Desperate Measures

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher was good at everything she tried. That wasn't just to brag or show off, and it wasn't because she was born with this ability to just glide through life. No. Asher excelled at everything she did because she had to. Because there wasn't a choice not to and because excellence was always the unspoken bond that she shared with her father. Everything Calvert Harrington had done in his lifetime, he had done so with the intention succeeding, and he had done so with flying colors. He had built up his family legacy and expanded their empire. He had taken his family's company and turned it into a successful enterprise and he had done so by the time he was thirty. The challenge had never been if he could do, but when he would get it done. So Asher Harrington didn't just overachieve as part of her nature but because she was competing and it had been ingrained into her. Though it seemed that competing with a dead man always meant she would fall short to the list of accomplishments. 

But this whole ordeal, this trying to learn this stupid ability, that wasn't her father's side but her mother's and Asher didn't know how to compete with someone she didn't remember but technically didn't even exist. This year though she was finally going to crack it. She had just turned twenty-two and there was no celebration until she got this done. She had to. She was years overdue. Besides, her mother could do it. Why couldn't she? Some of her half siblings could do it? Why couldn't she? She had every resource at her disposal and the obsessive nature ingrained from her father. Asher Harrington was going to tackle this challenge if it was the last thing she did, and honestly she meant it.

So that was how she found herself at two in the morning, reading over her mother's books trying to learn the spells for it. Well, not spells per se but the rituals, castings, whatever it was. It wasn't unusual for the Hecate cabin to be awake at all odd hours of the night. After all, their powers were stronger at night but Asher had been awake for two days straight and the evidence was scattered in used mugs and the occasional focus aid. Maybe it was that that was causing her to lose focus. She didn't have a hard time reading Ancient Greek after all but by now her mind was just spiraling and mixing up the words. "Absence of light. Absence of light. Absence of light." Asher kept repeating to herself. 

"Go to the root. Focus on the shadows. Can you create shadows if it is already dark in here? Are the candles in the way?" Asher turned from her mother's book to glance at the candles she had set up to float around her. This was her ritual whenever practicing magic and for the most part it helped. But now they little dim lights just kept mocking her and the demigod didn't particularly enjoy the mockery. "Stop," she said, pointing her hand towards the candles. The flame of the candles got sucked into the wax and perhaps it was the rage or desperation or a mixture of both but this made each one of the ten candles floating about burst, the hot candle wax going everywhere, including quite ironically on Asher's arms. "Are you kidding me?!" She yelled, feeling as though the entire cabin was awake and it wasn't the middle of the night.

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

If he could remember one thing that was told to him when he first arrived, it was that coffee is an energy booster for your spellcasting studies.

So... drinking coffee makes your magic stronger? Not exactly and it was not until he discovered it himself that their magic is weakened during the day. He remembered casting so many spells at a time that he felt exhausted and went to bed early. However, he did the same thing during one evening and he did not feel any sort of fatigue at all. Not only their magic is more abundant at dark but he could cast more spells which by then he realized what they meant by coffee. To get your dose of caffeine and stay up to cultivate your magic. Most of the Hecate children wound up being night owls because of this but some do manage to get around during the day out of preference. Tristan had just woken up at the brink of night and began his evening with a warm shower. He had a certain Athena child to thank for as most of the Olympian cabins don't even have showers in them since theirs is modular.

The boy had planned on practicing his magic but it seemed as one of his half-siblings had already started or rather, been at it for days. He did not want to bother her because he knew how driven she was from their little umbrakinesis study sessions yet it seems like she has yet to harness the power of darkness. It reminded him of his spell workshops with her twin brother, Arsen, so he was actually thrilled he was a big part in their magic development. This time, however, it looked like Asher was going to lose her mind and patience from her yell. He had shown up to her practice room in denim slim jeans, a black shirt covered by a blue and white striped flannel, and a pair of Converse. The boy approached his older half-sister with a concerned look on his face.

