Damien hummed in delight as he reveled in a taste of supper. The day felt very long, but the delicious dinner and proximity to friends aided him in feeling more at ease. Virgil talked with Thomas about plants, as usual. Thomas was asking about flower meanings, and Virgil was nearly impossible to stop when he got started. Thomas sounded just as keen as before, even though they had gone off-topic from the flowers they were discussing.
Virgil rambled on passionately, and Thomas listened, nodding along with enthusiasm, sometimes getting a spark of inspiration in his eye. Thomas might have been composing songs again. Damien would ask him about it later.
Virgil was incredibly cute when started ranting and Damien couldn't possibly interrupt, especially if it got Virgil's mind off of the earlier prophecy. Normally Remy would help distract him through their strange courtship of annoying each other, but he was off with Morgan and Thorn at the moment.
Remus sat next to Damien, eating distractedly while he watched the spirits in the sanctuary. He seemed mildly pensive as his eyes chased things unseen. Remus could take the news in stride, as he often did, but the new prophecy still affected him despite his general optimism.
"Could you explain to me what you see?" Damien asked curiously and moved for his cup of water. Remus looked astonished for a second before responding, but he didn't remove his gaze from the air above everyone.
"There's a long spirit that flows through this entire sanctuary, and I love seeing it move. The spirit shifts and morphs and has colours I don't even have names for. The other spirits sometimes go through it or go around it, and it's just really cool to see them operating on different planes like that. Spirits always flooded this place at dinner," Remus was in awe as he peered up, following the motions of the energy flow.
"Are you vibrating on a higher plane than normal?" Damien asked, the concern leaking out into his voice.
"Sure. That thing Virgil saw about being prepared, but it doesn't say what for? I figured I could do a little extra spirit-watching tonight," Remus shrugged distractedly, more invested in chasing invisible movements than communicating. His eyes did a loop around the room and he leaned back to follow the unseen spirit.
"Remus, we practice at the rate we do because it's what is safe. You can permanently hurt yourself if you use too much energy. It affects sensitivity in the short run, too, and that would prevent practicing with us. Learning new skills is important to becoming a full-fledged seer," Damien said firmly, knocking his finger on the table to punctuate his talking points.
"I, uh, normally vibe a little harder at dinner. Not so much I see the big one," Remus pointed above him to what was nothing but thin air to Damien. "I like watching the spirits while I eat. It never pissed you off before," Remus took a hefty bite, sounding less concerned than he should be.
"I explained this when I started training you, Remus, and it didn't occur to me to babysit you. After the dragon milk is out of your system, it is risky to strain yourself that much," Damien responded shortly, knocking on the table with his knuckle.
"I didn't think it was a big deal. It never wore me out, and if I get exhausted it's what I have to look out for, right? I only do it if we're not doing anything major at night," Remus didn't seem fazed at all by Damien's annoyed tone or intense expression, but he did have a point.
"Remus, that's—" Damien faltered, contemplating what that might imply. "Really? Curious… It's the seventh of third and flame, correct?" Damien asked considerately, tapping his chin.
"Fuck if I know, I always feel like I'm doing math when people bring up the date. Hold on," Remus grunted and dug into the pouch attached to his belt, extracting a small leather-bound pocket calendar. "That equation is correct," He confirmed with a sigh, putting it away.
"Would you come down? I'd like to do something after supper when the stars are out. The moon phase is close enough to new to do what I have in mind," Damien requested and Remus nodded, exhaling slowly before taking another massive bite of dinner.
"Chill. I didn't vibe too much already, did I?" Remus swallowed his vegetables and looked to Damien again.
"You know it's 'levels of vibration' and you both use that term for more than just that," Damien narrowed his eyes at him, but Remus continued to be unaffected by any ire. "I'll double-check," Damien added after Remus did nothing but grin impishly at him in response. Damien focused on Remus to verify his energy level. This was so second nature to Damien that the process only took a few seconds.
