Fandom Houston Chronicles (A Dresden Files AU)

[Deadeyelee]

<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.3745b8d6dc0daf5d82e06ff152d308d1.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="89250" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.3745b8d6dc0daf5d82e06ff152d308d1.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p> <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.95e919c945da6fc7f104d34eed019c8c.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="89251" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.95e919c945da6fc7f104d34eed019c8c.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p> <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.96875b796874ac8b5f5d264b2a433776.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="89252" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.96875b796874ac8b5f5d264b2a433776.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p> <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.31eab3ba787262354efea075ea718ce8.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="89253" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.31eab3ba787262354efea075ea718ce8.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


@readingraebow @Wrathful Saint

 

[Deadeyelee]

~Elaine~


Today was not a good day. Another long shift at work, and she had to fire some poor teenage girl. Well, she said 'poor teenage girl', the dolt had shown up late or not at all to work for almost a quarter of the days she was scheduled to. Even the most merciful business owners wouldn't be able to put up with that. Still, Elaine hated to see people cry. The store was a mess, and the staff was likely upset with her for making them stay longer to fix it, even though they were payed extra to do so. And she got yelled at by her fair share of customers, over Antiques. 'You told my client you had ____!' "Well did you reserve it? We only have one. It was one of a kind." 'No, but you should have told them that someone had already expressed interest.' She hated those types, the professional hunters, always on their cellphones. She shorted that man's phone as he left as a silent bit of spite.


She supposes she should check on Lucas before heading to the new office. The office doubled as a second residence, or at least the upstairs did. Maybe, if things got bad with a case, they could provide the victim a place to live. Or if her savings ran out, the more likely occurrence. She climbs onto her old Triumph. It's an oldie, but a classic, and it didn't try to implode every 15 feet. Plus maneuvering through city traffic was always a plus. The only problem she occasionally had was stowing gear, and carrying Lucas. He might be a small lad, but by damn did he have a death grip. She supposes he prefers four wheeled transportation.


~Lucas~


Lucas yawns. It may be afternoon, but it's a Saturday, and he can't be faffed to get out of bed and his pajamas before 2 'o clock. He doesn't have anywhere to go. His 'friends' go out and do normal things now. Things that he can no longer do with out ruining the fun. That's the part that sucked about the wizard powers. Not that he didn't think they were cool, but he felt like he was missing out majorly in other areas. He supposes it balances out. He grabs the blanket from the couch, and heads to the icebox to scrounge for food. Wait, Elaine should be coming home from work soon. He'll do prep for two. That's another thing about not having all the latest gadgets. You learn to do other things. Like cook. Elaine had been happy to teach him when he asked. Or atleast she appeared to be. She always seemed to... change when he was around. He shivered as his bare feet hit linoleum. Another thing he took for granted. Space heaters and AC. It may be Houston, but it still gets cold during November sometimes. He ties the blanket at the neck, leaving his hands free. It let in a chill, and he shivers yet again. He flicks on the range, hoping to warm the room a little, before heading to the icebox to grab some leftover shredded chicken, and a few other goods he could scrounge up for grilled sandwhiches. She'll want something warm, and he doesn't think she'll be here long considering the new office opens today.

 

[Wrathful Saint]

~Delia~


"MOTHERFUCKER!" Delia screams at the little circuitry in a radio she is repairing that seemingly refuses to fit back together.


"Oh, wait, there we go."


Momentary pique gone, she fits it back properly, and hits the switch. It crackles to life readily enough. Of course the final test would be how it reacts to a practitioner-- preferably one with less mood swings. She brushes dark hair out of her eyes and away from her face that has once again escaped her ponytail and adjusts her glasses. At least she was finished with the damn thing.


~Sunny~


It was nice to roam the streets of Houston, Texas. Interesting things to do, lots of people to see, and quite a few good meals.


For example, today she is digging through a trash bin behind a burger place. A loud banging from the back door startles her, but not before she makes off with a paper bag of cheeseburgers that were just past the throw-out time. She sprints down sidestreets toward a place where fallen construction materials has created a nice little cave.


The great thing about being a 100 pound cougar was that no one was stupid enough to chase you.

 

[call me rae]

Corbyn "Ben" Jackaby

Diviner ✬ Diving to Office ✬ Damica
​

Houston was a lot cooler than Corbyn had thought it would be. Damica and he had dressed for warmer weather and as a result, the two were caught off guard by the chill in the air that greeted them. But the two were used to Winters in Indiana or the East Coast so while the chill jolted them a bit but considering the fact that they had been on the road for at least three days by this point Ben just welcomed the little pick me up..


Damica grumbled in annoyance in the passenger seat but that was to be expected.. Her Wyvern nature made cold weather more of a hindrance to her than most, although she had certainly weathered far worse. Still to spare her the chill Ben rolled up the windows and handed her the map to their destination. He wanted to make sure he didn’t get lost in the tangled mess that seemed to be Houston traffic.


