We all know the drill by now. Alex has an office. It's in a building. There's chairs, illusions, a desk, him, all that jazz.

Do we really need to go over it again? Or what Ted wore to his lesson? (Ratty jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, for the record. For someone who sees so much, he doesn't care much about appearances.)

It might be worth noting that Ted doesn't have shielding up (again) and that he's flinching away from looking at anything (again).

Such a bothersome boy. He knows exactly what he should do, but he just doesn't do it. He's a busy boy.

And he doesn't like blinding himself. He just doesn't.

Alex is facing away from the door, looking at his computer. Frustrating things, computers. He thinks he should invent a spell to handle his email for him...

"Put your shields up, Ted."

I wish I could see out of the back of my head.

(Well, that's not exactly what he's doing. Everyone has a kind of presence--an aura, if you like that word--and when he knows someone, he recognizes their presence. And a presence unprotected by shields is very different than one with that protection.)

Ted does so.

Kinda.

Physical shields, check. Defense against magical attack, check.

Shields against the problem? Not so much.

Alexander turns.

"Look at me."

There's a problem, and Alexander isn't quite sure what it is, but he's going to find out.

He closes his eyes, the better to concentrate.

Ted does. His eyes, that dusky sky blue of his, are unfocused, not really looking at Alex. Looking through him, instead.

He can see the... aura, as we seem to be calling it. It glowed colors beyond imagination, and beneath it he could see the energy flows of the human body, and beneath that, the energy patterns of... whatever it was.

There's an odd sort of shimmering web surrounding Alex. Lines leading from him and to him, thin as spiderwebs but never breaking.

This is why Ted doesn't look directly at people.

Lately, Ted is more likely to see physical things than mental things. Things under the skin, or magical energy, or both.

But imagine all the diagrams in a science textbook, in visible form. Imagine being able to see cells of the body. Imagine being able to see atoms.

Not comfortable for a normal human boy, not at all.

Alexander hisses his disapproval.

"That will never do," he murmurs.

His voice turns soothing, hypnotic, telling Ted where he must look, how he must look. It's really a matter of focus, and on knowing what one wants to see, when one wants to see it. It's a matter of self control.

They've got to fix this, or this won't go anywhere.

Ted is stubborn.

Despite that it might be best for him, despite that his concious self is perfectly willing, his subconcious fights it. Fights it hard.

It isn't working, I think. Maybe Ted doesn't trust Alex enough. Maybe he just doesn't trust anyone.

I think he shakes his head minutely, as if shaking something off. He doesn't really know why....

Stubborn boy.

"Ted."

There's power behind his voice now.

"I will block you from your magic if you do not attend."

He can do that, too, although he can't do it permanently. He has to keep maintaining the spell. It's a bit of a drain on his resources, but in some cases, it's necessary.

"I'm trying." Ted's getting angry - at himself or Alex, he's not sure. He's trying, but he can't.

(Mostly because he won't let himself. Ho-hum.)

It's frustrating to want to learn something desperately but not let yourself despite all your wanting. Very frustrating.

Alexander sighs.

And murmurs a word or two in a dead language, and now Ted shouldn't be able to fight him.

And once he knows how, it should come easier with repetition.

Yep.

That worked.

It scares Ted, though. Reminds him of things he's seen about his teacher that he doesn't really credit - things that don't fit with the teacher he sees on a weekly basis.

Or it will scare Ted, once he can think again.

"Now. Let's try this again."

And they go through the exercise. And they go through it again. And again. And many more times.

Each time, Alexander siphons a tiny droplet of his magic away from the spell binding Ted to his will. Each time, he's leaving Ted to do it more on his own. This is teaching, it's not using.

He does that differently.

Um.

Yeah.

And finally, Ted runs through it once on his own, and pauses, struck by how well it works.

"...oh."

Huh.

Ted was mildly (well, very) surprised that worked.

Alexander leans back in his chair and gives Ted the tiniest of tired smiles. (You think it's easy to keep such a fine control of magic?)

"Yes, 'oh.' Better?"

