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

audio;

[defenceless]

[she's wary of it, but not quite... afraid.]

I'm trying to help people. I wouldn't have set the enchantment in the first place if I wasn't.

audio;

[hellshaped]

By giving them incantations and spreading magic everywhere? These people don't know what you're getting them into.

audio;

[defenceless]

What I'm "getting them into" is no worse than the effect of the mistletoe itself.

audio;

[hellshaped]

Being a victim of magic and actively using magic are different things.

audio;

[defenceless]

I won't argue with that, but are you saying the effect of the mistletoe magic is just fine as is? It immobilizes people and makes them kiss to undo it.

audio;

[hellshaped]

I'm saying there are ways to cleanse curses like that without just doing more magic.

audio;

[defenceless]

And they involve more destruction, don't they?

I bet you could set a clump of mistletoe on fire or convince someone else to chop it down for you when you're trapped, but that's in the best-case scenario. I prefer efficient, safe magic anyone can choose to use, and that damages all mistletoe regardless of the strength of the curses.

audio;

[hellshaped]

I didn't say the plants, I said the magic. Sage. Water. Salt. You can get rid of a magic spell without just adding to the problem.

audio;

[defenceless]

Such simple methods won't work to deactivate every spell!

audio;

[hellshaped]

Well, sure. That's when you start setting things on fire.

audio;

[defenceless]

How is setting the plants on fire any better than making them shrivel up with magic?

audio;

[hellshaped]

[He was mostly joking, but it wouldn't be the first time someone didn't catch on. Deadpan delivery has its drawbacks.]

My point is, you could have just taken a bazooka to a splinter.

audio;

[defenceless]

[she may have been angry even if it was obvious he was joking...]

... My enchantment is not the same as a bazooka, Mr... [/trying to remember username] HB.

audio;

[hellshaped]

Hellboy. [Do you see why he uses shorthand for his username now.] I'd appreciate if you kept the big guns for big gun situations. That's all. Not all of us are comfortable with magic.

audio;

[defenceless]

[yeah...

but she's not scared of a name with "hell" in it, sheesh, what kind of weakling do you think she is?]

Mr. Hellboy. I know it's the reverse of my username, but my name is Rin.

[have her name so they can argue in person, sometime.]

Let me guess, you're one of these people who aren't so comfortable with magic. It's a step up from denying it exists at all.

audio;

[hellshaped]

[Her name is reverse? Plus, Tohsaka...] You're Japanese? I'm American. [Just making conversation.]

I've seen magic firsthand, and what it can do to people. It's never good, no matter what the intentions.

audio;

[defenceless]

... Yes. That's correct. I'm Japanese. Most people don't understand, and I've found it easier to explain it that way.

[if she knew beforehand, she could have withheld the simplification. it's a relief, almost. someone understands.]

—Ah, well. You are right. Magic is dangerous, and I agree it's at odds with the world at its core. However, we're surrounded by magic, here.

audio;

[hellshaped]

[Hellboy sometimes does have a problem reacting too viscerally to things, and it always helps to take a step back when he wants to calm down. After how hot he came into this conversation, he figures this is a good way for them to relate to each other. They're both from Earth, at least.]

I know. I just don't want people to get too comfortable with it and think it's something they can play with.

audio;

[defenceless]

A responsible magus sets restrictions on her spells. That way, if anyone decides to get any smart ideas, they can't go crazy with them.

[a pause and—]

They won't experience the agony of the bad side of magic.

[that some of them (say, her) are resigned to.]

audio;

[hellshaped]

[This conversation has definitely taken a weird turn. Hellboy's experience with witches -- or, mages, as Rin seems to refer to herself -- usually doesn't involve self-awareness. All of them have been over-confident in their ability to control magic, that it wouldn't best them. That they were stronger than anyone else.]

I think I misjudged you. I apologize for that.

audio;

[defenceless]

[magi in rin's world lack self-awareness from time to time. they're overconfident, they believe in their own might and their intelligence... and she isn't immune from that, growing up in a shell of her father's life.

it comes with the territory. focusing on magic, hiding away and practicing forbidden techniques normal people can never know; mages tend to be looser with their regard for humanity, at the same time thinking themselves magnificent compared to their neighbors.

a magus from her world could go crazy in alastair.

rin just isn't that person. she's freer, here, but she won't have her magic raze an entire city (or her archer kill senselessly).

there's a sound as if she's waving something away.]

Don't worry about it. I was overdue for someone giving me a hard time. Sheesh, you even mention magic around most of these recruits and they either stumble all over themselves trying to shout, "It's fake!", or they go all starry-eyed and think they'll become some great wizard.

audio;

[hellshaped]

[Some grim amusement creeps into the deadpan timbre of Hellboy's voice.]

I don't think most people here have witnessed magic first-hand. A lot of people where I come from don't think it's real, either.

audio;

[defenceless]

[it's not surprising.]

What's your connection to magic? If you're willing to divulge it.

audio;

[hellshaped]

[He's not going to divulge the whole story, no. 'My mother was a witch from the 17th century' isn't really first-conversation material.]

I used to be a paranormal investigator before I retired. [Quit. Same thing.] I've dealt with my fair share of witches. Usually they're a threat and a menace.

audio;

[defenceless]

Well, mages are probably still a threat and a menace, no matter where they're from.

[... to be perfectly honest. she doesn't sound especially apologetic admitting as much, simply like she's just recounting the facts.

magic users will always be different from normal humans, and for good reason.]

But I think you're talking about the classic old time witches, or those versions in scary movies... That's nothing like what I am.

Part of our code is that regular humans can never learn about us. Whole lot of good that code does me here, as you can imagine, so I've done away with it—for the most part.