The two were on their way to answer an ad that had reached them all the way in Indiana through their contacts in the Paranet. Apparently there was another Professional Wizard out there who was looking to hire on an assistant to help them with their Paranormal Investigations.


As somewhat uneasy neighbors to Chicago and it’s infamous Wizard; Ben had always found those that made a profession out of being Wizards to be intriguing. Now their own neighbor’s reputation proceeded him enough that Ben had never felt comfortable going to Chicago to take a look but Houston seemed to be a different matter entirely.


There were no bad omens from the city and nothing too horrible had come up when he had scryed their move so he had decided to take the chance to satisfy his curiosity. Damica had just been pleased to move to a place that had more warm days than cold.


Despite the unseasonable chill Damica still seemed excited for the move - guiding Ben through the maze of traffic towards their destination.





@Wrathful Saint @Deadeyelee

 

[Deadeyelee]

~Elaine~


Elaine pulled up on her family home in Boulevard Oaks, silently relieved that it was still there. One never knew with a teenager. Especially a newly hormonal one with magical powers that hinged on emotion. She shudders at the thought of what might of happened if her powers had manifested before they had. She hadn't been the easiest child. Lucas seemed to be much more placid. She stepped off the old Triumph, rolling it into the garage, before heading in the back door. She noticed three things quite quickly. One, it smelled quite pleasantly of food, and she suspected that the paper package sitting on the breakfast table was the source. Two, she could hear the water running through the pipes above her head, a quirk of the home that let her know that someone was in the shower. And three, her pile of things she needed to bring to the office had been organized nicely into a carrying tote. Nifty. She makes her way to the bathroom door. "Hey, Lucas?"


"Yeah?" The water turns off.


"Can you take my stuff up to the office? I have to run another errand. I'll leave enough for a taxi, and the keys on the bar."


"A-Alright." Comes the rather confused response.


She smiles to herself. If he has time to do those kind of things, then he needs to get out of the house. It's downright unhealthy for a thirteen year old to be so attentive.


She places a Benjamin and the pair of keys for the office on the counter, grabs the sandwich, taking a glorious bite of meaty goodness, before deciding to take it with her. She was going to the office, she just wanted to pay someone a visit. Someone who wouldn't require an exorbitant price. Bloody Svart-elves.


Lucas finishes up his shower, spends an inordinate amount of time making sure his hair is just right. Then, after getting dressed, he calls a Taxi with their usual company, arriving at the two story office with the large tote, and the ring of keys.


@readingraebow @Wrathful Saint

 

[call me rae]

Corbyn "Ben" Jackaby

Diviner ✬ Office ✬ Damica / Lucas
​

The sun was high in the sky and both Ben and Damica’s stomachs were rumbling by the time they finally arrived at their destination. They hadn’t had time to stop for lunch but Ben hadn’t wanted to chance the headache of trying to figure out a way back through the maze of the city if they took a detour to find food.


He hoped the interview wouldn’t take too long and their new partner would have some suggestions for places to eat nearby. After several minutes work to find a parking spot they were finally ready to go.


Well Ben was ready to go, Damica insisted on straightening their clothes and fishing out some of their business cards before the two walked down the block towards storefront. Damica hadn’t liked leaving the Van unattended but Ben had liked the idea of her alone with it even less. Nothing in the Van couldn’t be replaced - the two weren’t the sort of Wizards to have a good deal of magical props and the few they did have that couldn’t be replaced were on their person.


The rest of their stuff could either be tracked or replaced. Besides he had scryed for thieves before leaving and hadn’t seen anything that made him too concerned.


So with that settled the two made their way to the proper offices and Ben gave a solid rap on the door.

Damica Drake

Wyvern✬ Office ✬ Ben / Lucas
​

Damica hated the cold. She especially hated the cold in Houston. It wasn’t the worst cold she had ever felt but she considered the fact that a place that was known for it’s heat and humidity had decided the day of her arrival was perfect time to dip into the thirties to be really annoying. Especially since she had dressed in anticipation of some nice seventy degree weather.


It was just lucky that she had also dressed for a degree of professionalism and was wearing a nice button-up shirt and a navy skirt. It made Ben snort whenever he saw her but her big brother couldn’t identify good fashion if it slapped him in the face. She felt grown up and like a equal partner in Drake Investigations and that was all that mattered.


She was a little bummed they hadn’t stopped for a chance to really freshen up but Ben had of course left their accommodations for the night to the last minute. He claimed scrying for things was a pain when he didn’t know the city and that he didn’t see how calling motels would be useful. She personally thought it was laziness really.


Either way they were officially between homes at the moment and on their way to meet their future partners. Ben had been certain they would get the job - apparently the probabilities where they joined up were much more likely to occur than the ones where they didn’t.


