caughtinanetwork | 014 | Accidental Video

[Electricity crackles across the screen -- no, wait, the electricity is actually flowing around the twelve-year-old boy standing some distance away. This may be the first time most of Vatheon has seen Ky out of his uniform. It's sitting neatly folded on the desk. Ky isn't sure why he woke up in it, but he knows he hasn't earned it yet.

He frowns and shuts his eyes in concentration, muttering under his breath.]

Come on...

[The electricity concentrates around his hands, and he opens his eyes and starts to smile before it goes shooting out, some towards the ceiling but most disappearing into the air. There's a reason he picked as empty of a space to practice in as he could.

He closes his eyes to try to concentrate again, but gets only a very weak crackle that soon fizzles out for his efforts.]

I'll have to try again later.

[He pads over to study the SFC, obvious confusion on his face at the fact that it's on. He's only used it for texts, and he doesn't seem to have an incoming message.]

What are you doing now?

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I didn't mean to practice it openly.

[But just because...why would he want to show people that he's failing?]

But I have to practice, so I can get good enough to join the Sacred Order of Holy Knights.

[He'd never heard of that before...a Holy order of Knights, certainly, that's what the Crusades were about, but using magic? No. Still, he wasn't going to interrogate a child.]

You want to be a knight? That is a good aspiration to have.

[He didn't know anything about magic, but..]

How is your skill with a blade?

[Ky would really be happy to explain all about the Crusades in very black and white terms.]

I want to help protect people.

[A pause, and then a smile.]

It's a lot better than my magic. Although harder to work without anyone to practice against.

[Jean would listen to every word.]

That is the most honorable reason I can think of to be a knight.

[Potentially biased about that.]

I..do not know about magic, but I know a thing or two about swordplay.

[There's a pause as he considers something.]

Perhaps you would be willing to tell me a bit about your magic? The subject is hated where I come from...but I admit it is merely due to fear and a lack of knowledge.

It's what I want to do with my life.

I'm not really sure I understand enough to explain it.

[Earnest eyes blink at Jean.]

I work with lightning magic myself, but it's the hardest one to manage control over.

That is perfectly all right, if I am honest, I do not know I would understand it even if you could explain it.

But, for the record, if it is the hardest to control, it seems you are making fair progress.

[At east, in his opinion. Which, admittedly, wasn't the most credible. But all children working towards a goal they were passionate about should be encouraged!]

I need to keep working on it, so that by the time I join the Order I'll know how to use it.

You will get there; if you keep that attitude and perseverance I know you will get there.

If I may offer a small bit of advice someone gave me when I was younger: "Do not be afraid to ask for help." Some things may feel like something you alone should be able to do, but that is not always the case. If you look around and ask for it, there will be people willing to give you aide.

Edited 2013-01-26 18:02 (UTC)

It's not about what I want others to do for me.

Perhaps not, but not asking for help could also mean jeopardizing what you are trying to accomplish.

In this place I'm not sure what I'm trying to accomplish.

Why should anything change? Surely you will not be stuck here forever, and then you will need to return to your original goals. You would not want to do that having not gained any ground.

Of course not.

But if I'm focused on training here, I still have a great distance to accomplish simply by practicing on my own.

Yes, I suppose that is true. Just do not discount the lessons given by those around you. Friends and strangers alike may offer you something useful whether you realize it or not.

Of course. I'm hardly going to be capable of thinking of what they would on my own.