He shifted awkwardly. Tahi-shei didn't want to tell her this story, actually, because she was part of it and he didn't want to admit that to her. He certainly didn't want her to feel guilty. So... he told a half-truth. "I kind of humiliated myself at the Olympics," he explained. "It really upset me, especially seeing all those other Gembound with such powerful magic. And that colorful bipedal thing? Yeah, that one didn't help matters. I was angry and embarrassed so I followed up on a rumor I'd heard that someone in Canis could solve your problems. I made a deal when I shouldn't have, and agreed to do something awful. He was easy to listen to; something about him and his voice made me want to agree." Charisma was one hell of a drug.

"For once in my life, I didn't ask questions or think about my decision, and it's coming back to bite me in the shoulder."


@madhukar

Tahi's confessions made Madhukar's heart pang with a scintilla (way more than that, actually) of... sympathy. Tahi's act at the Olympics had come across as embarrassing... being humiliated by it and making ridiculous decisions, Madhukar could absolutely relate to on a level Tahi didn't yet know. Madhukar had fortunately not been pestered by the 'announcer', but man she could imagine everything that could've gone worse if she had been. Yeah, going to the Collector and making a bad deal after all that? Made perfect sense.

Madhukar attempted to reach out and touch Tahi's leg with her good paw. "I get ih." That was all she had the guts to admit, honestly. She was glad Tahi told her what had happened; it made her feel good that she wasn't alone in feeling that shame. And also, knowing she could be... confided in, to a degree, that felt nice too. She swallowed hard, pondering whether she should say why she 'got it'.

She wouldn't. 'Coward.' In this department? Yeah...

The kitten decided to turn the switch, from melancholy to hopefully... okay-er, at least. "Bu' better now! An' electric spell! Yo' get stronger, Tahi." She offered a smile. That was all she could give, words and a smile. And maybe, actually, some more practice. "Wanna practice new spell?" Hopefully that would excite the little nerd. Admittedly, Madhukar herself couldn't wait to see how Tahi would grow. A mind that ran for hours on end surely deserved some compensation for its work! She only hoped that Tahi could be satisfied with the strength he would achieve, if he kept on growing like this.

@Tahi-shei

Tahi wavered, and smiled. Madhukar was right. He did get stronger on his own. He didn't really need the Collector, did he? Even though he was still firmly bound by his deal. Tahi-shei was glad for Madhukar. She was so kind to him. Her offer made him perk up, and he shook himself out. "Okay, sure! I'd love the chance to practice."

He hoped she wouldn't go overboard, though. Madhukar could be a little haywire when she wanted to be, and he knew that she tended to backfire when she got overexcited. Which was fine, just... not if he could get caught in the crossfire.


@madhukar

Madhukar reflected Tahi's smile. She was, in a sense, a mirror for Tahi's energy. Tahi's excitement, shame, neutrality -- it all just infected her with ease. Guess that was a side effect of being a mushroom deer. Or maybe... the side effect of being... a friend? Madhukar didn't know. Maybe it was both. Mushroom friend.

Tahi accepted her offer and Madhukar backed up just a little bit. So they were gonna play the electric game, eh? Madhukar was good at the electric game. She could show Tahi a lot of elec-tricks. Although, the spell the deer had learned seemed different from the one she often used. That was okay! Energy responded to energy. "Les begi'!" the kitten declared. And to start, she would try to draw a static spark in a triangle over the fur of her chest.

@Tahi-shei (I dunno if this spell is detectable but Tahi could use Short Circuit to accidentally interrupt it? Or just wait until next time when Madhukar tries to use Electroball [which is easier to detect])

(also I planned on having Madhukar learn what the spell actually does in her fight with Comet?? But I can edit ;u;)

Tahi-shei, however, was familiar enough with Madhukar's magic as he took a step back to notice. He tasted the tension in the air, and saw how the electricity crackled around her. Concentrating (because he'd only cast this spell a few times, honestly), Tahi felt the magic began to rise... and dissipate, faltering on some other catch. Nerves? Probably. He shifted on his hooves. "Uhhh... failure," he said, laughing a little self-deprecatingly.

He drew in a deep breath through his nose. "I can try again in a second, just... give me a minute to breathe." Level his head or... something. He shook himself a little bit and stretched, glad for Madhukar's patience.



@madhukar

Madhukar cocked her head to the side, looking entirely non-judgemental. She'd been in this situation before. "Don' worry Tahi. Electricity hard." She laughed a little -- it was meant to be well meaning. She didn't really know what the spell was intended to do! Did she even have this spell? Perhaps, but it would be impossible to tell at the moment. "Jus' gotta aim an' don' get too angey."

She focused the ground off to the side, far enough from the two of them, and attempted to spit out some charged bile. Her jaws parted as she prepared herself for what would hopefully come through.

(What a surprise she would get when no charged bile would come out!)

@Tahi-shei

"You too?" he said, laughing lightly. Tahi-shei paced a light circle around her, shaking himself out a little and making an attempt at another spell to get himself warmed up -- it seemed like they were both a little rusty. Happy little whitecaps sprung up behind him, and he cleared his throat. "Alright. Let's try again?" he offered, waiting for her to cast a spell so he could cut it short -- it wasn't as if he could cast his spell unless someone else was casting magic.


@madhukar

Madhukar clenched her jaw and contorted her face into a pout at Tahi's words. It was light-hearted pout though; Madhukar couldn't be mad right now. Not at Tahi. Especially after she'd just said it was important not to get mad when playing with Electricity. 'Cause it hurts when you get mad.'

Madhukar readied herself again; stance, jaw parted, all that. 'Work this time,' she willed it. She had to do a good demonstration for Tahi!

@Tahi-shei

Tahi waited for evidence that she was casting something, and then-- a jolt of electricity arced towards her stone and stopped the magic in its tracks. He bounced on his hooves and made a sort of low whistling noise. "I did it!! Look!" He stopped suddenly. "Oh, wait, did that hurt? Sorry! I, uh, haven't actually cast that at a person yet, so." He frowned, ducking down to look at her. "Are you okay?"


@madhukar

A faint jolt of electricity came towards her stone -- Madhukar moved her head just in time to catch a glimpse of it. Was that Tahi's?! Incidentally, her Electroball hadn't worked. She swore she'd felt the energy built up, even if it was weak. Something had stopped it. Had it been...?

"No no no! No hurt! No even feel really." Madhukar sounded both annoyed and mystified. What had that been? Such a tiny, direct spark? What had it caused? "No hurt... so what i' do?" She looked up at Tahi, puzzlement evident. Tahi had never actually explained the exact functionality of this spell. Just said it was "an offensive" one. Usually offensive spells hurt, right? Then what the heck...?

@Tahi-shei