[the news of the attack on libertas comes swiftly after—be it through an announcement from the council or the general state of the other summoned reporting on it. it is normal to feel nervous, even worried about the circumstances; the war had been an inevitably cloud hanging over the heads since they had first arrived, one of the very first things ever mentioned when contacting those in the other factions. an element that sam had touched upon in his speech when he invited most, if not all, of the summoned.
it is unsurprising that the free cities retaliate, but at least it doesn't result in loss of lives, as far as reports go. there is a weary stalemate between thorne and the free cities, and while solvunn is pulled unscathed from this whole situation, it is normal that there is tension in the air.
the expectation for the other shoe to drop.
wanda sends an invitation to anyone interested, to those who may be restless or just wanting in company. she will be found a ways away from the farm, where the surrounding forest opens into a clearing, where a structure stands. wanda sits there, legs crossed, hands placed at her knee; she's dressed casual today, in an attire so dissonant from solvunn, threads pulled forth through her magic—jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. she waits a moment, and then speaks up.]
Magic knows no master. It belongs to neither gods nor man.
[these are words, she knows, that could make things rather difficult for her to explain to the council of solvunn. still—]
At least that is how it works in my universe.
[she knows that while in abraxas, one can learn magic. she knows, too, that many of those who are here have never even considered magic a possibility or a resource at their fingertips. to unlock it might be a matter of believing, really, and have intent, but mostly believing.
as the shadows pull longer as the sun sinks closer to the horizon, wanda reaches forward with her hand, scarlet surrounding her hand, and casts an easy spell, bringing fire to the campfire in the middle of the structure.]
[ Recent events have frayed Eddie’s nerves, putting him right back where he was when he arrived: high-strung and anxious. Maybe it had something to do with being surrounded by fellow summoned who were very much not human, or maybe it was the vampires and werewolves, but for a brief moment, his fear and anxiety had really eased up a bit.
Now it’s back in full force, and he hates it. He hates being scared and hates himself for being so prepared to run away. Solvunn has been spared for the time being, but he wouldn’t exactly call it “safe”. It mostly feels like they’re all collectively holding their breath waiting for something to happen, and he can feel it.
He just feels sort of helpless. He can prepare provisions for Thorne all day long, but what is that going to do when (not if) the threat lurches closer to home? He isn’t any sort of physical fighter, he isn’t particularly brave, and he wouldn’t exactly rely on his wits either. It just kind of feels like the best option he has right now is to learn, and Wanda's invitation gives him an in. ]
Hey, uh--
[ He awkwardly raises his hand, conditioned by more years of school than he cares to admit to. He also just doesn’t want to totally interrupt her show of magic. ]
Quick question. How do you know it's gonna work the same for people from other universes? I mean, I do wanna learn, I just wanna know if my failure is gonna be coming from me or from...Indiana, you know?
[wanda is happy to see him raise his hand, even if it seems a little out of place, mostly because she wants there to be questions—something to guide her instructions with based on what those willing to learn want to know, or whatever caters to them best. she's certainly never tried this before, formally, but she wants to try.
and that's half the battle, as much as eddie deciding to be here to learn.]
Unless Indiana makes people completely inept at magic, I think you should be okay. [she offers him a small smile, finding amusement in that concern.] Don't set yourself up for failure, Eddie.
[wanda drops her hand back on her lap. there is always hope, even if it's in the shape of a gripe against the world, even if it's found in the darkest of places and allowed to grow under the conditions of mistaken convictions.]
You told me before you think all this supernatural stuff is cool. [—and that's something she can work with.] If you are open to the idea, [she nods] you will learn.
[so, maybe she should start with—]
People here have learned Abraxan magic. Lesser spells that you practice and can grow stronger in. Find your footing and learn more, too. [but] But you need to believe that you can.
Well, uh…it is Indiana, so knowing my luck? I’ll end up being able to manifest corn byproducts and nothing else.
