A measure of worth

[Anonymous]

He was so nervous he could throw up right now. Being handed over to a Mordecai was something that happened to every mage worth his salt (and even those who weren't--which was he?) Being bred for this specific purpose, Bijou didn't have any qualms about going to some Mordecai. His fears were that he wouldn't like the Mordecai, that the Mordecai wouldn't like him. It wasn't exactly common to see a mean Mordecai, but he had to face it; this person would be an inexplicable part of his life now. It wouldn't do to have them disliking each other. Okay, so I'll make sure that I like whoever it is! Even if it's the most foul, worst person to walk the planet! And... And I'll try to make sure I don't mess anything up... No knocking things over, or tripping, or using the wrong magic spell... I have to be on my best behavior! The very best! And no slacking! Not that Bijou ever slacked.

Bijou was completely clueless about what was going on here. Nobody told him anything except to get dressed, get ready, and go meet his Mordecai. No advance warning or anything. Had he been chosen specifically? Or did somebody come in and say: "Mage, STAT!"...? Bijou didn't pay much attention to how the others were chosen and to be honest, he couldn't remember what--if anything--they'd been taught about being linked to a Mordecai. Except the whole headgear thing. He winced just thinking about it.

Okay, Bijou! You can't mess this up! You have to be the most absolutely charming. He drew himself up to his full height, wondered if that would make him look smug, too full of himself. Deflating, his once hurried walk slowed. Seriously. He was so nervous right now that when he looked down at his hands, they shook. He stopped short, grasping the sides of his pants and closing his eyes. Take long, slow, deep breaths... You can do this! He opened his eyes feeling like a renewed man! Determined to get this right, he practically bounced the rest of the way.

The room he'd been told to enter was just ahead. The butterflies of nervousness were fluttering in his gut again, but he ignored it and opened the door with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. Which might have been too much... because he found himself knocking over a potted plant and nearly tripping over the pot itself before catching himself. I messed up. He turned a bright crimson and immediately knelt to the floor in an attempt to clean his mess.

"Sorry! I'm sorry! I can't apologize enough! Let me just... get this. Sorry," he added again for good measure, cringing at himself. You're supposed to be at your best--not your clumsiest! What is wrong with you?!

[Anonymous]

Lilian liked her job. It was one that was pretty easy and wasn't too high in stress. It was a simple desk job pushing papers and organizing everything everybody needed. Sure, it was tedious but she didn't have to physically deal with anybody and that was a trade-off the Mordecai was more than willing to make.

Her superiors had other plans, though.

It was inevitable, really. She was a Mordecai, meant to keep mages under control so they don't wreak havoc everywhere. What was surprising, however, was how quickly they assigned her a new mage after her last one...died. She shivered. At least she'd gotten that headband back, made her punishment a lot less horrible. Time to get back to pleasant thoughts.

Lilian looked up at the clock. Her new mage should be here anytime now.

As if on cue, the door burst open, there was a crash, and the mage was spouting off apologies all over the place. The Mordecai sighed as she got up. If this was an omen about things to come, Lilian was dreading her days ahead. She moved towards the door, stepped around the mage, took the headband from the guard that escorted the little monster here, and waved him off.

"Stop trying to get the dirt up. You're only pressing it into the carpet." Lilian put her headband in it's proper position. "Let's get this little orientation over with, shall we? You caught me in the middle of paperwork and it needs to get done." She moved back behind her desk and motioned for the mage to sit in the chair at the other side of it. "Bijou, was it?" She folded her hands on the desk. "Your dossier failed to mention what type of magic you had. So let's start there, shall we? What can you do?"

