[pm] You didn’t make the lottery? I thought you were staying with Nigel to protect him! Man, someone must have rigged it! They’re after you, too! Keep calm, Harp, we’ll get to the bottom of this. Wait, witch hunters are a recurring villain?!
[pm] Believe me, if anyone is doing the protecting, it’s Nigel.
Who’s after me? Also, I’m keeping a list, so adding wereskunks right onto it.
And yeah. One was around before, but I started a witch hunt (ironic right?) and we chased him out of town. Now that I think about it, maybe witch hunts aren’t the best way to get the bad guys. It just makes them run away. Then they can do bad stuff in other places too.
[pm] Can I come and live in your dorm room for a while? I will cook. [d: That way I'll be sure no one is trying to poison m] I will sleep on the floor, you won't even notice I'm there, Paladin's honor! Please, Harp, you're my only hope. Just until the wereskunks are taken care of. And the ghosts. And the witch hunters. I will also feed King Lemon, seriously, it's a good deal! It'd be like having a butler! Please!
[pm] Not that I don’t appreciate someone doing all my chores for me, but I live in Nigel’s guest room until next semester. I didn’t make the lottery to live on campus, so until they fix all the old dorms completely, I’ll be in the Murder Cabin. You can come sleep on my floor if you want? It’s super comfy. Believe me, I take enough accidental naps on it to know.
Wereskunks? I didn’t know those were terrorizing anybody right now. Ghosts I can deal with, ok. But uh, witch hunters? Is there a witch hunter in Ashkent? Because last I checked, that was a solid noppity nope. The last witch hunter we had tucked his tail between his legs and ran off a long time ago.
RIP, my majestic dreadlocked friend. RIP. And by that, I mean please stay as far away from Ashkent as freaking possible.
tod-bowen replied to your post: tod-bowen asked:[pm] Okay, real t...
[pm] Just people in general. I don’t know why. We’re not ‘the danger’! I mean, I don’t want to be the danger. Oh, man, we could be dangerous, though. Maybe people are scared. Maybe they don’t trust us. We need to know who’s on our side.
[pm] Maybe they are scared. Maybe they should be. We’re not scary. Who thinks we’re threatening? Someone is out to get us. It’s hard to believe, but maybe that witch hunter has friends. He shot me in the woods. He might have taken my blood off the grass. He could track me that way. Tod, we need to find out who trusts us. There could be a war and I am not about to die. I need to hide.
[pm] Okay, real talk. I kinda have the feeling people /really/ have a bone to pick with magic users. Like, lots of people have been asking me about it, you know? It's weird, usually they just ignore magic, but now they're talking about it. So, uhm, I think it's time we /really/ start acting like a team, you know? Because we might be in danger. And like, I don't want to see your necromancy thing from /that/ side of the altar. The beavers were enough necromancy for me, thank you very much.
[pm] We just have to get rid of th
Why have they been asking you about magic? They don’t need to know anything about it. It’s none of their business. They talk about it when it’s convenient, but then vilify anyone who does anything with it. A team sounds good though and we are one, aren’t we? Yes we are. Teams can get through things and overpower obstacles. Might be? We are in danger. We’re powerful and talented, which leads to people getting twitchy about it. Twitchy people make bad decisions. There are witch hunters and people who know more than they should. The danger is everywhere. We could even be classified as ‘the danger’. It doesn’t end with the beav
Tod and Keegan do a spell in the woods as a favor to the latter, powerless magic user. Happened last week.
Keegan had set up all of the puzzle pieces, now it was time to start the actually put it all together. He had stopped by where Castillo's Crafts was and taken a piece of their front door molding. While Natalia said that she didn't have a connection to the place, Keegan knew that regardless how she felt about the place that she still re-uped the wards there once a month, as they had needed to be done with the occurrence of the new and full moons. After he had gotten that first part, he then found his book of shadows, which held just the spell he was looking for. This tracking spell would leave in it's wake a glowing path, able to be seen by the caster, to where the person they were trying to find would be. Since Keegan had literally no idea where the girl went, he felt as though the trail spell could function well. The only problem was, he couldn't ask his Mom, because that would've been a whole to-do while trying to explain to her that it wasn't on purpose and that he only let it happen because he trusted her. So, that's where Tod came in. The inexperienced warlock, though the news about town was that he actually saved them from the Horrors so, he had to be good. Keegan knew he was a powerful guy, because that thing he did in the pool just doesn't happen with minor talents. He invited the young man into the woods to help him. Keegan had just hoped that the mason jars filled with glowing sticks and scents were enough to let him know the way.
