[ first spell ❧ video ❧ username: sage ]

[muskeg]

[ when the feed clicks on, there is a somewhat annoyed and tired looking face staring into the void. his hair is a mess and, despite being located in a bed in the communal housing area, he looks like he hasn't been friends with sleep for at least half a decade if those dark circles under his eyes are to be believed. at least he bothers to open his eyes when he addresses the network, voice rough and with a distinct southern drawl.

look, he's tired, alright? it comes out when he's tired.]

So I get that there's a jungle and a whole lotta forest out there along with shit that no one really wanted to delve into detail about but, anyone know if there's a swamp? Maybe a marshy area? Fuck, even a squishy patch of moss an' shit would be nice. Ain't gonna be much use if I can't find one of those.

[ a huff, Sage rolls over on the bed, feed tilting until its looking down on him laying in the bed, mint hair splayed everywhere. ]

Also for those that might know, how the fuck does magic work here? Like-- I get there are 'things' beyond the walls and all but-- what about werewolves? Other witches? How do you cast a fucking circle here? Also, where the fuck do I get the strongest whiskey?

[ oh, did you expect a please and thank you before he hung up? sorry, not gonna happen. ]

Comments

[muskeg]

[ ... that is just so helpful. thank you.

:I ]

So just. Everything works. Just like that.

un: pc.grant (forgot that whoops)

[thestarling]

So far as I can tell? I mean, mine does, and it sounds pretty different from anyone else I've talked to.

[He gives a somewhat philosophical shrug.]

[muskeg]

[ well AREN'T YOU FUCKING HELPFUL. Sage huffs, eyes narrowing a little because he is way too fucking off kilter for this shit wow. ]

Informative. And your magic works how exactly?

[thestarling]

Kind of complicated. And tends to burn out electronics, so you'll forgive me if I don't demonstrate.

[He probably shouldn't look faintly amused in the face of someone else's frustration but oh well.]

How does yours work? I assume that's why you're asking.

[muskeg]

Complicated, right. Because magic is always so fucking simple.

[ maybe someone should have taken a nap before talking to the world at large here.

oh well, too late.]

I'm a swamp witch, so the way magic works for witches. Channel raw power and magic into whatever the fuck I can. [ and he almost says more, almost, but he still doesn't know anyone here or what their intentions are sooo--

he snaps his mouth shut. ]

They made it sound like there were a lot of magic users here, that the case?

[thestarling]

[Peter doesn't look particularly offended, at least.]

Well I've never met a witch where I'm from. [Aside from a Night Witch, but that seems to be something very different.]

I've met a fair few. Couldn't tell you exact numbers.

[muskeg]

[ that's good, he isn't meaning to offend people. yet. ]

Wait, magic but no witches. How the fuck does that work.

[ fuck leaning about how many magic users there are, how does a world without witches work.]

[thestarling]

Hard for me to answer, since I don't know what the alternative is like. We've got wizards, though.

[And not many of those either. Anymore.]

[muskeg]

...touché.

Wizards are just really fucking smart normal people where I'm from, smart and lucky really. You got werewolves? Vampires? Wendigos? Anything else?

[ aw look, the swamp nugget is curious. ]

[thestarling]

Vampires yes, werewolves inconclusive, wendigos...probably not?

[There's a lot he still doesn't know, sadly. As much as he tries.]

For your anything else, there are fae and genus loci.

[muskeg]

That-- is probably a plus honestly. Fucking nasty assholes.

[ says the idiot who was known for taunting them. ]

Far as assholes too, but what the hell is a genus loci?

[thestarling]

It's...sort of a god? I'm not entirely clear on the distinction. Basically a personification of a location or system with enough power in it.

The River Thames, for instance.

[muskeg]

[ ... that sounds an awful lot like what the swamp is to him, but with less personification. just-- power.

there is a pause while Sage considers this. ]

So, stores of energy and belief kind of deal? Are they people or just-- [ he waves vaguely. he knows you said personification but--] Do they lend power out or keep it to themselves?

[thestarling]

Not sure belief is all that necessary. No one really knows about them, unless you know about the whole magic thing in general. Unless you mean belief in the river, but that'd be kind of hard not to.

[Peter lets out a quiet breath as he tries to figure out how to word it all better.]

They were people, I think. [He snorts suddenly.] And they definitely don't lend it out.

[muskeg]

...they sound like assholes. Perfect. Good to see power fuck everyone up right across the board then.

[ there is a wry smile at that because, well he has taken more than one asshole drunk on power out. ]

What did you say your name was? Gotta say, I'm curious about seeing what your magic is.

[thestarling]

Some of them are. Others are less. Mostly they just look after their patches.

[Peter shrugs. He gets along with most of them well enough.]

Peter. Grant. And I can show you if you like, but we'd have to find somewhere with less tech around.

[muskeg]

[ you have a talent, friend, to get along with powerful beings and not want to tear their eyes out. a talent Sage does not possess at all. ]

Huh. Well then Peter, I think that sounds like a hell of an idea.

[ a pause. ]

What does happen with tech, does it like blow up? Or is it more like tinfoil in a microwave kinda deal?

[ is he gonna steal tech from someone in order to find out? probably. ]

[thestarling]

No explosions, unless something's gone really wrong. Mostly it sort of burns out microprocessors. You would not believe how many mobiles I've had to replace.

[muskeg]

[ there is a snort at that as Sage nods.]

Probably not, no, but gotta say that makes me even more interested. That sounds kind of like the kind of shit a storm witch, or one of the Fae, would possess back home.

[thestarling]

It's just a thing magic does where I come from. Any kind of magic.

[He shrugs slightly. It's one of those things Peter's just had to get used to.]

There are theories why, but nothing solid as far as I know.

[muskeg]

Wait, so all magic fucks with technology? So you don't have like... fuck, I don't remember what she called herself but-- I knew a witch who used technology, the signals and whatever, with her magic.

[ okay he was given a far more scientific explanation than that but, he never paid that much attention. ]

Why not just say 'magic!' and move on?

[thestarling]

Because if I know how it's doing it, I can figure out how to work around it.

[And maybe also because he just wants to know. But Peter's like that.]

And I mean, you can use technology a little, so long as you don't mind it breaking. I've used crap calculators for a quick thing or two.

[muskeg]

[... fair. Sage inclines his head at that. ]

Makes sense, ever thought about imbuing the metals and other materials used with wards and magic to absorb excess to help with that? Not a resistance but more of a... sponge-like effect.

[thestarling]

[Peter stops to consider that.]

Metal doesn't hold on to magic very well. My magic, anyway.

[If there was a way to have something for the magic to be pulled from, rather than the processor itself...that's a thought, though. Like a tiny little wizard staff for his phone.

He can only imagine the look on Nightingale's face if he brought that one up.]

The trouble is, any magic that's done near it is going to affect it. So.