"Yes, you'll be fine. We will learn how to check someone else's energy like the acolytes can tonight. You and Virgil can keep each other honest," Damien nodded and ate another morsel of dinner. Remus looked genuinely intrigued and returned to eating as well, now feasting with his usual fervor. His spirit-watching activities must be why Remus slowed down his rapid consumption at supper. Perhaps Damien should have known there was a reason for that.
Damien turned to listen to Virgil speak while he enjoyed his food. Virgil was talking about different species of ferns, and Thomas informed him about various benefits they had. Thomas and Virgil had been spending more time together now that Virgil started working in the devotional garden consistently, but Damien had never heard them talk about anything other than plants.
They were both animated as they spoke, Virgil in particular was absolutely ecstatic, so it must have been their personal comfort zone with each other. Though Thomas had mentioned in private that he loved how much Virgil lit up when talking about greenery since he's normally somewhat surly. Damien helped manage the gardens as a seer, but he knew little about plants, himself. There were plenty of ferns at the earth site, but they didn't grow any for the compound to Damien's knowledge, so the conversation was fascinating. "I did not know ferns could be so varied," He hummed to Remus while he continued to listen to the pair converse.
"I like the ones that close when you poke them. I appreciate a plant that defends itself," Remus replied just before taking a needlessly large bite of his pasta.
"Mimosa Pudica? Those are really cool! They grow in this zone, but they're toxic and can be invasive. There are too many animals around the sanctuary to grow them inside, and we don't use the greenhouse for anything but food. It kills roundworms, I think, but we have other things that do that already," Virgil bounced in his seat excitedly, hearing Remus's response amongst the chatter of the sanctuary.
"Ah, I said the magic words," Remus mused, smiling contentedly. "Can you grow a venus fly trap in this zone? It'd be a fun pet," He asked, enjoying his garlic bread.
"You can! But they're very finicky, and we don't have access to the seeds. We do breed mealworms for the chickens and I could make the right soil blend, though," Virgil nodded, still bouncing in his seat, making his small ponytail bob.
"Dinner, V," Remus pointed to Virgil's untouched plate of food, leaning on the table.
"Oh, whoops, I got distracted," Virgil chuckled to himself and picked up his fork. "There's a mobile genus native to Australia called the Stylidium, and the plants launch pollen on bugs that pass over them for breeding instead of motion being a defensive mechanism or a way to eat," He told them about another mobile plant. Damien looked at Remus, whose eyes lit up as he sat up straighter.
"Remus, for the love of the dragons, we are at supper. Do not make the comment I think you're going to make," Damien groaned tiredly, rubbing his forehead. Remus's face fell, and he sulked at Damien for being cut off.
"What?" Virgil asked curiously, looking at Remus's pout. Virgil made a baffled expression for a second before the realization dawned on him. "Nevermind," Virgil muttered to himself, and he returned to eating.
"Beekake," Remus whispered to himself, and Virgil choked on his food when he made an odd sharp noise. Remus's eyes shot wide, and he gripped the table, and he appeared to have stopped breathing in sympathy. Thomas reacted immediately and hit Virgil's back until he coughed a few times and reached for his water. Thomas sighed in relief while Virgil inhaled deeply before taking a sip.
"Remus, breathe," Damien pat Remus on the shoulder and he gasped out. "Please do not asphyxiate yourself in solidarity," He added with an annoyed sigh while Remus's breathing caught up to him.
"I'm fine, Ream, it's funny," Virgil chuckled with a small strangled cough. Thomas patted Virgil's back two more times with an uneasy grimace.
"Sorry, though," Remus frowned somberly, the guilt radiating off of him. Damien reached for his glass of water, rolling his eyes.
"But it's more like bugkake," Virgil corrected Remus, and Damien nearly spat out his drink at what just came out of Virgil's mouth. Remus broke down cackling, hitting the table hard enough for the tableware to clatter and attract some attention while Damien tried to gather himself from the extremely unexpected comment from Virgil.
