Magic Box, Thursday, 1/26

[life_inshadow]

Tara had brought Mr. Moxy to work with her today, and watched him chase dust bunnies around the bookshelves until he got bored with it and fell asleep.

This taught her two things. First, her workday would be much easier if she were a cat.

Second, they needed to sweep under the bookshelves more often.

The Magic Box was open, and Tara was armed with a broom and some Windex.

[OOC: Open post, no OCD!]

Comments

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle still hadn't made any more headway in her meditation sessions, and it was starting to frustrate her -- which, she suspected, didn't help matters much. She'd tried changing her position (she'd even resorted to standing on her head once, but that had only ended in falling over and that wasn't conducive to concentration at all), listening to music, listening to nothing at all . . .

She was still working her way through the atmospheric aspects of it, thus her trip into town after class; she wasn't sure who she'd find when she got to the magic shop, but it was good to find someone she knew.

"Could I get some advice on something?"

Sound less dramatic, Gabrielle, gods.

[life_inshadow]

Tara looked mildly alarmed as she stood from the crouch she'd been bent into to scrub at the bottom bookshelf.

"Sure," she said, "What's going on, Gabrielle?"

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

She'd been working on a story in her head on her walk down, so she'd been stuck in a melodramatic sort of mood, but at least she seemed to realize it, and looked apologetic.

"It's nothing serious," Gabrielle promised. "I'm just a little . . . blocked, I guess you could call it. I've been working on these meditative techniques, but I can't quite seem to calm my mind down enough, and I'm wondering if a change in the kind of incense I've been using might help."

[life_inshadow]

"I can try to help with that," Tara said in relief, wandering over to the stock of incense. "Peppermint's good for clarity. Or basil. Or poppy, but that might be a little ... like killing a fly with a sledgehammer."

She glanced to Gabrielle. "What kind of scents do you use now?"

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"I'm not entirely sure. I picked it up while I was in India," Gabrielle admitted. "Mostly sandalwood, I think?"

It was totally nag champa. She just didn't know that.

"It's really heavy. Do you think it might be too heavy?"

[life_inshadow]

"Probably nag champa," Tara guessed. "I think if you're thinking it's too heavy, it probably is too heavy? I mean, m-maybe not for somebody else, but for you, yeah."

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"I like it," Gabrielle was quick to add, "but I don't know if it's getting to me more than it's helping."

She leaned over to sniff experimentally at a pack of nag champa and nodded. "That's it right there, I know it. You said peppermint was good for clarity? That might do what I need it to."

[life_inshadow]

"It might," Tara said, and held up two packages of mint-scented incense for Gabrielle to choose between. "Do you need to do something in particular? Or is it more just ... general peace of mind."

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle considered for a moment, reaching for the packages, then decided to explain.

"A friend I met in India has the ability to heal people. He says it's teachable, but before I can begin to learn how to do it, I need to be able to . . ."

She waved a hand vaguely. "Achieve a state of perfect emptiness," she concluded, and if that sounded at all ridiculous she didn't seem to be aware of it.

[life_inshadow]

"Oh wow," Tara said, eyes wide and clearly not finding it ridiculous at all. "Healing is teachable? Like, I didn't even know you did magic. Much."

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"I don't," Gabrielle admitted. "The spell with the mehndi was the only time I've ever done anything like that. But the healing -- Eli says it's based on the ability to be a vessel for the purest form of love. So in order to do that, I have to be able to make myself that vessel."

She smiled slightly. "He calls it 'doing nothing.' Clearing your mind completely. I haven't been able to do it yet."

[life_inshadow]

"I don't think I could," Tara decided. "You'd have to totally shut down the little voice in your head, right? But -- I really admire you for trying. It sounds beautiful."

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"I'm a bard. I don't think I can remember ever having a time when there wasn't some little voice in my head telling some story or other," Gabrielle said with a self-deprecating laugh. Though if she were to be really honest with herself (she wasn't) she'd have to admit that part of it these days had something to do with that vision of her crucifixion. "But this -- if I can learn to do this, it'd be for something much greater than just myself. So I have to try, don't I?"

[life_inshadow]

"Absolutely," Tara said, immediately and sincerely. "And if you need help, or even just somebody to -- sit in the room and hold your hands, I'm here."

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle grinned. "If I can't make any progress on this, I might take you up on that. We'll see if this incense helps, though."

[life_inshadow]

"Good luck with it," Tara said. "The right environment can make a huge difference, so maybe this is all you need."

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"We'll find out." Gabrielle reached for her money pouch, wincing at how light it was. "If it isn't -- I might have more questions."

[life_inshadow]

"I'm here every Thursday," Tara told her. "Or come by my dorm room. Or, um --"

She noticed the wince.

"Is there something else I can do?"

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no, it's all right," Gabrielle said quickly. "I have enough to pay for this; I just don't keep track of my money as closely when I don't have to pay for supplies and repairs on the road every so often."