epidemiology | (open.) take these broken wings and learn to fly

CHARACTERS: Kaz Brekker & Open
DATE: during january but before leaving oska.
WARNINGS: None, probably, but I'll warn as needed
SUMMARY: Kaz tries to figure out how to use his new crow powers and mostly fails. It's definitely a training montage.

a. - early january, training center

[kaz receives a scroll that details a new power he's been given. it's still strange to think of all the different kinds of magic that exist, above and beyond what the grisha were capable of and weirder still to think he's been granted a magic no one would ever be able to use at home. but he's not complaining - far from it.

kaz wants to know everything about how to use it. what use was a new skill he was just going to ignore? he reads over the scroll again and again until he's got the entirety of the instruction memorized. he figures someone might know how to do this already, but he doesn't seek out help. he can learn on his own, and that's fine.

once he's satisfied with the concept, he pockets the scroll and heads off towards the training center. it takes him a little bit of trial and error to figure out how to make it actually work, but eventually it creates a nice, chill landscape. a few hills, no enemies. just space to try and make this magic happen.

kaz takes a deep breath and concentrates. concentrates on the idea and shape of a crow. what it might feel like. he concentrates so hard that he barely notices when he manages to make the shift -- only to shift back to human a few seconds later.

time to try again.]

b. - mid january, courtyard.

[a few seconds had gradually become a few minutes and a few minutes had become, well, ten minutes. ten minutes was pretty much his peak right now, but it was a fairly consistent ten minutes each time. it's enough time, that, if he were good at flying it would be all he needs for most normal sorts of break ins. Not the best for eavesdropping, maybe, but there's still time to keep learning.

he's moved his practicing from the controlled environment of the training room to the courtyard. yes, it's a more open venue and he's therefore more likely to be harassed by random agents, but he needs to not feel safe. real abilities had to be good when it counted, regardless of pressure, regardless of audience.

so far, he's mostly been concentrating simply on taking the form, on keeping it. trying to get ever longer intervals. but now, it's time to learn how to really fly. there is, however, one slight issue with that: the crow that kaz turns into has one poorly healed wing. as he gets off the ground, his balance is hard to gain. it's hard to get higher. it tires him out and for all that ten minutes might have been consistent while he was standing still, flying is a whole other concept together. two minutes, three minutes, a little into the air and then he shifts back, falling to his knees in the grass.

kaz doesn't seem to be hindered by this, although he could do with a nicer landing and without the shock to his leg each time but he pushes past it and tries again. one more time, one more time.]

c. - late january - around

[with almost a month under his belt of relentless attempts to get a handle on this thing, kaz is at least finally consistent enough that he doesn't think he'll die trying to get anywhere in crow form, although he does often get flashes of his botched bank job and falling off a roof. he doesn't want to be cautious, but he doesn't really want to get hurt either. practice makes perfect - he shifts into crow form, takes off and flies six feet off the ground, ten feet, fifteen feet before flying back down to make a perfect landing before changing back. The landing is important. Truly, his practicing is much improved now that he isn't coming down hard on his leg.

maybe it'll become useful - but it's still going to take a lot more time before he can hold it consistently for any long period of time. it's unlikely to be the key to any heist, but, hey, dude can turn into a literal crow now. that's kind of cool. kaz thinks so, though he might not ever say as much.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ olivia's lips fold patiently. ]

If there's one thing I know about emotions, it's that things like reason and logic have no place in their world.

Only if you don't let them.

[hes fine his emotions are fine what are you talking about everything is good and fine here]

[ olivia's lips shift into something wry. ]

I'm afraid for most of us, it's not always as simple as that.

Then I guess you have to try harder.

[ she looks as if she's about to say something, to argue maybe.

but after a second she merely smiles, a little sadly, and lets out a soft sigh. ]

What a wonderful world yours must be, [ she muses lightly, ] if that is all it takes.

I didn't say it was simple. But it's no different than learning how to fight or learning or to use magic.

[time and practice and willful denial]

Perhaps. [ she's certainly seem some people... master their emotions. ]

Are you speaking from personal experience?

Of course not. I never had emotions.

[is this a joke? maybe]

[ .......... ]

Never.

Never.

[.....]

[ ... ]

My sympathies, then.

If I don't have feelings, it follows that I don't need sympathy.

If you don't have feelings, then you cannot experience even the great ones. For that, I'm sorry.

It's not like it bothers me.

[has he really convinced her of this hes so glad...]

[ he hasn't, not by a long shot.

but she has met many a man who care so much for their pride, so for the moment, she sees no point in arguing. ]

Of course, [ she says, nodding slowly.

then she glances back up towards the sky. ]

Were the winds nice today?

They're calm.

[kaz replies, which i guess is fairly equivocal.]

Probably for the best, but I wouldn't mind the challenge.

If you should need it, I do believe one of our own has control over the skies.

[ nami had once made it rain for her, after all. surely she can manage a bit of wind. ]

I'm sure she could lend you a hand, if you asked nice enough.

[ or paid her. ]

Really?

[at least shes definitely got his interest now]

Who?

Her name is Nami.

[oh. right. he'd seen her do the lighting thing, so that made sense, didn't it? that she could control winds?]

She can do a lot of different things with the weather, apparently.

Mm, she is very powerful, yes. [ not that olivia actually knows the full extent of it; she had only just seen nami create rain, after all. but she still believes it, whole-heartedly. ]

It can't hurt to ask.