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* Tyl is sitting in her office, pouring over a stack of papers which has magically accumulated while she was off spell-jammng and honeymooning. * Tyl frowns, scribbling out a hasty reply to a piece of correspondence. <Temire> ::Gwyn opens the door and walks in, followed by Temire. Gwyn hands some papers to Tyl and leaves, closing the door behind her. Temire stands in front of Tyl's desk looking a little nervous, but also very excited:: <Tyl> Oh, hullo, Temire ::checks the hourglass:: Done already? Have a seat ::waves at a pile of papers that is concealing a fluffy burgundy chair:: * Temire glances at the chair for a moment then picks the stack of papers up and carefully sets them on the floor before sitting down. <Temire> So what's next Mistress Tyl. <Tyl> Let me check this over really quick... ::thumbs through Temire's test papers:: * Tyl looks thoughtful, reading through the test. <Tyl> Hmmmmm... * Tyl looks over the top of the papers at Temire... <Tyl> Your science skills could use some work, and higher mathematics as well... but very well done, Temire... <Tyl> And this logic section is very impressive... you have a quick mind, girl ::she taps one section of the test:: And spacial relations? Excellent job. * Temire blushes, shakes her head, and giggles all at the same time. "Yohko-sensei and Mistress Michelle used to say the same things to me." * Tyl smiles, putting the test down. * Temire frowns, "Well the spacial relations became kind of important when I started slipping into the Ethereal plane without warning." <Tyl> You definitely have the strength to use psionics, if you have them... ::looks serious:: it is very important, since some people can use psionics without having the strength of mind to handle it. Which can result in brain damage, insanity or even death. * Temire gets a worried look on her face but nods her head. <Tyl> ::stands up, moving around her desk:: Well, there's only one more thing, dear... * Temire looks at Tyl, "What's that?" <Tyl> I need to check you for actual potential... don't worry, it doesn't hurt... just relax and try not to tense up too much... * Temire looks at the ground, "Will you not let me into the school if I don't have the potential?" <Tyl> ::blinks:: Michelle told me you wanted to study the theory if nothing else, and I don't have a problem with that... there will be some practicals that won't do you any good if you don't have the talent, but I don't see any other problems... except for social ones... ::pauses:: * Temire blinks at Tyl, "Social problems?" <Tyl> ::shrugs:: Some of the students had a hard time with their peers for having the ability... being teased and stuff... it stands to reason that they might... tease you for being "mundane" <Tyl> I don't think it'll be too much of a problem, and certainly let me know if they do, but I thought you should know... * Temire nods, "I'm used to it." <Tyl> ::frowns:: It's certainly nothing to get *used to*. You will tell me if it happens. I am not going to promote intolerance by ignoring it. * Temire looks back at the ground, "Yes Mistress Tyl." * Tyl kneels down, peering up into Temire's face. "Really... I want my students to be happy, and later, productive... intolerance is a bad thing, and I need to be able to help those people." * Temire blinks at Tyl, a few tears forming in her eyes, "But won't people think I'm weak if I run to you because they're teasing me? Won't they just be sneakier and more vicious if I rat on them?" <Tyl> No, honey... I'm not going to punish them... they need counseling and compassion... and after what happened with Charoli, no one is going to think you're weak... * Temire blinks back her tears, "Okay." * Tyl gives Temire a quick hug and hands her a handkerchief. "Wipe your eyes and I'll get started." * Temire quickly wipes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths with her eyes closed, regaining her focus. * Tyl closes her eyes, placing one hand on either side of Temire's head, just lightly touching Temire's hair with her fingertips. * Tyl takes a deep breath. "Temire, you're going to need to relax your mind a little bit... I can't see in..." * Temire opens her eyes and looks at Tyl, "How do you relax your mind?" <Tyl> ::frowns:: Um... since I'm not sure exactly what it is you're doing that's shielding me... try daydreaming or something... let your mind wander * Temire blushes but nods her head, closing her eyes once more. * Tyl concentrates, clenching her jaw. * Tyl starts breathing rapidly, sweat beading up on her forehead. Suddenly she smiles, then covers it quickly. "There we go... " <Tyl> Hmmmmmm... * Tyl opens her eyes and looks at Temire with something like pity before nudging the girl. <Tyl> I'm done. * Temire blinks her eyes open, a slight blush still coloring her cheeks, "It felt strange." <Tyl> It does, the first few times... you'll get used to it... <Tyl> Well... ::moves around and sits down again:: I think you definitely have the potential, but I do see some problems in unlocking that potential. * Temire blinks at Tyl, "What do you mean? I thought either you had it and had accidents like Vallel or else you didn't have it and couldn't' learn it?" <Tyl> ::shakes her head:: Not all the time... some people develope control early, before the ability can manifest... it seems to me that you've spent your whole life rigidly controlling yourself and your impulses. * Temire shakes her head, "No! My parents were always yelling at me for not behaving myself. That's why they finally disowned me...because I wouldn't be a proper young lady." Temire's eyes fill with tears again, and she gets a catch in her voice. <Tyl> ::looks at her:: I wasn't talking about "behaving"... you could have conformed to what they wanted... but you were determined to do