video 💎 un: Tohsaka Rin

[defenceless]

[the video opens to display the... somewhat incriminating desk of one rin tohsaka. are those vials and knives? yes, those are vials and knives. a few of the vials contain weird-colored liquids but don’t think about it too much.

apparently this is no reason for a tiny cygnet not to be hopping all over everywhere, chirping happily and nibbling away at a slice of apple rin holds between chopsticks. the gray downy baby swan wears a black collar inlaid with beautiful amethysts and diamonds. lazily leaning her cheek onto her hand, she speaks.]

I’ve developed a means of repelling that godawful holiday plant and withering any sprigs of mistletoe in your immediate vicinity. Simply state clearly,

"Verkümmern, Mistel."

And they’ll die. The catalyst for the enchantment has been sprinkled all across Chantes, so the spell should work wherever you are. Just don’t say the words wrong; I can’t be held responsible for what might happen, in that case.

[r.i.p. thirst. anyway, rin reveals a strange object that those more modern-familiar in alastair will recognize as a bedazzler gun.]

Now, then.

[rin sets down the apple (much to baby swan's dismay!) and calls to the servant carrying a tea tray behind her.]

Archer.

[a tall man in black armor and a pink apron glances over his shoulder. only his back is visible.

she spins her finger, gesturing for him to turn around. he does so with a rather impressive line face. there's a sword bedazzled out of shiny silver rhinestones stuck right to the front of his apron, just at chest level. rin faces the network again.]

Can anyone tell me what this [she lifts up the bedazzler gun and frowns in disgust/confusion.] is? The designs it creates are awfully tacky.

((OOC: The mistletoe-deactivating spell words will actually work, per discussion with the mods! Feel free to do whatever you want with it. Archer may reply to some tags/threads in this post.))

Comments

[bougy]

You tell me. ( she shrugs. though actually she's quite concerned; it's been at least a few weeks since she's seen another mage this careless. at least Rin doesn't seem too crazy. ) Could it actually be undone? Preferably without having to use more blood magic.

[defenceless]

[look, there are varying levels of risk you take with magic...]

Fine, I will tell you. The spell has enough restrictions on it that the most common result from a mistake would probably be no effect on the mistletoe whatsoever. In the worst cases, if the recitation is severely massacred, I imagine all that would happen is the leaves of a sprig of mistletoe grow bigger, or more of the plants shoot up around it.

Considering I had whole hoards of mistletoe following me days ago, I'm not too worried about it.

Are you asking if the results of a failed incantation can be undone?

[rin is direct, but not actually harsh with her speech. this woman speaks of blood magic. her concerns are well-meant.]

[bougy]

( which is why it never hurts to be careful!! )

I see. At least it smells good? Not that I'd ever want a bouquet of it.

( hawke appreciates it, nodding even, and it's good to speak mage-to-mage like this. it seems that she possesses some degree of concern for possible consequences of magic; as well as a pretty impressive talent, being able to construct such an enchantment with what hawke imagines are probably limited resource. )

Yes, just in case. There are a few people who might need it, I imagine, as drunk as they seem to enjoy being. Can it be lifted by a simple dispel spell?

[defenceless]

I'm starting to believe it has no positive qualities at all, after what I've been through.

[a nice smell doesn't compensate for what's "bad magic" in itself, rin thinks. she sighs, crossing her arms.]

It would depend on the nature of the dispel spell. The enchantment operates on flow of water and life energy. So if you could somehow influence that, you could reverse or eliminate what happened.

[bougy]

Hey now, it's not the mistletoe's fault it was magicked! Normally it's a perfectly innocuous plant that provides a very vital seasonable service.

( when you're lonely during the holidays, what better way to get a little action than with a sprig of mistletoe and a bit of cute coercion? )

I'm not familiar with this kind of magic, but I am curious now. Would you like to find out what happens if someone makes a mistake? If for nothing else than research. ( also, she's kind of taking it as a challenge now. with her own powers reduced here she's still not 100% sure the extent of what she can actually do. )

[defenceless]

[she'd say she's quite convinced those who want to find romance over the holidays are going to try to find romance, hanging mistletoe or not.]

H-Hey, now. First you hop in here demanding information about mistakes, now you want to make a mistake yourself?

[bougy]

What can I say? I've never been renowned for my wit. Besides, I'm used to being a concerned civilian. ( plus it's not blood magic, so... still, it's kind of touching that she'd be concerned. )

[defenceless]

Just know that if you end up disliking whatever happens, it's your fault, not mine.

[oh, she's concerned. it's just... difficult to tease that out, sometimes.]

If you put it that way, I can't refuse. Research is always helpful—it'll just confirm to me how flawless of an enchantment I actually set. Go ahead and break a leg, Miss—?

[rin doesn't know her name.]

1/2

[bougy]

No, no, of course not. I'm always all about taking personal responsibility. ( obviously she's being sarcastic, but exactly how much is hard to gauge. even she doesn't know. self-irony is such a test mistress. )

Hawke. Miss Rin, I assume? And I will, though I'll try for a dislocated shoulder instead, if anything. I've got a lot of experience setting those.

