Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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Lady smiled as Willow filled the first column. She nearly stopped the student when she moved to the next column, but resisted. Willow’s pace was by default the best pace for their session, and if she wanted to press on, it meant she felt comfortable enough to try, even if she didn’t fully understand the exercise. The counselor learned a lot in those few minutes.

“Perfect,” Lady acclaimed as Willow finished writing. Her smile was fond, her eyes gleaming with knowledge and matronly assurance. "Now look again. Read what you've written. Tell me what you see. Who do you see?"

It was hard to say that Dr. Sumedha had a 'usual style'-- she worked hard to remain flexible-- but this certainly wasn't a typical approach for her. For Willow, however, she seemed to have struck a perfect chord. Now to teach her the melody, and eventual harmony.
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Straken
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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Furrowing her eyebrows in response to the question, Willow turned back to the whiteboard and tried to figure out what Sumedha was asking. She was resting her left hand in the crook of her right arm while her right hand tapped the capped marker against her chin. Scanning the whiteboard she was not sure what she was looking for. She'd never been good at freeform thinking, which is why she mostly stuck to playing barbarians or fighters rather than rogues.

"I... see... me?" Willow said slowly. Willow felt a bit dull at the answer. Lateral thinking was more Drysi's forte, whereas Willow was more the type to go for the straightforward solutions. "Otherwise I see... someone who's... active?"

"Ooh, I should write a sword in the Want list, wait, no, the Need list," Willow thought, but while she was pretty sure she'd look cool with a sword she held off on writing it up on the board.
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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Lady was slightly disappointed with this result, but easily pushed that feeling aside. They were making progress.

"I see a young girl who is active; who is excited about a new skill; who is either dismissive or denigrating her feelings toward an old skill; who is focused on the present." Her eyes moved from the board to Willow.

"We don't need to discuss your physical activity, nor your mindfulness of the present. These are healthy things. What we do need to discuss is your negativity surrounding druidism. Please sit." She gestured to the chair across her desk, then paused as if recalling something. One hand reached into a drawer, pulled out a single 500Y coin, and set it spinning on her desk. Next, she placed a small vial beside the spinning coin.

"Take the coin. Not--" she held up a hand to stop Willow's reach. "--with your hands." Then she walked away from the desk. Her left hand absently brushed at the whiteboard, which faded and disappeared. The marker, which had felt so real and firm a moment ago, broke to mist and evaporated in front of Willow.

As soon as Willow reached out to pull on the coin, it froze, as if pulled upon by two separate but equal forces. It quivered in their combined grasp, desperate to escape this inertial hell. Above it, Willow saw Lady return to the place behind her seat.

"Why do you think you aren't-- in your own words-- a real mage? What does that even mean? Real mage? And why would you imagine that Safeholme-- that myself, or Mr. Flynn, or anyone else on this staff-- would take in someone that wasn't a mage?"

The coin jolted a foot in Willow's direction, then froze again, quivering in the air. Counselor Sumedha leaned across her desk, took Willow's outstretched hand-- Willow didn't remember reaching out-- and closed it gently over the vibrating coin. The motions ceased and the tension in the air snapped free.

While Willow wondered over the strange scene that had just occurred, Lady took her seat. "What kind of fake mage can transmute metals and manipulate their base magical properties?"
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Straken
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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"I guess I more meant I'll never be a mage like Mr. Flynn," Willow said, trying to clarify. "I can't cast spells or use runes due to where my magic juice comes from. Unless I drink a vial I'm only really good for punching and running. I'm not trying to be down on myself, I promise. It's just..."

Willow took a deep breath.

"Since I was a kid, my Mum always pressed on me that I'd work at the museum like her. I never got a say in the matter. The schools I went to, the extra courses I took, even the clubs I was able to join. Only times I got to play sports was when I went off script on my free day and went into town. Then one day I learn magic exists, and I'd even get to travel overseas; but it's another boarding school, and the decision to be a druid wasn't even my own."

Clearing her throat, it appeared that Willow was making herself continue speaking.

