[open] december will be magic again

[kingsroads]

Who: everyone!
When: the evening of D15
Where: A small meeting hall on the moon, close to the portal to the carnival
What: a whole bunch of show-offs meet up to show off their magic, people interested in magic come to learn about said magic, and other people show up to see if something inevitably gets set on fire. (aka mage club)
Warnings: none so far, will edit if needed.

The meeting hall is a large open space, with hardwood floors and a rustic decor. A few chairs and tables are scattered around, though there aren't enough for the amount of people who'll hopefully show up. Some food has been set out: mostly finger foods (tiny sandwiches, fruit, veggies & dip) though there are some savory options and plenty of home-baked cookies, courtesy of Rin. Drink wise, there's water, hot chocolate, hot tea, and a few bottles of wine because tipsy magic sounds like an awesome idea and this is what happens when the alcoholic makes the dinner menu. Aside from the food table and the few tables, there's not much of anything in the room: plenty of open space for showing off or getting out of the way of someone who wants to show off.

One of the doors of the meeting hall leads to the outside. There's a wider, 'backyard' sort of area with plenty of room for people to cast magic as large and impressive as they want. A fire pit stands outside also for warming your hands and other fire-based magic. Please don't set the building on fire.

This is all very informal. If pressed for details, Strange would have told anyone to just come whenever, stay as long as you like, and so on and so forth. The emphasis is on learning about each other's magic, displaying one's skills and talents, and helping anyone who wished to learn magic decide on a path for them to take.

Showing off is just a given.

( ooc: This is an open mingle log! Feel free to make your own top-levels & tag around! )

Comments

Rita Mordio | OTA, will match formats

[anti_nonsense]

(a - showing off with a fire dragon)

"All right, listen up. I'm going to demonstrate some blastia magic." Rita stands outside in a nice open space near the hut, perfect for destructive magic. She points to the red-jeweled choker she's wearing. "This here is a blastia. It's a device that converts aer into magic energy. By applying a formula and activating it with a chant, an ordinary human with the right knowledge can use magic... like so."

She takes a spellcasting stance, a magic circle drawn in red light appearing at her feet. "O seething fire, be as a holy beast to devour the wicked...! Flame Dragon!"

A large ball of fire forms in the air, growing larger until something bursts out of it: a serpentine dragon made of pure fire, wriggling in the air, fangs flashing. Though it never touches the ground, the snow beneath its path melts from the sheer heat coming off of its body. It flies in a circle to show the observers, then turns upward, soaring up toward the sky and dissipating into smoke.

Rita dusts her hands off in a self-congratulating gesture. "If anyone wants to know more about blastia magic, I'll have a book on the subject finished soon. Or you can ask me." As the onlookers start to wander off, Rita lingers, standing with her arms folded. Now might be a good time to talk to her.

(b - being nosy)

Naturally, Rita's here to see what others can do as much as she is to talk about her own knowledge. She gravitates to as many demonstrations as she can catch, notebook in hand, making notes and sketches... some might even catch her whipping out a video camera and filming.

But sometimes, she seems to take interest in people who aren't showing off... or at least, not at the moment. With her third eye, she notices something magical about the other person... perhaps it's some kind of energy within them, an aura, or a sense of something magical in an object they're carrying. Whatever it is, Rita will stare very pointedly. However gifted she is with magic, she has no such gift for social graces.

(c - wildcard)

I'm open to other scenarios! Rita will be around, watching other people's demonstrations intently, sometimes with a video camera in hand, sometimes with a notebook. Occasionally, she can be found lingering by the refreshment table or sitting by the fire pit holding a hot chocolate with both hands.

b!

[kingsroads]

It's as Rita's staring at someone else that Strange appears, glass of wine in hand, walking up to Rita with a little smile before he just obliviously busts in on her creepy staring. He doesn't make any small talk: no hello, how are you, and so on, but just starts talking about magic then and there.

"I believe you have a new spell to show me." And Strange's tone of voice is just excited as hell. Out of all the magicians at the carnival, Rita's one of the more skilled in his eyes. If she's pieced out a new spell or gotten a new type of magic to work then no matter what, it was going to be impressive.

[anti_nonsense]

Dammit Strange, Rita was looking at something interesting there... but she did agree to show him her technique, so she can't be too mad. Besides, this is absolutely worth getting excited over.

Running a hand through her hair, she turns and answers, "Yeah. You got something I can demonstrate on?"