Tod had studied the spell Keegan had sent him, doing his best to memorize the procedure so as not to slow them down: being out in the woods at night was never a good idea, and after the nightmare they'd all been through Tod liked it even less than usual. But he also owed Keegan, and as a fellow magic user he felt almost obligated to help him out, especially now that, according to him, he'd lost his powers. Tod couldn't even imagine what that must feel like: granted, he didn't really have a strong grasp on his magic, full control still eluding him despite all his efforts, but in the few months he'd spent with it his powers had become such an important part of Tod that the mere idea of doing without was simply unbearable. It explained Keegan's less than pleasant demeanor online. Tod sighed and kept following the trail the other guy had left for him, backpack filled with the stuff Keegan had sent him. Finally he reached a small clearing in the woods, where Keegan had already started to set things up. Tod cleared his throat to announce his presence before awkwardly waving at the other man. "S-so, uhm... Hello." He rubbed the back of his neck and moved a few steps toward him. "I'm g-glad you already started. The l-less time we spend out here, the better it is. I d-don't want my parents to r-realize I'm gone." Tod bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. "Also, uhm... F-fair warning. I do know a b-bit about tracking s-spells, but, uhm... I've n-never done this one before. And sometimes m-my magic d-doesn't really work the way I w-want it to, so you'll have to... You know, t-take the lead."
Keegan had already laid the circle out in front of them, about six feet in diameter, so the two had a comfortable space to cast. The young man, still the same nervous mess, came closer to him and Keegan hailed him with a hand. Keegan had to focus here in the forest because the place was just so tense with the different forms of magic that came through in the last few days, it knocked off his concentration when drawing the circle. "Tod." Keegan said calmly. "I really want to thank you for everything you did in the past few days. There's something going around that you saved the town from the Horrors? Quite impressive." Keegan knew that it was always good to give praise before any spell, boosted the confidence of the caster, most often. As he had placed the crystals and items within the circle, he had stepped back, allowing Tod to survey the area. "Is there anything you want me to change to make you more comfortable for this?"
Tod sucked in a deep breath and pushed both his hands inside his pockets to hide their slight tremor. "W-whoa, wait, pull over. How d-do you know about that? T-there are rumors about me?! Dude! T-that sucks. I d-don't want people to know about my m-magic with a w-witch hunter in town," he replied quickly, eyes skirting around nervously, exploring every shadow as if expecting said witch hunter to jump at them right then and there. Tod closed his eyes and focused on the familiar smells surrounding them, the herbs and incenses calming him down at least enough to offer Keegan a small, thankful smile. "Uhm... In any c-case... You're w-welcome, I guess. But, well, it w-wasn't me. I d-didn't do m-much, really. J-just activated a r-ritual." Clive had been the one to summon Ted Johnson's ghost, Ana had been the one willing to give up her soul and Alcher the person who actually broke the curse. Sure, Tod had been there, too, but they were the real heroes. "At m-most I'm a side c-character. You know, l-like playing support in League of L-legends. I'm n-not the one winning the g-game." A brief pause, as the grin grew bigger on his face. "But, uhm, I g-guess every t-team needs a good support. S-speaking of which..." Tod looked around, studying the circle carefully. It was just like in the instructions Keegan had sent him. "W-well... You s-should know, sometimes m-my magic... Uhm... D-doesn't work. L-like it'll just refuse to do anything, n-not sure why. Nervousness, m-maybe. And, w-well, some other t-times the f-flow just w-won't stop. And, uhm, it's even harder to c-control it with non-water m-magic. So f-far I've had a... A g-guide helping me out with r-rituals and g-guiding my powers." It was hard to describe how important Clive's help had been to Tod in the past, but he hoped Keegan would understand. "S-so, any t-tips and tricks you m-might have to help me c-channel and focus my m-magic would help. Or, I d-dunno, maybe I could lend you m-my energy and you do t-the tracking? B-by the way, who are we l-looking for?"