"What I want, is to make my own decisions. I don't want to disappoint Mr. Flynn, but Ma'am, I... I don't... I don't know if I want to be a druid..."
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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Breakthrough. Lady smiled warmly, and her eyes shone. They found the melody. Now, the harmony.

“Willow, the choice is yours and no one else’s. And you discredit your greatest supporter by suggesting he would not understand your desire to change your studies. The only person you have disappointed is yourself.”

Another pause, this one as much for effect as to let the young woman process some feelings. “Willow, you are a mage.” She gestured for the coin then held it up in front of the young girl. “Do you think your body naturally transmutes metals into their essences and channels them?” She set the coin down and leaned back. “Mistress Caoranach possesses great knowledge, but in this lesson she has erred. Your problem is not a lack of mana; it’s a lack of training and experience. It’s natural that you’ve only ever manifested within your body; you have virtually no experience projecting yourself. You’re a fledgling mage in a teenage body. These are things we can teach you easily. Knowing your fierce determination, I can comfortably predict you will catch up to your peers in very short time.”
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Straken
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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Willow considered Lady's words. It all made sense for the most part, and tracked for counselor motivationals. It still struck a chord with her. She remembered back to the game of tag the students played with Mr. Flynn; the day she'd discovered her abilities. Willow had felt ignored, and completely tertiary to the events that unfolded. That only drove her to push that much harder. She had no magic that she knew of, but she charged forward never-the-less. She'd always hated it, and with her new chance at life Willow refused to let herself be ignored.

The part that confused Willow were the specifics about her power. Miss Caoranach had been mistaken? There were other ways for her abilities to manifest?

"I plan on giving it my all," Willow said with complete assurance. "But I don't know what path is best for me. Right now, all I know how to do is charge straight ahead."
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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They were close now, Lady could sense it.

"No one ever knows what path is truly best for them. But right now, you need to stop running from yourself."

Lady waved a dismissive hand. "Your all was never in question. Your parents knew that; Maella knew that when she recruited you; Mr. Flynn knows it; I know it; your classmates know it.

"You're in charge now. Chart a course. And if you decide later you don't like where you're headed, we will adjust. But there will be no more bulling through the forest with your head down. No more shrugging off choice because it takes longer than a nanosecond to decide."
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Straken
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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"Mhmm," Willow hummed in agreement. Her hand had drifted to her chin, and Lady would be able to see that the demure response was due to Willow's mind beginning to race. Feeling inspired to a degree, the teen was already beginning to plan various things she could do to improve her performance. Until now, she'd always been a free spirit being directed by others on where to go. If she could keep herself motivated to apply herself to bettering herself rather than simply trying to have fun, then who knows what she could accomplish. Pouting slightly, Willow felt a bit of a pit form in her stomach as she realized this would mean dealing with responsibilities, and less time spent enjoying herself with Drysi, Johann, Kat, and Vrey. Well, Drysi would probably get a kick out of her willingly studying more. Physical conditioning would probably mean more work with Mr. Flynn, but she figured she could probably find a martial arts studio in town to hone her capabilities.

All of this played across Willow's face as she considered everything, and her thoughts were all over the place; but for what it was worth, all of the thoughts were proactive and goal oriented.
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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That satisfied gleam returned to Lady's eyes as she watched the gears turn in Willow's mind. For her, that was a much more literal experience than most.

"Perfect. Your homework is simple: I want at least one full page detailing your plan forward. Determine the focus of your studies-- your major, to borrow a mundane term-- a list of the classes you think will aid you on your path, and personal habits and studies you will conduct to help you catch up. Is that clear?"
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Straken
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Re: Session 3: Willow Fairburn

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"What?! Counselors can give homework?!" the look Willow gave Lady was withering and filled with a sense of betrayal as her jaw dropped. Her mental gears locked up, and a small part of her almost kicked the plans to the curb; but that would be petty, and Willow was better than that. With a huff and a sigh, the teen relented and sank in her seat defeated. A deep breath in. A deep breath out.

"Single space; size twelze?" Willow asked before her mouth quirked a bit. "Or cursive with a quill?"
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