[ He grins, making his joke a bit more obvious. Wanda’s reassurance is enough for him. After all, she should know what she’s talking about.
Eddie has already talked about this with Steve, albeit it was a relatively conversation. Eddie had compared magic to playing the guitar: anyone with the time and desire to learn can learn. It just comes more easily to others. It was never something he knew known for sure, though, so it’s good to have confirmation that he shouldn’t be affected—and Steve shouldn’t either. ]
Alright. Well, shit. You’ve already got way more faith in me than most teachers, so--
[ He hops up to his feet and immediately swoops into an overly dramatic bow--or it would be overly dramatic for anyone but Eddie. ]
I guess I’ve gotta make a real attempt now.
[ He was always going to make a real attempt. He just feels better about it now. ]
[wanda was about to make a comment about the corn byproducts, but takes not that it's a joke. nice one, munson—you almost got her. she smiles at that for a moment, but that smile grows bigger when he does an overly dramatic bow towards her.
there is something impeccably gentle about eddie. that's something wanda has picked up on from the very first moment they interacted, even if he comes off as blunt and perhaps a little too out there for most conventional people.
good thing that wanda is also something of an outcast.]
You're acting like you wouldn't have made an effort before.
[she gets up on her feet, too, and paces around the campfire for a moment, in thought.]
Hm— well, to get started, the thing about magic is that you need to believe that you can do it. It's not about — saying magical words and something just happening. You have to feel it. Sort of like...
[thinking, wanda tilts her head, stops, and gestures with her hands, fingers taking on the malocchio sign—the 'rock on' one eddie might be more familiar with—and from some discarded logs on the side to stoke the fire, an acoustic guitar takes form. easy enough transmutation.
she rests her hands at her sides.]
When you play a guitar, it comes to you like second nature, doesn't it? You get lost in it, but there is still focus. Right?
[ That grin hasn’t faded, though, so there’s a pretty good chance he’s joking. It’s hard to give a shit when everyone else has given up on you, but Eddie has genuinely always put forth his best attempt, even if the end product doesn’t always reflect his efforts. ]
But, uh…first time for everything, right?
[ He’s convinced that watching Wanda do her magic will never get old. Even when (or if) he learns to do magic of his own, he can’t imagine it becoming any less amazing. The fact that it's a guitar certainly adds to his awe, of course. ]
I mean, I never really thought about it that way, but yeah. Now. Took a lot of hours and callouses to get that point.
[she repeats quietly, picking up the guitar—not any bit different from one made by any other individual with years and years spent mastering the skill. magic is cheap, in that regard, but she's not here to take the jobs of those who make musical instruments.
wanda hands it over to eddie as he mentions how many hours he's spent practicing how to play the guitar and what it takes.]
You can keep it. [the guitar, so he can continue practicing it. maybe one day she'll make him an electric guitar proper, though it may not be of much use in this land.] As for magic— what is something you've always wished you could do?
Hey, thanks. I’m gonna have a whole collection of priceless Wanda originals at this rate.
[ He grins, but graciously accepts the guitar. He’s happy to have them—this one and the one she gave him when he first arrived in Solvunn. They genuinely mean the world to him. ]
Oh, man, where do I start?
[ He laughs and strums the guitar idly. He’s loved the idea of magic and being able to do incredible things since he was very young, but it was always escapism and fantasy. Never in his life did he expect it to become real. ]
I mean, I’d be lying to you if I said it wouldn’t be cool as hell to move shit with your mind or to shapeshift or something, but in a campaign, smaller, simpler spells are deceptively useful, so uh…let’s see here…
[ He can’t help but use D&D as a guideline. If he’s lucky, some of those things might work just as well in real life. He continues to pluck the strings of the guitar as he babbles: ]
Wall of Force is a good one. It’s an invisible forcefield that blocks all damage for ten minutes. I mean, unless someone uses disintegrate, then you’re kind of shit out of luck but uh, it’s pretty great otherwise. So, uh...some type of forcefield magic. Sure.