He's tired, but it's a satisfied tired. This is why he's a teacher in the first place, because there's nothing quite like showing someone what they are capable of. He likes that feeling.

(He likes it more when it comes naturally, as it happens, but he really didn't want Ted to leave without being able to control his Sight. That could have bad repercussions.)

"Yeah...."

But Ted shifts uncomfortably, and he doesn't look Alexander in the eye.

He... can't... ask Alex about... what he sees about Alex.

Among other things, some of the things he's seen are things about people who know too much about Alex.

Ted... is cautious, some of the time.

But you have to understand - Alex is Ted's role model.

If Alex can do these things because he's a mage, why shouldn't Ted? Oh, mum doesn't, but mum's not much for powerful magic anyway, and she's a witch, not a mage. She doesn't know what it's like to have the power inside you like it's inside Ted.

As for his sister's - pfft, girls.

And then there was Wick, and then there was Dave... and....

Why shouldn't Ted use his powers? What possible reason does he have, when everyone he looks up to can and does?

And maybe, just maybe, that's what he's thinking right now, and he's feeling guilty, like a boy planning a prank, and he's going to do it, but he'll feel guilty about it anyway.

Alexander lifts an eyebrow.

"Is it my imagination, or did I hear a 'but' on the end of that?"

Ted might not have said anything, but it's clear enough that something is troubling him...

And Alexander is not a stranger to playing father figure for students. He just hasn't done it as much, in recent years. (Until Keye, anyway.)

Ted... won't, can't, fears... saying what he's actually thinking.

And Alex isn't as good with the Sight as Ted is, as far as Ted can tell. So Alex probably won't read it in him.

"I... no... I mean... it works."

It works, but..

Ted doesn't really know how to explain the moral ambiguities that came with his newfound control. He really doesn't.

"If you could.. iunno... what would you do if you could read minds 'n stuff? Kinda?"

Moralllll. Dilemmaaaaa.

Alexander's magic is not inherent. He has no natural gifts as a mage, he's just had years and years and years of practice. He can't use the Sight unless he's concentrating on it.

So no, he's not as good as Ted.

"Hm."

He has to actually think about this, because it's not that simple.

"I suppose it depends on the situation. Whether I needed to read someone's mind, or whether it would be simple convenience, and on how strong a need. Why?"

"...because it's... iunno."

He paused.

"Too easy."

And another pause. "Doesn't that ever... iunno... bother you? That we can use magic as a... shortcut? That we keep it a secret?"

Was it really fair that he could... see... all this... and no one else could?

What does a sighted man feel in a world of the blind? Guilt. Pity.

ooc: Posted via phone for Kiki. Because we do that, on occasion.

ic: "No. It does not. Why should it bother me? I earned my power, every bit of it, and I have the right to use it. So long as I do no wrong, what does it matter that my life is a bit easier than someone else's? It isn't fair, no, but life very rarely is."

He kindof has a point, but it's just a little bit disturbing how far he takes his logic. If he can convince himself that mass murder is not "wrong", which he has, well....

"As for keeping it a secret, do you think that the average person out there wants to know that magic exists and that it is as real as the things that they can see and touch every day? It frightens them, Ted. Frightened people are unpredictable, and would you really want to see the days of witchburnings returned?"

"I... no." No. The status quo was what was meant to be. Ted knew that. He'd grown up with that.

Ted paused for a longer time this time, once again trying to formulate his thoughts into a coherent stream.

And came up with another question.

"What kind of things... I mean... what kinda morals do you have?"

From Alex's point of view that is. Given everything people do, given all the hypocrisy visible to the naked eye....

You had to start somewhere. Like from what your role model's views are.

Ted is... taking the opportunity to ask the complicated questions. Questions he can't ask mother, or sisters. Questions that are awkward to ask anyone, but you have to ask someone.

((Phone-post.))

Alexander refrained from choaking. Mostly through exertion of will. It was difficult.

"That... is a complicated question. With an even more complicated answer."

And there is a long silence.

"Well." He said at last, "I suppose my morals would not pass muster for some, but I like to think that I am a decent man."

