Private Lessons (Never) Learned

[Sylvia Virtos]

Get Out of My Head​

Part of Sylvia had the vain hope that her time away from the academy would've helped ease the pain of Elle Mors 's departure and put things in perspective in order to move on. She'd told Ellie 'she'd manage' but the simple fact of the matter was that it was a lie, and nothing but a lie. The magenta-haired woman knew from the moment her only friend she'd ever had walked out the door, things would go as downhill as they had. The field trip had been a distraction, but now that she was back here, in this Force forsaken academy, the weight of her mistakes were placed right back onto her shoulders.

Sylvia was a mess, heartbroken and aimless. She had always told herself she would pick Ellie over the Sith, but in her wish to see Ellie become the best she could be she had let the blonde slip through her fingers. And yet, while one half of her resigned to focus on the Sith now that there was nothing else left, the other half of her clung onto the hope that they would be together again one day. Even if just as friends, because Force knew she had blown her shot, if she even had one in the first place. The woman pensively wondered what would've happened if she had admitted her feelings that night, but she couldn't turn back time. At least now she wouldn't hold Ellie back anymore.

All these thoughts endlessly raced through Sylvia's head as she lied on her bed early in the morning, blankly staring at the ceiling. She was motionless, almost entirely divorced from her senses, too wrapped up in her regrets that she hadn't slept for even a moment. She still wore the clothes from yesterday and bags had formed under her eyes. Nothing in this place was able to rouse up any kind of real drive to succeed anymore, though despite her clear lack of self care she continued going through the motions. She still attended classes, still showed up to duels and continued to work on getting out of this place as quickly as possible. Perhaps things were marginally better away from the academy.

Perhaps the path of the Sith would help her forget.

Sylvia was snapped out of her sleepless trance as the alarm on her nightstand started beeping. Emotionlessly she sat up straight and turned it off, then got to her feet and walked over to the kitchenette. Her stomach rumbled but when she opened a cabinet, looking at the food inside, her entire body protested. Even looking at it made her nearly hurl and with a shake of her head she walked away. This wasn't going to be the first lecture on an empty stomach, anyway.

After a quick brush through her hair to make it at least look halfway presentable and a splash of water in her face, Sylvia put on her shoes and left her dorm. There was a guest lecture today, a class given by Darth Prospero, the Pyramid of Scientific Advancement. Many students had been endlessly talking about it, and Sylvia would've been equally interested had her mind not been so occupied. As long as Ellie continued to stick around in her head, though, it was difficult to look forward to much of anything. The woman mindlessly made her way through the hallways until she made it to the lecture hall, where she noticed her usual spot being open. It was a mistake sitting down there, immediately noticing how Ellie wasn't sitting next to her.

Hopefully the lecture was interesting enough to keep her mind off of everything, even if it was for only a short time.

AMCO ​

 

[AMCO]

Smirking softly at the look on Overseer Priher's face as the man bowed before his clear superior, Adrian took a moment to savour the satisfaction of the moment. Still teaching swordsmanship at the Academy while his erstwhile charge sat on the Dark Council - a charge who's life the old man had done his best to make sour, though Adrian would be the first to admit that he had perhaps not been the most attentive of students.

In that subject, anyway; he had always had an aptitude for more sophisticated matters, thus his presence here today.

A presence that just happened to push aside one of Priher's precious trials due to a "scheduling error".

Striding through the doors perhaps half a minute before his lecture was scheduled to start, the Sith Lord's eyes slid across the crowd even as they, in turn, watched him. Quite different from the Overseers, certainly, what with his tendency to favour posh suits over robes or armour.

Seemingly not inclined to waste any time with pointless introductions, the Corellian skipped right to the interesting part. "Sorcery. Magic. Witchcraft. There are many names for such phenomena, most of them inaccurate or at the very least tinged with superstition. I will leave the philosophising for later, but for now, the important part is that it, like everything else, is about cause and effect. Make no mistake, even the strangest things can be understood."

Turning towards a rather distracted-looking girl in the front row on a whim, the Sith Lord's smile widened. "A demonstration, perhaps."