"It's just in the magic circles around town, no one out of the loop is finding out. Tod, you gotta know that when someone like that comes into our town, we keep an eye out." Keegan clapped his hands. A reference he understood. Well, its like playing let's say Nami, but with a Luden's Echo." Keegan stepped toward the young man. “While you may have thought you weren’t integral to the halt of the Horrors, you did the entire town proud.” Keegan took a potion out of his back pocket and tossed it to the ground inside the circle. The sigils then blazed and shone in the darkness. “Stored energy potion, how I’ve been doing half the things I’ve needed to do recently. However…” He pointed towards Tod, “this spell is very powerful and needs someone at the top of their game.” Keegan chuckled. “Have you been wearing the Lapiz Lazuli? It’s supposed to calm you down. Just a little research on gems yields so much for younger talents.” Keegan backed into the circle slowly, the energy granting him entrance. “It should work for you too, just as long as you don’t have any malicious thoughts.” He rejected his last question outright. Keegan didn’t need Tod getting involved in this feud, and more than likely getting caught in the crossfire.
Tod nodded a single time, mouth twisted in a thin line at the mention of these ‘magic circles’. In the past he’d tried to find and approach other magic users, but gaining their trust and respect had proved to be nigh impossible: in his experience most warlocks were reserved, and no one wanted to trust a random teenager, even one that shared their same inclinations. Even Clive had always been a little secretive about his own magic. “W-well, hopefully they’ll g-give me a little more credit now, then, if t-they know what happened. But, uhm… If not, just t-tell them to be wicked careful. The hunter s-shot my friend. L-like, he w-wasn’t even subtle about that. So he’s e-either really dumb, or r-really confident.” But this wasn’t the time to focus on that, so Tod just chuckled and nodded. “D-dude, I’d never go as f-far as comparing m-myself to freaking Nami. But… T-thanks. I appreciate it.” He looked as Keegan’s bottled power activated the circle. A useful trick, for sure, but it looked so… Impersonal. Sure, controlling his own magic was difficult at the best of times, and that sort of potion would probably be easier to use in a pinch, but the rush that came with the flow of energy running through his body wasn’t something you could bottle up, as far as Tod was concerned. He didn’t envy Keegan one bit. “Oh, I haven’t b-been wearing it, but I a-always carry it around. W-wanted to make a r-ring out of it, but haven’t had t-the time yet,” he replied with a shrug before stepping inside the circle. The crystals glowed for a second, reacting to his presence like tiny guard dogs perking up at the sight of a new visitor. Once the circle’s magic fully accepted him Tod started focusing, channeling his own energy into it just like he’d done in the past while working with Clive. Stored power felt different to him and keeping his concentration was hard without being able to lean on Clive’s familiar magic for guidance, but Tod did his best. “I’m… N-not at the t-top of my game either, b-by the way. L-lately I’ve been… I’ve p-probably used too much magic. I t-think I’m g-gonna have to stop for a while after this. B-by the way…” Tod paused, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he finally found a balance between his powers and the ritual they were about to do. “I’m in. All s-systems go. Y-you can start c-casting whenever you’re ready, m-my energy s-should be there.”
It took a moment for the spell to take root, but as it did, Keegan felt something course through him that hadn't been there in ages, power. Legitimate, free flowing power. It wasn't his own and the feeling was like someone making your mother's recipe of something and it just didn't feel right, but the magic would work for the goal he had wanted to obtain. A means to the greater end. He wouldn't be able to finish the spell, but he could use himself as a funnel to get the magic on the right course towards the result. As he spoke those ancient words, (he thought it was better that he handled most of this Irish Gaelic for first timers was a bit rough, consonants everywhere) he channeled the power into the crystals and finally the small piece of wood in the center of the circle that he had drawn in the ground. The sigils blazed with light again, a deep blue this time instead of there forest green color. "The hunter will not be a problem when I obtain what is rightfully mine." Keegan felt his eyes dart towards the younger boy. With this power now in his hands, it would be so easy for Keegan to syphon a little energy from the young wizard. Such power contained in such a small vessel. And so much untapped potential. All it would take was just a few changes to the spell and -... What was he doing? There was no way that he would steal the young boys magic and get away with it. The consequences were too great. He nodded, "If you could please just finish the spell." Keegan reached into his pocket and took out a small sack. "I might have something for that, if you're interested."