Damica didn’t really care one way or another - her brother was a fantastic Private Investigator and could get a job at any firm he wanted so even if the whole Professional Wizard thing didn’t pan out Drake Investigations would be fine.


As she thought over their professional future her brother had ambled up to the office door and knocked. Damica fought the urge to fidget wishing not for the first time that SHE had some kind of Divination magic. She would love to take a peek into the future and see what was about to happen.


But sadly all she had was the ability to turn into a winged lizard the size of a small pony. Which sounded a lot cooler than it was - especially since she couldn’t really fly anywhere that people might see. Which was a pain, but that’s progress she guessed.


Just as she was preparing to flick some non-existent lint from her skirt the door opened and she moved up - nudging her brother to give his best professional smile.

 

[Deadeyelee]

Lucas

​

If Damica hated the cold, Lucas deeply loathed it, and found it barely survivable. Despite his hoodie and jeans, the heaviest apparel one would expect to need in this normally hellishly hot city, his shivering hampered him enough to cause him a great deal of trouble getting the door open the first time, especially with the tote that nearly weighed as much as he did on his shoulder. Once inside, he had taken to putting the things inside it in place. He plugged in the extra telephone at the Reception desk, a small oak counter, about 5 feet lengthwise, and four feet tall. Behind it sat a single file cabinet, dark grey, and about his size. He found it empty, so he put Elaine's business contact Penda-flex in the bottom drawer.


To the left and right of the reception desk were two doors, with little slots for names. He wondered what kind of office this had been before, to have this sort of configuration. Maybe two different businesses had split the same office. But then there was the staircase behind the reception desk. That wouldn't make any sense. There was only one bedroom and a tiny kitchen and bathroom up there. He sighed. He wasn't going to make any sense of it. He didn't think like a detective.


Elaine had claimed the room on the right, leaving the left barren. When he asked about it, Elaine said that her partner could deal with it. She had too many expenses with two properties and a kid. 'And a kid.' That had hurt a little. Sounded just like a check-casher. But that had been her sole offence over the eight months, and she'd gotten him out of trouble twice now. He figured that made up for it.


Elaine had outfitted her 'office' with only a large desk, a swivel chair, two bookshelves, and two comfy looking arm chairs. The only decoration she had elected to add was to flank her desk with both the Texas, and United States flag, and to place a photo of her old Unit on her desk. Luke reverently added a name placard to both the office door, and her desk, and snuck a quick sit in the chair, propping his feet up like they did in the Noir detective stories. It was a good feeling. But he was careful to make sure he didn't scuff it at all.


Then came the majority of the books, which he was carrying when there was a knock on the door. Already? Surely her errand would take longer than that. Still, he managed to awkwardly balance them on one arm and open the door. Only to discover that it was not Elaine. There was a tall, by his standards, man standing at the door, wearing a winning smile, and just in time to witness Lucas fall on his arse, dropping the precariously balanced books everywhere. "U-Uh....hi. C-Can I help you?" He asks rather pathetically. Lucas was a smallish boy, but he wasn't completely defenseless. He wore a metal bracelet on his left wrist that was definitely some sort of Foci, given the runes inscribed all about it, and a strange ring on his pinky finger. Not to mention the ''5 knife sheathed on his hip.

 

[call me rae]

Corbyn "Ben" Jackaby

Diviner ✬ Office ✬ Damica / Lucas
​

Ben was quick to offer his assistance when the kid who answered the door fell over. He could feel Damica at his side also moving forward as he gave the poor boy what he hoped was a reassuring look.


"Sorry about that, we didn't mean to startle you. I'm Corbyn Jackaby - I made an appointment with Ms. Gunn to apply for the partnership? This is my junior partner - Damica. "


He said gesturing to his sister as he finished neatening up the pile of books and lifting them off the ground.


"Did you need these to go anywhere in particular?"


He asked again, keeping his voice as friendly as possible. It wouldn't do to upset the kid, he wasn't as good at recognizing magic as Damica but even a Mundane kid could cause a fuss if he was spooked.


Not that Ben usually made people spook - he was about as non-threatening as you could get in terms of people with his power-level. He gave off more of an absent-minded professor type aura than anything when he worked and outside of that he was just a scruffy guy with an easy going temperament.


If anything between the two of them Damica was the one who usually sent the lads running.

Damica Drake

Wyvern✬ Office ✬ Ben / Lucas
​

Damica had to stifle a laugh at the awkward flail that greeted her brother and her when the door opened. Her brother, of course rushed to help the kid and Damica gave her own aid too, as she tried to subtly give the boy a look over.


He was too young to be the Wizard they were supposed to be meeting - but he had the vaguest hint of magic about him so he could be an apprentice.


A closer examination would have confirmed it, but she was in her grown up professional clothes and sniffing boys tended to ruin the effect she was going for.