"Sûnyasa an sûnyasa." Finger curling strangely as the sharp incantation rolled off his tongue, he leaned forward to touch her segment of the desk...

... and watched it collapse into greyish dust. "To some, mystical finger-waggling whose functions remain inexplicable, to one..." A soft smirk in Sylvia Virtos ' direction. "... a bit of a mess, but to those in the know it is a carefully calibrated formula intended to invoke the idealised concept of entropy."

"Questions?"

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Heads turned as Darth Prospero entered the hall, but Sylvia's eyes remained affixed to the seat next to her. She'd told people it was taken, leaving one awkward empty space in a packed row of seats. Her gaze only shifted to the guest lecturer after he made it to the front of the class and began to speak. The woman had never been the type that typically found themselves in the front row of a lecture, but it was still where her usual seat resided. Ellie was always much more interactive during class while Sylvia was very much a passive observer, preferring to experiment with the learning material by herself. She wasn't unmotivated, but someone who learned more from putting things in practice herself and answering her own questions.

That character trait combined with the thoughts that haunted her thoughts left Sylvia distracted. Though she was looking at the Sith Lord and certainly heard him talk, the words didn't register in her mind. Instead she almost looked through Prospero, pretending to pay attention but doing a poor job at it. The lecture wasn't distracting her from her thoughts, it was much the other way around.

"A demonstration, perhaps."

The Sith Lord's incantation shifted something within the Force, catching Sylvia's attention as he leaned forward before her. Then, with a single touch, her part of the desk turned into dust before her. It succeeded in snapping her back into reality. The fact he had done it so effortlessly definitely shook her up a little, but it what she needed in that moment.

The floor was then opened for questions. Sylvia was hardly someone to ask any during a lecture, though after being put on the spot so thoroughly she felt like she had little choice, lest she gave everyone in attendence even more ammunition against her.

"I have a question," Sylvia responded, not in the mood to raise up her hand and wait for her turn. "What went behind that incantation, specifically?"

AMCO ​

 

[AMCO]

Not one to stand on ceremony unnecessarily, unlike some of the Academy's more inflexible Overseers, Adrian simply smiled as the magenta-haired woman asked her question - not bad, given how distracted she had seemed mere moments ago.

"Ah, yes, the incantation. It seems quite primitive, doesn't it? Prehistoric, even. Certainly not very scientific." Tilting his head towards one of the rune-inscribed pillars mostly symbolically holding up the roof, he chuckled. "Appearances can be deceptive, however. There are many theories why speech, rituals, and strange components of every part play a part - truth be told, even I cannot say for sure."

Letting the statement hang for a moment, showman that he was, he smiled conspiratorily towards the Acolyte even as he spoke to the crowd.

"I do have my theories, however. Sith Sorcery, or Magic, if you will, is a tradition built upon a foundation of countless lords and masters before me. They gave such concept significance and through the interconnectivity of the Force said significance become something concrete, even measurable."

Smirking slightly, he shrugged. "... and then there's belief, of course - an important component to success, especially for a novice."

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Though Sylvia made sure to listen to the explanation she was given, it wasn't entirely what she was asking for. Perhaps the knowledge was important and she'd remember it, but the thing she was truly curious about was how the Sith Lord had managed to turn exactly her part of the desk into dust, but leaving everything else around it completely undamaged. Clearly there was some kind of finesse to the incantation, but the woman wasn't able pinpoint how he was able to focus onto his target.

Sorcery was a complex art, that Sylvia had already been aware of, but this one simple demonstration made her realize just how much one could do with it. It reminded her somewhat of when she first started experimenting with mechu deru, and the potential she saw in it. Unfortunately the overseer never bothered to find her a teacher and so everything she knew was self-taught, but even then she had gained a grasp on it that was quite remarkable, especially for an academy student. It was the one skill she dared to be at least somewhat proud of. It was just too bad nobody else cared for the effort she had put into it.

"Interesting," Sylvia responded, looking down at the pile of ash before her feet before turning her attention back to Darth Prospero. "So would you say that it is more about the intent behind the incantation, than the words themselves?" Perhaps showing a level of curiosity would lead to the Sith Lord indulging the magenta-haired woman with something to experiment with.