"What? We've been friends for years. I figured it would be something more disgusting, not a pun," Virgil snickered along with Remus's unrestrained laughter. "Just because it's gross doesn't mean it's not funny," Virgil picked up his garlic bread with a smirk.
Thomas appeared somewhat bewildered but didn't seem to object enough to say anything. Dropping the subject also seemed smart to Damien, since he wasn't a fan of the humour and there were more pressing matters now that Virgil's attentions were away from botany.
"Virgil, are you comfortable learning a new skill after we return from the baths? You'd have to skip the gathering this evening," Damien asked, deciding to just ignore that whole affair.
"Sold," Virgil didn't even look up from his dinner and Remus chuckled through his nose. "I think Remy will be fine without us, he's scheming with the boys," Virgil swayed in his seat to the harp that had carried through the air.
"I was wondering where he went," Remus looked around the room curiously.
"He said something about plans and sitting with the crunchy families who eat outside. I guess they're with Percy. His little sister is devious. I think she was interested in joining. Her parents keep telling her to decide later, like it's some kind of permanent choice and not an extra totally voluntary lesson," Virgil spoke critically, tapping his fork on the plate rapidly.
"His parents are just pissy Percy doesn't live with them anymore. The initiates' quarters aren't even that far from the cabins, and they see him every fucking day. It's probably why they don't want her to convert. Someone needs to explain that kids her age can't be initiates yet," Remus grumbled around his garlic bread, making Thomas cringe slightly.
"Parents can be defensive about their children. They're not used to communal raising yet, even if Percy and Bella have already adapted. They perhaps lied on their compatibility screening when they applied, but I think the children were worth the headache. Percy reports he is trying to help them settle in more," Damien informed them airily, picking up his toast to enjoy. He was immune to Remus's bad table manners at this point.
"Yeah, Bella loves the library and Masterson. I bet she'd love to take over one day. Percy's worried they'll want to move out and he and Bella don't want to leave. The classes here suit her well, and she's already reading stuff they assigned us in high school. She reads to me and Percy sometimes when we're hanging out. It's so cute," Virgil wore a soft smile as he talked about spending time with her.
"You just like standing near someone shorter than you," Remus pointed out, and Virgil's expression morphed rapidly into a scowl at Remus. Being around them could be trying, because Remus really can't resist pushing people's buttons. Virgil forgave him immediately when Remus cackled at his fury, though. He shook his head and smiled as he enjoyed dinner.
Damien focused on his supper to finish up promptly and get in the baths. Remus liked to soak normally, but he'd want to rush through to learn something new. Damien didn't desire to endure being pestered for half his bath because Remus was impatient, so it would be fortuitous to hurry.
— ? —
Damien relished every time Virgil and Remus seated themselves on the pavilion floor and ready to listen. They liked to annoy Damien about small things, there was no arguing that. But they both genuinely respected and cared for him, and it showed the most when they worked with Damien. Virgil looked fully awake and Remus had a determined expression as they both sat silently waiting while Damien folded his legs to sit down with him. Damien basked in the silence for a glorious moment before starting.
"The first step to learning this is energy level checking. This doesn't tell you a total amount, it's more akin to a battery life. You get an impression of how much energy remains. Under a quarter is low, and below a tenth is potentially fatal. Most people blackout between those two," Damien explained the basis of this exercise. Remus and Virgil nodded as they looked at him. "You can do this at the same time. You both have a solid idea of how each other's energy presents, correct?"
"Yup," Remus replied, and Virgil nodded again, listening with an intense expression.
"Good. Please focus on how the energy feels and nothing else. Then reach out and receive. It might help to close your eyes at first," Damien instructed them. Remus and Virgil turned to face each other. Virgil closed his eyes and Remus kept his open as they focused.
"Oh. You don't see it as much as you feel it, huh? I don't really get how to read it, though," Remus stated, looking at Damien. Virgil furrowed his brow and focused on attempting to receive.
