Harlan Halliday (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ghostlocked) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
hadriel2018-12-04 07:38 pm
ghostlocked) wrote in hadriel2018-12-04 07:38 pm
Entry tags:
♫ video
[Behold, a unicorn: Harlan making a public post that isn't text. What he's got in mind is more of a show don't tell thing, so it's necessary, although it's pretty clear he's not comfortable with this video thing. He's sitting on his couch with his phone propped up on the coffee table, and he's got a glass of water in his hands.]
Hey, good news, I have a spell that'll help everyone out while we're stuck here without gods. It's one of the first spells they teach you when you're a kid where I'm from. I'm thinking most of you should be able to pick it up pretty quick. It's called Prestidigitation.
[A beginner spell with like the most tongue-twistery name in the entire spell dictionary. He holds up the glass.]
It's your basic catch-all spell and you can do a ton of shit with it, but mainly, you're gonna be able to change the temperature of shit. Small shit, though. Your workable area is about a square foot, give or take, and it doesn't work on anything alive. Look.
[The water in the glass starts to boil. It doesn't look like he's done much to it—this spell is second nature to him anymore, so he doesn't need to put much effort into casting it. He sets the glass down on the table.]
Right, so... Go get your own thing of water, I guess? I don't fucking know. This is so much easier in person. Okay, uh, so magic is just another type of energy, like heat or electricity. The difference is that magic is malleable. You can control it. With a spell like this, it's all about visualization. You want hot water, so you're sort of willing the water to heat up by channeling the magic into it. It's not gonna work on the first try, but keep at it. It takes focus and confidence. If you're having trouble, scale it back, or try freezing the water instead of heating it.
[He belatedly realizes he's supposed to be demoing this, so he gestures to the glass and, ta da, there's a soft tinkling sound as the steam dissipates and the water freezes.]
Prestidigitation can clean stuff in a similar way too. If you're going insane because our showers are out of commission, this spell is gonna change your fucking life. Let's see, uh, you'll be able to start a fire, flavor your coffee, conjure hand-sized illusions... It all works on the same principle, though. Picture what you want to do and will the magic into doing it for you.
[He snaps his fingers and now there's a flame in his palm and he feels infinitely goofy for putting on a magic show on his couch. Hopefully it's helpful stuff, though.]
If you have questions, let me know. If you want to learn other shit, I'll link my spell list and we'll talk. Cool. Later.
[And he's shutting off the feed. Thank you for coming to his TED Talk. As promised, he does attach his spell list for anyone interested in further magical pursuits.]
Hey, good news, I have a spell that'll help everyone out while we're stuck here without gods. It's one of the first spells they teach you when you're a kid where I'm from. I'm thinking most of you should be able to pick it up pretty quick. It's called Prestidigitation.
[A beginner spell with like the most tongue-twistery name in the entire spell dictionary. He holds up the glass.]
It's your basic catch-all spell and you can do a ton of shit with it, but mainly, you're gonna be able to change the temperature of shit. Small shit, though. Your workable area is about a square foot, give or take, and it doesn't work on anything alive. Look.
[The water in the glass starts to boil. It doesn't look like he's done much to it—this spell is second nature to him anymore, so he doesn't need to put much effort into casting it. He sets the glass down on the table.]
Right, so... Go get your own thing of water, I guess? I don't fucking know. This is so much easier in person. Okay, uh, so magic is just another type of energy, like heat or electricity. The difference is that magic is malleable. You can control it. With a spell like this, it's all about visualization. You want hot water, so you're sort of willing the water to heat up by channeling the magic into it. It's not gonna work on the first try, but keep at it. It takes focus and confidence. If you're having trouble, scale it back, or try freezing the water instead of heating it.
[He belatedly realizes he's supposed to be demoing this, so he gestures to the glass and, ta da, there's a soft tinkling sound as the steam dissipates and the water freezes.]
