sparkofmagic (sparkofmagic) wrote,
@ 2011-11-05 15:09:00

It's a kind of magic
It had been two days since she had been caught. She should have known better than to accept a dinner invitation from a stranger. She thought she would be safe at a restaurant. In public.

In broad day light. They had used some kind of magic to get her to leave with them. Then they bound her in the magical array they had built in the basement of their leader's mansion. She didn't know what it did. Just that every time they worked their magic she was left screaming.

She hadn't even known magic was real!

She had to get out of here. She just had no idea how. She was so tired and they had left her alone in the basement while thy prepared for the next round of whatever it was they were really trying to do. Gotta stay awake she tells herself. Gotta get out of here somehow.

She just has no idea how.

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greatest_zatara
2011-11-05 05:56 pm UTC (link)

"For crying out loud..." Zachary Zatara's head popped through a wall, the matter around it seeming to ripple as if it were no longer solid. "These protection spells these cretins layered on are a joke. The sheer volume of them really adds up to more of an annoyance than an obstruction." He jerked himself forward, getting through to about his waist, before reaching out and bracing his palms against the still solid parts of the wall.

He grumbles, then regards the young lady. "Hi there, Zachary Zatara - World's Greatest Magician. Be with you in a second. Don't scream." He looks over his shoulder, apparently seeing through the wall. "Vicky, could you give me a bit of a shove? I think my foot's caught on that Hyborean spell."

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	just_a_stranger 2011-11-05 06:00 pm UTC (link)
	There was shoving. Possibly more roughly than had been asked for. Which was completely unintentional, because everyone knew Victoria Craft did not do petty things like that. The woman who followed after Zachary wore her usual expression of perpetual annoyance. Usual around him, anyway. "How many times have I asked you not to call me that, Zachary?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sparkofmagic 2011-11-05 06:09 pm UTC (link)
	Mina stares at them looking rather dumb founded. Then strains to try and rub her face. The bindings keeping her from attempting to escape largely hinder that. "Don't think I could scream if I wanted to," she croaks at them. She tries to clear her throat then rocks back to try and sit better. "We're getting out of here, right?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

greatest_zatara
2011-11-05 06:22 pm UTC (link)

Zach shook off the detritus of the patchwork spells, then checked on the girl. "Be glad your captors have more money than brains. Their spellwork lights up like a beacon. You're going to be fine." He conjures a glass of water and gives her a slow drink. "Careful now."

He looks around the restraints. "The same sloppy and massively redundant work as the outer barriers, except we can't afford for her to be destabilized like the foundation wall. Your thoughts?" He looks to Victoria.

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	just_a_stranger 2011-11-05 08:23 pm UTC (link)
	She considered the bonds carefully. "I could probably dispel them... but with spellwork this sloppy, even my abilities would be sorely pressed not to set off something more disastrous." "No. This is something she will need to do for herself." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sparkofmagic
2011-11-05 08:30 pm UTC (link)

She is thankful that she has water now, Her throat had felt like it was made of sand after that last bout of magic being forced through her system.

"What?" She gives them both a look. They're crazy.

"But I can't do magic. They said something was blocking it off."

She doesn't realize that it had been rudely forced open. That they were going to do worse sooner or latter.

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	greatest_zatara 2011-11-05 08:39 pm UTC (link)
	Zach puts on his best Rod Serling voice. "Picture, if you will..." He resumes his normal speaking voice. "A glow around yourself. Whatever color you like best, but just picture it around you, just a tiny bit above your skin. Now imagine there's bits of rope and twine all wrapped around it. You want your light to start pushing out, making those bits unravel." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	just_a_stranger 2011-11-05 08:51 pm UTC (link)
	Victoria fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Mina," she said (and just how did she know that? The name certainly hadn't been said out loud prior), "I know you have endured much. But you have the potential to free yourself. Reach down inside and let that power out." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sparkofmagic
2011-11-05 09:03 pm UTC (link)

Mina is taking so much of this on faith. She takes a deep breath and lets it out. Then she closes her eyes looking for that bit of power she needs.

Oh! Right there! She opens her eyes and starts looking. If Victoria and Zach are paying attention they'll notice her left eye has started to faintly glow gold as she looks and hen looks some more.

"This is really tangled up. But I think I've got this." She takes in a deep breath then with her magic gives a pull here and there.

And a fireball goes flying over their heads while Mina is busy. The cultists have come back.

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	greatest_zatara 2011-11-05 11:31 pm UTC (link)
	"Fire.." Zach mutters. "It's always the fireball they work so hard to learn first. Amateurs." Making sure his footing is dry enough, he steps forward and levels a palm towards the cultists. "Niahc gninthgil!" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	just_a_stranger 2011-11-06 12:53 am UTC (link)
	Victoria looked at the cultists with the look she generally reserved for when Billy got into the supply closet and ate some of the paste. Just as quickly, she brought up a hand and formed a shield around herself and Mina. "They're amateurs. They won't be able to penetrate my defenses." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sparkofmagic
2011-11-06 01:09 am UTC (link)

A few get hit. But someone with a measure of compitance pokes his head down from the top of the stair case and fires off several orbs that look like slime. They're aimed at Zach.

"I almost have it I think. It's... very tangled. And... Seriously. Some of this feels like it should cancel out." She frowns firmly because she is going off on instinct and not knowledge. With a pull though it all comes undone and Mina is able to get to her feet.

