13806/Oh, You're.. Home

Oh, You're.. Home
Date of Scene:	11 September 2021
Location:	In Tala's lair.
Synopsis:	Willow is 'caught' reading a book in Tala's lair. (OOC: as spoofed by Oracle.)
Cast of Characters:	Willow Rosenberg, Oracle, Tala

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Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had been searching for the right way to teach Kit's focus.

Really, she felt in over her head. Why did she, Willow, believe that she could be a teacher of anything? Especially magic. Except..

Tala hadn't revoked her privileges. (That should have told her everything she needed to know. But.. noooo, Willow was on a downturn, and refused to allow her brain to know what it knew).

Late Friday evening, she snuck into Tala's lair, and began looking over her books.. She was so engrossed that she didn't notice anything about it. Too bad, because there was something going on around here.

Oracle has posed:
It was quiet. Just the flickering flames of the candles which were used to light hits place. It was more like a room one might find in a medieval castle, not a more modern structure. All rough stone, ceilings and floors. There were sconces on the walls that held torches and there were candles on various surfaces when needed. Bookshelves lined two of the walls, filled with tomes on the subject of magic. Some seemed very old indeed. There were two tables, each with a variety of items and objects used including a small cauldron. They were off to the sides, leaving the spell circle on the floor available without having to move things out of the way. On the third and fourth walls were lines of shelves with many ingredients.

It was a witches paradise in truth.

Though on one of those walls there was a small section open with something hanging there. It had been there for as long as Willow had been visiting. Something hanging which always had a piece of material covering it, keeping it from view.

As Willow was settled down reading, there was a small scratching noise from the far side of the room. Nothing visible should she look. Then a moment later there was a small voice coming from her right side.

"Whatcha read?"

When she looked, she would see a small goblin like creature standing about a two feet tall peering at her curiously.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Ahhh!" Was Willow's first reaction.

Her second one was to freeze that goblin into place. She almost slammed it in a book. Two things stopped her:

At two feet tall, it was just a tad tall to engineer it. And secondly, they were magic books! *gasp* Who could tell what the goblin could learn from it. Besides.. BOOKS!!

"Who are you, and where did you come from. This is my place!" Actually, it was Tala's place, but seeing that she had gone.. somewhere.. for how long, Willow thought it was simpler to lie a little bit, instead of explaining what she was doing here, without permission, to the goblin who really did not have permission! (She thinks).

Oracle has posed:
"Ahhh!" was the reaction to her scream from the goblin. It went to run the opposite direction only to find itself stuck where it was. Which led to it standing there blinking owlishly as it tried to wiggle or do something.

"Tingles! No like!" it wailed as it struggled.

Then it narrowed its eyes at her. "Not your. Mistress. Her books. Her lair. You stealing! Me tell!" Well it would if it could get loose perhaps.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Now there was a dilemma.

If it *was* one of Tala's 'pets', couldn't it have prefered status over Willow?

But Willow was a student. Sure, a former student - but he (she?) didn't have to know that!

"I'm allowed here!" (She could imagine her foot stomping furiously.) "How did you imagine I found it? Or could cross over the boundaries? Huh?" Come to think of it, that sent an alarm through her head: How did she get in here? Surely Tala could set spells that Willow couldn't break? Or.. could Willow be.. that.. powerful?

*boggles?*

So far Willow still kept the goblin paralysed.

Oracle has posed:
"You say your place. Not yours!" The goblin was adamant. There was no way to tell if it was male or female. It continued to glare at her and it wanted to point a finger at her but that wasn't working. Thanks to her spell.

"You student. You allowed past wards. Mistress be angry you take her lair. Her books! She be back soon!"

And as if to punctuate that point, the circle on the floor began to glow a sickly green color.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"All right, I lied. It's not my place." Willow glowered. "But I used to be her student. And besides, she left everything the way it was when I was her student."

Oh that hurt. Everything just wasn't good enough with Willow. It was just one more nail in the coffin that she felt closing about her.

"And I wasn't taking the books, see? I was reading them here." Really she was.

Oracle has posed:
The circle suddenly filled with greenish smoke the swirled and moved as though there was wind. But only inside the circle. It never crossed the line to enter the room proper. Then slowly it cleared.

Revealing the Mistress of this place. Tala stood there, looking as otherworldly as ever, wearing her favorite black dress with the slits up both sides to allow ease of movement. She was floating in the air, bare feet dangling so her toes were pointed toward the floor. Her eyes were glowing green. She lowered to the floor and her eyes faded to their normal white on white.

She looked tired. A few lines around her eyes. A faint greenish yellow tint to her usually alabaster skin.

