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xp_logsIn the Cotswolds, Amanda and Nico meet with Homily, looking for some help.
"More tea?"
Homily's cottage was a lot like the woman herself - warm and comfortable, but eclectic. There was no mistaking her interests, what with the bundles of herbs hanging from the rafter to dry and the various crystals and candles strewn over most surfaces. There were window planters full of geraniums and marigolds in the kitchen and living room windows, the smell of baking bread from the oven and at least three cats that Amanda had spotted. One, a huge tortiseshell, was currently curled in Homily's lap, its unblinking eyes fixed on Nico.
The witch herself was looking older than the last time Amanda had seen her, more frail. Her long white hair had thinned at the scalp, although the braid down her back was as long as ever, and her hands held a slight tremble. Her eyes, however, were as piercing as ever and she looked at Nico with a combination of concern and what Amanda had to admit was fear.
Nico would have loved to consider that fear to be something that magic people felt towards her as normal by now...but she didn't. It wasn't that much of a depressive thing, actually, but more like realizing she was really holder of something darker and more dangerous than she was aware of. That made her scared of herself, and what would happen if she, by some reason, flipped and decided to go nuts.
A bit like down there with Artie's mom, guess. And telling people that evil magic didn't make you evil was sort of stupid. Nico sighed for the thousandth time and tried to look composed.
"Uh...yes please?" And then she turned to plead Amanda to save her life.
"Homily." Amanda's voice was calm, relaxed, but there was something in her expression that told Nico her mentor was well aware of what was going on. "We came to you for help. Nico needed somewhere she could relax, maybe find some healing. I thought of you."
Homily had the grace to look down at the teapot as she poured the tea, the faintest of blushes appearing. "Of course," she said. "I meant no offence. Only..."
"Only my student has a big ol' chunk of evil magic stuck in her," Amanda finished. "I know, Homily. But it doesn't make Nico evil. That's why I need help - I need to help Nico be more than the Staff." She glanced over at her student, giving her a reassuring smile before turning back to Homily. "That's why we're talking to everyone I can think of, including you. You're the best Healer I know and you helped me, even when I was completely fucked up."
The older woman nodded. "My apologies, Nico," she said, handing the girl a filled cup. "Of course, I will do what I can." She tilted her head a little. "You're carrying a lot of hurt, too, yes? Personal hurt?"
Woah, Nico hadn't imagined Amanda defending her in such a direct way, but she was glad none the less. Taking the cup with both hands, Nico remained silent for a moment. "Yeah, you could say that. Me and my parents, we aren't precisely on speaking terms." It was the best way she could put it without entering in the uncomfortable details, even if she knew that in order to be helped she would need to open herself a bit more. "And my bo- ex-boyfriend, too. You know, teen drama these days..."
Surprisingly, Homily chuckled a little. "I'm not laughing at you, Nico, it's just... you are so much like Amanda was when she was your age. It's almost like a mirror." She ignored Amanda's sudden squirm. "I don't know how much you know about my magic, but as Amanda mentioned, I'm a Healer. I see auras, energies. And yours are... muddied. Conflicted. And not all of it is due to the burden you carry."
"Oh God everyone says that." She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she tried not to blush. It was like visiting your mother's friend and be told you are just like her. That made Nico feel all kinds of awkward, although she was...proud? "Yeah, it's not all about being a big ball of black magic. I mean...I can kill people." The lightness of her tone vanished as she looked at the cup. "I don't even need to try that hard. I guess that puts things on perspective, huh?"
"A little, yes." Homily looked over at Amanda. "She's like you, yes? An energy drainer?"
Amanda nodded. "Pretty much. 'S her mutation, same as mine. Only she absorbs energy from living things." She said it steadily, almost as if daring Homily to react. "I figured you could help her control it a bit, same as you did with me. All the meditation and stuff?"
"And I remember how much protest you put up too." Homily chuckled. "Very well." She took a long, assessing look at Nico. "How are you with following instructions, child?""
Nico shrugged. "If there's no helping, I'll follow whatever instructions you issue. Within reason." She wasn't about to get naked and dance around a dead rabbit, that was for sure. Still, she supposed it was worth trusting in Homily, if the woman was willing to deal with her.
Homily gave Amanda another Look. "Definitely your student," she said. "Very well, let's begin with a tonic. You look far too pale and thin." Amanda began to chuckle and Homily turned to her. "You as well, Amanda. You're looking rather peaky yourself."
"But..." Amanda began to protest, but knew it was a lost cause. Homily would brook no refusal when it came to her herbal medicine, no matter how bad it tasted. Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. "I'm really sorry for what's about to happen next," she told Nico, even as Homily got up and began bustling around the kitchen.
Nico's face darkened a bit as she hurried with the tea. "Medicine time. Awesome." She wasn't sure what to make out of the pale comment, given that pale was the way she usually wanted to be, but seeing as how even her mentor had no say in it, she was forced to comply. "You are responsible for any side effects I might get from drinking God knows what." A pause. "And I want to see you drinking too, eh?"