[Anonymous]

Bijou promptly did as he was told and quit trying to lift the dirt. He wasn't a geomancer, so it was easier said than done to pick up after that particular mess, anyway. He did eye it with a nervous flutter in his stomach. Worried that he'd really blown it, he decided to just clasp his hands together so he wouldn't touch a thing and just watched the Mordecai with some trepidation. She didn't like a nice lady. That only added to the nervous flutter. He hoped he didn't throw up. The last thing he needed to do was make another mess on the carpet. Twisting his fingers together, he nodded, lowering his gaze to the floor. Paperwork was important. He shouldn't have dared to interrupt--even though he'd really been given no choice in the matter. He nodded again at the sound of his name, then glanced up.

"Um, well... My magic..." He was so nervous his mouth had gone dry and his mind blank. Obviously, he knew his own strengths and weaknesses. He wished that somebody else had taken the time to write it all out on the dossier. Now he had to do it all himself. How best to explain it? "I think of it as... imagination linked. I can't really do anything about elements like a lot of the others. They just won't bend to my will. But I..." He swallowed. Dare he try anything? Of course not. He'd soon be linked to this severe woman and she would be in charge of whatever else he did. It was frustrating trying to explain though. Never had been Bijou's strong point.

"Some of the others call it summoning, if that makes it easier to... to picture, but that's not really what it is. Summoning... Well, it makes me think of bringing something that already exists to me, or to this planet or plane of existence. What I do is create beings from something else. I can turn that pencil into a little snake, for example. Or a rock into a little... rock monster. Maybe a turtle?"

He fidgeted some more, glancing from the woman to the mess on the floor to the desk and then back up to the woman's face. He was terrified she was going to scream "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" He didn't know who she was or what she was really like, but so far, she filled him with anxiety and terror. Definitely not the friendly sort. He should have expected this...

[Anonymous]

Lilian waited until the mage was done bumbling through his explanation. Didn't do a half-bad job of it either. Sure, this mage - this Bijou - had about as much backbone as a slug, but she could already see that he would be very useful in the days ahead. "Okay. So what you're saying is that you can transmute objects into whatever you wish. Correct?" Very interesting.

She wanted to see it for herself.

The Mordecai closed her eyes for a moment to concentrate. The whole link forming process was still a little weird to her. It was probably because psychic connections were so hard to envision. Ignoring the weirdness, Lilian 'reached' through the headband to connect it to the one on Bijou's head. The connection brought a sense of the mage that reminded her the main reason she didn't like being a Mordecai.

Being able to slip into another person's head was creepy.

Granted, it wasn't a complete immersion, mainly her filling in the 'slots' left between Bijou and his magic, but it was still creepy. Her lip curled slightly as she got over the sensation of other-ness. "Yes. Well. Show me what you can do." In less time than it took to think, she gave Bijou clearance to use his magic. She was on guard, however, for any sign that he'd use it in a threatening way. She was ready for that.

[Anonymous]

"Um, yes." Bijou nodded. "Correct." Why had the word transmute completely escaped his mind? He could have slapped himself in the forehead at that. Then again, explanations and summaries had never been his strong point. He'd always preferred showing rather than telling. Watching the Mordecai woman close her eyes, he lowered his head and closed his own, too, fully aware of what it was she was doing. He waited until that strange connection feeling was made and then he chanced opening one eye and then the other as she spoke. He nodded again. "Right."

Showing her what he could do seemed scarier than it should be, but he wished she'd given him a more direct order. Showing her what he could do could mean anything. Scary, yes, but a little exciting at the same time. It meant that, for once, he really could use his imagination. Now, he didn't have unlimited energy, so he could either put a little bit of energy into something small, a lot of energy into something big... Or something in between. Once, he'd tried a lot of energy into something small and had been surprised to find that it seemed to make the creature smarter. As in... Sentient smart. He never did know what happened to that object, but it was out there... Somewhere. Because, well, he'd forgotten to pull the consciousness out of the being. That was how it worked. He could place his energy into a being that could live by itself--he didn't know for how long--or he could take the energy back... But that always hurt. It was like snapping a rubber band on your hand. He didn't think he was meant to bring it back. Energy, once expended, he thought, should stay where it was. Not like he needed it back after using it, anyway.