"I try to avoid hurting others," other humans, that is, or humans that aren't in his way, or, well, you know what I mean. "I value and protect those close to me. I suppose you could say I have ordinary morals. Neither a saint nor a devil."

Hah!

Ted contemplated his sneakers.

"Hmmm...."

He glanced up at Alex, gaging his expression, before dropping his gaze again. Not meeting peoples' eyes is a habit of Ted's that he isn't likely to break any time soon.

"What about... enemies? People who hurt you? People who hurt your family?"

What is it moral to do to them? Kill? Maim?

Ted's seen... things. And he can understand, really. Clear moral structures are for grownups - Ted understands how it would feel if someone threatened one of his sisters. They were his, even if they were annoying and bossy.

But he still isn't sure, y'know?

((Phone-post.))

Alexander leaned back and closed his eyes. Not an easy question. An honest answer was impossible, of course. Maybe. He didn't have to go into detail, after all.

"Vengeance is mine, says the lord." He murmured. "That's from the Judeo-Christian Bible. It's bull. No one is going to take revenge for you, but vengeance twists you up inside. Changes you. I don't recommend it."

Isn't that funny, coming from him?

"Oh.." Ted said softly.

"..I guess 's a good thing that I dun really have anyone to revenge at."

When Ted's talking about esoteric subjects, his grammar goes down the tubes.

Note that he isn't putting the option aside without a thought. As mentioned, anyone touches his sisters, or his mum, and... well. He'll want to hurt them. So he's leaving the option open. Even someone who touches one of his (few) friends at school, only in that case it's more likely to be pranks than outright Vengeance, capital V.

((Phone-post.))

Ted's grammar makes Alexander twitchy.

"There is no one upon whom you wish to take revenge," he corrects.

"Very lucky for you indeed. I believe I am envious."

Ted grins a bit, and shrugs a bit. "'m only eleven, I mean - 's not like I've been around long enough to find some." Enemies, that is.

Pause! Wait!

"Oh! I do have one, but I threw eggs at his car, so I think that's okay...."

Pause.

"Probably going to do it again, tho. It was fun."

Ted is oddly honest.

But having witnessed Alex kill a man, egging a car doesn't seem all that bad, really.

"As an adult and your teacher, I must disapprove." Pause. "However, I must also confess a certain curiousity as to whom you consider an enemy."

Ted grinning, a mischevious glint in his eyes.

"Dunno his name. He's this creepy old mage guy I met once. Scryed for where he lived so that I knew where to go on Halloween."

Pause, and then he names Douglas' address. "Over on that side of town, y'know?"

This time, Alexander did choke. On laughter. "You egged Douglas' car?"

He's not sure whether to laugh or to warn Ted to stay as far away from the.. good.. doctor as humanly possible.

He settles on warning, because it's not dignified to laugh maliciously in front of a student.

"Don't do it again. He'd hurt you very badly if you made him angry."

"And TPed his house." What, you thought Ted would go through a Halloween without TPing something? He does have some self-respect.

"But, yeah. I mean, I got that impression... I covered my tracks and stuff, scrying-wise, just in case...." The warning is valid. Ted accepts that. But....

Pause.

"He deserved it."

"I'm sure he did, but I'd hate to be deprived of such a promising student."

Pause.

Real jealousy creeps into his voice as he adds, "You'll be more powerful than I, one of these days. I wish I had your natural talent."

He could have lived with the additional problems. It wouldn't have been that bad. Really....

Ted shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "I... um." And he mumbles. Mumble mumble. Maybe a thank you?

He doesn't actually believe that, exactly. Mage gift is just something that... well.

It's just a part of him. It's like someone saying 'I wish I had your eyes' to a friend. It just makes you uncomfortable, because it's not like you can give it to them, even if you do care about them....

A chuckle, and Alexander waves a hand at Ted. "Run along now, I have class in a bit. Don't forget to keep your Sight under control, and come immediately to me if you have problems again."

He doesn't actually say 'shoo', but you can hear it in his voice anyway.

See you next week, mister!

And such things.

A good lesson, all in all.