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I've been pretty productive during my self-imposed lockdown at my cabin, waiting for that bit of paradox to wear off. It was gone by Monday, but I was on a roll, so I just kept to myself. Reading for pleasure and working out theoretical geometry problems in the meantime.
Last night, Val called up and came for a visit. (I like that she called this time rather just popping up unannounced.) She warned me again about Silvertip "studying" me and said that Silvertip had managed to pull together a lot of terms and concepts (some accurate and some not--according to Val) about mages--supposedly from "ancestors and other places." (Sounds a bit like a Garou-version knockoff of Dreaming.)
The purpose of Val's visit? She wanted to check with me about leaving legal documents ("in case of death papers") in my possession as she didn't want to spook Brad. She also wanted to show off a new Corax-only gift she had. We went over to the umbra and she explained that the gift she had let her mimic most of the garou's gifts--she just needs to see them performed once. I asked if the gift worked on things other than garou, and she said just garou. Not mages. Not Kitsune either as she'd tried mimicking some of Thomas's gifts, too. I got her to repeat that statement while I used some Mind magick to verify she was speaking the truth. She was. And then I got a lecture on how Corax can't lie because if they do it too much they get their "reset" button hit (whatever that means? Death?) and how Val took offense at my fibbing to her occasionally. I reminded Val that I wasn't a Corax and told her I'd just tell her "I'm not telling you about that" in the future if she could keep from blowing a gasket. She said she'd try. Still, I think Val is very much aware that "no comment" is often, by its very nature, a comment. I'll try being a little more honest with her, but if a "no comment" response results in what is effectively a comment? Sorry, Val. We're friends, but sharing with you is probably sharing with a hundred other Corax--and the information I might share doesn't affect just me. It affects every other mage out there.
Anyway. Val's trick? Mimicking an Uktena levitating/flying gift. It was pretty rudimentary. I'd have been impressed by it five or six years ago. I borrowed and refocused gravitational energies and chased after her. She cut the gift out and nearly pancaked herself on the ground--shifting to raven form at the last second--and discovering that the gift isn't compatible with being cut-on/off quickly. I landed and advised her to not over-reach as there is clearly a difference between knowing a garou's gift and mimicking one using her Corax gift. Still. That's a pretty impressive gift to have. One gift that lets you rip off dozens? Hundreds? I wonder why it's all garou-only though and not Kitsune or vampires or mages?
I suspected Val hadn't told the garou about this theft-related gift. She hadn't, and I'm not to share it either. I'm not so sure I feel about that if she starts swiping Glass Walker gifts.
After Val left, I experimented more with Correspondence magick, but it turned out the theories I'd constructed over the past week were a flop. Wasted time and effort. I decided to create an effect I was a little more certain would work. The walks I'd been taking out by the eastern shores of the Columbia? I extended my senses out that way, went over the waters a bit, and then went down into the river itself. Down towards the bottom. Then I used Correspondence, Matter, and Forces together to link up a small gateway between the umbral version of the river's bottom with a space in the clearing--simultaneously linking the water and the water pressure to that gate. BWOOSH! Instant invisible fire hose. I amused myself by directing the stream around the clearing--taking care not to blast any of the nearby spirits. I quit when I realized how soaked the area was getting. That was an interesting effect that could be useful in the future for repelling things that might want to eat me or putting out a fire. Vulgar as sin in the realm, though. Damn, I love the umbra.
Last night, Val called up and came for a visit. (I like that she called this time rather just popping up unannounced.) She warned me again about Silvertip "studying" me and said that Silvertip had managed to pull together a lot of terms and concepts (some accurate and some not--according to Val) about mages--supposedly from "ancestors and other places." (Sounds a bit like a Garou-version knockoff of Dreaming.)
The purpose of Val's visit? She wanted to check with me about leaving legal documents ("in case of death papers") in my possession as she didn't want to spook Brad. She also wanted to show off a new Corax-only gift she had. We went over to the umbra and she explained that the gift she had let her mimic most of the garou's gifts--she just needs to see them performed once. I asked if the gift worked on things other than garou, and she said just garou. Not mages. Not Kitsune either as she'd tried mimicking some of Thomas's gifts, too. I got her to repeat that statement while I used some Mind magick to verify she was speaking the truth. She was. And then I got a lecture on how Corax can't lie because if they do it too much they get their "reset" button hit (whatever that means? Death?) and how Val took offense at my fibbing to her occasionally. I reminded Val that I wasn't a Corax and told her I'd just tell her "I'm not telling you about that" in the future if she could keep from blowing a gasket. She said she'd try. Still, I think Val is very much aware that "no comment" is often, by its very nature, a comment. I'll try being a little more honest with her, but if a "no comment" response results in what is effectively a comment? Sorry, Val. We're friends, but sharing with you is probably sharing with a hundred other Corax--and the information I might share doesn't affect just me. It affects every other mage out there.
Anyway. Val's trick? Mimicking an Uktena levitating/flying gift. It was pretty rudimentary. I'd have been impressed by it five or six years ago. I borrowed and refocused gravitational energies and chased after her. She cut the gift out and nearly pancaked herself on the ground--shifting to raven form at the last second--and discovering that the gift isn't compatible with being cut-on/off quickly. I landed and advised her to not over-reach as there is clearly a difference between knowing a garou's gift and mimicking one using her Corax gift. Still. That's a pretty impressive gift to have. One gift that lets you rip off dozens? Hundreds? I wonder why it's all garou-only though and not Kitsune or vampires or mages?
I suspected Val hadn't told the garou about this theft-related gift. She hadn't, and I'm not to share it either. I'm not so sure I feel about that if she starts swiping Glass Walker gifts.
After Val left, I experimented more with Correspondence magick, but it turned out the theories I'd constructed over the past week were a flop. Wasted time and effort. I decided to create an effect I was a little more certain would work. The walks I'd been taking out by the eastern shores of the Columbia? I extended my senses out that way, went over the waters a bit, and then went down into the river itself. Down towards the bottom. Then I used Correspondence, Matter, and Forces together to link up a small gateway between the umbral version of the river's bottom with a space in the clearing--simultaneously linking the water and the water pressure to that gate. BWOOSH! Instant invisible fire hose. I amused myself by directing the stream around the clearing--taking care not to blast any of the nearby spirits. I quit when I realized how soaked the area was getting. That was an interesting effect that could be useful in the future for repelling things that might want to eat me or putting out a fire. Vulgar as sin in the realm, though. Damn, I love the umbra.