[ He pauses, furrowing his eyebrows and wondering if he even answered the question correctly. ]
[she can't help but question out loud, finding that she's not quite finding the connection between the concept of it and his words, but ultimately doesn't push, waiting for him to think through his answer—
'wall of force'. he's even given it a name?
well, she knows exactly what he means, luckily.]
—no, no. That's great, actually. Since you already seem to have an idea of what you'd like to focus your efforts towards. [wanda isn't too sure, though, on whether one can choose what abraxan magical skills one gains. she is sure there is logic to it, though.] Close your eyes.
[she steps back towards the bench she had been sitting on, looking him over.]
When you think of forcefield magic, what do you see? What does it look like, how does it feel? The more realistic you can get to what you imagine the better.
Yeah, a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. If I ever get a game up and running here, you’ll be among the first to receive an invitation, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
[ He grins. He doesn’t invite just anyone to play D&D, but he means it. Though things are so chaotic right now, any sort of campaign seems slightly out of reach for the time being.
But it’s fine. He has other things to focus on here. He doesn’t need to close his eyes; he’s played D&D enough to have a clear picture of what he wants, but he closes his eyes anyway, eyebrows furrowed in thought. ]
Kind of like—you can see through it, but it kind of shimmers so you still know it’s there. Sort of like cling film, or a bubble. And uh, it kind of wobbles when you touch it, but it doesn’t break.
Oh, I've heard about that. There is a popular group that streams their games—I listened to a few episodes.
[sorry for all this future lingo.]
It's about creating characters and things like that, right? I would like to give it a try.
[her knowledge on this matter might be minute, but she wants to give eddie something to hang on to, to feel comfortable talking about and this seems to be it. though he starts going on about what a forcefield would look like to him, eyes closed and brows furrowed in thought.
when he opens his eyes, he will find that wanda's created exactly what he's envisioned to surround him. it shimmers and wobbles, too.]
Having a clear idea of what you want to have happen helps in controlling magic. You should try it out in the Horizon. Just play around with creating things, it will strengthen your magical prowess.
[ Eddie’s confusion is clear, and he inclines his head at the words “streams” and “episodes”. He doesn’t ask, though. He simply carries on. ]
Uh, yeah, anyway, yeah. You make a character, go on quests. Sometimes there’s dungeons, sometimes there’s dragons, sometimes there’s just gelatinous cubes.
[ He smiles, and gives a soft chuckle when he opens his eyes. That’s it, exactly as he imagined it, and of course he can’t resist; he has to reach out and poke it just to laugh at the way it wobbles. ]
Awesome.
[ He’s genuinely awed, but there’s still a hint of doubt in his features. ]
And you think if I practice in the Horizon, it will come together here? I’m not trying to prove you wrong, just…a lot of people are born with the ability to do that shit, you know?
[it's normal to have doubts, and eddie's sense of curiosity is already there. she feels it, sometimes, this ongoing pulse of imagination just wanting to find a place to go. an artist and an aficionado for a board game she understands requires some sense of it and adventure.
yeah, she really does think it will help.]
I know.
[wanda was born with the ability to 'do that shit'.]
But remember that here in Abraxas, everyone can learn magic. Even those who never had that ability before. [she has seen it happen.] The Horizon just makes it easier to practice. Sometimes it's not even what you'd expect. A friend of mine has an invisible third hand.
[ Clarke's wary, but she's seen things that look like magic turn out to have scientific explanations, if ones that she never would've imagined possible. Lexa's spirit had survived, after all, and Clarke refuses to believe that she's just ones and zeros without any spark that might've constituted a soul. But that doesn't mean it's magic. Just beyond her comprehension.
She's listening and taking notes, occasionally glancing around to see who else has gathered to learn from the woman. She pauses in her writing and her eyes widen at the appearance of a sudden flame, immediately looking around to see if there's anything on the ground she might have overlooked that would have been capable of conducting that amount of heat. ]
How did you do that? Explain it to me like I know literally nothing.