things your own way. Determination is control, it's just a different kind of control. * Temire blinks at Tyl, "What do you mean?" <Tyl> I mean, look what you've done... it's amazing that you didn't crumble under that sort of pressure... but you wanted what *you* wanted... which has made you very strong-willed... strong enough to make it hard for me to push past your defenses. <Tyl> On the other hand, you're a bit convinced of your own worthlessness, untrue as it may be... which is where the problem comes in. * Temire looks at Tyl, "Yohko-sensei and Mistress Michelle say that I have a very strong spirit. Is that what you're talking about?" * Tyl nods... * Temire looks back down at the floor, "Well my parents don't love me anymore. I wasn't a good enough student for Jaret. And now I'm living with a couple of lesbians, a prostitute and a demon. No one's ever going to think very much of me outside of the Hall patrons, and they'll accept anyone." * Tyl winces. <Tyl> Well, we might start with that... <Tyl> We can ignore the parents thing for the time being... I'm sure they probably *do* still love you, which doesn't change the fact that they've very hurt by your decision to live your life your own way. <Tyl> However, your living situation sounds like something you're very not happy with, and that I can help you with. Do you want to talk about it? * Temire nods, still looking at the ground, "Mistress Michelle kept trying to explain to me that there was nothing wrong with loving anyone you wanted to. And Yohko-sensei keeps telling me that I don't have to worry about Mistress Michelle and Meghan's relationship. And Nacheyla seems like a really nice person even if she is a demon..." <Temire> ...And Mistress Aldis spent nearly as much time lecturing me on how I shouldn't be hung up on Jaret as she did teaching me magic. But everyone says all those things are bad....." <Tyl> Well ::ticks points off on her fingers:: just because "everyone" says things are bad doesn't necessarily make it so. Do you think *I'm* a bad person? * Temire looks at the ground and kicks an imaginary rock, "Well you do seem to know an awful lot about stealing." <Tyl> ::nods:: I do. When my parents banished me from my home, I didn't have a lot of choice... it was steal or die of starvation. * Temire looks up at Tyl, "But, but...You're psionics..." <Tyl> That doesn't justify anything that I did, and I can't repay the people from whom I stole. What happened that led me to steal *was* my psionics... I wasn't accepted because I had them. <Temire> ...Is that....is that why you started the school? <Tyl> ::nods:: This is sort of my legacy... I can't repay the people I stole from, and I can't help the people I hurt in the process, but I can try to make sure that no one else has to live like that, not if they don't want to. <Tyl> Even now, there are people who say Psionic ability is evil, is wrong... and it certainly can be. But ability is just ability... the good and the evil, the worthwhile and the worthless, that comes from inside, from the people who have the ability. And just because "everyone" thinks it is bad, or wrong, doesn't necessarily make it so. * Temire nods, "When we were moving into Ellesmere Michelle told me a story about a world were some women had formed a guild so that women like me could have a choice other than bowing to their families wishes, without having to resort to thievery or prostitution." Temire blushes. "Michelle joked about Ellesmere being the first guild house. I don't think it would work here, but I still think it seems like a good idea." <Temire> But how do you tell? I mean, there are so many people who are smarter than I am. <Tyl> ::shrugs:: You learn by making mistakes... <Tyl> There's no easy solution to what is right and what is wrong... <Tyl> Sometimes there is no right decision, sometimes there's just the least objectionable of several bad choices. <Temire> But shouldn't you try to avoid making mistakes by listening to people who are wiser and more experienced than you are? <Tyl> Sure, you could do it that way... but are you *really* sure that they're older and wiser? They might only be older. ::grins:: <Temire> But what could possibly be worse than the things everyone at Ellesmere does? ::puts her face in her hands:: But they're the ones who took me in and nobody outside of the Hall patrons ever encouraged me ::starts quietly sobbing:: But it's wrong... <Tyl> ::absently hands Temire the handkerchief again:: Your parents think you are wrong, for not wanting to get married and raise a family, for wanting to learn to use a sword. ::gently:: Do you think they are right, to think that? <Temire> Everyone does it...Even that Tarri girl...But it just seems so boring...And I'm so confused...::sobs and sniffles into the handkerchief:: <Tyl> "Everyone" doesn't do it that way... ::smiles:: Lisl doesn't... Zoya doesn't... a woman's life isn't defined by her marital state... <Temire> But...but that's just the Hall...::sniffle::...the people who come to the Hall aren't like normal people...::sniffle:: <Tyl> ::grins, clucking her finger under Temire's chin:: And last time I checked, you didn't want to be like normal people... * Temire looks at Tyl, "But that's like saying that just because we aren't normal we can do whatever we want." <Tyl> Why can't you? There are certain laws that are in place, mostly to keep us from killing ourselves off... but aside from that, there's no reason we can't do whatever we want, and be whatever we want to be. And laws aren't always right either... laws tend to be a reflection of the opinions of the people who make them. And people are fallible. * Temire blinks at Tyl, "Does that mean it's alright for us to steal?" <Tyl> ::laughs:: The people you're stealing from don't think so... but Bluestar would... * Temire thinks