[kingsroads]

"I will in a moment." Which probably isn't the answer that Rita's looking for, but Strange just continues talking like this isn't a problem or a bit of a minor inconvenience.

"All I know of this technique of yours is that it interacts with other magic. Well, what sort of magic would you like to interact with? Would an elemental spell suffice or would you like me to try and manipulate an object directly?"

It's slightly nitpicky and slightly Strange being specific for the sake of being specific, but he wants to see what exactly Rita can do. Slightly nitpicky is the best way to go about that.

[anti_nonsense]

"Hmm..." Rita cups her chin with one hand, a small grin emerging as she thinks. There are a lot of things she'd like to try analyzing with this technique. "Ideally, it should be something static. A magic object or a long-lasting enchantment of some kind, maybe. Something that won't move away or change shape while I analyze it."

In truth, Rita doesn't know what sort of enchantments Strange is capable of... except, perhaps, for his recent mention of transformation magic. But he said he could do it, so she's sure he'll come up with something.

b

[whattaprick]

Of course, Rita's already aware that Lambert's a magic-user, but she may not have had the opportunity or inclination to study his. The witcher hasn't really bothered to show anything off himself, and isn't deliberately doing so at the moment, but there's a half-burned candle left over from a previous demonstration and he's currently amusing himself by going through the simple motions of lighting and extinguishing it over and over again.

On. Off. On. Off.

"You aren't bored already, are you?" He asks, without looking up. Even if she'd tried to be stealthy, which she wasn't bothering to be in the first place, he could hear her anyway. "I thought you'd be all over all the other mages around."

[anti_nonsense]

"Bored? Not at all." Rita shakes her head. But since he's called her out on her stalking, she goes ahead and takes a few steps closer so they can talk properly.

"Sure, your magic isn't the most exciting, but simple spells have some merits. For one, they're easier to pick apart and compare to similar spells." In other words, it wasn't just the flame itself she was looking at, but the magic in it.

[whattaprick]

Lambert snorts.

"Not much to pick apart here. Witcher magic's as simple as it gets." He dismisses the flame with a last twist of his fingers. With Rita's third eye, there really isn't much to see but energy dissipating into the air.

"Sorcerers were the ones who invented it in the first place," he finishes, hooking his thumbs idly into his pockets. "They needed to dumb it down, or we'd never be able to use it."

[anti_nonsense]

"What, so you're calling yourself dumb?" That almost sucks the fun out of getting to say it herself.

Folding her arms, Rita leans against a nearby wall. "I still haven't met any sorcerers from your world, so unfortunately, your dumbed down techniques are my only window into seeing what their magic is like." With the events of the ball, that isn't entirely true anymore, but Rita doesn't know otherwise.

A

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya does, in fact, wait for other people to scatter before he approaches Rita with his hands clasped behind his back.

"So that is your magic technology you were mentioning before? Your blastia?" He tilts his head to her collar. That talk feels like so long ago, and he'd be more surprised to realize this is his first time seeing her cast magic if it wasn't that she wasn't a nightrunner.

[anti_nonsense]

Seeing Syrlya approach, Rita turns her head to face him. They haven't spoken much since their first meeting, but she's seen and heard about him here and there. And of course, she can't forget the sight of that incredible power he was wielding, back when the Prince was meeting his end and she was barely conscious.

"That's right," she confirms with a proud nod. "Blastia aren't all small like this, but this is typical for what a mage would normally wear." Of course, Rita considers her own blastia to be exceptional, much like how a parent would insist their child is exceptional, but to an outsider, bodhi blastia pretty much all just look like jewelry.

[chronosynthesis]

"I see," he nods in confirmation. "Does everyone currently need blastia to use magic? At all?"

He knows she's trying to replace this technology, because it's unstable, but he hadn't considered before the implications it has. He thought maybe they were traditional foci, but it seems to be more than that.

[anti_nonsense]

"Yeah, we all do. Humans can't use magic naturally where I'm from." Well... almost all humans, but the exceptions are rare enough that it's not worth mentioning right now. "I take it it's different for Sylvari." They might have only spoken once before, but Rita clearly remembers the interesting parts... about his species, and his magic.

A

[lonesomewanderer]

[ Rita's magic has intrigued him since they first spoke. This gathering gave the perfect chance for him to see what she had meant when she spoke of it. He stands tall on the sidelines, his hands clasped behind his back as he listens and watches.