"The more you feel it, the more it will come to you intuitively. You can try to compare Virgil's with mine to deepen your understanding," Remus nodded and continued watching him. Virgil strained as he kept trying. "Is everything alright, Virgil? Tell me what's happening," He asked, his voice tinged with concern.
"I can't get a hold of it. It's amorphous and I keep snapping back like I always do," Virgil slumped and opened his eyes to look at Damien.
"Please try with mine, then. I know interacting with other human spirits is hard for you, but this should be within your abilities," Damien proposed something a little easier for Virgil to start with. Virgil turned his body to face Damien and closed his eyes again, sitting up straight and focusing. He made a surprised expression after a few moments.
"It's like… fuck, you're not going to like this," Virgil grimaced and peered at Damien nervously through his bangs.
"No, Virgil, I'm well aware. Everyone has different interpretations, but there is always a common thread," Damien shook his head and focused his attention on Virgil. He already knew this was coming when he suggested it.
"I went to the zoo as a kid and held an enormous snake, and it kind of feels like how the snake felt crawling across my hands," Virgil opened his eyes and bit his lip nervously.
"Yes, scaly and sinuous is the thread. A Dragon's tail is more flattering but one can describe it as snake-like," Damien nodded, pleased that Virgil could catch on so fast.
"Why do you hate the nickname, then?" Virgil inquired with a vexingly playful smirk.
"I don't mind being compared to a snake, but you call me a 'danger noodle', which is very different and stupid. I am not pasta and I'm no more dangerous than you or Remus," Damien rolled his eyes with a huff of frustration. "Please continue with the exercise, Virgil, this part should be much easier with your intuition," He insisted, which Virgil and Remus snickered to themselves at. Virgil stopped and grounded again before he sat up straight and closed his eyes once more. Remus leaned on his elbows and watched Damien skeptically.
"Um, like, three quarters," Virgil supplied Damien's energy level after about a minute of contemplation. Remus just continued to make a lost expression for another second until his face lit up.
"That's what that means! Okay, I think I get it. Don't tell me Virgil's, I got this," Remus nodded enthusiastically and turned back to Virgil. Virgil faced Remus once more and tried again.
"That's right. Remus is hard to interpret for everybody, don't fret that it will take longer. It is better to read as the changes occur rather than as a single state. Just let go and feel instead of attempting to comprehend them. I am confident you are skilled enough to make an analysis," Damien instructed, trying to encourage Virgil. Virgil nodded and chewed his lip as he strained while struggling. Reading Remus's energy was difficult, but Virgil's intuition was more than sufficient to succeed.
"Virgey's at like half power," Remus supplied, wobbling his hand parallel to the floor.
"Wonderful job, Remus. Keep the feel for Virgil's energy," Damien was glad Remus could catch on. He was weaker on intuition, but he did just fine today.
"Remus has more, I think. It sort of… drops and rises, but the average is above half," Virgil piped up after a moment, glancing hopefully to Damien.
"Leave my dick out of this," Remus snorted out a laugh he failed to hold back, making Virgil gasp in surprise and fall over slightly.
"Ream!" Vesper shot loudly, his face bright red and looking upset at Remus, who was incredibly pleased with himself.
"Genital comments aside, you did perfect, Virgil. Remus picks up and loses energy from the environment as the seer of spirit. You are still very blocked off, but you would interact with the stars if you focused on them," Damien explained, and Virgil made a sour face and peered down at his hands, the ire at Remus completely lost to a pained expression.
"Wait, what the hell would you interact with?" Remus asked, sounded baffled as he stared at Damien.
"Exchanges, primarily. It's hard to define, exactly. The sunrise and sunset connect with me. We've interacted passively in the past since you two together exist in a strange balance. Well, not you as individuals, but the energy between you both," Damien nodded to them.
"Do I have a disease or something?" Virgil scowled at the palms of his hands with a bitter twinge in the air. "Why can't I open up?"