"Asher! Hey." Glancing over to wax stains on her arm, his hand made a gesture that made them disappear. "It's done." This might be the last question she wanted to hear, but he wanted to ask anyway. "Want me to help you out?" It'll be like those times when they studied together.

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher was losing her mind and her patience, that much was true. She had never been particularly patient, especially in the things she didn't understand and this was a challenge she didn't understand. By now the words on her mother's books were blurred and made no sense to her. The letters seemed to be jumping at her from all sides and she didn't know what to make of it. Not to mention the hot wax that had fallen on her arm had managed to be the last straw. A normal person would have said that this was the perfect time to take a break and go do anything else. Preferably, this would be the time to go sleep and maybe come back fresh in the morning, but Asher wasn't entirely a normal person and the way she went about things could be intense. 

She was so ingrained in what she was doing that she didn't even hear the sound of her sibling's voice and jumped up in surprise, making her book fall flat on the ground.. "Don't do that!" She exclaimed. "You can't just sneak up on people." But before Asher could complain further, Tristan went ahead and helped remove the wax from her skin and alleviate the burn. Then she leaned down and grabbed the book, holding up to her chest. "How? I should be able to get this done. After all, it is not impossible. I just don't understand it."

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

Tristan was aware of how driven Asher became but he did not think she would push it this far. Well, a part of him thought otherwise. He was impressed by her sheer willpower but he was becoming startled. He did not want her to stress herself over an ability considered rare even among the demigods. Finally seeing that the practice room had turn out, it was a mess. Everything seemed disorganized but to her mind, he felt that she knows where everything is. Brewed coffee used to fill those scattered mugs and things left over from her focus techniques are just... here and there. A room as such was normal for a Hecate child but he was more concerned about her obsession to acquire this ability the only way she knew how. 

Telling her to get some rest would be a bad idea. The way she spoke as if she was meant to harness the ability... he did not know what to tell her but all he could do was to help her out. "It's not." He spoke in a reassuring tone. "We can get this done. You are not alone, big sis. I know we have met up several times before but I won't give up on this. And I won't give up on you." Tristan was giving her a look of affection, hands giving her arms a soft squeeze for a brief moment. He did thought for a second that sneaking up on her was funny but he always knew he had that sort of mysterious presence. When he turned his back to her, his open hand panned from left to right and the wax candle stains on the room began to dissipate as if it was not there in the first place.

"So. Darkness is a form of energy that can be harvested in the absence of light. I know it's repetitive, but it cannot be retrieved from a tangible substance. It's more... ethereal. And certainly not a spell." The room has dim lighting which he was pleased to see. It already is a fine set up. However... "I just had an idea. If you want to control the darkness, you may have to blend into it. You have to feel it. Once you do... use your magic to harness it." With a snap of his fingers, the room became dark.

"I'll be here every step of the way."

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher, like her twin brother, could be quite obsessive. It was in their nature. Their father had that same obsessive personality. But they had managed to nurture it for good and managed to put it to good use. After all, that was the only reason they had achieved as much as they had in their lifetime. So now Asher was determined to get this right and she wouldn't rest until she had accomplished it. Now was that a healthy approach to this situation? Of course not but she didn't see it that way. She only saw the end goal and for her that was enough. 

She turned to look at her brother and his calm and soothing voice brought her back into the present. It even warmed her heart a bit. No one had ever called her a big sister and while she knew that was the reality here, it was still quite different. She hadn't realized how much listening to something like that could mean to her. "I don't even know what to say. Thank you," she said, feeling her breathing calm down and her heart relaxing. "Not a spell, you say? Huh. I thought it was the same way as all the other enchantments." It made sense in theory and the fact that she had never thought about it before made her feel silly and unprepared. 

"Blend into it? How do I do that?" Then Tristan snapped his fingers and every candle in the room went dead. It didn't take long for her eyes to adjust but she was still very confused. "If it is not a spell, how do I feel it?:

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

Through their meet ups to study and practice magic, Tristan had not realize how much he was yearning for a bond with a sibling. He was too occupied with putting up a front that he never once thought that such circumstance could happen to him. He would sometimes get jealous of other campers hanging out with their half-siblings as if they were family to each other but he kept to himself inside their mother's cabin. He would exchange some words here and there but nothing more than a conversation that would probably not lead into having company. With Asher, he became more than delighted to accompany her and even go so far as to make his stay at her New York home which he could wind up making plans to do that soon.

