spellbinders | [OPENING] magical training log

[OPENING] magical training log

Who: Brie, whichever newbies want to show up.
Where: The beach.
When: Day 4
Open/Closed: OTA

[It's about noon on the island, based on the position of the sun. The newbies have had a few days to settle in, but that doesn't mean they've fully mastered their newfound abilities.

As much stock as Genette puts into telepathy, Brie is more concerned about their other newfound gifts. She's aggressively tried to wrangle as many newbies as possible onto the sandy shores of the beachfront area for some magic practice.

She's got a list of everyone's magic -- only a few vague notes, limitations are for you to discover -- and she's handing out missions for magic training. If you want to participate? Feel free. If you don't? Suit yourself.

But understanding your magic isn't just an activity that benefits the group. Learning your magic's abilities may be what stands between you and survival, which is something she makes perfectly clear.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ maybe they need to invest in a bell. or maybe dave will try not to startle john from now one, because he notices the twitch. he can make noise if he Tries, but he doesn't in general otherwise, out of habit. ]

So...what you really need to do is just like, hundreds of dumb experiments all in a row to try to figure out the rules, or to see if you can control how they combine or if it's all just luck of the draw forever.

[ he twirl-flips the thing from his left hand to his right, swinging it between his fingers. ]

[It's not like John didn't do the same thing by being a windy whimsical fuck. Still, things are different here and he needs to get used to it. It's Dave though. He's never been worried about it.]

Probably. I am eventually going to run out of items though since I can't separate them. [He's fine letting Dave screw around with it even as he's watching.] Unless you feel like drawing a lot of practice cubes for me or something. Well. Not cubes. Cubes fusing with cubes would still be cubes.

I can draw you lots of practice bullshit, which will double as practice for me?

[ he can practice drawing things as john then does mad science on the results. ]

Apparently breakin' shit down into geometric shapes should help me draw better hypothetically.

[ he flips the double-bladed thing in the air, then passes it over to john again after he catches it. ]

You're going to drop it. [It's said teasingly because he knows better, but he takes his metal contraption back. Belatedly, he also realizes that the idea of drawing geometric shapes must have come from someone who knows how to draw. Dirk, probably.]

That's even better then. Both of us could use as much practice as possible, but how do you break things down like that?

I never drop anythin'.

[ THIS IS A LIE HE HAS DROPPED SHIT OUT OF HIS SYLLADEX BEFORE ]

Also, I. Guess I kind of stare at them, and then just...try?

[ look. he maybe needs better instruction on art, but just being very meticulous about it is bound to get him somewhere, someday.

maybe. ]

I will be honest I have made minimal progress so far.

[No one ever has to know about the crow, Dave, it's fine. The look John gives him is one that says he's pretty sure that is a lie, but he doesn't argue.]

...that. Sounds really dumb. [There's a bubble of a laugh before he bites it back and settles for a smile.] When you think of drawing, what's the first thing you think of?

SBaHJ comics.

[ THIS IS WHY YOU CAN'T FUCKING DRAW, DAVE ]

[ffs.]

Okay...the second thing you think of besides your webcomic. What do you think of?

I suppose art supplies? [ apologetically: ] I'm not totally sure what you're gettin' at here, bro.

[He's as relaxed as ever, drawing a circle in the air with his index finger.] Try drawing a paint palette. One of the ones with the little circles for holding different colors. [They're pretty round and varied and geometric. It's something Dave can try and then John can use it.]

Oh, sure.

[ that's easy enough. or at least, he knows what john means.

since it is basically just a bunch of circles, this is probably far and away the best looking thing he has ever drawn. dave can reliably draw circles at this point, although maybe one or two are a little shaky?

once he's done, he passes it over to john. ]

Thanks. [He'll take the palette, twirling it a little in his hands before he nods to himself.] Think you can draw me a small cylinder, too?

[Is he asking for useless bullshit to get Dave to practice? Yes, yes he is.]

[ ok but it's working because dave will obligingly and without question draw up a cylinder. does he know why john wants a cylinder? no. does that matter? not in the least. ]

Very interested in your endgame item here.

If it works right it'll be cool, I promise. Last thing I need is a three-dimensional pyramid.

[He's noticed that Dave is just doing as asked but this works out fine.]

As long as it doesn't blow us up, Egbert.

[ but he produces the three-dimensional pyramid as well!

it is red. ]

It's not going to blow us up! It will be fine. [There's a grin because of course it's red and he's immediately snatching the pyramid, too. Give him a few moments. Dave will be able to watch him start to combine in a chain. First, the cylinder and the pyramid are fused so that the pyramid's on top. Next, the paint palette is attached to those items, fusing the large circle of the palette with the cylinder. Finally, he pulls a loose thread from his pants and a single star-shaped sticky note, punching a hole in at the top before holding the star-string to the spoon of his cutlery set. A yellow metal star is made held on a string, and the star is fused to the contraption, string purposefully held to the lower edge of the pyramid.

Upon its final fusion, it becomes clear. John made a miniature, well shaped carousel device with little stars dangling from the pyramid that gently swing from side to side. Tada.]

[ dave watches with mostly rapt attention as john starts the whole mad science magic angle. he doesn't quite see where it's going until the end, and before the final combination he's already starting to smile.

it settles when john finishes, as dave reaches out so see if the carousel part will spin. not a smirk or a half-smile, but just a small real one, visible even if you don't squint. ]

It's like one of those things they hang over cradles in movies, except not quite. Nice, John.

[The carousel does spin, though not very fast. Seeing Dave with an actual smile is enough for John to be very pleased with his handiwork and he's just letting the thing sit between them on the sand.]

A mobile. [It's just a correction out of nowhere.] I bet we could probably ask Rose to make us something so we can fuse it together and make it light up or play music or something. It won't do much good, but it's pretty neat. I think I am getting a little better at directing the fusions the way I want them. This wasn't exactly perfect, but it's better than I thought! And your drawings were even which helped, too.

Can I keep it?

[ IMMEDIATELY. maybe rose can fuse it with things and that will be cool but he wants this end result in a way he didn't feel like laying claim to the brain lamp. ]

[Well. Honestly? It's not like he wasn't thinking of Dave when he made the dumb thing so he shrugs a little.]

Sure. If you want it, it's yours. I think this also kind of counts as part of my mission from Brie anyway. [Suddenly his eyes light up just a touch.] You know what would be awesome? Somehow fusing it with your song. And some lights? We could probably add a few more chains to it if we wanted.

Maybe if I wrote the song down in sheet music?

[ this variety of smile is new: it's quiet and a little fond. ]

That might be a good step...maybe if we wrote it down and had Rose sew a bar of music into some yarn, I could fuse it into the stars themselves so that when they spun they would play. It's a big idea and there's no guarantee that is how it would work, but I think part of my power really focuses on concentration.

[He notes the expression, too. He doesn't know what to make of it, but he's learning to read Dave's face even with his shades on.] It wouldn't be a bad idea to write it down anyway if the rest of us are going to play it someday.

We can try it later maybe?

[ even if it doesn't work, the end result will probably still be something fun. ]

Definitely. We have enough time to waste on stuff we actually want to do so I don't mind trying later. [It'll be good for them, maybe. But then he remembers why they're here.] What was your assignment from Brie?

Crossbow, backpack, bag of chips. I think she mostly wanted doritos.

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this is my 31,000th comment

why are our comment milestones on stupid things omg

gestures to homestuck

gently screams "I didn't ask for this" into the void

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