(no subject)
Ethan looked around at the books, still wodering where the allure was. If they didn't have what he needed then what good were they? Course, Ripper would know if they did or not. Which was why he was here. "Oi Ripper! Get your head out of that book. I need to talk to you."
Rupert strolled from his office to find Ethan lollygagging about the main counter of the Academy's library. He grimaced slightly, the day was going well until now. "No need to shout, the acoustics are quiet affable, thank you very much," he commented.
Ethan grinned. "I know. That's why I like to shout." He stifled a small yawn. "Needed to ask you something about children of magic users."
Rupert studied the man for a long moment. Bags under the eyes, hair unkempt. Smaller. "Go on."
Ethan looked around, scratching at his chin and trying to be nonchalant. "In all these sheves of kindling, have you ever heard mention of abilities showing up in utero? I mean just out of curiosity." He leaned on the counter and idly played with a pen.
"Nothing is 'just out of curiosity' with you old man," Rupert spoke. "And it's rare, to be certain." He crossed from behind the counter to the stacks of books. "There was an instance in the sixteenth century, rains of fish and a march of wooden puppets..." he continued, grabbing a leather-bound book and blowing the dust away.
Ethan moved over to a table ad sprawled out in a chair. "I'm not allowed to be curious? Rare, I'll grant you, but not unhjeard of." He sat up. "Any mention of the effect on the parents?"
"Oh just come out with it Ethan," Rupert pointed. "You're obviously asking about Brenna and the next generation of Raynes."
Ethan chuckled wearily. "And this si why we never play poker anymore. You know my tells." He sighed. "Actually, I need to find out for myself as well. I want to make sure if it's the Gate or me being paranoid."
"And you have the absolute worst poker face," he grinned. Rupert gave Ethan's words weight. "Please don't tell me you're losing control of your magicks."
Ethan snorted. "More along the lines of losing the magic itself. As well as a good portion of my sanity." He looked p at ripper. "You haven't been having any little 'episodes' have you?"
Rupert raised an eyebrow. "The magicks or the sanity?" He sat down next to Ethan, steepling his hands together. "I haven't attempted the former and aside from some particularly nasty dreams and a few waking nightmares..."
Ethan nodded. "Would go along with the times the shield would have faltered probably. Brenna has complained about problems as well." He ran a hand over his eyes. "I'm not sure I like the conclusion tht I keep reaching."
"You think your unborn child is a conduit?"
Ethan laughed, a short bitter sound. "I wish. From what I can tell, when I actually remember to think of it, Brenna's the conduit. Ivan is the receiver." Ethan stared off into space for a moment.
Rupert slunk back into his chair. He absently reached to his face to remove and clean the glasses he no longer wore. "T-that kind of potential, unsolicited and wielded without restraint. Ethan, the potential for destruction is cataclysmic ."
"If you mean for the world, it's already buggered from what I can tell. " Ethan yawned again, and seemed to drift slightly, then shook his head. "What was I saying?"
Rupert leaned in closer. "Brenna being a conduit to Ivan and your magicks."
"Was I? Did I mention I'm not sure it's just my magics?" He frowned a litle. "From what I've been told by a few of my...associates, my whole personality is shifting. I also seem to have become frightfully domestic."
"You've been drinking tea," Rupert responded with a hint of horror in voice. "I'd say that qualifies."
Ethan grinned. "Ethel even has a table reserved for me now. If I wasn't already tied to a Gate, I'd say the world was ending. Again."
"And you realize as long as Cain is oblivious to this fact, we have a chance."
ethan looked around the room. "Then I suppose I should figure out where to hide my much sought after hide."
Rupert chuckled. "I thought you were allergic to books."
Ethan grinned. "Not the books themselves. It's all that dust on the ones yuo fancy so much. How do I know there's no asbestos or deomon virus lurking in it?"
"About as certain as I when you slipped that potion in my bitter and turned me into a Fyarl demon."
Ethan sat up a bit straighter and smiled. "That was a rather good one wasn't it?" Then he slumped back again. "Not overly fond of the ending to it, but chaos happens."
"And speaking of chaos, have you tried binding your child?" Rupert asked.
Ethan thought for a moment or two. "I think I had bound Brenna for a bit, thinking it was her. But I can't remember if I tried it on him or not."
Rupert stood, replacing the one book for another. "Then that's what we need to do."
"Not going to be easy." Ethan stood up, swayed slightly then started for the door. "Brenna is very protective and may fight."
"For the sake of the world, you'd better hope we succeed then." Rupert handed Ethan the book. "You'll need to study this and acquire the proper ingredients. Stop by Willow's shop, she can get all you need."
Ethan took the book, and stared at it. "No demon dust?" He grinned.
"Dragon ashes, possibly," Rupert winked in reply. "But no demon dust."
