[?] Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing (?)

[shibrogane]

Daekie

Re: The listserv
From: e.fitz.0191@riderwaite.edu
To: "Alexis Tucker"

When you have time, I'd like to talk to you about what happened at the last noble meeting. Email me back with a time and a place, and I'll meet you there.

-Ezra Fitzpatrick

 

[Daekie]

shibrogane

Re: The listserv
From: axstkr@gmail.com
To: e.fitz.0191@riderwaite.edu

corner of almond and franklin, 9:30 am tomorrow
next to the tiny bookstore the old lady owns

if you dont email me back im assuming its a yes

 

[shibrogane]

Ezra didn't email back, but he was sitting at the commuter bus stop the next day. There was a heavy canvas bag leaning against his side, and he was doing the crossword in the back of the Times. His burns looked particularly bad, and he stopped every few seconds to flex his badly-burned dominant hand.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

Alexis looked -- better, maybe. When the Spinel Lady had taken their magic there'd been something awfully hollow, awfully brittle, in them, something ready for the slaughter; it was still there, but less so, a tiny bit.

They clicked their tongue at Ezra as they approached, steps equidistant, quiet.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Ezra looked up from his crossword, clicked his pen closed. "I see your manners haven't improved," he said.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

They tilted their head at him, curious, scornful - that much was clear - but didn't speak.

Not yet.

It was a semblance of manners, if nothing else.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

It was a semblance of manners if you were raised in a barn. Ezra wasn't impressed. He produced, from nowhere, a thick sheet of paper. "You signed the original charter," he said. "You'll retract your permission for your magic to be used to perpetuate it now. Put your thumbprint on one of the junctures, and I'll leave you to whatever it is you do. If you don't, I will leave your body where it cannot be found."

Ezra sounded very calm, but his inhuman stare bored into Alexis.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

With anyone else, at any other time, Alexis might have kept a fraction of their annoyance. But they'd seen Ezra's flames out of the corner of their eye, at the noble meetings; their wrist twinged in response. His grasp, burned into their skin - if not for Autumn, they'd have lost their hand.

It wasn't a question. They knew he would.

When they spoke, their voice was level, quiet. "I don't have any magic. Are you sure it'd do anything."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Ezra said, "You have no access to your magic, and thus no ability to channel it. It's still yours. Simply because the road is closed doesn't mean the house stops existing." He stared at them. "Thumbprint. Paper. Now."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

Alexis took two steps closer. "I will. Can you --" they swallowed. "Can you - how do I get access to my magic back." They offered their hand - left hand, non dominant -- it'd hurt, probably. They used their hands enough that an injured dominant one would be a problem.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Thumbprint first," said Ezra. He took their hand in his and held their thumb to the paper, and they were right that it hurt: it burned, a screaming pain, nerve couriers racing up Alexis's arm to summon help that couldn't come.

No one seemed to notice.

Ezra released their hand, and blew gently on the bloody thumbprint on his parchment.

Daekie

EZRA'S APATHY
Alexis cannot reveal just what passed between them and Ezra in this thread, or that Ezra intends to approach others. Should they try, their left hand will begin to burn again; the pain will be such that they will be unable to speak for the duration. However, in return for this, Alexis has gained a boon. Choose one of these three below:
1. Hydrometry - Alexis can glean memories from touching bodies of water. These memories come from the viewpoint of the body of water, not where Alexis is standing; so if they touch a pool of water in a bathtub, they're going to see pretty much everything from below. Same with puddles. This doesn't work on rain or running water (except for rivers and streams). Additionally, these memories have no sound. Quote shibrogane if you wish to use this power in a thread.
2. Heraldic Clairvoyance - Alexis can sense nobles and their powers, as well as if they have a current tithe. To them, nobles have a specific visual aura, which varies between nobles.
3. Papers, Please - Alexis can detect secondary presences and mental effects inside other people around them, such as Melany and the Spinel Lady. Any geas-like spell is also detectable, such as Jeremiah's truth-teller geas or the noble geas. This registers to them as seeing a ghostly overlay of the other person or caster's face over the presented body. This power takes effect immediately. Quote shibrogane should you wish to use it in a thread.

 

[Daekie]

Alexis' face was white with pain, their teeth clenched; but they made no sound, no giveaway, no audible concession to how much it hurt. They were ramrod-still as Ezra held their thumb to the paper, and only took a step back when he released their hand, holding it still - breathing in and out, in and out.

"Thumbprint given," they said, and a few seconds later; "my question."

shibrogane

alexis will be taking Heraldic Clairvoyance! i assume this is not usable until their magic is accessable again?

 

[shibrogane]

"You get on your knees and beg the Spinel Lady for forgiveness," said Ezra. He vanished the paper. "You fulfill her demands. You learn to behave yourself as a ******** proper member of the nobility and treat her sacrifice with respect, and then you beg her to have mercy on you because you're so ******** stupid."

Daekie

You are correct!

 

[Daekie]

"I did what Alois taught me," Alexis said; there was legitimate confusion in their voice, on their face. "I did what he said to do, I --" they swallowed. Looked away. "Whatever. I don't deserve magic anyways. Maybe the other me did."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"No, you damn well don't," said Ezra. "Not if you're unwilling to take responsibility for your own ******** actions."

With that dropped, he tucked his crossword into his heavy canvas bag and left.

Daekie