[ When it came to magic, that much is true, but Clarke's perceptive enough to know when people are using magic as a metaphor for the unexplained. ]
[wanda can see it clearly in the thoughts of the blond woman—the skepticism, the way science and reasoning entrenches onto her thoughts with every word of the mysticism that wanda offers. it's not unexpected, but she welcomes the fact that someone asks.
questions give her an idea of what exactly she needs to focus on to make this learning experience fruitful for those who have not, like her, been bestowed with magic before abraxas.]
My answer may not be satisfactory, but I simply — thought about it. I wanted to light the campfire, and I believed I could. And so, the campfire was lit. You have to stop thinking of obstacles, mental or physical; magic yields only if you are willing to believe that it is real.
[—of course, not everyone is the scarlet witch. not everyone has mastery over infinite possibilities as she does with her chaos magic. but wanda is trying to teach those here that they, too, can learn abraxan magic if they open themselves up to the impossible.]
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—SOLVUNN [ OTA · magic lessons ]
it is unsurprising that the free cities retaliate, but at least it doesn't result in loss of lives, as far as reports go. there is a weary stalemate between thorne and the free cities, and while solvunn is pulled unscathed from this whole situation, it is normal that there is tension in the air.
the expectation for the other shoe to drop.
wanda sends an invitation to anyone interested, to those who may be restless or just wanting in company. she will be found a ways away from the farm, where the surrounding forest opens into a clearing, where a structure stands. wanda sits there, legs crossed, hands placed at her knee; she's dressed casual today, in an attire so dissonant from solvunn, threads pulled forth through her magic—jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. she waits a moment, and then speaks up.]
Magic knows no master. It belongs to neither gods nor man.
[these are words, she knows, that could make things rather difficult for her to explain to the council of solvunn. still—]
At least that is how it works in my universe.
[she knows that while in abraxas, one can learn magic. she knows, too, that many of those who are here have never even considered magic a possibility or a resource at their fingertips. to unlock it might be a matter of believing, really, and have intent, but mostly believing.
as the shadows pull longer as the sun sinks closer to the horizon, wanda reaches forward with her hand, scarlet surrounding her hand, and casts an easy spell, bringing fire to the campfire in the middle of the structure.]
I can share what I know.
no subject
Now it’s back in full force, and he hates it. He hates being scared and hates himself for being so prepared to run away. Solvunn has been spared for the time being, but he wouldn’t exactly call it “safe”. It mostly feels like they’re all collectively holding their breath waiting for something to happen, and he can feel it.
He just feels sort of helpless. He can prepare provisions for Thorne all day long, but what is that going to do when (not if) the threat lurches closer to home? He isn’t any sort of physical fighter, he isn’t particularly brave, and he wouldn’t exactly rely on his wits either. It just kind of feels like the best option he has right now is to learn, and Wanda's invitation gives him an in. ]
Hey, uh--
[ He awkwardly raises his hand, conditioned by more years of school than he cares to admit to. He also just doesn’t want to totally interrupt her show of magic. ]
Quick question. How do you know it's gonna work the same for people from other universes? I mean, I do wanna learn, I just wanna know if my failure is gonna be coming from me or from...Indiana, you know?
[ Indiana is getting the blame either way. ]
no subject
and that's half the battle, as much as eddie deciding to be here to learn.]
Unless Indiana makes people completely inept at magic, I think you should be okay. [she offers him a small smile, finding amusement in that concern.] Don't set yourself up for failure, Eddie.
[wanda drops her hand back on her lap. there is always hope, even if it's in the shape of a gripe against the world, even if it's found in the darkest of places and allowed to grow under the conditions of mistaken convictions.]
You told me before you think all this supernatural stuff is cool. [—and that's something she can work with.] If you are open to the idea, [she nods] you will learn.