"Ahem..." He cleared his throat and looked around the room, hoping to find a useful candidate. Tempted as he was to show off, he decided he'd go with something smaller, with a medium amount of energy so that it wasn't too stupid and mindless, but not completely out of his control. Or, out of her control, since she was the master behind this puppet now. His gaze caught on a metal canister that might have held pens at one time. Or something. He wasn't sure, but there was nothing in it right now. It was metal, so it wasn't the type of thing that could have wings. So he decided to make it into the shape of a canine type of beast. He gave it needle sharp teeth and stony looking eyes. The tail was a bit short, but thick and its front was barrel-chested. If it had been bigger, it might have been a lot scarier, but small as it was, it turned its stony eyes round the room and swished its metal tail through the air. It lowered itself, bared its teeth and growled. Bijou couldn't always be held accountable for the disposition of these beasts, but they usually posed no threat to him, and he was pretty sure that the Mordecai was safe by association.

Thinking of her, he glanced over at her, sheepish and worried she'd check something off on some mental list before saying he was useless. He got called useless sometimes. It never failed to hurt his feelings, but at least he tried harder the next time. Meanwhile, the tiny metal canine was sniffing the desk, because Bijou had decided it would have a good sense of smell and a desire to hunt bugs. Sometimes, he could dictate attributes like that on them. The rest were determined by the materials with which the creature was made of. It noticed the two of them, but it completely ignored them when it caught sight of some bug and barked a metallic sounding bark. The bug, having never been hunted by a small silver beast, ignored it and was eaten a moment later.

"Did... you want something bigger?" Bijou ventured to ask.

[Anonymous]

((Note: Going off the fact that Bijou would be in the normal gray attire of a mage.)

The Mordecai reached her hand out so the small, metal creature could smell her hand. "I think this is an adequate example." It permitted her to stroke its head a bit before it leaped into her hand. It was a wondrous little animal and she decided to keep it. Not only would she be able to observe how creatures animated this way functioned, how longed they lived, and what their capabilities could be, she'd also have a little something up over a few of the others.

She smiled. "Yes, that will be good for now." She fixed her eyes on the mage. Bleck. Lilian never had liked the getup Command stuck the mages in. "Now that that's out of the way, go change into something less dreary while I finish up some of this paperwork." She kept a mental tab on where the mage was while the lines of her papers filled up.

She had made it through a good amount of the stack by the time the mage returned. "Not what I would have picked." She said, raising an eyebrow. "But it's better than what you had on." She pushed her seat away from her desk. "Come, let's go see what you're really capable of." And how much I can push you. The Mordecai stopped a little in front and to the side of Bijou. "I'm Lillian by the way. Welcome to your new life with me." She continued towards the door expecting, and knowing, that the mage would follow.

[Anonymous]

He had been pleased by the woman's reaction to the little beast. Bijou was a bleeding heart; he loved every little creature he made and naturally, he wanted other people to love them, too. He was sure the mordecai would look after it. She would be working with them--and Bijou--probably for the remainder of Bijou's life, and he was somewhat looking forward to it. He might have been a little nervous, yes, but he found he was starting to like the woman a little more.

When he had been told to leave and get dressed, he automatically bowed and rushed off, though he wasn't sure what it was she'd rather see him in. He chose the most colorful of his limited wardrobe. Surely he couldn't go wrong. He took forever, and he knew it, but he'd spent every moment agonizing. He'd tried on several other outfits before he'd ended up in the brightest once again. Wasn't it just like him to choose something, then choose until he came back to the first? Honestly, he was disappointed with himself when he had come back and she seemed to think his choice wasn't the best. He suppressed a sigh. Maybe he should have gone with the second or third or fourth... He just wanted to be found worthy, that was all.

Bijou didn't argue when the woman pushed ahead, all business. He was ready to show her whatever else she wanted to see. He glanced back at the little metal dog and watched it curl up on the desk and go to sleep. He hoped it stayed sleeping. He didn't know how many times problems arose from a creature with a strong will and a desire to make mischief. He looked back at the woman, drawing her name in his mind to burn it there. Lillian.