The implications of her blastia were great if he could find a way to replicate it. Chants were not part of his brand of magic though not uncommon when attempting to persuade spirits to aid in spells. Those could be taught if he could find an easier way for the elves in his command to cast spells.

He waits until the dust has settled before he approaches her and gestures to her choker, ] So this draws out the inherent magic in one's self? I would be curious to read this book, if you intend for it to be finished soon.

[ Because if it works for humans surely it would work for elves. They were the more magical race where he is from. ]

[anti_nonsense]

[Rita looks pleased at the interest in her book.] I've been making rapid progress lately. Should be finished a full rough draft by the end of the month. [Then it's more editing, producing a clean final version, and making copies.]

To be clear, though, humans where I'm from don't have inherent magic. This blastia draws energy from the world around me.

[lonesomewanderer]

A draft you would be willing to let others read? [ He's not saying he would help edit, but... he absolutely would if it meant being able to read more on the subject. If that was what blastia could do for those that weren't inherently tied to magic then what would it mean for those that were even on a small scale?

Perhaps he'd be fortunate enough to take more back than his focus when his contract was over. ]

Is that the only way you can wield magic?

[anti_nonsense]

Sure. I wouldn't mind running it by a few people before finalizing it, anyway. [You're on proofreading duty now, Solas. Good luck dealing with Rita's awful handwriting throughout her entire manuscript.]

And... it was the only way, before the discovery of spirit magic. I've acquired some fae magic since coming here, as well.

b.

[dirthena]

If Rita is looking for those that show signs of magic, Lavellan has plenty even if she isn't actively using it at the moment -- magic use is something one is born with, and elves have always been a race more based in magic than science; it appears almost as if a gentle glow, never blinding but obvious. But the staff she has slung across her back and the sword hilt at her hip are clearly magical objects.

At first the staring doesn't register -- she's used to being the subject of scrutiny -- but then it doesn't let up. Lavellan frowns, and while she can't achieve a full disapproval of arms crossed while missing one of them, but she can cross her arm across her chest, raising a brow as she nears the teenager.

"If you have questions, I believe the purpose of this is to ask them." She's just saying.

[anti_nonsense]

That sounds like an invitation. Showing no hint of shame for the social faux pas, Rita simply looks up to meet the woman's eyes (it's not clear where, exactly, she was staring before, except that it was at her), and nods.

"All right, I'll ask then. It looks like you've got some kind of innate magic within you... What kind of magic is that?" From the look of her equipment, it seems likely she has some sort of combat magic at her disposal... but that might only be part of the story.

[dirthena]

Lavellan would never try and steer anyone away from curiosity and learning, considering it's so dear to her. A few non-invasive questions would never go over badly with her; she sets aside the irritation at being made to feel like the subject of someone's research project.

"The natural magic of my world, I'd assume. I am a mage -- and the ability to use magic is something one is born with, not learned." Which seemed to be different for some of the other worlds and magical talents. If anyone could learn it, well. Half of their problems would be solved, wouldn't it?

[anti_nonsense]

"Hmm," Rita hums, visibly interested. "I'm a mage myself, but where I'm from, magic doesn't come naturally to anyone." Almost anyone, to be exact, but what she says holds true for the vast majority of humans.

"What do you use magic for, generally?"

B!

[destiny_key]

Sora's felt weird about Rita ever since she confronted him at the ball. That is, of course, his own fault, but he still hasn't worked up the nerve to talk to her or even apologize since they've come back.

So catching her staring at him like she's trying to see inside his skin is more than a little unnerving. Sora looks around, trying to find what she's looking at, exactly, but it's just himself? Weird. Maybe he should... talk to her?

"Um, hey!" Sora says as he approaches. "Is... is something up? Do I have something on my face?"

[anti_nonsense]

"Hm? No," Rita replies casually, as if there's nothing rude at all about what she was just doing.

"It just looks like there's some kind of magic in you. Thought I might try and identify it, but it might not be anything I've seen before." She says it like it's normal to just see magic, and to creep on people she detects it in.

[destiny_key]

"Oh," Sora laughs, a little relieved. On his part, he's not acting like it's weird to see peoples magic either. "Yeah, I guess you might not have."

Well, they are at a magic party. What better time to show off than now? Holding a hand off to the side, Sora summons the Keyblade and flips it around to show Rita properly.

"Is this what you were seeing?"

[anti_nonsense]

Rita's eyes widen when the Keyblade materializes.

"I think so. What the heck is that?" A key? A weapon? It seems solid, but composed of magic... probably that magic she saw within him just now.