She's shaking though because right now she feels very weak. She hasn't eaten in two days and Zach is the first person to give her water. He has her gratitude already.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	greatest_zatara 2011-11-07 02:04 am UTC (link)
	Zach is struck by one of the orbs, and it drives him back into a wall, splattering across it and gluing him in place. "Bastard! Do you know what my dry-cleaning is like already?!" Zach works to free himself, sending a wind spell back at the cultists to vent his displeasure. "Young lady, be a dear, and make them suffer terribly, won't you?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

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just_a_stranger, 2011-11-07 02:38 am UTC

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sparkofmagic, 2011-11-08 07:03 pm UTC

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greatest_zatara, 2011-11-08 07:14 pm UTC

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just_a_stranger, 2011-11-08 09:23 pm UTC

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sparkofmagic, 2011-11-08 10:38 pm UTC

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greatest_zatara, 2011-11-08 10:41 pm UTC

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just_a_stranger, 2011-11-08 11:02 pm UTC

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sparkofmagic, 2011-11-08 11:18 pm UTC

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greatest_zatara, 2011-11-08 11:38 pm UTC

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just_a_stranger, 2011-11-08 11:57 pm UTC

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sparkofmagic, 2011-11-09 12:29 am UTC

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greatest_zatara, 2011-11-09 12:33 am UTC

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just_a_stranger, 2011-11-09 12:50 am UTC

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sparkofmagic, 2011-11-09 02:51 am UTC

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greatest_zatara, 2011-11-09 02:59 am UTC

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just_a_stranger, 2011-11-09 07:01 pm UTC

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sparkofmagic, 2011-11-09 08:30 pm UTC

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greatest_zatara, 2011-11-09 09:11 pm UTC

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just_a_stranger, 2011-11-10 01:16 am UTC

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sparkofmagic, 2011-11-10 04:25 pm UTC

A few days latter

sparkofmagic
2011-11-10 04:29 pm UTC (link)

It's been four days. Mina has been trying to get back to her normal routine but it's hard. The magic is there just at the surface of everything and she has no idea what to do.

She also has no idea what to do about that. She could ignore it but that seems unwise. Still the young college student has a feeling that something's going to change soon. It might be good or it might be bad. Either way she's done with her last class for the day and is making her way across campus while checking the time. She hasn't had lunch and she's starving.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	Re: A few days latter greatest_zatara 2011-11-10 04:52 pm UTC (link)
	"Hey you." A voice comes from a nearby bench, and she'll turn to find Zachary Zatara, in casual garb, eating a sandwich. "How's it going?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: A few days latter sparkofmagic 2011-11-10 05:16 pm UTC (link)
	She nearly tripped because wasn't that surreal. She had to raise one eyebrow then stare because wasn't that weird. "Um. Hi there." She considers his question and shrugs. "I'm okay." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

Re: A few days latter

greatest_zatara
2011-11-10 05:38 pm UTC (link)

"Come on, sit." Zach pats a spot on the bench next to him, then smirks. He scoots over a little bit, and produces a red and white checkered handkerchief from his sleeve. He shakes it out, then lets it fall flat. He snaps his fingers over it once, then pulls the handkerchief up.

A plate with french fries, a pulled pork sandwich, and a can of soda, are revealed. "Do you need ketchup?"

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: A few days latter sparkofmagic 2011-11-10 05:42 pm UTC (link)
	The smell of food lures her into sitting. Magic seems damn useful and while she knows what to look for she doesn't want to. Instead she starts to much on a french fry. "No this is great. Um thanks." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: A few days latter greatest_zatara 2011-11-10 05:50 pm UTC (link)
	"Thank you. You saved me a load on drycleaning with that spell of yours on the fly." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: A few days latter sparkofmagic 2011-11-10 05:53 pm UTC (link)
	"What?" She blinks then shakes her head. "I'm not sure what I did. I just saw how to cancel it out and.... tugged. Like pulling a thread." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

Re: A few days latter

greatest_zatara
2011-11-10 07:20 pm UTC (link)

Zach raises an eyebrow. "That simple, huh?" He eats some more of his sandwich. "Hm."

He chews thoughtfully. An innate talent instead of a caster, perhaps? No, if that were the case she'd have been tripping over spells she'd pulled apart unknowingly all her life.

"Do you think you could do it again?" He holds out his palm, a coin in the center of it, then renders it invisible with a few quiet words. "Make it reappear."

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Re: A few days latter

sparkofmagic
2011-11-10 07:34 pm UTC (link)

"Well it was like looking at balancing a chemistry formula," she says with a shrug. "So while doable not like a snap. I had to consciously look and do it."

She looks at it. She can see how it fits and tries to reach out. She can't quite grasp it though like it's trying to slip away. "I can tell where it is. I just.... It's slipping away? I'm not even sure how I'm doing this."

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Re: A few days latter

greatest_zatara
2011-11-10 07:39 pm UTC (link)

Zach turns his palm and flicks his thumb upwards, a chime emitting as he flips the coin high over his head.

"You can hear it, can't you? You've got senses besides your eyes. You just need to learn to use one more." He extends his hand again and the coin lands flat in his palm with a satisfying slap.

"Abjuration, more than most schools of magic, relies on will. The same way that people 'know' things are impossible or can't happen, you have to 'know' that something being undone not only will happen, but should happen.

Think, don't focus."

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Re: A few days latter

sparkofmagic
2011-11-10 07:57 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah but up until the other day I didn't 'believe' in magic. It's like there was some kind of mental block having me willfully ignoring anything to do with it."

And every time she really 'looked' inwards she could feel the tiny fragments left over from that. It had been done to her. Something to make her ignore and not be able to do anything.

Now she wasn't thinking about that. She thought about the coin and the magic. And the fact that she wanted them top separate.

And Zach should feel the spell get tugged away and peeled of. There's the coin laying there in his hand again.

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	Re: A few days latter greatest_zatara 2011-11-10 08:08 pm UTC (link)
	Zach smiles and nods. "Good work. Why don't you hold onto this for later?" He reaches over, and makes it disappear behind her ear, then goes about finishing his sandwich. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)