Prestidigitation can clean stuff in a similar way too. If you're going insane because our showers are out of commission, this spell is gonna change your fucking life. Let's see, uh, you'll be able to start a fire, flavor your coffee, conjure hand-sized illusions... It all works on the same principle, though. Picture what you want to do and will the magic into doing it for you.
[He snaps his fingers and now there's a flame in his palm and he feels infinitely goofy for putting on a magic show on his couch. Hopefully it's helpful stuff, though.]
If you have questions, let me know. If you want to learn other shit, I'll link my spell list and we'll talk. Cool. Later.
[And he's shutting off the feed. Thank you for coming to his TED Talk. As promised, he does attach his spell list for anyone interested in further magical pursuits.]
no subject
[oh, she can do it. she's been practicing her whole way over. there might have been a "fuck yeah, bitches!" said out loud at one point or another]
Done.
[whatever he needs to be hot? she can make it hot. booyah]
no subject
Nice work. You can flavor shit with that spell, too. Here.
[He hands her a piece of the weird veggie before dumping the rest into the pan. If she eats it, it'll taste like chocolate.]
no subject
Seriously? It's like the Swiss Army Knife of spells, huh?
[finally, a way to get her to eat her vegetables!]
no subject
[It helps that he's a sorcerer and his magic isn't bound by strict spell rules, but Prestidigitation is such a simple spell that it's malleable enough for wizards too.
He takes over with the pan, adjusting the temperature to free up George's concentration and also because he uhhh actually knows what he's doing in the kitchen no offense George.
Anyway.]
This'll need to cook down a bit. Do you want to try your hand at the healing spell?
no subject
so what would George count as? a wizard or a sorcerer?
none taken. Joy Lass never let her near the kitchen for a reason.
yes, anyway]
Fuck yeah I do. Tell me what I need to get started.
cw self harm but not in a mh kind of way? also blood
[It's like his favorite spell.
George is a wizard! Everyone who learns magic from study, which this counts as, is a wizard. Sorcerers are born with their magic.]
Okay. Here's a demo.
[He tugs back his sleeve and fishes his folding knife out of his pocket. He could just use the one he'd been chopping veggies with, but that would mean getting blood on his cooking utensils... Pass.
He slices the back of his arm open, the cut shallow but long enough to bleed pretty good. He holds it up so she can see and sets the knife on the counter.]
You know how to stitch, right? This is stitching but with magic.
[He touches his hand to the wound, and it begins to close up, like a cut healing naturally but sped up. It takes about a minute for the cut to close completely. There's still plenty of blood, but he waves it away with Prestidigitation. After he's done, it's like he was never hurt in the first place.]
Healing spells tend to be tougher to cast because they're a weird brand of evocation, and typically they're reserved for just healers, like clerics and shit. Mages tend to have a hard time with them. You have to be touching the person to heal them, but anywhere on their body will work. It's just easier the closer you are to whatever injury you're trying to heal. It's a slow spell, too. You have to concentrate.
[He picks up the knife again, but first:]
Ready? Ask questions first if you have 'em.
(cw: blood)
she knows by now to trust him when he does stuff like this. she examines the cut curiously]
--seriously?
[she watches while touches the wound, while it begins to heal, while it's healed completely and even the blood is whisked away. she does not applaud, she's not that much of a dork, but she does give him a crooked smile and listens attentively]
Okay, so. It needs me to touch 'em, somewhere closer to the wound is better, and it's not just a [she snaps her fingers] bam!, and you're done spell. Got it. I think.
[hoo boy, does this mean she'll be practicing on him? that makes her a little nervous, but it's not like she can do it to herself. Reaper healing would seal the wound as quickly as it's made]
Should I be concentrating on what the healed wound would look like?
Ready as I'll ever be.
no subject
If that helps you, then yeah. Do what works for you.