Ethan chuckled and headed for the door. "I'll let you know when I'm ready. If I can stay awake long enough."
Rupert strolled from his office to find Ethan lollygagging about the main counter of the Academy's library. He grimaced slightly, the day was going well until now. "No need to shout, the acoustics are quiet affable, thank you very much," he commented.
Ethan grinned. "I know. That's why I like to shout." He stifled a small yawn. "Needed to ask you something about children of magic users."
Rupert studied the man for a long moment. Bags under the eyes, hair unkempt. Smaller. "Go on."
Ethan looked around, scratching at his chin and trying to be nonchalant. "In all these sheves of kindling, have you ever heard mention of abilities showing up in utero? I mean just out of curiosity." He leaned on the counter and idly played with a pen.
"Nothing is 'just out of curiosity' with you old man," Rupert spoke. "And it's rare, to be certain." He crossed from behind the counter to the stacks of books. "There was an instance in the sixteenth century, rains of fish and a march of wooden puppets..." he continued, grabbing a leather-bound book and blowing the dust away.
Ethan moved over to a table ad sprawled out in a chair. "I'm not allowed to be curious? Rare, I'll grant you, but not unhjeard of." He sat up. "Any mention of the effect on the parents?"
"Oh just come out with it Ethan," Rupert pointed. "You're obviously asking about Brenna and the next generation of Raynes."
Ethan chuckled wearily. "And this si why we never play poker anymore. You know my tells." He sighed. "Actually, I need to find out for myself as well. I want to make sure if it's the Gate or me being paranoid."
"And you have the absolute worst poker face," he grinned. Rupert gave Ethan's words weight. "Please don't tell me you're losing control of your magicks."
Ethan snorted. "More along the lines of losing the magic itself. As well as a good portion of my sanity." He looked p at ripper. "You haven't been having any little 'episodes' have you?"
Rupert raised an eyebrow. "The magicks or the sanity?" He sat down next to Ethan, steepling his hands together. "I haven't attempted the former and aside from some particularly nasty dreams and a few waking nightmares..."
Ethan nodded. "Would go along with the times the shield would have faltered probably. Brenna has complained about problems as well." He ran a hand over his eyes. "I'm not sure I like the conclusion tht I keep reaching."
"You think your unborn child is a conduit?"
Ethan laughed, a short bitter sound. "I wish. From what I can tell, when I actually remember to think of it, Brenna's the conduit. Ivan is the receiver." Ethan stared off into space for a moment.
Rupert slunk back into his chair. He absently reached to his face to remove and clean the glasses he no longer wore. "T-that kind of potential, unsolicited and wielded without restraint. Ethan, the potential for destruction is cataclysmic ."
"If you mean for the world, it's already buggered from what I can tell. " Ethan yawned again, and seemed to drift slightly, then shook his head. "What was I saying?"
Rupert leaned in closer. "Brenna being a conduit to Ivan and your magicks."
"Was I? Did I mention I'm not sure it's just my magics?" He frowned a litle. "From what I've been told by a few of my...associates, my whole personality is shifting. I also seem to have become frightfully domestic."
"You've been drinking tea," Rupert responded with a hint of horror in voice. "I'd say that qualifies."
Ethan grinned. "Ethel even has a table reserved for me now. If I wasn't already tied to a Gate, I'd say the world was ending. Again."
"And you realize as long as Cain is oblivious to this fact, we have a chance."
ethan looked around the room. "Then I suppose I should figure out where to hide my much sought after hide."
Rupert chuckled. "I thought you were allergic to books."
Ethan grinned. "Not the books themselves. It's all that dust on the ones yuo fancy so much. How do I know there's no asbestos or deomon virus lurking in it?"
"About as certain as I when you slipped that potion in my bitter and turned me into a Fyarl demon."
Ethan sat up a bit straighter and smiled. "That was a rather good one wasn't it?" Then he slumped back again. "Not overly fond of the ending to it, but chaos happens."
"And speaking of chaos, have you tried binding your child?" Rupert asked.
Ethan thought for a moment or two. "I think I had bound Brenna for a bit, thinking it was her. But I can't remember if I tried it on him or not."
Rupert stood, replacing the one book for another. "Then that's what we need to do."
"Not going to be easy." Ethan stood up, swayed slightly then started for the door. "Brenna is very protective and may fight."
"For the sake of the world, you'd better hope we succeed then." Rupert handed Ethan the book. "You'll need to study this and acquire the proper ingredients. Stop by Willow's shop, she can get all you need."
Ethan took the book, and stared at it. "No demon dust?" He grinned.
"Dragon ashes, possibly," Rupert winked in reply. "But no demon dust."
Ethan chuckled and headed for the door. "I'll let you know when I'm ready. If I can stay awake long enough."