So instead she settled for moving forward nonchalantly with her own small stack of books and waiting for the answer to her brother's question.


Trying to very subtle flair her nostrils get a stronger scent.


Judging by the muffled noise her brother made before she gave him a good steely eyed look she wasn't quite as subtle as she'd hope

 

[Deadeyelee]

The Wyrven would, if it’s possible to ‘smell’ magical power, find Lucas quite pungent, of both power and fear. This one had the potential to go quite far. Though,it took him an embarrassingly long time to take stock of the situation, and when he’s finally got a handle on what had happened, crimson flooded to his cheeks.

*Lucas*

​

“R-Right. Hi, I’m Lucas. I’m…. Elaine’s….” He paused, unsure of how to describe his relationship with Elaine, until he decided to tell the truth. But not all of it. “I’m Elaine’s foster. I just dropped by to help her set up some things while she went on an errand…She’ll be here soon, I promise.” He finished as he stood up.


“T-Thanks for helping with the books, I’m a tad…no, a good deal of a klutz when it comes to certain things.” He laughed nervously, brushing himself off. He tried to avoid eye contact, mostly because he was ashamed and generally not a big fan of being social, but also because he was not keen to accidentally soul gaze


“I was…just going to put them on the bookshelves in her office…Can I get ya’ll a cup of Joe? Or Iced Tea? Or anything? I mean the upstairs kitchen doesn't have a lot yet...but...but..I can see what I can do...” He'd continue to babble until he got a response. Lucas’s entire body felt itchy to the point where he played with the ring on his finger to distract himself, and he shifted from foot to foot in a nervous sort of dance, a side effect of the stressful situation, and usually an indicator that Elaine would need to remove him from a situation before he started bursting light bulbs. But the lights here didn’t even flicker.

 

[Deadeyelee]

*Elaine*


She rolls up on Delia's apartment, kicking down the stand, and hanging her helmet on the bars. Elaine was tall for a woman, and though built like a woman, she had the body of an athlete, that looked damn good in leather. She knocked three times and waited for the door to open. She'd like to have another phone. And maybe pick up a little something extra. The kid had been looking extra sullen lately.

 

[call me rae]

Corbyn "Ben" Jackaby

Diviner ✬ Office ✬ Damica & Lucas
​

The poor kid seemed about to combust, it was almost amusing in a way if he wasn’t so obviously out of his depth. Ben was used to the fidgets or distress though - people came to him typically as a last resort or in desperation for someone to listen to whatever wild stories they had concocted to explain away the trials and tribulations of their life. So he just hung back a bit and kept a professionally bland smile on his face. There was no use pushing the kid when he already seemed likely to bolt.


“I’m fine, how about I take these books to the office? That way you can get things set up quicker. “


Ben asked kindly, he figured he could probably find the office without too much trouble. The place wasn’t that big so the options were limited on where everything can go. All he had to do was pinpoint the future where the kid put the stuff away himself and just go to the same places. Easy peasy.


He nudged Damica to give him her stack as well while giving her a meaningful look - unlike Ben she tended to take nervousness as a personal challenge to be more outgoing and friendly. And for such a little thing she could pack a whole lot of presence into just saying hello when she wanted to.


Damica sniffed, this time more in disdain than in her not-really-subtle attempt to get a scent on the boy. Which tended to be rude whichever way you sliced it - Mundanes and Wizards alike tended to prefer a degree of personal space between them and strangers.


“You know Dami here is pretty good with machines why don’t you let her help you whip up some refreshments.”


Ben said easily - giving Dami a look. The wide eyed look of innocence he received in response was slightly less than reassuring.

Damica Drake

Wyvern✬ Office ✬ Ben & Lucas
​

The kid was as skittish as a stray cat, or a whipped dog. Damica like her brother was used to people who hired them being kind of anxious - you didn’t come to people who specialized in “uncanny” cases unless you had exhausted all other options. But the kid seemed the sort to be nervous just in general which Damica always found kind of sad.


Sure she knew as well - or better - than anyone the world could be a scary sort of place. But dwelling on it had never done her or anyone else for that matter any kind of good. Shying at shadows didn’t make the monsters in them go away - it just gave them more power. And if the kid was going to be spending time around Magic he was going to have to loose the skittishness. Magic was all about the unexpected after all, that was the fun of it.


Since the best way to conquer a fear was to just not let yourself dwell on it she happily let her brother take her small stack and bounced up to Lucas.


"Benny is right I make a great Cuppa Joe ! I'll go with you up stairs and help you whip some drinks up!"

 

[Deadeyelee]

Lucas

​

Lucas seemed to jump into action, the nervousness gone once he's backed up against a proverbial wall. He takes a subconscious step towards the stairs, while extending his hand towards Elaine's office. "No, I insist. Make yourselves comfortable in Ms. Gunn's office. I'll have coffee and Iced tea ready shortly, and by then, she should be here." He moves his hand to point to the currently empty office space. "The bathroom is in the through the other door, and to the left." Then he gestures to his own person. "Anything else you need, give me a holler, please." He couldn't allow a guest to prepare refreshments, it would be an outright affront, and a terrible indication of his Master's hospitality. Or at least that's what the Schumakers had instilled to him. That and their religion. He didn't buy into the whole heaven and hell thing, but given the magic, he might buy into an Eternal soul. Not that this mattered at this very moment. He gave a smile to the girl, then bounded up the stairs. When he returned, he held a large tray, with both iced tea in a pitcher, and coffee in a jug. "Freshly brewed and ground respectively..." And, he's nervous again. Damn it Elaine, you probably did it on purpose. Taking leisure time when you had a freaking interview.


He set down the tray on Elaine's desk, brushing a finger over his forehead as if wiping a bit of sweat, or flicking the hair out of his eyes. In reality it was a tactile sort of assistance with activating his Sight. A sort of spark to his subconscious. Elaine had warned him it was highly impractical in high pressure situations, but he was going to stick with it, till he could do with out one hundred percent of the time.


He nearly jumps in surprise, letting out the slightest squeak, before chuckling softly to himself. If they wanted him dead, he'd go with a bit of a fight. He was confident in his knife's ability to find a chink in the serpent's armor. His eyes dart around as he smiles, and makes pleasant conversation, not so subtly indicating the time for charades had ended. "Do you have a speciality Mr. Jackaby? I find Enchanting comes to me quite easily, personally." He probes, brushing his hair from his eyes again. "I'm working on a sword worthy of a Warden. Just for fun though. I don't think either of us will be taking the grey in the near future. Elaine or I, that is."

​

 

[call me rae]

Corbyn "Ben" Jackaby

Diviner ✬ Office ✬ Damica & Lucas
​

Ben lifted his eyebrows when the little guy seemed to jolt into action. It took an embarrassing few moments before he got what had set the kid off. Old World Hospitality - he was originally from England so he had grown up with it both from his parents and later his Master's. Although his first one had been more a study of what not to do than anything like a sterling role model. He had been in America long enough to know outside of the Wizarding World it wasn’t as big a thing as it used to be. But still if the Elaine was a Wizard it was a fair bet her kid at least knew enough about magic to keep himself safe. Decent Wizards being the sorts to make sure their kids were safe long enough to survive into adulthood.


Before Damica could decide to push their luck he urged her into the office and took a seat. Damica had the distressing tendency to follow Hospitality Laws only as long as they suited her or involved magical creatures strong enough to wipe them both from existence with barely a blink. Since it was his job ensure she survived to adulthood he did his best to simply steer her clear of temptation.


She pouted a bit but wandered around the office - not touching anything thank the gods - but being her typical nosy self.


Ben himself chose to settle back and do a bit of scrying, just to make sure things were still going okay with the interview. He hadn’t scryed much ahead these last few days - scrying while drying being even more dangerous than drinking and driving. He also wanted to make sure that there was no -- oh dear.


“Don’t touch anything.”


He said abruptly from where he sat looking for all the world as if he was gazing absently into space.


He didn’t bother to check if Damica would listen - the times where she didn’t were rare and they required something a good deal more interesting to look at than anything currently in the office.


The Boy came in - which was interesting in it’s own right as he had some telling reactions to Damica that Ben leafed through missing most of the conversation that actually followed. It wasn’t until the possibilities started fading and Damica’s voice rose in excitement that he refocused on the present with a long blink.


“What’s that? Damica remember to use you’re inside voice.”


He teased as he refocused on the kids .

Damica Drake

Wyvern✬ Office ✬ Ben & Lucas
​

The kid was a little strange. Damica was more certain with each moment that he had to be some kind of magical. She smelled magic which meant he was probably a Wizard Apprentice - but a strong Talent or something like it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.


She’d ask but he had scurried off to get refreshments so Damica followed Ben into the Office and snooped around curiously. She knew better than to touch anything - even if she didn’t get the skin creeping feeling of dark or powerful magic from any of the objects. Magic on items could be subtle or inactive until tampered with and she wasn’t nearly strong enough yet to risk her hide on idle curiosity.


Ben’s abrupt statement cured even that curiosity - he only talked like that when the skin creeping might be literal if she mucked about. Although he wasn’t green or pale so maybe it wasn’t quite that bad in any of the possibilities. Still Damica wasn’t going to push her luck. She figured putting the books away would be okay - few Wizards bothered to charm a bookshelf unless magical tomes were on it. And none of the books she saw seemed magical. At least she hadn’t been thrown across the room, lost a limb, or been sucked into any of them so she was going to go with - harmless for now.


The kid came back shortly - when Ben was full on into his Seer mode with the distant slightly glassy look of someone stone bored. Damica couldn’t understand how seeing the future could cause such a distracted look - she was pretty sure she would look way more excited or intrigued or something. But she had seen enough people with strong Clairvoyant abilities over the years to know it could look worst.


Ben’s second master - the hermit jerk - practically fell asleep when he scryed. And the Cassandras went into full bloom epilepsy fits. So really looking just bored was an improvement.


The Kid finally came back with refreshments - sweet Java beans finally! Damica wandered over to get a drink when he did a kind of double take and chuckled softly. Damica titled her head then followed his gaze.. Nope Ben was still doing his Bored Senseless impression which wasn’t really all that funny.


Then he opened his mouth and Damica got it. Well sort of - she didn’t see how he knew they had magic now when he hadn’t ten minutes ago but she didn’t dwell on it too much.


Sense Ben had gotten the furrowed brow that meant he was actually concentrating Damica answered for the two of them.


“He’s a Diviner! It’s a high ranking Divination expert. There’s like only four in the whole world, and all but Ben and the Italian are total dicks. “


Damica said swelling in pride for her big brother as she bragged a bit. She knew a lot of people only considered Diviners useful as far as they could benefit themselves and tended to downplay what she thought was a pretty fantastic ability.


Enchantment wasn’t bad either - it was what she liked to think of as the artisan side of magic. And she had a respect for pretty things - especially when they involved precious metals or gems.


Wardens swords weren’t especially pretty but if he could really make one that was impressive in itself.


“Really?! You can make a Warden Sword? Ooh do you own a smithy I’ve always wanted to see one of those in person. “


She squealed excitedly. Which of course broke Ben out of his daze and he finally joined the conversation.


“He wanted to know what kind of magic we have, I told him you have the awesome kind. And he said he could make a Warden Sword. “


Ben stared at her a little strangely - and she could just tell he was itching to look into the future and see if the kid could really do it. But there wasn’t enough to go on to pinpoint something that might be months down the road.


“Really now? Well that is impressive indeed Mr. Gunn. Or is it Wizard?”


He asked smiling as he teased the boy lightly.

 

[Deadeyelee]

Lucas

​

If these two had Nefarious intent, they were excellent at hiding it. His attempt at provocation had yielded a lighthearted flurry of questions. But the last question left him dumbfounded to whether it was a subtle jab, or an honest mistake. He claimed to be a diviner, but....maybe he looked into the future? Perhaps that is what the future holds for him after all. But he wasn't entirely certain or comfortable with it yet.


After a dazed second, he replies, bowing his head slightly. "I'd...like to be called Mr. Welstrom...for now, if you would sir," before reaching down to his knife sheathe to unclip it. "I don't have a forge, but Elaine has a friend that's letting me use his. But Elaine said that before we bothered him to make something so big, I should make sure I could get the enchantment right on something small."


He un-clasps the peace-tie, pulling out the tapered, double edged knife, and offering it, the blade resting in his palm. It was nearly a dagger, and though practical in design, it was masterfully made, it's silver blade. It indeed thrummed with a strong sort of power, but it wasn't quite complete. It felt off compared to any other swords they encountered.


"It's not tailored to anyone...so it's not the real thing. It won't have nearly the same bite. But all i's are dotted and the t's crossed. It's just a matter of finding the right sword. And having permission to do it. The Council has expressed interest in the project, because, you know, they're out of swords, but... they're pretty reluctant. 'Warden's swords are not something that an ordinary wizard, nor any other supernatural diezen besides a Warden should obtain a hold of.' I believe is how that letter ended. But I know I can do it. It just might...take me a while."


He holds up his non dominant right hand, turning it knuckles outward to show off his bracelet and ring foci. "But it really has come to me quickly. Unlike....the other stuff." His expression falters from cheery exuberance to slight worry.

 

[Wrathful Saint]

~Delia~


She stands out of her chair-- well, more like falls, crashes into a pile of things, scrambles to her feet, and somehow makes it to the door without breaking something else. She opens it and looks up, adjusting her glasses again. "Yeah?" she half-growls.

 

[call me rae]

Damica Drake

Wyvern✬ Office ✬ Ben & Lucas
​

Damica peered at the knife curiously, she wasn’t really all that into weaponry - it wasn’t the kind of flashy pretty that appealed to the draconian mindset. It looked … nice she guessed? It seemed like a pretty ordinary knife and she made a fairly non-committal noise to that effect.


To be honest if it wasn’t a Warden’s Sword or a ceremonial dagger she was pretty much uninterested in knifes. Kind of like cars - as long as it worked who cared what kind it was? Boys usually - and the kid was a boy so she should have expected this. Especially if he specialized in enchanted weaponry.


Which was a fairly interesting specialty in truth - he would make a fine addition to the Wardens with that kind of skill set. Although she did snort a little at his rendition of The High And Mighty Stuff Shirts pomposity.


“Maybe that’s their way of recruiting you to the Wardens? Enchanting weapons would be a useful skill for the Grey Cloaks I’d think. And they’re not all unrepentant assholes either. I kind of liked the ole’ Mastiff. Traditional as hell but a good sort for all of that.”


Damica said cheekily.


“What she means is that’s quite well done, I’ve no doubt you’ll be able to make find weaponry in time. The Council tends to be somewhat - traditional shall we say. But they’ve reasons for that - a weapon like that in the wrong hands could cause a good deal of grief to innocent people.”


Ben said his face taking on the same stern cast it always did when he remembered the Asshole. As Damica privately thought of his first Master.


To change the subject she looked the rings and bracelet - much better. She liked a lad who wasn’t afraid to accessorize. She nearly put her nose right up to the metal - curious to see what the inscriptions looked like but her brother grabbed the back of her blazer first.


“Personal space Dami, let’s give Apprentice Welstrom a bit of breathing room, yeah?”


He said it lightly but Damica had known him long enough to know the fact that he grabbed her at all meant she would have to ask to see the inscriptions.


She opened her mouth to do just that when he beat her to it.


“You know there isn’t anything wrong with specializing. I can’t do anything beyond Divination myself and it hasn’t interfered with my life. If all you do is enchantments I’d count yourself lucky. Those are useful sorts of magic to be good at and you’ll help a lot of people with them.”


Huh, he seemed to be trying to cheer the kid up. It must be a Wizard thing - she hadn’t spent a whole lot of time with any outside of the Hermit Jerk and the odd Warden or Wizard they ran into in their travels. But she had noticed they seemed to posture a lot - and none of them had nearly the respect for Divination Damica personally thought it deserved. Well excluding Hermit Jerk who was supposed to be like the best ever at it.


“He’s right. You're obviously really good, so you know don’t be greedy. People who try to be good at everything tend to be intolerable assholes or blithering incompt- Ow! What, I was just agreeing with you!”


She yelped as Ben flicked her ear lightly. Their agreed upon indication to - Shut Your Gob Dami.


“Again what she was trying to say is that you’ve got a gift for Enchantment. I would worry more about cultivating that than whether or not you can do Divination or Alchemy as well.”

 

[Deadeyelee]

Elaine


Elaine leans against the door frame, her tall slender frame, providing a bit of privacy. "You know Q, normally people answer the door with 'Hi,' or 'Hello,' or even 'Howdy,' if you're feeling a little randy. Especially with their best-est friends who only come here when they want something. But since you've put it so bluntly, we will get down to business... I need another telephone. And maybe a little something extra for the apprentice, who hasn't broken anything in a week. Small steps, I suppose." She scratches the back of her head. "And while we're at it, anything interesting vibing in the Paranet? Any ghoulies or bumps in the night that need a noggin knocking?"


Lucas
​

The ring and bracelet are made of silver, and beautifully etched. It's as if they had been laser engraved. This kid had a steady hand, and tons of patience. Not to mention the articles themselves were pretty, and definitely hand made. The ring was made of three interwoven bands that met at a central, blue gemstone, a small sapphire, a deep tropical blue. The bracelet is made of six segments clasped together, each with a different set of inscriptions on it. This one appears to be more... disposable in value, but it's still nice.


Lucas reddens at what he would amount to praise. Another wave of shyness washes over him, and he itches his leg with his shoe. "I wouldn't mind being a warden...I'd always fancied myself the sword and cape type, even before this nonsense invaded my life." He chuckles softly to himself, before his expression sobers. "The trick is using enchanting offensively. It's...a little rough out in the field. A tad bit.... scary. But... Elaine needs the help sometimes. I just hope I don't get her killed trying to save my dumb-self. So that's why I'm so desperate to learn other types... I don't need everything... I just want another tool on my belt to hit with."

​

 

[call me rae]

Corbyn "Ben" Jackaby

Diviner ✬ Office ✬ Damica & Lucas
​

Ben could understand the kid's position a little. He had grown up in a family known for their Sight based talents so him being a Diviner had actually been a source of real pride among his kin. None of them had progressed much beyond what most Wizards would consider paltry psychic talents in at least two or three generations. From the beginning Ben had promised to be among the best of even those rare few.


Unfortunately the Diviners in the family had all died fairly young which meant known had been around to train him when he got to the age when he was too powerful for his parents to guide him through his powers anymore. His first Master had seemed a godsend - although he had made enough of his relatives slightly uneasy that he should have known something was up.


Still everyone had to grow up somehow and at least the lessons learned with the Old Bastard had served him well over the years. So far the Wizard he was to meet today seemed to be doing well with her little Apprentice. He seemed a little tentative but Ben thought that was more of a personality trait than the response of someone who was being ill-treated.