"Of course." She was beginning to relax and so was he. He was more worried about her well being instead of her actually accomplishing her goal, because well... it can be done at any time. There was simply no deadline to acquire the ability in question and there was no guide to learning it. Tristan had been poring through his mother's library for clues but all he could make use of are the vague explanations of application and the matter... Matter... "That's right... Because it is more like a physical substance. It was never spiritual because it occupies space and possess rest mass." Her half-brother was giving her an eager look. "I thought so too. I was convinced that it was the same way because I had to explain to myself what was happening when I demonstrate it. See? I'm learning too." A soft chuckle parted his lips.

It was hard to describe but he could see everything in the room despite it being dark in no thanks to his night vision spell. "Remember that this ability is telepathic so it takes a bit of mental and meditative effort. What you want to do is to be relaxed. Take a few deep breaths and calm your body." He waited for the moment she finishes before he spoke up. "Close your eyes... and visualize a single lit candle. Watch how it moves on its own, see how it flickers in the dark, how the light shifts when it moves. Then imagine your hand or your finger manipulating it. What does the flame look like? Is it dimmer, smaller? Does it make the room go darker?"

"Scientifically speaking, light travels in waves. You want to disrupt that frequency. In the absence of light, remember?"

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

"Huh," Was all Asher could say. Tristan's explanation made sense and the more the thought about it the more everything slowly came together but just because it made sense, it didn't make it easier and Asher had to admit that she did feel slightly like an idiot for not having figured it out before when it seemed so obvious. Right now all Asher had to do was relax, which was easier said than done when the girl had no idea what it meant to slow down and do something for fun. But she tried it anyway. She closed her eyes, took several deep breaths and relaxed her shoulders. She could feel her heart pounding hard against her chest. A sound that she felt could be heard all around her.

Disrupt the frequency of light. Okay, sure. Asher kept thinking about what Tristan was saying. A candle. The candle is cream color, with its flame a light blue. Light blue because that is the hottest temperature there is with fire. Would it light the room the same way? Honestly by this point Asher's mind was going a mile a minute. "I can't concentrate. All I can hear is the beating of my heart against my skull," she said, opening her eyes. 

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

"As odd as it may sound, you want to draw your energy by manipulating light or more specifically, the lack of light. That's why I asked those questions." When she mentioned that she could not hear anything but her heartbeat, he did not take into account of sounds. It's completely dark in this very room so the only solution he could come up with right now is providing music to cover up that sound. And he knows the perfect type. As he recalled, Asher mentioned that she liked Russian classical music from one of their previous meetings. "Give me a second. Just need to find something..." Tristan pored over through the shelves of the cabin and soon found a book on Russian culture. He flipped through the pages and halted at a chapter on classical music. "Hmm... Got it." Snapping his figures, he made a stereo pop into existence as it stationed itself on a nearby nightstand. A finger pressed the play button and the device began playing music he hoped would drown out the sound and relax her body at the same time with the right volume.

"What you want to do is to manipulate the flame. Does it feel warm? Do the shadows feel cold? What would it feel like if you ran your hand through a shadow to change its appearance or harness its energy? Would it feel like a ripple in the water of a still lake, again stemming from waves?"

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher could be quite the fidgeting person, especially when she was overwhelmed and didn't know how to proceed. She was having a hard time concentrating on this one task and she felt it was very evident. She was trying hard to relax but it was hard for her to push all her thoughts aside and simply breathe. The sound of her pounding heart was definitely not helping. But Tristan seemed to have thought about that and suddenly she began to hear music. She was surprised that he had remembered that, as she did not recall having told him that before but alas when the soft music started playing, Asher was brought back into the moment and she did feel more at ease. 

