fourth spell [video]

[pocketspa]

[For the first time in Hadriel History, Taako is appearing on the main feed without his sister. He actually looks a little bit serious, seemingly sat down at a desk with his fingers laced in front of his face like some fantasy Gendo Ikari. Without the glasses it kind of loses the effect, but hey, what can ya do.]

So, listen. There's been like, a toooon of posts lately about like, magic, and learning it. And don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's other people that know magic here. But if this is where we're goin'... wouldn't you rather learn from the master?

[He shoves his chair back from the desk and opens his hands by his face, giving them a shake as the words Taako's Awesome School Of Magic appear over his head in sparkly bubble font.]

Not to flaunt my resume or anything, but uhh, I've been bomb ass fantastic at magic for over a hundo years, I'm a transmutation expert, and, oh yeah--, I already have my first student who can speak to my incredible teaching style.

[Just because he's really showing the fuck off, a spectral hand appears in the air by him and floats offscreen, only to return about a second later with another network device. It presses a button and the voice of a certain boy detective can be heard through the playback.]

Taako is a good teacher, and I've really learned a lot from him, magically speaking! If he threatens to utterly destroy you should you ever surpass him in magical ability, that just means he thinks you're making good progress. Probably.

[It very abruptly cuts there as the magic hand disappears, the device falling into Taako's open palm.]

Really, it's a no-brainer here. You could go with somebody who wants to teach you some light tricks- don't get me wrong, you gotta start somewhere- but take it from the guy who can teach you how to be a t-rex, there are sooooo many better magical tutors out there.

[He looks very, very smug.]

Make room for chaboy, Hadriel, that's T double A to the K-O, because I'm the knockout you need.

[A wink.]

So call me.

Comments

[pocketspa]

[He's actually taken aback by a second when a white cat just appears on the line. This isn't because a cat is talking to him, however, but because it was like two months ago that he fleeced people within an inch of their lives by getting to be a sweet little white cat. For a second, he's afraid he actually conjured him or something and it's just been running around this whole time. He squints closer to the camera, raising an eyebrow.]

That depends. You're not gonna tell me I accidentally conjured you while I was asleep or something, right? Because I don't think you're the cat design I came up with. Is this a polymorph trick or are you a cat-- actually, let's start there my dude.

[themogget]

[No such luck, Taako. Something you conjured yourself would no doubt be less troublesome than Mogget has the potential to be. He makes a sound - something like a scoff, though it sounds like more of an explosive hiss.]

I may, and may not be either or both of those things, but I was certainly not 'conjured' by you, so you need not worry about any of it.

[Mogget shifts in place, rolling his shoulder blades.]

But you may be able to help me with something, assuming your magical ability is as exceptional as I've been led to believe thus far.

[pocketspa]

[Considering how troublesome Taako is as a person, that's not as far apart as they may think.]

Well hit me up then, babe. I'm the greatest wizard in this place easy, and I maaay have some connections if it happens not to be my specialty. What's your deal and what can ya give me?

[themogget]

That may depend on what you want. [Mogget replies dryly.]

As you can see, my options for rewards are limited.

[Given that he's quite clearly a cat, and all.]

[pocketspa]

I'm fine in payment with services rendered, my guy. Or just travel service. You can probably get into places and get info pretty easily too.

[He has ideas. But he puts a hand to his chest, turning on the ol' Taako charm.]

I mean, listen. I'm a generous guy. I can work on favors or just sayin' you owe me one. Why don't you lay down what you need from little ol' me, huh?

[themogget]

All I ask, initially, is that you exercise your skills to test whether or not you can manipulate the Charter at all.

[He has his doubts that Taako, even with his ability, would be able to do that. But that isn't going to stop him from trying.]

If you are successful in that, we can speak of remuneration. Does that seem fair?

[pocketspa]

[He sighs, like he's being asked quite a task.]

Fiiine, I suppose. But if I gotta expend a big ol spell, I'm gonna need a tip. Also, would be great if you could come to me. Y'know where the imported houses are, down south? Look for the one with the plaque titled Horny House, 'ss ours.

[themogget]

[A kindred spirit, after all.]

... Very well.

[Charming name, and Mogget does find it without much difficulty. It turns out that it's the same house where he met a boy on his arrival, and he appears inside with far too much familiarity to have not been there before.

He finds Taako, too, without much difficulty, and makes his presence known by brushing lightly against the elf's ankle.]

[pocketspa]

[Everything about Taako is this level of charming, which says everything about who he is as a person. Regardless, the elf is on the first floor in one of the bedrooms, sitting at a desk where he's been addressing the rest of the network. But an ear perks up as Mogget goes by, and he looks down with a sly grin of his own.]

Hey there, babe. Hey, how did you use a phone before? Do you have thumbs?