[bougy]

( then, after shaking out her shoulders, she goes for the one accent that always deserves a good mocking: French Orlesian. )

Verkümmern, Mistel. ( basically the vowels are pronounced inside her sinuses rather than her mouth. )

[defenceless]

[you'd think rin would mind the sarcasm! but she doesn't, not when that guy in the apron is super full of it 24-7. whether hawke's serious or she isn't, it won't affect her much.

she takes a sip of tea while she listens to the pronunciation, waving with a hand afterwards.]

You're going to have to do a lot worse than that. But it's good to meet you, Miss Hawke. Yes, you can call me Rin.

[bougy]

( which is well enough. she doesn't particularly care if she offends people, but it's always nice when she doesn't. she smirks a bit, because bungling the enchantment isn't as easy as she would have assumed, and because of the particular way Rin says that about her name. )

Just Hawke is fine. And likewise, unless there's some other way you'd prefer to be addressed? In any case, I look forward to mutually enriching co-operation as long as our 'employers' see fit to 'employ' us. ( a slight pause. ) Verkümmern, minstrel.

[defenceless]

[... well, miss rin was nice.

(but she's not going to admit that.)]

That's sure a kind way of phrasing our kidnapping and forced labor under ALASTAIR. I'll have to copy that with any more new recruits. [no, really. she will.]

Go with that one, what you just said. "Minstrel" is not the same as "Mistel".

[bougy]

( such a shame, it's a lost opportunity for some light teasing. )

Hah, feel free! I've got a couple other phrases if you're interested. May as well keep you entertained while I try and find some of this stuff.

All right. It certainly is, minstrels are way more annoying no matter how cursed the mistletoe may happen to be.

[defenceless]

[there will definitely be other opportunities for teasing, with her. fret not!]

I beg to differ, on the annoying part. Maybe I just haven't experienced enough of the delights of listening to horrible bards. Are you... having difficulty finding the mistletoe?

[bougy]

Eh, sounds like a cultural difference. Where I'm from, some bards are a lot more likely to murder you than serenade you. Though they do have to have some voice lessons. So, you know. ( then she shrugs, looks over her shoulder, and then to the side. ) Seems so. I think I remember seeing some--this way? You'll have to forgive me, I've been rather keen to avoid places obliging me to engage in such carnal activities while working. Kidnapping is one thing, but I draw the line at sexual harassment. ( yes, she is blaming ALASTAIR. )

[defenceless]

[everyone should blame alastair.]

It's not exactly that—heavy. Most of the mistletoe spells demand some manner of kiss to undo them.

[bougy]

( Hawke scoffs and shakes her head. for as big of a flirt as she is she's actually kind of peeved about this. this isn't the kind of thing magic should be used for, clearly!! )

Which is why ALASTAIR cast it, I'm sure. Maybe it's a good way to resolve all that lingering unresolved sexual tension, but, personally, I find it takes a few years before it gets to the point where I actually need to. Or want to. If you didn't feel the same way, why go to all that trouble with the enchantment?

[defenceless]

[well, she'll hear no arguments from rin on that. her opposition to the strange mistletoe magic is responsible for everything!]

I... I do feel the same way! [she's flustered.] I'm just telling you the facts... The details of the magic. Also, ALASTAIR isn't responsible for them, they're a natural feature of the world.

[hey...]

Why are you bringing up your pent-up frustration in the first place?

[bougy]

( she stops a moment--sorry, so much for her search--and smirks, then laughs. )

Really? I guess I owe our employers a briefly worded apology. However--better flaunted than bottled up, I always say. When it comes to this kind of thing, you've got to let it know who's in charge. That's probably why it this mistletoe hasn't messed with me. ( but not actually )

[defenceless]

I'm not letting some asinine plant dictate how open I should be about relieving my own tension—!

[uh-oh. she's mad and sort of shouting. at least it's easy to discern that it's in that embarrassed, overreactive teenager way.

look, hawke, the one boy here who stole her first kiss isn't around anymore!! her boyfriend isn't in alastair!]

Just find the mistletoe, already!

[bougy]

( she smirks and, by Andraste's sanctified arse is it hard not to laugh. this is too easy. ) Hey there, you were the one who asked. It seems we are in agreement, if not exactly alike in--fervour. ( really, she should be soothing or at least sorry, but it's always amusing to see when she can rile someone up in a mostly harmless way. this is, of course, all teasing. in the meantime she manages to find some she remembered being in the vicinity when she was last passing through around here. Hawke takes the sprig in hand and studies it for a moment. )

It wasn't with that man, was it? Your servant. ( how else to explain the apron. )

[defenceless]

[the mistletoe doesn't freeze her in place, but rin is expecting as much, because she's alone. it's a relief just to see the plant finally, anyway.

she calms down easily, proof positive hawke hasn't inflicted any major ego damage.]

What wasn't with him...?

[is rin sure she wants to know]

[bougy]

Your 'magically induced' behaviour. ( just to make it clear, she twirls the mistletoe between her fingers. sorry, this is her attempt at...commiserating? no judgement is intended, magic can be used for such horrible purposes right. )

[defenceless]

[oh my god.

she did kiss archer, but it was mostly innocent fun and they didn't advance past that point.]

We didn't do anything! I kissed him, but it wasn't the mistletoe's fault— [wait, that sounds really bad.] It's none of your business!