"Okay, let me try this again."  She took a deep breath and let the music flow before she started concentrating again. She began to think about the flame. It was blue but it was cold. It felt slightly like frozen water but the texture was different, more mist like than liquid. "It feels like mist," Asher said, her eyes closed. "Am I in the right direction? What do I do now?"

 

[Sage Roberts]

Sage was just walking with Loukas out and about through the camp. The two had their first date the other day which was awkward at first but over time it had gotten much more natural. It was quite late, like 2am but that was when Loukas was up so Sage tried to get herself to stay up with him. As the two neared Cabin 20, Sage turned around as she walked backwards. "You know I have been doing a lot of research lately" a smirk was clearly on her face as she was very proud of herself.  I mean she was a daughter of Athena after all so she loved to learn and push those around her. Loukas, well he was one that was not the biggest fan of his abilities so she thought if she did some research maybe he would learn from her the basics. "On your magic that is" she finished saying. This is where she studied Loukas's face as this might bring up bad memories. "There was books in our library in ancient Greek about the ability Umbrakinesis and well your other magic too...but I think I get it but it is still a bit confusing too." 

That was when she opened the door to the cabin as she waited for Loukas to walk into the cabin first, following him in.  Most of the children of Hecate might be out and about but it seemed that Asher and Tristian where practicing which wasn't uncommon! "Hey what are you guys doing?" Her eyes got big as the excitement of watching tickled her!!!

@ Loukas Makris

 

[[was asked to join RP]]

[Loukas Makris]

Loukas was enjoying his late night (early morning?) stroll with Sage. He was grateful that their date had not ruined their friendship in any way, in fact it seemed to have only drawn them closer. He was not sure what kind of label she would put on their relationship; dating, boyfriend/girlfriend, something else? Thankfully she just seemed happy to be around him and for tonight, that was enough. 

Oh no, he thought to himself sarcastically as he watched Sage turn around and start walking backwards. This usually meant she'd gotten an idea into her head and she was about to share it with him. These ideas ran the gamut from the practical to completely silly, and with this girl you never knew what you were in for. He couldn't help a grin as he listened to the excited tone of her voice, she was proud of herself and the research she'd done so he made sure to pay attention. He knew he wasn't ready to tackle an advanced power like Umbrakinesis just yet, he was still meeting with Shadow to just learn the basics.

Fortunately he did not have to explain that to Sage just yet for as soon as they walked into the cabin the always curious girl immediately latched onto seeing what his other half-siblings were up to. Seeing that it was Asher and Tristian at the table he followed Sage standing next to her as she inquired about what Asher seemed to be practicing. 

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher took a deep breath. She knew she needed to sleep. It was evident that was the case when the words on the page kept jumping at her but she could not make sense of anything. Everything was a blur and it was frustrating not feeling like she was in control of the situation. But alas, the choice was made and all Asher could do was simply to do what she could with the information she had. She just had to focus and pretend to know what she was doing. How hard could it be after all? Without waiting for Tristan to reply, Asher took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had to focus on the here and the now, on what she could feel and what she could see.

But before she could do that, she was interrupted and turned her attention to the newcomers entering the cabin. It shouldn't have been a surprise to see people coming in and out of cabin 20 at all hours of the morning, after all, Hecate kids had a tendency to sleep during the day and be up at night, but perhaps it was her own lack of knowing what time it was that made Asher jump up when the door open. It took her a moment to reply as she looked from her half sibling to Sage, back to Loukas. "I am trying to practice umbrakinesis. What are you guys doing here?"

[Sage Roberts]

Being up this late was always hard for her as she was not untuned to the sleeping schedule the Hecate Children had. But if it meant more time with Loukas then she would do it. They were well .... she didn't really know what they were since their date. It wasn't like Loukas had asked her to be his Girlfriend.....oh gosh that idea made her blush as she always wanted to be his girlfriend. But alas they were together in the wee early morning talking about all sorts of things when they got to the cabin. Quickly she realized that something serious was happening with Asher and Tristan.