AMCO ​

 

[AMCO]

Attention returning to the girl as she continued to ask meaningful questions, Adrian reevaluated his initial assessment of her. She had potential, intellectually anyway, but it remained to be seen whether she had the aptitude - and attention-span - to match.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. The intent, strength of will, and personal qualities of the Sorcerer is central and the resonance the various acts generates in the Force is a close second - except when it's not. Sorcery is, after all, significantly more complicated than moving a stone with one's mind."

Pausing in thought, the Sith Lord shrugged.

"The more complicated sorceries, anyway. The words were not strictly necessary for the act I performed, they simply served to focus the energy. In combat I would be more likely to opt for a direct delivery mechanism, though it would still be the concept of entropy given tangible form."

One of his favourite methods of self-defence, that - when forced into combat and unable to take his opponent alive, anyway.

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

It was always strange how much of a difference it could make to simply hear a different person explain a particular subject. The course Sylvia had taken on Sith sorcery before hadn't gone particularly well, but in this one simple exchange she was able to understand the concept much better. Perhaps some in the lecture decried Prospero for going on tangents while explaining the subject matter, but the simple fact he actually enjoyed explaining it made him a much better teacher than many an instructor.

With a little bit of luck, the Sith Lord would be willing to pass on some of his applied knowledge. Picking up a trick or two never hurt, after all. The woman nodded in understanding after Prospero finished explaining, though remaining silent to let him continue uninterrupted. She would wait until the end of the lecture to approach him about it, figuring her chances would be much higher that way.

And so she waited.

Eventually, no doubt after a long and very deep dive into the subject matter, the lecture would come to a close. Many had been ready to leave a long time ago, though while Sylvia often was that way too, she was in fact quite eager to continue their earlier conversation. She got to her feet, stepping over the dust, and walked up to the stage.

"Thank you for the lecture, it was very interesting," Sylvia remarked. "Would it be too much to ask for something to experiment with in my own time?"

AMCO ​

 

[AMCO]

Ever of the opinion that the interactive lecture was the superior lecture, the Sith Lord continued on where he had left after noting that the magenta-haired Acolyte seemed satisfied with his answer, at least for now. Following a lengthy lecture split in two by a short break, for while his verbal endurance was nigh-on unparalleled, the attention-span of the average student was not, he found himself approached by the same girl yet again.

"Best of luck with your little project, but I would advise against self-experimentation until you have more experience. The Overseers will be able to provide suitable test subjects, I'm sure - if not, send a message to my office and I will give them a stern talking to."

Turning towards the last student with a smile - though it was always possible one or two especially shy stragglers were waiting in the hallways to ambush him, goodness knows it wouldn't be the first time - her remark and the following question only widened his smile.

"Glad to hear it - and I am always happy to satisfy the curiosity of the Order's hopefuls." Eying her for a long moment as if in evaluation, he opted to reply with a question of his own. "So then, what's your poison - demons, illusions, the undead, artefacts, blood magic, energy manipulation, or perhaps something entirely different? My apprentice has a fondness for machinery and someone I used to know likes to tinker with space-time."

"... but I wouldn't recommend the latter. All too easy to lose yourself - literally."

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"I'll... keep that in mind. Thank you."

Sylvia wasn't looking to test anything on living matter, so whatever the other student was asking about didn't particularly resonate with her. An inanimate object could combust just the same, the woman figured, there was no need for less-than-ethical experimentation. Then again, perhaps she was wrong and the best way to learn was through experimenting on living beings. In that case sorcery suddenly sounded a lot less attractive. At least technology wasn't alive, breaking something wasn't too big of a deal.

Still, the woman couldn't shake her inherent curiosity. She saw herself dabbling into the subject of sorcery in the future regardless of what the best course of action was.

The magenta-haired girl wasn't expecting to receive a question in return, though when Darth Prospero asked she was happy to answer. "I'm what you could call a mechu deru enthusiast. I've been drawn to technology for as long as I can remember, so I guess it came to me naturally." Even as a child she'd tinker with simple devices, using the Force in primitive ways to alter their capabilities.

