Getting close to nature. (September 12)

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria knew the spot they were heading to. Unfortunately, that didn't exactly mean there were roads heading there. So today, the vehicle of choice was a comfortable offroader that took us to the edge of the woods. "You know... the really lousy thing about the modern world? We can't just go camp out at Stonehenge. Too many eyes there."

[Theresa McMasters]

"I imagine that would be a more direct tap. Like sitting next to the wireless access point," Theresa said, watching the terrain go by.

[Victoria Valentine]

"There are a lot of places like that," Victoria admitted. "But Stonehenge is always nice because it's reasonably unchanged from when it was in use. It doesn't affect the power of the place. It does help the perception, though."

"So we just have to settle for places that didn't stand up to the test of time. Like this."

[Theresa McMasters]

"It could be worse, I suppose. I'm guessing the 'atmosphere' in the States is radically different from a place like England."

[Victoria Valentine]

"You'd be surprised," Victoria said. "These sites are ancient. In America, places of power were used as recently as four hundred years ago. There's a lot of power still there, and a lot of it untouched."

"But there are also a lot of... dark places. You need to fell them and stay the hell away from them."

[Theresa McMasters]

"I doubt that's going to be much of a problem for me. I doubt I'll be going back there any time soon, but it's good to know."

[Victoria Valentine]

"Everything passes in time, darling. But it's a good case lesson. We need places of power... and what you want to do determines what sort of place you need."

"This place's significance is more... elemental. It gets its power more from nature than anything that happened here."

[Theresa McMasters]

"Which is probably more ideal for my purposes," she agreed.

[Victoria Valentine]

"Precisely." She looked around at the area they'd come to. It appeared to be a natural clearing in the trees that was... rather unremarkable. However, a closer look would pick out several old, large stones that were placed too regularly to be natural. At this point, it was anyone's guess what their significance was, since many were missing. But it was clearly a place that had seen use of some sort. "Ah, here we are. I think this is where we'll make our camp."

[Theresa McMasters]

"Looks good to me," Theresa said, getting the gear ready to set up.

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria looked around, then picked a nice flat spot off to one side to put up the tent. "Sacred grounds might not seem like the best idea for camping, but as long as you bring nothing disrespectful to the place, there's no harm. The world is for living in, after all."

[Theresa McMasters]

"Given that until recently I wouldn't have bought into the idea of sacred places, I can't say it was something I'd given much thought to."

[Victoria Valentine]

"If She's talking to you... you're going to have to," Victoria said, a slight edge to her voice. Did Victoria get jealous? Nah.

[Theresa McMasters]

"I know that now," Theresa tried to soothe. "And that's part of why we're here, right?"

[Victoria Valentine]

"It is," Victoria said, the momentary issue vanishing apparently (or more likely, covered up). "Granted, I'm probably not doing you any favors here. Every issue in your life is probably going to stem from learning all this now."

[Theresa McMasters]

"Beats getting caught unawares and not knowing what I'm dealing with."

[Victoria Valentine]

"Well, you could put on a healthy layer of denial. If you refuse to believe in something it tends to not be able to do all that much to you."

[Theresa McMasters]

"A little late for that, don't you think?"

[Victoria Valentine]

"Faith is never easy, but it's still possible. If you look hard enough you can find ways to explain everything away. Not easy, but possible."

[Theresa McMasters]

"And I'm sure in some respects that might be more comforting, but I'd still be lying to myself in some regard."

[Victoria Valentine]

"Don't say I didn't give you an out," Victoria said cheerfully. "Hm. Really, really wish I could have brought a bigger cooler..."

[Theresa McMasters]

"If you need something chilled, I can probably manage that."

[Victoria Valentine]

"Oh, it's more that your perishable options get so limited. It's why food snobs make high maintenance campers. Well, this one at least." She looked at her pack, then at the tent, then shrugged and just tossed her sleeping bag into it. Time later for unpacking more. "So. Just wondering what we're working with... can you feel the ley lines?"

[Theresa McMasters]

"I don't really have a frame of reference for what they would feel like, but I can try," she said, squatting down and putting one hand in contact with the ground. Her eyes flared to life and she inhaled deeply. "Well, the land around here feels... healthier... better... somewhat exceptional even."

[Victoria Valentine]

"Well, that's a place to start," Victoria said. "I'll get a fire started, you get your things unpacked."

[Theresa McMasters]

Theresa wasn't exactly the camping sort, so most of her gear looked pretty new. Once she got her tent set up and her stuff stowed inside it, she joined Victoria at the fire.

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria was sitting on the ground by the fire, eyes closed. A bundle of herbs lay next to the fire on a stone burning slowly, the smoke they gave off having a somewhat sweet, relaxing smell, similar to her cigarettes. It was likely a meditation aid, judging from the slightly dizzying sensation that it gave after a few whiffs. "I'm doing my best not to be jealous about the fact that this will probably work better for you than it does for me," Victoria said in a distant, slightly dreamy voice.

[Theresa McMasters]

"Content yourself with being the more experienced woman then," Theresa quipped slightly, settling down near Victoria. "So what exactly am I doing?"

[Victoria Valentine]

"You're closing your eyes. You're pushing back your powers," Victoria said.

"You're focusing on the world. The trembling of the earth, the creeping of the wind. There is power in all things... but the power here is in life. Things grow, things thrive, and in birth and growth and health there's magic."

[Theresa McMasters]

Theresa nodded and closed her eyes. It took her a bit to gather her focus onto the things Victoria was talking about, but eventually she did, her breathing slow and regular. "It's there... tickling at the edges of my senses," she said quietly. "Like seeing something out of the corner of my eye."

[Victoria Valentine]

"Don't push it," Victoria said. "Let it tickle there. It's hard to see at first... because you can't just look for it around you. You have to look for it within you, see your little part in the greater whole. You can't really use magic until you see how you fit into it."

[Theresa McMasters]

Theresa kept her breathing steady, "That was something she talked about. Finding my place in the pattern."

[Victoria Valentine]

"You have your place... whether you change that place or not is up to you. But I can help you see... I can help you see everything."

"Gaea is here. She's all around us. The wind is her breath, the moonlight is her gaze. She sees you and loves you. Breathe with her... feel her... relax in her."

[Theresa McMasters]

Theresa's breathing grew very deep and very slow, her hands coming to rest palms down on the ground. She was quiet for a very long time. Finally, she spoke, "It's there... I can almost see it."

[Victoria Valentine]

Of course you can... "Then there's something you need to decide," Victoria said quietly. "Will you walk the path that lays before you, wherever it leads?"

[Theresa McMasters]

"Is that really a question at this point?" Her voice was very quiet as if she was afraid that too much noise would break the spell. "I was set on this road. Let's walk it."

[Victoria Valentine]

"It's always a question," Victoria said. "I want you to think, of everything you want in your life, of everything good that you hope for or that you've had. And I want you to consider that every step you take, it's easier and easier for it all to be stripped away."

[Theresa McMasters]

That kept Theresa quiet for another long time. Then she sighed, "Even though this may be a train wreck waiting to happen, I don't think I can walk away now."

[Victoria Valentine]

Ones like us never can.
I wouldn't have thought it could be that bad either.

"And where do you wish the path to lead?" Victoria asked quietly, sounding... a bit sad, really.

[Theresa McMasters]

"Before I answer that question," Theresa said, holding up a hand, "You need to explain to me what's going on. Would you rather I walk away?"