"Told you," muttered the goblin, sticking its tongue out at Willow.

At the sound of that voice, Tala turned and spotted the pair of them. "Willow. It is good to see you."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Told YOU!" And Willow stuck out *her* tongue at the goblin. (Really,she probably was feeling stupid right now, sticking her tongue out at a goblin. Furthermore a goblin who was stuck with magic.)

"I know what it looks like, but I can explain.." She looked at Tala, and was suddenly aware of what Tala looked like. In short, she looked like crap. "..Are you okay?"

Oracle has posed:
There was a tight smile from Tala as she gave a brief nod of her head. "I am well. I have been dealing with something elsewhere."

"Mistress! Tingles!" yelled the goblin, unhappy with his predicament and wiggling in place as much as he could to show he was being held against his will.

Tala glanced at the goblin then back to Willow. "Holding spell? Impressive. Glerg will behave if you release him." She looked pointedly at the goblin when she said it. Glerg's ears drooped in disappointment but he didn't disagree.

Tala looked back to Willow, seeing the books scattered around her. "I am glad you continued your studies during my absence. I apologize for being forced to leave without a word but it was pressing. The good news is that particular invasion is detered. For now."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Glerg? That elicits a giggle from Willow, and releases him. "I was reading up on foci. Not for me of course!" For some reason she felt guilty.

"Actually.." She dropped her face. "I didn't know you were still teaching me. You were gone.. and.. well.. You didn't change the locks, so I came to look up in your library. Then Glerg seemed to reinforce my belief."

Speaking of Blerg, she lets him go. "Sorry."

Oracle has posed:
"I apologize. The event required immediate action. I did not have time. Glerg came to me there. On an alternate plain while I was dealing with the threat. I asked him to come back here and watch my home for me until my return."

As Tala explained, Glerg was released and he rushed over to her side. Bowing down low, literally kissing the ground in front of her foot but not actually touching her. She waved a hand dismissively and he rose to his feet again, taking up a spot at her side and glaring at Willow. "Though sneaky thief. Taking books. Was going to stab!"

Tala rested her hand on the top of the goblin's head, which made him look like he was the happiest puppy on the planet for a moment just to have her acknowledge him. He was practically vibrating in place. "Willow is a friend, Glerg. No stabbing."

Willow. That elicited a giggle from Glerg. "Tree!" And the giggles continued.

Tala shook her head and returned her attention to Willow. "I will teach you until you no longer wish to be taught or I have exhausted my knowledge. Whichever comes first. What do you need to know about foci?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Well.. no.." Willow really wasn't ready. She thought.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you." The two most prominent myths and willow trees were life-giving and death. She glared at Glerg, but answered Tala. "A boy I met was looking for common foci to help him. He didn't tell me what kinds he had previously practised on."

And from what she had seen he had gathered the power, but before he could use it, it fizzled out.

Oracle has posed:
"I see. I have a book upstairs I believe. Glerg," Tala turned her attention to the goblin. "Go up to my room. Second bookshelf on the left. Third shelf down. Use the ladder. Bring me the blue book there."

And with that, the goblin was off like he'd been shot out of a cannon. Leaving Tala and Willow to speak. "Although that one to your left, that you were looking through. Chapter...six I believe it is? It has some points about foci but nothing particularly extensive."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Now you tell me!" Willow gives a little laugh. "It was interesting anyway?"

But the longer she thought about it, the more she became certain of something: He could be using magic incorrectly. After all, he had no trouble gathering up the magic. And as long as he didn't try to use it, he was fine. It was only when he tried to use it that he found he had trouble.

"The foci concentrates your magic so that you can feed your magic through it and use less power, or pinpoint your magic, correct?" Either use it on very minute, or very big things.

Oracle has posed:
"Correct, depending on the type of foci. Some will allow you to use less power for the same, or greater, results by magnifying what you put through it. Allowing you to conserve power in that way. Others simply allow you to be more accurate and precise. The scalpel instead of the claymore, so to speak."

Tala moves over to her lab table, putting a hand atop it and leaning ever so slightly there. "They are particularly useful in certain applications. And often moreso for younger practitioners who are still learning."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Then I guess he could still need one." Willow makes a face as she decides. "Either way, it's good for me to know. I should have announced my presence here."

Oracle has posed:
"To whom? I was not present and you were not aware that Glerg was here," Tala says with a slight smile. "Anyway, he should return with the book and I hope it helps your friend. You will let me know if I can be of further assistance?"

She pushes off from the table. "But sadly, for now, I must get some rest. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish."