[PRP] CHECK THIS OUT (Shiloh & Kaleb)

[Grey Dragon]

Kaleb shook his head, and listened intently as Shiloh explained the concept of schemas in a magical sense.

"So this thing you are doing, making a spell to nullify magic, it's more complicated than it sounds, right?" He asked, bridging the gap between the unexpected information and the topic they had started with. "Are you thinking about creating a schema to contain some of those extra variables?"

He frowned, now wondering how long he was out for. It usually passed quickly once he was lying down, maybe he had hit his head or something.

After a second he thought back to what he had felt on the beach. "Forcing it was kind of scary," he finally murmured. "It felt like you were trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, except with sharp metal edges and incredible pressure..." Kaleb knew what that pressure was, the sheer magical strength and determination his friend had brought to the task.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Well that's the thing. It'd sort of be a waste to use a schema for that... schema's are meant to be for bigger things, I think. They're useful for reverse engineering things or making extremely complicated things." He was rubbing his thumb and his forefinger together. "Say, you wanted to nix the full moon madness that Moonwalkers deal with. You'd use a schema to make help construct that spell. What I'm trying to do is... complicated, but simple compared to the stuff a schema could do."

"So I was trying to think if there was some sort of... middle ground. Something a little more viable. Making a schema itself takes years upon years of work. The one Jamie and I have had almost an entire lifetime of dedication poured into making it."

He paused. "If there was some sort of way to record spells... maybe multiple ones..."

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

"Like a grimoire?" Kaleb asked simply. His own knowledge surrounding that topic was also spotty, but Algernon had shown him one, and it was almost exactly what Shiloh was describing. He hadn't been able to make sense of what was written inside, but apparently that wasn't unusual. What mattered was that it made sense to it's owner.

"I... don't know how much work it takes to make one of those, or even if it's possible to make one though. I've never really thought about how to acquire magical objects." Kaleb nudged up his glasses self-consciously, but they promptly slid back to their usual position on his nose.

Melancholies

I'M SORRY, GOOD STUDENT KNOWS THE ANSWER XD

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh blinked stupidly. "A... grimoire?"

A moment later, he said, "What the hell is that."

Shiloh.

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

Kaleb stared back, perplexed. How was he supposed to explain what little he knew, in a way that would make sense...

"It's like... a magical book. Well, the one I saw didn't feel magical exactly, but it's used to write down instructions for more complicated magical stuff, like spells that need some setup before you can cast them."

He frowned and glanced down at his hands, thinking hard. "It's not just any old notebook though, it's like they are... tuned to their owner or something. Other readers might not be able to use them the same way."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh seemed satisfied with that answer, "So like, a spell book? Like what they use in RPG's and stuff?" Shiloh didn't play a whole lot of video games, but Jamie enjoyed enough titles that Shiloh knew some tropes by proxy. "That might actually work, though I dunno how to make one..."

"That kinda makes sense though. If you could attatch all that meaning to a word or a phrase or something to trigger the magic..." He trailed off, "A long time ago I met a girl named Heliodora. She used magic by attaching it to pop culture references. Something like... grounding your magic into something a little more..." He struggled for the right words, "Substantial? Physical? Real? I dunno... but it helped to make a conduit I guess."

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

"Something like that, I guess," Kaleb agreed. He wasn't really a gamer either, and had very little knowledge of common RPG classes before trying to learn all he could about magic. Turns out the video games got things right on occasion.

"Awhile back, Algernon showed me some of his magic... And his grimoire. I don't know where he got it or how, but... you could probably go to the bookstore and ask him how?" Kaleb suggested hesitantly. That was the only lead he had on the existence of a real grimoire.

But then he brightened. "Yes! Like attaching the magic to hand gestures? I saw Nasir doing some of that, it was really amazing. All the complexities of the spell were just attached to a simpler gesture. And when Eve fixed my glasses, she used a diagram on a page, and just added in extra variables where they were necessary." Oops, had Kaleb even told Shiloh he got hit by a bike and broke his glasses?

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh nodded, "It's kinda hard for me to just... command the magic to do what I want, but..." He didn't really have a lot of other things at his disposal. "Sometimes if I visualize the effect it helps? I think casting magic can vary a lot from person to person, depending on how their core beliefs and willpower materialize. Someone who's really resolute and sure of themselves could probably just... mash it up however they want, but maybe some people gotta see their progress for their belief to take hold, I dunno."

He laughed at that, "Kinda like all the bullshit they feed you in school about how some people are auditory learners or tactile or visual or whatever."

It was too bad he wasn't really on good terms with the Mercer's right now.

"I'll look into it though." He said regardless of the fact. Bean was nosing around under the covers like a mole. "I... think I'm done for today though. I've got lots of ideas now, but I need some time to prepare things I think." He started to pop his knuckles, "Are you still feeling kinda faint? We could do something else."

Shiloh paused. "'Course, we're still in the Otherworld. I didn't want to take you back over in case you really were hurt. I ain't much of a healer but I'm sure as ******** more capable here than over there."

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

"I wish I could just tell magic to do things and have it work," Kaleb said with a smile. "I feel like I'm always just trying to encourage it to take the form I'm looking for. But if I don't know for sure what I'm looking for it can get weird... When I tried to make those shields like bubbles, they would just pop like bubbles."

He took a second to watch what Bean was doing. Either the sprout was just a silly creature, or it always seemed to know something they didn't...

"I think I'll be okay," Kaleb finally said. "But... I don't want you to get hurt again... If you wanted to keep going with the nullifying magic, I promise I won't look, but please let me stay with you. Just in case..."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Good." Shiloh seemed relieved, "I wouldn't've forgiven myself if you got seriously hurt—" At that, his eyebrows did scrunch up in concern, his expression a little more somber. "I've hurt enough people I care about on accident." Intentionally, too.

"But I promise I'll let you know." He continued, "Like I said, I'm throwing in the towel for a little bit, but if you wanted to tag along the next time I try to mess around with stuff... then that's okay. Actually—" He looked a little sheepish, "—I feel a lot better knowing there's someone there watching my back."

Kaleb's magic aptitude didn't matter in the end. Shiloh saw them as friends—equals—and that was ******** that.

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

As much as Kaleb wanted to provide some comforting assurances, he knew people got hurt by accident even without magical involvement. And he would be torn up with guilt as well.

"I'll try and stay safe too," Kaleb finally said with a smile. Had Shiloh said they were equals out loud he would have certainly argued otherwise, but being given the opportunity to look out for his friend, it was the best thing he could hope for.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Good." Shiloh secretly resolved himself to make sure his magic never hurt Kaleb; he had a lot of it, he had a lot of control over it too, he just had to make sure anything dangerous rebounded back into himself. He could live. He was accustomed to the extreme pain after months spent under the Spinel Lady's thumb. "I think if we have each other's backs, then we won't have much to worry about anymore."

A moment later, and an irresistible expression crossed Shiloh's face, his smile sly and silly and devious. His hand shot out to roughly ruffle Kaleb's hair (it was messy anyway, he'd argue) before jumping to his feet.

"C'mon! Let's go find something else to do."

Grey Dragon

ftb on ur post??!??!?!?!

 

[Grey Dragon]

Kaleb hoped that was true, he would just have to work harder, and find a way to help keep Shiloh safe from whatever it was out there that might threaten him.

Despite the mischievous look, Kaleb was caught off guard by the hair ruffling and he laughed. Friendly gestures like that always reminded him of how amazing it was to be close to someone. Without a word in protest, he was ready to go on whatever adventure Shiloh had in mind this time.

Melancholies

Yas ^o^