Tod didn’t listen to Keegan’s words, too focused on channeling his energy. His handle on his powers was fleeting at the best of times, and keeping it in check right now was even harder than usual. After summoning a ghost and opening up a gate for some ritual he’d never read about had him tapped out, really, and if he didn’t owe Keegan he probably would have rescheduled this little magic tracking adventure. At least Keegan was taking care of the actual casting, leaving Tod to simply act as the battery. Not as good a feeling as when him and Clive worked together like equals, but at the very least it was getting the job done, Tod could feel it. With one last push he opened his eyes and watched as a small golden trail appeared in front of the two magic users, kind of like the quest trail in the Fable games. Tod wasn’t sure where that trail would lead, but hopefully it would help Keegan out. “O-okay, I t-think it’s done. Is it d-done? Can you… See it?” Tod had to focus on the trail to feel it, but hopefully it’d be way more evident to Keegan’s eyes seeing how they’d cast the spell with Keegan in mind. Tod wiped some sweat from his forehead and sat on the ground, out of breath. “W-wait, you don’t have to g-give me anything. I m-mean, I’d appreciate that, but… You d-don’t have to. I owed you, n-now we’re square. But, uhm… I c-could use a ride home?”
Keegan nodded. "You did great, man. Thank you." He clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder. Keegan felt proud of the young warlock. He was truly exceptional with magic even while being only truly exposed to it for such a short period of time. "I can see it," he said, looking as the golden trail followed off into the distance to the ...east? What? That led to the water, that couldn't be right. Natalia couldn't have just left in a boat, that would've been stupid of her. He would have to troll her old haunts and other places she frequented to find out more information. Keegan allowed the young man to sit and brathe. "Honestly, Tod. That was amazing. Thank you so much for helping me achieve this." Keegan grabbed his bag and walked back to the warlock's side. "Here, have this." He held out a small pouch towards the boy. "They should quicken the healing process. Specifically for us magic users." He tossed the bag down to the boy. "I call 'em Senzu beans. Thought you'd like that. There's seven in there now. Use them sparingly. Eat too many and... you know what? It's better you don't know." Keegan heaved a heavy dramatic sigh. "Well, I guess I could." He added a chuckle, hoping Tod would understand his joking tone. "My car is just a little ways down that way." He pointed north, towards where the park's entrance stood. Keegan knelt down. "Again, Tod. Thank you so much. I couldn't have done this without you."
[pm] So, on a scale from 1 to The Last Airbender Shayamalaman movie how accurate is The Exorcist?
[pm] Ok, so I have such a love-hate relationship with this topic. Like, seriously. I’d give it a solid 5. I mean, it’s not good, but it’s not bad either. Accurate depiction of an exorcism, not so much actual levels of ghost. She was possessed by the Devil, not a ghost. Demons are nothing like that, so I always get real pissed about that.
Also, pea soup. Pea soup.
And not all exorcists are priests! We don’t have to give our lives to God or anything. We just have to believe really hard. Like, Tinkerbell style. Any five year old in a theater could do it. Not really, though. Maybe. Could an exorcism be done with the original Peter Pan script and a child who believed in it?
tod-bowen replied to your post “[pm] I tried doing a tracking spell on you and it didn't work....”
[pm] Are you actually worried about me? Maybe you aren't so bad after all! I'm fine, honestly. Non-water spells can be draining. Wait. You're not worried about /me/, you're worried about your research, right? Do I have a cool subject name at least?
[pm] What other kinds of non-water spells have you attempted? Have you noted that they take less energy to perform with increased practice? More? No noticeable change? My concerns are none of yours. However, I can tell you your designation is Subject Vitellius.
[pm] I tried doing a tracking spell on you and it didn't work. [deleted: It should've worked, dammit, I can't believe the /one/ time I want to screw up a ritual I cast it perfectly! That is so not fai] So, uhm, congratulations, you're officially off the magical radar for a while. Please don't make me regret that.
[pm] I will try. In the mean time, I trust you have been resting and replenishing your magical reserves? You seemed a little burned out by the time we were finished.