With her curiosity getting the best of her, she stopped and asked what was going on. MAYBE she should had better manners to wait until they were done but that was not who sage was! Her face went from a thinking look to a shocked one when Asher answered. "WOAH ASHER THAT IS SO COOL" her excitement was a burst of energy right out of her. "Sorry about that" she laughed as she scratched her head. "But in all seriousness I have been doing a lot of reading on that from the library and well I do know something...maybe we can help too?" She looked from Tristan to Loukas and then back to Asher with a smile. 

[Loukas Makris]

Loukas did his best to stifle his laughter, quickly putting his hand over his mouth as Sage did her thing. Being a Hecate kid himself, plus his experience growing up in a house of magic, he knew just how important concentration was when it came to mastering new magic like this. She wouldn't necessarily know that and it was just like her to butt into something like this with 110% of pure Sage energy. This personality quirk was just one of many reasons why he had begun feeling strong emotions towards her. After how their first date had ended he knew for sure he wanted a second!

Seeing now that Asher might be getting annoyed by the intrusion into what was clearly a stressful endeavor, Loukas understood that Asher might need some convincing that Sage's help would actually be helpful. Putting his arm around Sage's shoulders he pulled her a little closer "Surprisingly, Sage knows a little more about magic than you might think Asher. She's been helping me in my research and being a child of Athena she has a knack for it. I don't know too much about umbrakinesis, but I'm happy to try and help too!" he smiled as he took a seat at their table 

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

Tristan was mulling about his next answer until he heard footsteps approaching the cabin entrance. His half-sister might not be able to pick it up, but he was prepared to greet some of their guests once they arrived. A little bit annoyed that their study session was going to be interrupted but it can wait a bit if Asher has some patience left to give. Once the door was open, Asher was startled but he looked towards to who could be bothering them at this time considering it is late. Very late. Instead, it was his half-sibling and a child of Athena, having seen them around before a couple of times. And almost every time, they're together. It was dark but the moonlight from the door illuminated the cabin interior which practically defeats the purpose of understanding this power. But with the implications of Loukas' suggestion, he might actually see a ray of hope. "Actually... turns out we could use a third opinion. Or fourth in that matter."

He knew the Athena cabin has a library and very much that it holds information on magic as expected from the goddess of wisdom. It's a wonder how this is the first time he's met Loukas since they slept in the same cabin, but what circumstance could be better than this? Tristan wanted to help her out himself but there's only so much he could do. He decided to give them a rundown of what has transpired in here before they came in so they could have an idea. "Magic takes a mental and meditative effort to harness and master, just like most if not all demigod abilities." He paused. "Umbrakinesis is no different, but I've discovered this realm to be more advanced when we're talking about abilities. I've yet to master its concepts since I somehow skipped that stage of mastery before I came to camp. Quite frankly, I know as much as Asher right now but I've been trying to help her out. I've made the room dark as you can see and I have her favorite tunes playing. Those, I believe, help with the concepts and guide to harness this power since your mental state plays a role."

He drew a heavy sigh of relief. Maybe they could help her find the darkness.

[Loukas Makris]

Loukas was relived to see Tristan speak up again and resume helping Asher. Truth be told he only knew a little magic himself from his private lessons with Shadow. Those had been going well but Umbrakinesis was still a ways off and out of his wheelhouse. He was excited for Asher and her pursuit in advanced magic but he originally hadn't planned on taking Sage into the cabin for a group study session. Putting a hand on each half-sibling's shoulder "Well, it looks like you two are able to resume your progress. I'll be in my room if you all need anything, but I don't think you will" he said with a wink, implying that he and Sage would be having their own "study session". Grabbing her hand the two of them left the common room.

 

[Sage and Loukas exit]

Edited January 7, 2023 by Loukas Makris

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher looked at Sage in surprise at her abrupt source of energy. She was being so loud for it being so late at night and there was certainly no need to be screaming. She certainly didn't know how she could be of any help to their little quest so Asher didn't really know how to reply. Not even when Loukas had mentioned she was studying some of their magic. Was she now? Asher didn't doubt that was true but what gave her some reservations was the fact that even if she did claim to know about magic, she was not one to practice it so could her insight be useful besides the mere theory of it all? Before she could say much else, Loukas was saying good bye to them both and Asher raised her eyebrow in surprise, thinking she knew exactly what he was planning to do once they were alone. "Have fun you two," she said, in perhaps the first lighten tone she had possessed in the last three days.

Once they were alone, Asher turned back to Tristan and sighed. "Let's try this again, shall we?" She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and waited a few minutes. She focused on the energy around her. Darkness was just another form of energy. She had learned to cast spells before, those were energies in themselves. She could do this as well. She opened the palms of her hands but her eyes remained closed. She thought and she focused. She imagined a small flame, and rather than it producing light, she imagined it cold and heavy on her touch. Black holes were supposed to be dense, no? And they were genuinely the only true source of darkness. The more she imagine each little aspect of her flame, tracing it in her mind, the more she felt it on her palm. Just a twitch here and there so that when she opened her eyes, the little shadow was at the top of her palm. "Well, would you look at that. Is that what I think it is?"

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

It was all for naught.

There was a slight despondency in his sigh after they had disappeared to another room in the cabin, doing who knows what. He was actually excited to have some people intending to help but that ray of hope down the drain. He was more curious on the books they have so he'd have to hit up a friend of his. Well, now that they are gone at least the two of them are alone as he'd very much prefer. "Yes, let's." He responded back before he observed her movements. Eyes shut as she allowed the music to compose herself. He wouldn't know her thought process, but he had sincerely hoped that she produced at least something. Palms are open, Tristan eyeing her body gestures to make sure she was alright though and though.

And then, a speck of shadow had formed in her hand. The boy's eyes and mouth widened before he could silently celebrate. He raised his arms with clenched fist then drew them towards himself in an awfully joyful manner. "Yes! Asher! You did it! Now the next step is manipulating it. You can start small right now, but the more you practice, you can form shadows of bigger masses. There is no spell as far as I know since it all from your mind, which is why I needed you to be calm," he paused, "So... how do you feel? Did our study sessions pay off?"

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher was almost scared to open her eyes and it was an emotion that she wasn't sure why she was feeling. It was as though if maybe she kept her eyes closed then the image she had in her head of the shadow in her palm would remain true and she wouldn't open her eyes to discover disappointment. But it felt so real, like she could genuinely touch what was on her hand so maybe if she opened it, she would finally come to terms with her skills. "Oh my god," she said, not really knowing how to respond after what felt like such an ordeal. The last couple of days had kept her exhausted but she didn't want to stop now. She wanted to finish what she had started. "So how do I manipulate it? Same process? I can't believe I got it finally."

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

It probably took most, if not, all of his facial muscles to smile like a clown.

Her half-brother felt genuinely happy for her. After all those study sessions, it had finally paid off for this moment. Even if it is only a speck of shadow, it is only a matter of time before she can get better control and conjure more shadows. This was, he believed, to be the most difficult part in mastery of the ability. "Same process. You would need to have a better understanding of your power but for the most part, it should be less difficult than the previous. You should also have an understanding if what you're going to form too so it takes a bit more studying of application but that's nothing you can't handle." Tristan would be more than happy to help her with that since he had practiced in that form more than the concept. He thought of bothering Loukas about it but he figured he'll know another time.

"So, now that you have a shadow, I was thinking of giving it a boost. Light creates shadows right?" A sound of a clap can be heard inside the room and the lights filled it. It wasn't too bright but it was dim enough it to create a shadow. "Try using your shadow. I'll use mine."

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher was not the type of person that was continuously smiling but every once in a while she did. Especially when something she was working hard on was finally paying off. She looked at Tristan, then down at the palm of her hand and thought about all she could do with it if she just managed to allow herself to be creative. Granted, as her half-brother had said, it was all just a matter of practice. She closed her palm and snapped her finger before she turned to look at him. She was captivated by the little shadow flame that sparked at the tip of her thumb every time she snapped. She could have done that for an eternity. It was very entertaining.

Asher nodded and placed her hands together. She focused, noticing that there was nothing else she could think about when she wanted to conjure a shadow. She had to be present and that, she admitted, was at times harder to control than anything else. She began rolling her hands together, feeling the familiar coldness and density of the darkness forming in her hands. Almost like she was shaping a sphere. It was interesting how heavy they could feel. "I just made a ball," she said. "I suppose at this point it is all about getting creative? Picturing what I want to do with it?"

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

Witnessing this milestone became a big moment for him too. Even he did not know the actual steps to mastering umbrakinesis. It's no rocket science and perhaps they would have to know the properties of this power if they yearn to master it. For Tristan, it just came to him. That's it. Like a miracle - which is why he came to a stop when faced with the how during this process. He didn't want to have Asher think it was counterproductive, but her perseverance caught onto him as well. So when she snapped her finger, a black flame began burning. It wasn't hot, but it was cold - perfect for a shadow attribute. For some reason, he had a feeling she wanted to show this power off which was understandable after working for it for days without sleep.

"I suppose so, but the bigger the shadow, the more energy you are using. Just like the energy you're using to cast spells. I personally found myself using this power and then prolonging it to be very helpful. It's like you're allowing your body to get used to it." 

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

Asher felt like she was ecstatic but she couldn't tell if it was the adrenaline of going so long without sleep or the fact that she had finally managed to break through on something that felt almost impossible not so long ago. While Asher was not the type to celebrate small victories, she was indeed relieved and proud. She was the type of person that would have waited until she became a master to celebrate but considering how long it took her to really get this done, she would take victory where she found it. "You never told me how you got yours," Asher said, feeling the tingling in her fingers once more. "Did you always know it was within you or did something happened that triggered it?" She was beginning to understand that this skill had a lot more to do with feelings than thoughts. There was no step by step plan. It was all feeling based and for someone that didn't do well with expressing feelings and emotions, she wasn't sure how she was going to go about it.

[Tristan Damaris Rare]

That's right. He hasn't told her yet.

He wouldn't perhaps hint it a couple of times how he got it during their little umbrakinesis study sessions. He was more afraid of her reaction if when he says he simply "used" the ability as if the shadows came into him without him needing to practice or master the concept of the power. Still, he had been devoting time in camp to study it and practicing with Asher just made it more transparent for him too. "Uhh... It happened on my tenth birthday. I was demonstrating to my friends some magic tricks. It wasn't our magic in any form, but more like illusion magic you'd see in street performances. My stepmother interrupted the show and her drunken banter scared me into my room. I locked the door but she forcefully opened it just so she could land a hit on me with a belt. But just as she was about to do that... the shadows came to my aid. She wasn't scared of the barrier that formed around me but she was more angry that she couldn't hit me. She was about to do it again when it was lifted, but a book flew and knocked her unconscious."

He drew a long sigh.

"It happened again when my father died on the same day. I used this power to retaliate against one of the hellhounds. Bolts of darkness," he paused, "Not the best birthday if you ask me. And on Halloween, no less. My father even put up the best decorations he could think of."

Edited February 27, 2023 by Tristan Damaris

[Asher Harrington Rare Rare]

The more stories that Asher heard about Tristan's life the more she felt an immense feeling of guilt for not being there for him. While there was no way for her to really know what was going on in his home life, she still felt somehow responsible for being there for him and the fact that she had neglected those duties are his sibling made placed a weight on her chest that she couldn't quite let go of. However, that was not much she could do about it now but move forward and be there for him now. "I see. I don't know if I have ever told you this but I am so sorry that your life back home was so, well, so tough. I promise I won't leave you stranded. You can count on me for anything." She took a deep breath, relaxing her shoulders for a moment. "So what triggered it? Needing to feel protected? Did you feel threatened? What did you feel when it happened? I am just trying to understand more about it."