"The dragons said it will come in time, Virgil. You are not diseased. Just keep practicing and you will learn to drop your walls. It's not a conscious choice and you are not broken," Damien reassured Virgil, who only sighed in response.
"Take a deep breath, V. You're doing what you can and kicking ass at it," Remus spoke to Virgil emphatically, locking eyes with him. Virgil nodded and exhaled slowly. He still looked pensive, but at least more prepared. Damien needed to invest extra effort in bolstering Virgil, perhaps. But for now, they should finish this exercise.
"The next part is simple to explain, but hard to master. Feel the energy and stretch it as far as it goes. This will take some time. Please speak up if you have a question, but trust your instincts," Damien held himself with poise, nodding to both of them separately to remind them he is here and capable. Virgil dropped his head to focus and Remus leaned back on his hands, looking up.
Remus contorted his face, and Virgil furrowed his eyebrows while they both made their attempts. The minutes following were silent and still. There was no breeze and even the bugs stayed away from the shifting Draconic energy that flooded the pavilion. This kind of intense focus was rare from Virgil and Remus, and Damien felt profoundly proud of them for getting to this point so quickly. They were both fast learners in a complex subject.
Remus alternated between opening and closing his eyes, and Virgil balled up further as he worked. Damien pushed at Virgil's shoulder and he sat back up. Remus looked intrigued before dropping to lie on the ground of the pavilion. There was another long period of silence, slightly broken up by Virgil's breath, coming in a little harder by the minute. Damien checked his energy level and pursed his lips. Virgil shouldn't do much more after this.
"Okay, it won't go any farther," Remus held up his hand for a moment before dropping it to the stone floor with a loud thump. This practice took a significant amount of energy, and Remus chose to deal with that with a limp sprawl out on the ground.
"Fantastic job, Remus. That is the energy potential. What impressions do you have?" Damien continued on with instructing them, nearly beaming with pride.
"Compared to the space it's in, it doesn't seem that big," Remus pointed out, looking confused, though the humanoid puddle that was Remus didn't shift.
"Anything else?" Damien prodded him to keep describing it. He was almost there.
"It's really condensed still. The energy is not that elastic. It looks like it can go farther, but it can't," Remus finished, making the proper observation to make a judgement from.
"Perfect. Please release, Remus, and just relax while Virgil finishes," Damien smiled at him. Remus held a thumb up weakly before his arm collapsed back to the ground and stayed melted to the floor of the ritual pavilion. His breath wasn't as ragged as Virgil's but it was strained in the still night air.
"Nice," Remus breathed, the satisfaction emanating off of him tinted the area with hope.
"That is how to check energy potential. I haven't done so since you started with us, because of the significant energy expenditure. But you mentioned you had no issue with watching the spirits at dinner, and knowing these things is important," Damien explained while Remus took deep breaths.
"Remus's… bounds keep… changing…" Virgil muttered, his breathing getting harsher by the minute. Damnit. Damien ran his fingers through his hair and examined his options carefully. Damien wished he could help further, but Virgil rebounds any type of energy interaction. Damien opted to sit closer and offered his hand to Virgil as emotional support.
Virgil reached out and grasped Damien's hand without opening his eyes. Virgil gripped the hand with small tremors as he struggled. He had a surprisingly tight grip strength, but if it helped Virgil focus, Damien would take it. Virgil had broken out into a light sweat, and Damien nervously checked Virgil's energy level again. He was getting close to the danger zone.
It was unavoidable to blackout as seers, but Virgil's low energy had him at a higher risk than one expected from seers at his level. Damien always ensured Virgil had plenty of recovery time and didn't overwork himself. He was closing in on dangerous territory. They could try again on the proper new moon, perhaps—
"It's fucking massive," Virgil's hand slackened and the blood in Damien's hands pulsed as it returned to his fingertips. "The energy keeps shifting, but I think that's as far as I can take it. And it's huge. Honestly, it's kind of terrifying," Virgil explained, sinking tiredly where he sat. "And uh, it's very elastic if that's important. And I don't think it's condensed. It's everywhere," He added, and slumped against Damien, breathing hard.