"My overseer hasn't been willing to find me a teacher though, so all I know is self-taught." Even though it was Sylvia's greatest quality, it went completely overlooked by the very person who was supposed to assess her strengths and weaknesses. It hadn't discouraged from continuing to practice and experiment, though. She was too passionate about mechu deru to simply give it up, even if it wasn't a widely-known skill. "Though I am also looking for something that is more widely appreciated."

AMCO ​

 

[AMCO]

At her admission, his look turned thoughtful. A natural aptitude for that strange art, just like his apprentice. Such instances had always intrigued him, how the Force manifested in individuals - he himself had used it in the subtle art of persuasion from an early age, or so he had later come to believe.

Shaking his head at the latter part, he sighed. "Let me guess, rather than provide specialised tuition they instead made you spend more time waving lightsabers about? I know the feeling, had to seek advanced alchemical and sorcerous tuition on my own."

Smirking slightly, he flashed her a conspiratioral wink. "Tell you what, I'll see if I can pull some strings..."

... or rather, browbeat the Overseer in question with his authority. He had never really liked the man.

"Since it has never been my speciality..." Stretching for a moment, the Sith Lord wore a look of concentration as he pulled some of the dust from her former desk towards him, luminescent energies coalescing and shifting as the rusty iron was slowly, ever so slowly, transformed into something resembling a fusion of crystal and steel, soft light playing from within. "... how about energy manipulation?"

Handing the strange stone over to her with a phew, he smiled crookedly. She would note that its temperature was ever-shifting, no doubt, as were the lights and the energies within. "This little thing serves no purpose. It is a lesson in the mutability of the forces that much up our world and their interaction with the Force, however. Who knows, maybe you can learn something from it! At the very least, it should make a fine paperweight."

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Even Dark Councilors had to endure the infuriating aspects of the academy. Knowing that made Sylvia feel at least a little better. Prospero's comment elicited an amused scoff from her as she nodded in confirmation. "I'm not that terrible at using one, but to say it's my favorite would be a lie." She could understand the importance of knowing how to use a lightsaber, but she knew it wasn't her strongest suit. That remained to be mechu deru, a horribly overlooked skill within the academy.

The prospect of the Sith Lord 'pulling some strings' sounded like things were possibly changing, though. Sylvia's lips tugged upwards, though remaining a little reserved in her excitement. She'd wait until actual change came, first. "I'd appreciate that. I'd love to learn from someone with experience," the woman responded, a small bit of hope embedded into her voice. Perhaps the simple act of paying attention during a lecture was actually going to pay off.

Prospero's tugging at the Force had Sylvia look behind her for a moment, watching some of the dust float towards the man. Fascinatingly, the dust began to morph and shift, once more becoming a solid object, but a much different thing compared to what it was before. It was a crystal of sorts, though unlike any the woman had ever seen before. When she was handed the object she was surprised by the way it shifted from being cold to the touch to mildly warm. Perhaps it had no real purpose, but it did show that much could be created through use of the Force.

"And it looks pretty, that too. Thank you, for both this and taking your time to talk to me," Sylvia replied. And maybe she was expecting a bit too much, but perhaps the crystal and steel fusion had a secret within it to be discovered. Sylvia'd fiddle around with it later. "I wouldn't want to hold you up too much though. I'm sure you're quite busy."

AMCO ​

 

[AMCO]

That made her perk up, good - he had never been one for the average Overseer's teaching methods and these ones weren't even providing the specialised tuition needed to make the most of one's individual aptitudes? For shame.

Smiling softly at her reaction, Adrian shook his head. "Don't mention it, always happy to be of assistance to the Order's bright new minds. Speaking of, here's hoping that little thing proves an inspiration - I would recommend Darth Irrym for further reading material. Unconventional yet effective."

"... but I do have somewhere I need to be, actually. Business in the Palace." Pausing as he turned to leave, he eyed the Acolyte thoughtfully.

"Oh and..." Quirking his head, the Sith Lord seemed to have an unspoken exchange with something. "... Sylvia. I wouldn't worry too much about what the Overseers think - their job is to break you down and build you anew, you know, but Sith were never meant to be cardboard cutouts."

Flashing her a certifiably Corellian grin, he strolled off. "See you around, kid."

Sylvia Virtos​