[so, maybe she should start with—]
People here have learned Abraxan magic. Lesser spells that you practice and can grow stronger in. Find your footing and learn more, too. [but] But you need to believe that you can.
no subject
[ He grins, making his joke a bit more obvious. Wanda’s reassurance is enough for him. After all, she should know what she’s talking about.
Eddie has already talked about this with Steve, albeit it was a relatively conversation. Eddie had compared magic to playing the guitar: anyone with the time and desire to learn can learn. It just comes more easily to others. It was never something he knew known for sure, though, so it’s good to have confirmation that he shouldn’t be affected—and Steve shouldn’t either. ]
Alright. Well, shit. You’ve already got way more faith in me than most teachers, so--
[ He hops up to his feet and immediately swoops into an overly dramatic bow--or it would be overly dramatic for anyone but Eddie. ]
I guess I’ve gotta make a real attempt now.
[ He was always going to make a real attempt. He just feels better about it now. ]
no subject
there is something impeccably gentle about eddie. that's something wanda has picked up on from the very first moment they interacted, even if he comes off as blunt and perhaps a little too out there for most conventional people.
good thing that wanda is also something of an outcast.]
You're acting like you wouldn't have made an effort before.
[she gets up on her feet, too, and paces around the campfire for a moment, in thought.]
Hm— well, to get started, the thing about magic is that you need to believe that you can do it. It's not about — saying magical words and something just happening. You have to feel it. Sort of like...
[thinking, wanda tilts her head, stops, and gestures with her hands, fingers taking on the malocchio sign—the 'rock on' one eddie might be more familiar with—and from some discarded logs on the side to stoke the fire, an acoustic guitar takes form. easy enough transmutation.
she rests her hands at her sides.]
When you play a guitar, it comes to you like second nature, doesn't it? You get lost in it, but there is still focus. Right?
no subject
[ That grin hasn’t faded, though, so there’s a pretty good chance he’s joking. It’s hard to give a shit when everyone else has given up on you, but Eddie has genuinely always put forth his best attempt, even if the end product doesn’t always reflect his efforts. ]
But, uh…first time for everything, right?
[ He’s convinced that watching Wanda do her magic will never get old. Even when (or if) he learns to do magic of his own, he can’t imagine it becoming any less amazing. The fact that it's a guitar certainly adds to his awe, of course. ]
I mean, I never really thought about it that way, but yeah. Now. Took a lot of hours and callouses to get that point.
no subject
[she repeats quietly, picking up the guitar—not any bit different from one made by any other individual with years and years spent mastering the skill. magic is cheap, in that regard, but she's not here to take the jobs of those who make musical instruments.
wanda hands it over to eddie as he mentions how many hours he's spent practicing how to play the guitar and what it takes.]
You can keep it. [the guitar, so he can continue practicing it. maybe one day she'll make him an electric guitar proper, though it may not be of much use in this land.] As for magic— what is something you've always wished you could do?
no subject
[ He grins, but graciously accepts the guitar. He’s happy to have them—this one and the one she gave him when he first arrived in Solvunn. They genuinely mean the world to him. ]
Oh, man, where do I start?
[ He laughs and strums the guitar idly. He’s loved the idea of magic and being able to do incredible things since he was very young, but it was always escapism and fantasy. Never in his life did he expect it to become real. ]
I mean, I’d be lying to you if I said it wouldn’t be cool as hell to move shit with your mind or to shapeshift or something, but in a campaign, smaller, simpler spells are deceptively useful, so uh…let’s see here…
[ He can’t help but use D&D as a guideline. If he’s lucky, some of those things might work just as well in real life. He continues to pluck the strings of the guitar as he babbles: ]
Wall of Force is a good one. It’s an invisible forcefield that blocks all damage for ten minutes. I mean, unless someone uses disintegrate, then you’re kind of shit out of luck but uh, it’s pretty great otherwise. So, uh...some type of forcefield magic. Sure.