Not that he wouldn’t still keep an eye out for what Dami liked to call funny business. Luckily enough he had the added ability to peek further into people’s lives than most without going the obvious route of the Soul Gaze. Although that was of course the simplest way of seeing a person’s character it also tended to be the way least used. Wizards tended to prefer the round-about way to getting to know their peers.


At least Damica would be able to sniff out any lingering darkness if the woman ever got sloppy enough to leave any on her apprentice. It was the only skill she had that was fully developed - the rest of her abilities still being in the hatchling stage for the most part.


Despite the darker turn his thoughts had taken he kept his smile welcoming and continued to try to put the kid at ease. The more easy the kid was - the more chance he had of divining whether or not his nervousness was just a personality trait or something Ben ought to be genuinely worried about.


“Well you’re talking to the wrong people about that I’m afraid. Dami and I are purely one trick ponies. I am strictly a Divination Wizard - the best I can do for versatility is utilized charmed or enchanted objects. And even then they tend to be of the one-and-done variety. But I will say this - as a specialist I’ve certainly had to learn to adapt my magic to as many uses as possible. Most wouldn’t think I’d be good at combat for instance - as really what use are crystal balls and tarot cards in a Wizards Duel?”


This last bit said in what was clearly a mimic of another Wizards disdainful draw.


Dami swelled in indignation at the sound - she had heard the man in person and nearly torn his eyes out in a fit of protective pique.


Before she could start on her rant about short-sided narrow-minded bigoted a-holes Ben swiftly continued.


“But what those Wizards forget is simple - Diviner’s stock and trade is information. Give me some time to prepare and I can figure out your every possible move in a fight before you so much as cast a single spell. Not only that but I can plot the path to victory typically by the time your first spell has missed.”


“So what I’m saying is it might be hard but that doesn’t mean it’s not impossible. Enchantment especially naturally lends itself to combat much easier than Divination. I know most Wizards will tell you it’s better to diversify - learn as much as possible in the off chance that it will prove useful. And there’s certainly wisdom there, but at the same time don’t let them tell you that just because you have only one thing in your bag of tricks you're not as good as everyone else. Specializing is a perfectly valuable path of study.”


Ben said firmly.

 

[Deadeyelee]

Lucas

Lucas carries the 'faintest' taint of black magic, as if he's been in contact with it recently. "Good information is something Elaine is always on the look out for. She's about tired of walking into ambushes. Just the other night...." He shakes his head, recalling the hellish day two days before,visibly shaken, no, even afraid just at the memory. Being knocked unconscious and tied to an altar just once was enough for him. She promised he didn't have to go along anymore, but it didn't feel right to let her go out alone every night. "It's dangerous around here now-a-days. There's not enough Wardens to deal with every two-bit Warlock who got their hands on some Metacapacetors, so someone's gotta do it, but....but...there's gotta be other good people besides us....right? I mean, I'm just some kid with seven tricks, a knife, and some holy water. But there's not. Houston is a massive city, and yet it's full of pricks who want to hurt people, or suck their blood, or their soul, or rip their fucking heart out for no goddamned reason and I'm freaking sick of it!" There's a pop and tinkle of an exploding light bulb above them, and he winces. "Elaine's not going to be happy about that..." He states softly, before his eyes widen. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to explode on you, that was so incredibly rude, forgive me, honestly, that was horrendous..."

He takes a large sip of tea, his hands shaking. "I just don't know how she does it. Look evil in the eye with the calm that she does. It's like nothing ever scares her. It's like she's...following an instruction manual. No, it's not that. She's much more flexible than that. She...just becomes someone else. Elaine goes somewhere behind her eyes, and in her place stands a...robot, who's sole function is to destroy evil."

The door opens, the bells jingling. "Lucaaas? Are you behaving? My office isn't on fire, which is generally a good sign." A cheerful voice rings out.

"Yes Ma'm! Your interview is ready." He leaps off the desk, setting down the Tea, and for an instant looks like he wants to bolt towards her, but apparently restrains himself and instead adopts a relaxed posture, and strolls quietly to the door frame. Elaine, the lanky giant that she is, towers over him, two bags on her arm.

Elaine

"Crap, that's today? You gotta remind me of these things, Kid. You know those mortars scrambled my head." She pauses at the door, unsure on how to proceed, before ruffling his hair as she walks in. That was probably the appropriate amount of affection. "Howdy, I'm Elaine. Wizard - Extraordinaire and such. I think that's what it says on my business card. Kid, did you give them my business card?"


The kiddo shook his head in the negative. "No Ma'm."


"That's alright." She smiles warmly at him. "I didn't tell you where they were. I see you did a good job trying to make them feel at home." She turns to the other two. "So, you're here for the full partner position, Mister and Miss....?"
​