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THE BOUQUET ESTATE - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Elizabeth steps into the common room she usually speaks with Teis in, feeling perhaps a touch more stressed than usual but that's... basically everyone in the town right now. The (no-longer) old skunk has kept her paws off of the whole deal, figuring that she neither has the obligation nor the ability to be terribly helpful in all this. She glances at her reflection in a hallway mirror, wondering for the seventh thousandth time if what happened to her was 'worth it', or if she should try and pursue where her magic vanished. Not that her research into that has proven very fruitful, but it's the thought that counts, that if she could in theory do something about it she's allowed to 'choose' being just young and magicless? She shakes her head, those thoughts being about as helpful as they ever are.
Teis: Teis, as usual, is present already, sitting in her magi alumni uniform that Della had so lovingly assembled for when they'd first moved to Respite. Pompous, but functional at least. "Good morning, Lady Catherine. Miss. Are you well?" Teis questions.
Elizabeth shrugs slightly with a small smile: "As well as anyone is in this situation, I believe. How about you?" She finds her way to her by-now-usual spot on the fancy couch, old habits of a weary old woman in a young body sticking pretty tight. She often feels more weary than she actually is, something that confuses the heck out of her if she stops to think about it.
Teis: "I'm. . .Coping. That's. . .About all I can hope for." Teis sighs. "I've. . .Got a request, given all of. . .What's been going on, if it's alright with you?"
Elizabeth looks at Teis curiously: "Guess it depends on the nature of the request. Do tell."
Teis: "I'd like to learn more offensive and defensive magic. Just in case. I. . .Never cared for that all back in Sarn because I never saw the point, but. . .Yeah. Who knows how long all this. . .Grim business will last. And I figure it'll be easier for me to learn that than to pick up say, sword-fighting."
Elizabeth pauses to glance aside, then slowly nods: "I can... I can see your reasoning. It's not entirely unwarranted to think this might yet get worse." She hums for a moment, going through her mental catalog of spells that might help: "I know some, at least." She winces inwardly at the lie, being well aware of the proverbial library of ways she knows to hurt someone with magic. She's not sure how much of that she wants to impart on someone so eager to learn, though.
Teis gives a flickering smile, there for a split second only. She's excited, yes, but the nature of the business is not pleasant. "I, um. Thank you. Rondelethia's worried about me, and Enver can't really defend himself. . .I just want to be able to do something should it come to that. And especially after what happened with The Elemental. . .I just want to. . .Prevent more death if it comes to that."
Elizabeth lets out a slow breath, gathering her thoughts: "Yes. Cast something debilitating on the enemy, enough for people you care about - and yourself - to escape, if need be. I can help with that."
Teis nods. "More or less, yeah. As well as anything that I could use say, on myself, to protect or assist in the same."
Elizabeth hums, thinking: "I'm not... terribly versed in protective magic I'm afraid, but... at the very least, there is a way to make you less interesting in those present' minds. I used that one a lot when I-" She catches herself: "-I have used it."
Teis raises a brow, her curiosity daring her to probe, though her respect for Elizabeth and desire to continue having a mentor stopping her from doing so. "Like charms? .A few students tried using some on the teachers. . .Got swiftly expelled."
Elizabeth nods: "Like charms, except... far from student level. I could make an entire room of nobles ignore me when I needed it." She looks at her hand and lets out a rather typical 'wish I could demonstrate' sigh before turning back to Teis: "While I never used it on anyone directly attacking me, I'm fairly sure it could dissuade someone considering such, by having you disappear from their personal list of interests in that moment."
Teis nods. "That sounds useful, if it's just myself being attacked. But. . .I wouldn't want to just disappear if it meant others. . .Y'know." Teis sighs. "Would it. . .Work on more than just me?"
Elizabeth pauses, then shrugs: "Possibly, with practice. At least in theory it's possible to expand the spell. I never needed to." There is a tinge of pain in admitting just how alone the skunk has been.
Teis nods, listening. She doesn't pry, of course. "Well, um. A little of column A and a little of column B then? Seems prudent to have multiple measures, especially if this charm might take me a while to pick up fully."
Elizabeth: "That it might. But I have a few spell ideas you can at least try..." She frowns slightly: "...of course, no real way to 'test' unless you find someone willing to take a curse or hex, which I can't really recommend anyone do."
Teis: "Yeah. . .Can't imagine anyone. . .Wait. . ." Teis pauses, gears in her head clicking together. ". . .Would they work on insects?" Teis questions.
Elizabeth blinks dumbly: "I... huh. Aside from the mental ones, probably?"
Teis: ". . .I've been breeding and keeping ant farms for a couple of months now. I could. . .Try testing on the ants?" Teis questions. Don't tell Tarbin.
Elizabeth nods slowly, considering an idea she herself never has: "That... that could work, yes. Although I imagine you have to be really careful so as to not just squish them with the sheer amount of magic involved."
Teis: "Well. . .Yeah. Though I've been. . .Specifically trying to selectively breed them for magical-related activities anyway. It's. . .Possible that this would actually be a really good form of natural selection. But I digress? That's kind of my hypothesis to figure out, not yours." Teis ahems. "Shall we start?"
Elizabeth nods, starting to explain the framework of the first debilitating spell, one intended to make someone's legs unwillingly tangle. "...and while the results are kind of funny, it's also a spell that traces back to you very easily. Laughing does not help, of course." Despite her mostly-serious tone, she smirks.
Teis listens and takes notes appropriately. She finds her mentor's teachings and stories a bit of a reminder of her own time in magi school, conflicted at both the funny nature of any potential spells and the sometimes unfortunate memories they stir up within Teis about the class clowns. But. . .Self defence is no laughing matter, nor would her feelings care about a spear in her stomach. This is important.
Narrator: The two continue their lesson, as they have routinely for the last few months. . .