"It is. Fantastic job, both of you," Damien moved his arm to hold Virgil, rubbing his shoulder lightly while Virgil tried to catch his breath.
"So, what do the sizes mean, exactly?" Remus pulled himself to sit up while Virgil settled in to his reclined spot, shifting closer.
"The energy potential is who you can be, in a sense. It doesn't completely account for the future, since free will changes things. It's simply a likely outcome. Within that giant capacity, there's a core, that's the condensed part. That's what your current limits are," Damien clarified to them.
"But… Remus's didn't look condensed at all," Virgil's exhausted frown was almost overwhelming.
"The fact that it was changing makes it hard to see. How much of it gives you the sense of Remus versus the sense of the space itself?" Damien asked, antsy to tell Virgil to stop soon.
"Oh, um…" Virgil trailed off, closing his eyes to focus. "A third, maybe. But it's really huge, D. It's like looking up at the night sky," Virgil explained, and most of the colour had drained from his face. He looked utterly dreadful, Virgil showed the energy drain more than anyone he had ever seen.
Damien checked Virgil's energy and frowned. "Virgil, please release, that's all you'll need to examine. You're done for today," Damien requested sadly, and Virgil drooped, exhaling hard and collapsed completely against Damien, wholly exhausted. His eyes were dark and his pallid skin had the sheen of sweat. There was a pause of heavy forced breathing while Virgil caught his bearings.
"So I have a big energy capacity right now and it could get massive?" Remus asked, looking gleeful as he fanned himself by pulling at his robes. Damien checked Remus's energy level to confirm. He was around a third, but still capable of doing more, even though in theory he should be done for the night like Virgil.
"Yes, I believe it does. We can safely increase the amount of exercises you do if you want to. The pace we're on will have you ready by next year, but I won't discourage you as long as you do not close in on a third or less energy remaining regularly," Damien wasn't able to conceal how impressed he was as he spoke, causing Remus to make an incredibly self-satisfied grin. Remus cheered and raised his fist victoriously.
Virgil let out a pained groan, sliding down Damien's arm and into his lap. Remus sat up and inspected Virgil apprehensively, meeting Damien's eyes with a somber expression. All the cheer from mere seconds ago washed away with worry. Virgil rolled his head and adjusted himself to lay down more comfortably, his breathing evening out.
Remus moved closer to hold Virgil's hand, which Virgil shot Remus a brief smile for the gesture. For once, Remus seemed too nervous to talk. Virgil just needed time to breathe and wasn't in danger, though.
"Wait… Remus said mine is all condensed," Virgil's voice cracked as he spoke, his face furrowed in confusion. He at least sounded like he was well on his way to recovering. "Does that mean I won't get a better capacity? Because mine is still bullshit compared to yours or Remus's," He scrunched up his face and let out a ragged exhale.
"Yours is… smaller than it should be for a seer's, yes. Your energy is only condensed like that because your energy will not interact easily. You can still grow. I can't judge a pace or an accurate capacity right now. We will stick to the safe route for you," Damien gave Virgil a sympathetic look, but Virgil wouldn't meet his eyes.
"But I'm the one who specifically has something happening. The vision before said so. I'm supposed to be prepared," Virgil shook his head slowly, staring intently at the stonework floor of the pavilion.
"We don't know where or what it is, Virgil. Blind events like this are nerve-racking, but we are here to protect you too. The dragons have decided we should go into this not knowing, and we have to trust them. But you don't have to face this alone," Damien sighed and tried to reassure Virgil, but he didn't seem relieved in the slightest.
Damien took a deep breath and pulled Virgil in for a hug. Virgil paused, exhaling grimly before he reached up to return the embrace. "Things will be alright, Virgil. We can't know everything and we can deal with things when they come," Damien rubbed Virgil's back. Virgil bit his lip and looked to Damien nervously before giving a small nod and looking to the pavilion floor.