for a moment, "But if anyone can do whatever they want, then how do you tell good from evil?" <Tyl> I think, generally speaking, if you want to be "good", then you should treat other people (and by association, their property) the way you would want them to treat you and your things. * Temire blinks at Tyl, "Does that mean, that if I want someone to worship the ground I walk on I should worship the ground they walk on?" <Tyl> ::grins:: it doesn't necessarily work like that... perhaps the person who isn't worshipping the ground you walk on doesn't want you to worship their ground. * Temire blinks and shakes her head, "This is starting to sound like someone of those Zen riddles Yohko-sensei was telling me about." <Tyl> ::shakes her head:: Life sort of is a riddle... the best I can tell you is to muddle through the best you can, to know that you'll always see your mistakes more easily after you've already made them, and to try, every day, to be a little bit better than you were the day before. * Temire sniffles and wipes her eyes, "Thank you Mistress Tyl. I'm not normally like this, but I go away for six months and when I come back everything is so different, and I was so worried about getting into the school and...." * Tyl hugs the girl. "It's all right, Temire... sometimes you just need to have a good cry... I know it helps me." * Temire giggles, "Mistress Michelle always says the same thing." <Tyl> And, ::she straightens back up:: while I don't disapprove of your living arrangements, I want you to know that as a student, you can live here in the dorms, if you want. * Temire shakes her head vigorously, "No. That would be like running away. I know they're good people, I just have to learn to accept them. The way my parents didn't accept me because of what I wanted to be." <Tyl> ::nods:: Well, at the moment, your happiness and comfort are most important to me. It's hard to study when you're upset. * Temire shakes her head, "I don't even remember what set me off." <Tyl> ::pats her shoulder:: Hormones, most likely... I know I get like that, sometimes... * Temire looks up at Tyl, "You mean it doesn't get better. I thought..." Temire's voice trails off as she blushes bright red. <Tyl> ::laughs:: No, honey, it doesn't get easier... but you'll get used to it. <Tyl> In any case, as we were saying, before we got into your personal life, you do have the ability to use psionics... it just may take you a while to develop them. * Temire thinks for a moment, "I don't understand." <Tyl> You... don't have a lot of confidence in yourself, or your abilities... psionics... takes a certain amount of confidence... you have to believe you can... you have to know it will work, or your mind doesn't always focus the right way. I can teach you to focus, and I expect Yohko has taught you to meditate, but the talent comes from within you, and you are the only one who will be able to release it. <Temire> And I don't believe in myself because before I came to the Hall all people ever told me was that I couldn't do the things I wanted to? <Tyl> ::nod:: Probably... but put the past behind you... placing blame is the first, and worst, instinct. We'll fix the problem and worry about the blame later, if at all. * Temire nods firmly, "So what's next?" <Tyl> ::grins:: You can start classes just as soon as you like... ::hands her a small piece of parchment:: That has the schedule on it, so pick some classes you're interested in, plus Psionics in the World which is Saturday morning. * Temire looks over the list. <Tyl> I suggest taking no more than three courses your first semester in addition to Psionics in the World. <Tyl> And you'll probably want to take Psionic Defenses on Tuesday and Thursday morning, that's a good beginner's class. * Temire nods, listening to Tyl and reading the list. * Temire looks up, "I think psychoportive studies would be good. I'm already plane hopping as it is, the more I know about it, the safer I'll be. What are psychometabolic and psychokinetic?" <Tyl> Psychometabolic is using your mind to affect your body... self-healing, shrinking yourself, shape change... <Tyl> Psychokinetic is using your abilities to lift, move or change external, usually inert materials... lifting items with your mind... that sort of thing. * Temire thinks for a few moments. "I'll take psychometabolic. It sounds like the best for testing my theory. And with psionic defenses and psionics in the world that's my course load right?" <Tyl> ::nods:: Sounds good... <Tyl> I look forward to having you in my classes... What's this theory of yours? <Temire> I can't really put it into words, but when you cast a spell it has a certain feel to it, and when I step into the Ether that has a different feel to it, and when Yohko-sensei was teaching me about ki flows that had a different feel to it as well...But they all feel kind of the same. ::shrug:: I guess I'm thinking that maybe it's different ways of doing the same things. <Tyl> ::grins:: That sounds interesting... if you could formulate it into words, maybe you and Gloss could work together and write a treatise on it. I'd love to add something like that to my somewhat limited library... * Temire nods, "Mistress Michelle and Yohko-sensei say that they've had similar theories for awhile now but that they've never been able to test them because they can't do psionics, and they never met a psionic who could cast spells or manipulate ki." <Tyl> I know *I* can't cast spells... * Temire frowns, "Of course, to really test the theory I'd have to learn priestly magic as well, and I don't want to do that." <Tyl> Anyway, let's go get your books, shall we? * Temire nods, "Sure." * Tyl stands up and opens her office door, leading the way to the student bookroom. * Temire follows Tyl out. |
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