't really want to theorize on it.]

That makes sense. Some of the theory behind Amare seems to have similarities with magic in Eire, and there are a couple words I find familiar from other lands.

[samantha_grey]

A lot of the way they interact with their gods is ... familiar, but not the same. And, if you ever encountered hermetic alchemy, the elements are basically identical. [She shook her head.] It's just another sign that the various magics of different worlds all share something in common.

Spirit, ether, the Void, that one is always tricky because it doesn't have substance, not really. It's like a binding agent between all things, in all things, but itself separate.

[neverarightstep]

More or less. If I might speak honestly, I have always been a little wary of practicing magic for that part. I have seen terrible things happen when someone is meddling in things they do not understand and took too much initiative. Or were just a terrible person.

[Like the Dark One and Oisin's poor mother.]

Did I tell you of my terror for druids when I was wee?

[samantha_grey]

Yes... well, like any tool, it can be abused, and with enough power there are terrible things that can be done. [She sighed and shook her head.] But if you are careful to understand it, it isn't anymore dangerous than many others.

But no... you didn't. What about them?

[neverarightstep]

That is the whole problem, many of the youth do not bother to fully understand what they do. Others just do not care.

[She shakes her head, and then gives a nervous laugh.]

When I was small, the druids always seemed to important, and they knew so much and of course there were the stories of what the dark ones had done before. Someone with that much power and knowledge is terrifying to a young one. I am a bit wary of ones I do not know still, but it is more a healthy respect for them.

Though, I would happily string Diorruing up a tree for a few hundred years for what he did.