[ He pauses, furrowing his eyebrows and wondering if he even answered the question correctly. ]
Is that too specific?
no subject
[she can't help but question out loud, finding that she's not quite finding the connection between the concept of it and his words, but ultimately doesn't push, waiting for him to think through his answer—
'wall of force'. he's even given it a name?
well, she knows exactly what he means, luckily.]
—no, no. That's great, actually. Since you already seem to have an idea of what you'd like to focus your efforts towards. [wanda isn't too sure, though, on whether one can choose what abraxan magical skills one gains. she is sure there is logic to it, though.] Close your eyes.
[she steps back towards the bench she had been sitting on, looking him over.]
When you think of forcefield magic, what do you see? What does it look like, how does it feel? The more realistic you can get to what you imagine the better.
no subject
[ He grins. He doesn’t invite just anyone to play D&D, but he means it. Though things are so chaotic right now, any sort of campaign seems slightly out of reach for the time being.
But it’s fine. He has other things to focus on here. He doesn’t need to close his eyes; he’s played D&D enough to have a clear picture of what he wants, but he closes his eyes anyway, eyebrows furrowed in thought. ]
Kind of like—you can see through it, but it kind of shimmers so you still know it’s there. Sort of like cling film, or a bubble. And uh, it kind of wobbles when you touch it, but it doesn’t break.
no subject
[sorry for all this future lingo.]
It's about creating characters and things like that, right? I would like to give it a try.
[her knowledge on this matter might be minute, but she wants to give eddie something to hang on to, to feel comfortable talking about and this seems to be it. though he starts going on about what a forcefield would look like to him, eyes closed and brows furrowed in thought.
when he opens his eyes, he will find that wanda's created exactly what he's envisioned to surround him. it shimmers and wobbles, too.]
Having a clear idea of what you want to have happen helps in controlling magic. You should try it out in the Horizon. Just play around with creating things, it will strengthen your magical prowess.
no subject
Uh, yeah, anyway, yeah. You make a character, go on quests. Sometimes there’s dungeons, sometimes there’s dragons, sometimes there’s just gelatinous cubes.
[ He smiles, and gives a soft chuckle when he opens his eyes. That’s it, exactly as he imagined it, and of course he can’t resist; he has to reach out and poke it just to laugh at the way it wobbles. ]
Awesome.
[ He’s genuinely awed, but there’s still a hint of doubt in his features. ]
And you think if I practice in the Horizon, it will come together here? I’m not trying to prove you wrong, just…a lot of people are born with the ability to do that shit, you know?
no subject
yeah, she really does think it will help.]
I know.
[wanda was born with the ability to 'do that shit'.]
But remember that here in Abraxas, everyone can learn magic. Even those who never had that ability before. [she has seen it happen.] The Horizon just makes it easier to practice. Sometimes it's not even what you'd expect. A friend of mine has an invisible third hand.
[a shrug.]
Magic is not just about incantations and spells.
no subject
She's listening and taking notes, occasionally glancing around to see who else has gathered to learn from the woman. She pauses in her writing and her eyes widen at the appearance of a sudden flame, immediately looking around to see if there's anything on the ground she might have overlooked that would have been capable of conducting that amount of heat. ]
How did you do that? Explain it to me like I know literally nothing.
[ When it came to magic, that much is true, but Clarke's perceptive enough to know when people are using magic as a metaphor for the unexplained. ]
no subject
questions give her an idea of what exactly she needs to focus on to make this learning experience fruitful for those who have not, like her, been bestowed with magic before abraxas.]
My answer may not be satisfactory, but I simply — thought about it. I wanted to light the campfire, and I believed I could. And so, the campfire was lit. You have to stop thinking of obstacles, mental or physical; magic yields only if you are willing to believe that it is real.
[—of course, not everyone is the scarlet witch. not everyone has mastery over infinite possibilities as she does with her chaos magic. but wanda is trying to teach those here that they, too, can learn abraxan magic if they open themselves up to the impossible.]
Does magic exist in your world?