[Since she's ready, he runs the blade along his arm again, this time near the crook of his elbow. The cut lines up with a few other scars there, though they're old and faded. George's inexperience means she'll probably leave a scar behind. He doesn't mind, but he'd rather strategically place it.
He holds his arm out.]
Go for it.
I didn't get the notification, sorry!
[she inwardly gulps when he cuts into himself because shit just got real. she glances at him as if she's asking for permission, then takes a hold of his arm by the wound in her right hand. she concentrates on the wound, picturing it healed and gone.
it is slow going and she swallows back her frustration. she can't afford to let herself get frustrated.
and slowly, the wound begins to heal, starting from the bottom up. it is leaving a scar, but it's working. that's the most important part.
and when it finally finishes healing, she lets go of his arm]
Okay. Okay. I think we're good?
no subject
It's still slightly panic-inducing when she grabs him, but the pain is a good distraction. It's enough to keep him patient as she works. He doesn't want to break her concentration—as stressed as he is with her hand on him, he knows she's probably just as anxious. Healing magic is more intimate than anything else he's taught her, and it requires a level of trust. Messing it up can really screw someone else over.
It's slow-going and it's difficult to keep from fidgeting near the end, but eventually, she cleans up the wound nicely. It's not perfect, but for a first cast, it's not bad. He rubs his hand over the new scar. Getting healed doesn't hurt, exactly, but it's not comfortable either, especially in his case.]
Nice work. That doesn't look too bad.
[The scar looks fresher than the others and a little unnatural, but that's to be expected. She's done well.]
That spell's always gonna take a minute to work, but you'll get faster as you practice. Speaking of, you do need real wounds to practice on.
[One of the downsides of learning healing magic.]
Small shit like a paper cut or a bruise will work, though. You don't need to go home and take a knife to your arm. In fact, please don't. If you ever want to practice on bigger shit, let me know.
[Do as he says, not as he does, George.]
no subject
and she's trying to be respectful of, y'know, boundaries! but boundaries don't exactly exist in a situation like this, do they? okay. okay. she's calm, she's chill. she is Doing The Thing, okay?
no fidgeting allowed. that will break her concentration and make her think that she's Doing It Wrong, and nobody wants that. especially not nobodies with an open wound on their arm.
but she's done it. there's a scar, but she's done it. is it appropriate to cheer now? she'd like to, but he still seems fidgety. she'll cheer on the way home]
Thank you. It was, y'know, my first time. Obviously.
[she peers at the scar and resolves to do better next time]
Real wounds, huh? No shortage of that come New Arrivals Day. But better this than slap a bandaid on 'em and say "You'll be fine in a week or two," right?
right]
Okay. Makes sense when you think about it.
[she'll make do with what comes into the Clinic]
I wouldn't go home and take a knife to my arm, anyway. Reaper healing. Ever see it in action? It's weird. And I don't want you, like, gouging the fuck outta yourself so I can practice.
[she's an expert at that]
no subject
[He always forgets about her Reaper abilities. Well, good, at least she won't need to use this spell on herself anytime soon.]
New arrivals will be perfect for practicing this kind of shit. Whatever injuries they'd come in with would scar either way. This spell won't heal anything major, though. Think of it like magical first aid. It's stitches and antiseptic.
[And since she has other options besides practicing on him or herself, he'll leave it at that.]
no subject
Right, so no gut wounds. Not that we've had any of those recently, thank fuck, but I might've just jinxed myself. Damnit.
[sounds fair]
no subject
[Like most magic, the rules of this particular spell aren't exactly set in stone, but it's easier to manipulate the spell beyond its natural limits if you're more experienced with magic. Still, attempts at healing never hurt anyone, especially in a place where medical options are limited. A shoddy healing job is probably better than nothing.]
no subject
[she practices magic pretty much every day. it's one of her routines like going to the Clinic and the Lab. she'll never be a physical badass, but it's nice to have something else to fall back on because she's absolutely certain that the Null are still out there and looking for them]