"I'm Bijou," he said in a cheerful tone, following her. Even though he was pretty sure she already knew what he went by. "It's nice to meet you, Lillian. Am I supposed to call you Lillian? Or would you prefer Miss Lillian? Or Mrs.? Or Madame? My lady?"

[Anonymous]

Lillian's smile was dry. The little mage certainly seemed like he wanted nothing more than to please her. That was good if that's what he was sincere in how he acted, it would make both their lives easier. If it was just a ploy, just a tactic to buy time while he looked for a way out, he was facing quite a bit of disappointment.

She didn't look back at the mage. "Since you asked, you're to address me as Madam Delfina." Sure, it might get annoying after a while but this little worm needed to get some confidence. If he ever got captured in his present state - and she'd make damn well sure that would never happen - he'd be spilling out secrets before they could even threaten him. She needed to get some fire inside him and teach him when to use it.

It didn't take too long to get where she wanted to go. She opened a door into a large gymnasium-like area where a few people were training their hand-to-hand fighting or just working out. "To really find out what you can do, we're going to have a little spar." She lead the mage out into the middle of a large mat. "Now, in hand-to-hand, I have the upper hand. That's why I want to see what you can come up with." Mentally, she gave him leeway to use a little of his magic.

Not much but it should be enough to show off what he would be able to do in a fight.

She dropped into a fighting stance. "Ready?" She whipped a fist out, headed straight for his face. "Go!"

[Anonymous]

"Ready?" Bijou asked, puzzled. What did she mean? She wanted to fight right--smash! A fist collided with his face before he'd even realized it was coming. He wasn't knocked off his feet, but he did stumble back a few steps. Disoriented, he shook himself and it took all of his will not to touch his face to check for damage. He'd be fine. If something was broken, somebody could heal it. Right? He only worried about it for a moment. Right now, he had to contend with a spar. Much as he was inclined to be stupid and keep asking questions, he already knew one thing: she wanted to spar. So he had to spar back. Nervous as it made him.

Eying her warily, he knew he didn't have much time. She was going to go for him again. This is a test. She wants to be sure I'm worth it. He had to show her that he was. Skipping back a step, he felt cautiously for the tendril of magic he used. He was able to tap into it. Without being zapped into oblivion. Good, then. She hadn't left him entirely vulnerable. And that was what Bijou was without magic. Maybe she hoped to remedy that. Bijou dropped down onto the ground on one knee, placing his hand on the mat. It sprang to life, shaping itself into a gigantic flower shaped thing, ready to swallow the both of them. Springing back another step, Bijou somersaulted over the edge of the mat near him and rolled out of the mat. Boy, I hope leaving the mat doesn't count as a penalty...

[Anonymous]

Bijou wasn't a fighter, that was for sure. Slow reaction time. Hesitant. She'd have to change that. The small mage's abilities made him incredibly useful for combat. Turning the environment into a weapon? The pair would be involved in quite the number of combat missions over their partnership. So she waited for his move.

Perhaps she shouldn't have.

If she had had time, Lilian would have remarked on how touching it was that he made a flower for her. If really was a nice looking flower, considering the materials it was made of. It looked like a sunflower to her which was a pity, really. If he wanted brownie points with her, he should have made her a rose. It would have had a certain sense of irony too; her favorite flower, trying to eat her.

She was able to dodge the first lunge, barely, and was able to make it about halfway towards the mage before the flower got in her way. That was nice to know. As long as he had a pet around, she wouldn't need to focus as hard on keeping him whole. She danced out of the way of the flower again - the thing was getting far too close for comfort - and out of its range.

"Okay, I think that's enough for now." Lilian knew when she was beat and this was going to be another learning experience for her. She motioned towards the flower-mat-thing. "Now. Return that to normal." She'd be able to see what would happen when his creations ran out of magic or whatever it was that kept them alive.