I8: Prestidigitation ((Open))

by **Sean Hall** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 5:44 pm

Sean had decided to stick closer to home this time as he practiced using his magic. The quad had seemed too public especially for what he was about to test out.

Sean was dressed in a sleeveless shirt. The edges of the phoenix brand showing at the collar and where the sleeves should be.

He focused his magic and spoke carefully as he tried a new spell. The words built upon themselves and he put up one hand and a circle of magic appeared. It flickered as sweat beaded on Sean's forehead, and then after only a couple more seconds disappeared.

"It was just the first try," Sean said, "Just need more practice."

He went through the same process. The circle appeared again and stayed for a few moments longer than the first time, but still flickered and disappeared. The room began to smell strongly of ozone as he continued to practice.

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:11 am

Nate was wandering through, holding a tablet in one hand checking things off as he looked around at various things. He stopped to watch, staying particularly quiet for the moment.

by **Sean Hall** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 12:59 pm

Sean created the circle a few more times, but the last time was a bit more memorable. The circle appeared sparks crackling where it touched the ground. Blue lines began to appear on Sean's skin and the circle glowed brighter, and brighter. When it had reached near eye searing brightness it cracked both halves sliding along one another. That was when the circle exploded flinging Sean across the danger room.

"So power wasn't the problem," Sean said getting back onto his feet clothes smoking slightly but otherwise unhurt. He looked around for his water bottle and saw it across the room in multiple pieces and sighed.

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:31 pm

Nate made another couple of notes on his tablet and appreciated the strong material of the observation deck. "Need a bottle of water?" He asked over the intercom.

by **Sean Hall** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:59 pm

Sean looked up at the observation deck with a smile despite his rather magnificent failure.

"That would certainly be appreciated," Sean said, "One made of something magic resistant doubly so."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 6:04 pm

"Just a second," he said. After a minute, he appeared in the Danger Room, tossing a water bottle towards Sean. "You'll have to make do with the normal sort I'm afraid. The case of magic-resistant ones was empty."

by **Sean Hall** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 6:14 pm

Sean chuckled as he caught the water bottle then processed who the person was who'd tossed it to him and nearly dropped it.

"Uh...aren't you Ghost...I mean Mr. