[ There's a note in his pocket. Or, perhaps, it flutters out of a sleeve or falls out of a book he's reading, from behind a different page. Billie's little note-passing spell has always had its strange quirks, finding a way to arrive in spite of everything. ]
There's something I need to test out. Care to help?
— B
[ A simple enough message, if extremely vague. If he bothers to write back, it's just a matter of replying on the same note and hiding it away again. It'll get back to her. ]
[ He considers sending a reply back poking fun at the last time they'd met by the side of a lake. But no, she's not so predictable as to attempt the same assassination attempt so soon after the first.
So at the appointed hour, he touches down by the lakeside a short distance away from her, folding his wings as he approaches. ]
Well? What is this mysterious thing you need help with?
[ Honestly, if this pans out, it wouldn't be that difficult to kill him but— ]
This.
[ She holds up one of the bone charms she tends to decorate her cave with, only this one holds a glimmer of actual power to it. Sure, she could try and kill him again this soon, but she really is out testing her new spell.
People are less liable to help you when you use the test to murder them. ]
I've figured out how to store spells for immediate use. Push a bit of magic into this and see if it works for you.
[ She offers the instructions first, then tosses it over with the hope he'll catch it and actually goes through with it. ]
[ He has no reason to doubt her words and reaches out automatically to snatch the shard of bone from the air. That said, he's not so foolish as to go putting magic into something an assassin hands him, so he frowns at the thing to see if he can discern whether it has any deadly effect.
But, finding nothing obvious on the surface, he extends a bit of magic into the bone-- ]
[ The charm itself is a light and fragile thing, mysterious designs from another world scratched into it with at least some degree of finesse. It's quick to make note of the magic being used on it, too, and those same carvings immediately flare to life, gleaming a chilly blue color before the spell stored inside unfurls and takes effect. Chances are Solus isn't wholly unfamiliar with shapeshifting, meaning once the spell grabs him, the trick behind the charm will become all too apparent.
Not that realizing as much will stop him from being twisted into the form of a seal, suddenly and with only that barest of warning.
As for Billie, she jumped back a step or two further the second the charm lit up, watching with great interest to see the outcome. That and, of course, an ever growing smirk. ]
[ There's a startled yell from him right before the magic takes hold. The bone charm clatters to the ground, followed by a heavier thud as a dark-coloured seal slaps the ground where Solus once stood.
He doesn't look happy, and he makes this feeling immediately known by uttering a very seal-like bark and attempting to wriggle his not inconsiderable girth towards the assassin. ]
[ There's a reason Billie doesn't spend a lot of time on land as a seal and this is why. Grace and speed have nothing to do with the way he's approaching and she'll take her time waiting for Solus to nearly get to her before taking a step back. ]
Aw, why the long face? [ She won't laugh at him but, damn, is she grinning. ] I did tell you that I stored a spell on it. It isn't my fault you never asked me which one.
[ Admittedly, the other victim of this prank — V — did ask and she still lied about it, so, he would have been doomed either way. ]
[ He knows you're laughing on the inside, damn you, Billie!!
Recognising the futility of trying to reach her the normal way, he slaps his tail against the ground in agitation and does his best impression of a glare.
'Turn me back!' he barks.
Alas, if only there was someone here who spoke Seal. ]
[ If only! Though the sentiment is obvious enough that she could make an educated guess. Oh well, she supposes she's had her fun. ]
Oh, don't get so bent out of shape, your Imperialness. It'll wear off in, say, about an hour. [ Pause for dramatic effect. ] Or you can just break the charm. I'm sure you dropped it back at where you started wiggling towards me from.
[ The glare only intensifies. He fumes on the spot for a few seconds then cranes his head to look for the fallen charm. Even if he were to reach it, how is he supposed to break it with this girth and these flippers?
Concentrating, he attempts to summon his shadow magic and is pleased to find that his gunblade materialises as usual, hovering in the air until he grabs it with his teeth. A bit of wriggling around so he can face where the charm has fallen, a bit of wind to try and tumble the thing closer to him, and--
...The shadowy blade slaps the dirt right next to the thing. Having to hold the weapon in his mouth does not make for accurate slices. Gritting his teeth, he tries again.
Thwup.
This time it lands on the other side.
Thwup.
Again, he misses.
Incensed, he tries hovering it with wind. But it's only slightly more accurate than holding the damn thing in his mouth. Disgusted, he lets the blade drop to the ground and barks at Billie.
[ Wow, he's just really having trouble with that, isn't it? Billie's glee does taper off a bit around the final miss even if it doesn't quite wipe her smirk away. ]
You are thinking way too hard about this.
[ But she'll finally move from where she's been watching Solus' entire ordeal and stroll up next to him to reach down for the charm. ]
You can crush bones with that jaw, Solus. You didn't need a gunblade to solve every problem.
[ Bone charm in hand, she'll stand back up straight and snap the charm in two, just like that. ]
[ She gets one last glare because how is he supposed to know that before the enchantment abruptly breaks and he pops back into human form. Unceremoniously sprawled facedown in the dirt, he levers himself up on to his arms to eye her sullenly, light smears of dust and sand sticking to his cheeks. ]
[ This is going to be one of those memories she hangs onto, that's for sure. She'll still offer him a hand up if he cares to take it, though, just to be nice. ]
[ Between this and V outright ignoring her offer to help him up, she's really got to stop offering. Like, really really.
Being on the shore as they are, the best that Solus manages is to pull her down into the shallows, though she does make an outright angry noise when he does it. That puts them both as now damp and covered in sand. Fantastic. ]
[ Damn. He really wanted to fully dunk her in. Well, he'll take what small victories he can, laughing as he laboriously stands up and tries to brush the mud and sand off his robes. ]
[ Look on the bright side. She can't magic sand away. With a muttered word or two, likely not polite ones, she pushes herself up and settles back on her heels, remaining seated on the shore as she wipes sand and water off of her face. ]
...ugh. [ Well, maybe she deserved that for once. ] What? Any magic?
[ At that, she'll look up at him, though she carries on being less than amused even as she does. ]
I'm hoping so but I've only had my own magic to practice with so far.
Mayhap consider seeing if they will work with the magic of others. As amusing as it may be to see others transformed into seals, I cannot envision a long-term use for such a prank.
[ Ugh, no, he definitely needs to find a bath and launder these robes. He hates how sand gets in crevices it really has no business being in. After thinking a few moments, he stoops to offer her a hand up. ]
[ But the seal prank was a one-off joke (or two-off, in this case). The offered hand gets eyeballed warily, though not for long. He's already pulled her down, no point in doing that a second time, so Billie takes it and hauls herself back up to her feet with the help. ]
But if you're offering to try it with a few of your spells, I wouldn't say no.
[ They've both had their fun (or revenge, as it were) and so his mind now turns to the more practical uses of her new magic. ]
Yes. Mayhap some simple cantrips to start... My own attempts to fashion charms have been quite lacking. [ He eyes the shattered remnants of one she had tricked him with. ] You make them out of bone, yes?
[ Finding more practical uses are something they can both agree on, at least. ]
They do. I based them off of the charms from home, though those ones didn't store spells. [ Little things, boosts in aptitude, but not like this. ] Cantrips would be a good starting point since they're little. Less liable to blow up in our faces.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seal of eld time;
There's something I need to test out. Care to help?
— B
[ A simple enough message, if extremely vague. If he bothers to write back, it's just a matter of replying on the same note and hiding it away again. It'll get back to her. ]
no subject
When and where?
no subject
Bramblehob, next to the lake, one hour.
action
So at the appointed hour, he touches down by the lakeside a short distance away from her, folding his wings as he approaches. ]
Well? What is this mysterious thing you need help with?
no subject
This.
[ She holds up one of the bone charms she tends to decorate her cave with, only this one holds a glimmer of actual power to it. Sure, she could try and kill him again this soon, but she really is out testing her new spell.
People are less liable to help you when you use the test to murder them. ]
I've figured out how to store spells for immediate use. Push a bit of magic into this and see if it works for you.
[ She offers the instructions first, then tosses it over with the hope he'll catch it and actually goes through with it. ]
no subject
But, finding nothing obvious on the surface, he extends a bit of magic into the bone-- ]
no subject
Not that realizing as much will stop him from being twisted into the form of a seal, suddenly and with only that barest of warning.
As for Billie, she jumped back a step or two further the second the charm lit up, watching with great interest to see the outcome. That and, of course, an ever growing smirk. ]
no subject
He doesn't look happy, and he makes this feeling immediately known by uttering a very seal-like bark and attempting to wriggle his not inconsiderable girth towards the assassin. ]
no subject
Aw, why the long face? [ She won't laugh at him but, damn, is she grinning. ] I did tell you that I stored a spell on it. It isn't my fault you never asked me which one.
[ Admittedly, the other victim of this prank — V — did ask and she still lied about it, so, he would have been doomed either way. ]
no subject
Recognising the futility of trying to reach her the normal way, he slaps his tail against the ground in agitation and does his best impression of a glare.
'Turn me back!' he barks.
Alas, if only there was someone here who spoke Seal. ]
no subject
Oh, don't get so bent out of shape, your Imperialness. It'll wear off in, say, about an hour. [ Pause for dramatic effect. ] Or you can just break the charm. I'm sure you dropped it back at where you started wiggling towards me from.
no subject
Concentrating, he attempts to summon his shadow magic and is pleased to find that his gunblade materialises as usual, hovering in the air until he grabs it with his teeth. A bit of wriggling around so he can face where the charm has fallen, a bit of wind to try and tumble the thing closer to him, and--
...The shadowy blade slaps the dirt right next to the thing. Having to hold the weapon in his mouth does not make for accurate slices. Gritting his teeth, he tries again.
Thwup.
This time it lands on the other side.
Thwup.
Again, he misses.
Incensed, he tries hovering it with wind. But it's only slightly more accurate than holding the damn thing in his mouth. Disgusted, he lets the blade drop to the ground and barks at Billie.
Well? Help an old man out??? ]
no subject
You are thinking way too hard about this.
[ But she'll finally move from where she's been watching Solus' entire ordeal and stroll up next to him to reach down for the charm. ]
You can crush bones with that jaw, Solus. You didn't need a gunblade to solve every problem.
[ Bone charm in hand, she'll stand back up straight and snap the charm in two, just like that. ]
no subject
Have you had your fun now?
no subject
[ This is going to be one of those memories she hangs onto, that's for sure. She'll still offer him a hand up if he cares to take it, though, just to be nice. ]
no subject
What? He can be petty too. ]
no subject
Being on the shore as they are, the best that Solus manages is to pull her down into the shallows, though she does make an outright angry noise when he does it. That puts them both as now damp and covered in sand. Fantastic. ]
no subject
Will your charms take any magic?
no subject
...ugh. [ Well, maybe she deserved that for once. ] What? Any magic?
[ At that, she'll look up at him, though she carries on being less than amused even as she does. ]
I'm hoping so but I've only had my own magic to practice with so far.
no subject
[ Ugh, no, he definitely needs to find a bath and launder these robes. He hates how sand gets in crevices it really has no business being in. After thinking a few moments, he stoops to offer her a hand up. ]
Just a thought.
no subject
[ But the seal prank was a one-off joke (or two-off, in this case). The offered hand gets eyeballed warily, though not for long. He's already pulled her down, no point in doing that a second time, so Billie takes it and hauls herself back up to her feet with the help. ]
But if you're offering to try it with a few of your spells, I wouldn't say no.
no subject
Yes. Mayhap some simple cantrips to start... My own attempts to fashion charms have been quite lacking. [ He eyes the shattered remnants of one she had tricked him with. ] You make them out of bone, yes?
no subject
They do. I based them off of the charms from home, though those ones didn't store spells. [ Little things, boosts in aptitude, but not like this. ] Cantrips would be a good starting point since they're little. Less liable to blow up in our faces.
no subject
Then why don't we clean ourselves off and then see what we can do with those charms of yours? I can try to imbue some with wind.
[ Maybe he can make one that just puts books back for him when he waves it-- ]
we can probably wrap this up here and say they go on to try cantrips on charms
[ Though he'll have to wait for a repeating wind charm. She needs to figure out how to make them last longer than one spell per charm first. ]