"More tea?"
Homily's cottage was a lot like the woman herself - warm and comfortable, but eclectic. There was no mistaking her interests, what with the bundles of herbs hanging from the rafter to dry and the various crystals and candles strewn over most surfaces. There were window planters full of geraniums and marigolds in the kitchen and living room windows, the smell of baking bread from the oven and at least three cats that Amanda had spotted. One, a huge tortiseshell, was currently curled in Homily's lap, its unblinking eyes fixed on Nico.
The witch herself was looking older than the last time Amanda had seen her, more frail. Her long white hair had thinned at the scalp, although the braid down her back was as long as ever, and her hands held a slight tremble. Her eyes, however, were as piercing as ever and she looked at Nico with a combination of concern and what Amanda had to admit was fear.
Nico would have loved to consider that fear to be something that magic people felt towards her as normal by now...but she didn't. It wasn't that much of a depressive thing, actually, but more like realizing she was really holder of something darker and more dangerous than she was aware of. That made her scared of herself, and what would happen if she, by some reason, flipped and decided to go nuts.
A bit like down there with Artie's mom, guess. And telling people that evil magic didn't make you evil was sort of stupid. Nico sighed for the thousandth time and tried to look composed.
"Uh...yes please?" And then she turned to plead Amanda to save her life.
"Homily." Amanda's voice was calm, relaxed, but there was something in her expression that told Nico her mentor was well aware of what was going on. "We came to you for help. Nico needed somewhere she could relax, maybe find some healing. I thought of you."
Homily had the grace to look down at the teapot as she poured the tea, the faintest of blushes appearing. "Of course," she said. "I meant no offence. Only..."
"Only my student has a big ol' chunk of evil magic stuck in her," Amanda finished. "I know, Homily. But it doesn't make Nico evil. That's why I need help - I need to help Nico be more than the Staff." She glanced over at her student, giving her a reassuring smile before turning back to Homily. "That's why we're talking to everyone I can think of, including you. You're the best Healer I know and you helped me, even when I was completely fucked up."
The older woman nodded. "My apologies, Nico," she said, handing the girl a filled cup. "Of course, I will do what I can." She tilted her head a little. "You're carrying a lot of hurt, too, yes? Personal hurt?"
Woah, Nico hadn't imagined Amanda defending her in such a direct way, but she was glad none the less. Taking the cup with both hands, Nico remained silent for a moment. "Yeah, you could say that. Me and my parents, we aren't precisely on speaking terms." It was the best way she could put it without entering in the uncomfortable details, even if she knew that in order to be helped she would need to open herself a bit more. "And my bo- ex-boyfriend, too. You know, teen drama these days..."
Surprisingly, Homily chuckled a little. "I'm not laughing at you, Nico, it's just... you are so much like Amanda was when she was your age. It's almost like a mirror." She ignored Amanda's sudden squirm. "I don't know how much you know about my magic, but as Amanda mentioned, I'm a Healer. I see auras, energies. And yours are... muddied. Conflicted. And not all of it is due to the burden you carry."
"Oh God everyone says that." She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she tried not to blush. It was like visiting your mother's friend and be told you are just like her. That made Nico feel all kinds of awkward, although she was...proud? "Yeah, it's not all about being a big ball of black magic. I mean...I can kill people." The lightness of her tone vanished as she looked at the cup. "I don't even need to try that hard. I guess that puts things on perspective, huh?"
"A little, yes." Homily looked over at Amanda. "She's like you, yes? An energy drainer?"
Amanda nodded. "Pretty much. 'S her mutation, same as mine. Only she absorbs energy from living things." She said it steadily, almost as if daring Homily to react. "I figured you could help her control it a bit, same as you did with me. All the meditation and stuff?"
"And I remember how much protest you put up too." Homily chuckled. "Very well." She took a long, assessing look at Nico. "How are you with following instructions, child?""
Nico shrugged. "If there's no helping, I'll follow whatever instructions you issue. Within reason." She wasn't about to get naked and dance around a dead rabbit, that was for sure. Still, she supposed it was worth trusting in Homily, if the woman was willing to deal with her.
Homily gave Amanda another Look. "Definitely your student," she said. "Very well, let's begin with a tonic. You look far too pale and thin." Amanda began to chuckle and Homily turned to her. "You as well, Amanda. You're looking rather peaky yourself."
"But..." Amanda began to protest, but knew it was a lost cause. Homily would brook no refusal when it came to her herbal medicine, no matter how bad it tasted. Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. "I'm really sorry for what's about to happen next," she told Nico, even as Homily got up and began bustling around the kitchen.
Nico's face darkened a bit as she hurried with the tea. "Medicine time. Awesome." She wasn't sure what to make out of the pale comment, given that pale was the way she usually wanted to be, but seeing as how even her mentor had no say in it, she was forced to comply. "You are responsible for any side effects I might get from drinking God knows what." A pause. "And I want to see you drinking too, eh?"