[He pats the top of the desk, as if inviting him to hop up. It's probably patronizing to lift him, even if he does want to shove his whole face into a soft kitty belly. He also wants to live, so.]

[themogget]

Sometimes.

[Mogget says nothing more than that, but hops up onto the desk when prompted. A wise decision, really, to not try to lift him up from the floor. The bell at his throat rings as he jumps, enforcing a light soporific effect over the room. In immediate response, the cat yawns.]

Go ahead.

[Take a look.]

[pocketspa]

[He snorts.]

What does sometimes mean?

[But he watches as Mogget jumps, gets settled. The magic of the bell is lost on him- elves can't be put to sleep by magic, though he does blink once as it passes him by.]

So you gonna give me background info on what I'm workin' with here?

[He immediately starts looking for a clasp of some kind, ready to just make an attempt at it without any other prompting.]

[themogget]

[Mogget does not deign to respond to the first question. Sometimes means sometimes, and Taako is in no position of trust or otherwise to be given any more detail than that.]

Charter magic. [He says. The collar itself hums with magical energy and on close inspection is not actually a collar at all, but a construct. Unfortunately, Taako would have no luck at all in trying to remove it, or in understanding the symbols that run across the surface.]

With far more power than most can ever hope of producing.

[pocketspa]

[Mogget please he has to know. Do his paws grow hands? Do his cat paws just get thumbs?? GIVE HIM ARCANE HANDS SECRETS.

Though in the meantime, this cat has given him quite the puzzle, so he can maybe be distracted for a little. But he takes in the runes, running his thumb along the back charged with a small detect magic spell.]

Uhh, that native to your world?

[Because if it only exists there, he's working on a toss up of a chance. If he can find some similarities... well, then he has a chance. Meanwhile, the spell is feeding information back to his brain, but very little of it is something he doesn't already know- that it's magic as hell and the type is something he's never seen before.]

[themogget]

[No secrets for you, Taako. Not today, and certainly not about Mogget.

The spell works, in a way. The magic is right there to detect, and the cat himself is made of pure magic. There's a difference between the two - the collar's magic restrained in a definite order while the magic of the body it constrains is not - but both are very magical indeed.]

At one time, it was the world. [Mogget reveals, stretching his small body beneath Taako's hand without jostling his examination of the collar too much.]

Long ago, before it was the Charter.

[pocketspa]

[But he wants them tho. You cant legally keep things from a gay man, it's homophobia.

Taako tilts his head a bit, squinting down at just... everything that's going on here. Okay, so that's not a cat, which he kind of gathered, but it's a different not a cat than he was imagining. He figured this was holding some sort of polymorph spell, a forced capture to a mundane body. This is more like a sigil, a portable barrier, which-- well, truthfully, isn't his strong suit. Not that he's going to say that in the presence of a client.]

Huh. So it's like, the magic all other magic grew out of? You've been uh, in this thing that long?

[themogget]

No.

[Mogget shakes his head, though the motion isn't linked to the reply he gives and is more an effort to re-align his fur beneath the red leather of the collar. The bell attached to it rings again, and the cat yawns widely.]

But long enough for it to grow very tiresome.

[pocketspa]

[Taako finds himself yawning in response when Mogget does, which is... weird, also. What kind of magic is that? He squints at it, tilting his head.]

Hey uh, so what kind of magic is that bell stuff? Because that doesn't uh, fire off as bein' normal here either. Not saying that I can't be touched but uhhh, sleep isn't usually a thing versus me, my guy.

[themogget]

[Mogget stops moving, and the bell falls silent.]

It is a copy of one of the bells of the Abhorsen. Ranna, the Sleepbringer.

[He lifts his head to allow closer inspection of the bell, should Taako wish to look at it. It's small, apparently made of silver, and crawls with the same magical markings as the collar itself.]

[pocketspa]

Well that's a mouthful.

[He examines it though, taking stock of it's make, the runes.]

Okay, tell you what. Collar is like... a whole ass thing. Gonna take way more work to figure out what I can do about that biz. Buuuut, bet I can suppress the spell on the bell if you wanna sleep a little less than every time you move.

[themogget]

[Sigh.]

You're welcome to make the attempt.

[Unlikely to work, unfortunately. The bell itself is tied in with the binding, and the fact it makes him fall asleep is just an unfortunate side effect. Ranna has always held him far more loosely than it holds his counterpart.]

I don't expect you'll have much luck.

[pocketspa]

[He's still kinda looking over it, unwilling to let it go until he's figured out something.]

I mean, suppressing charms and effects isn't as complex as uh, deleting the whole thing. If I can stop a magic overflow from eating someone's arm I'm pretty sure I can generate some fantasy coffee magic to counteract this biz.

[Mogget may speak in a confusing way on purpose, but it seems he's not alone.]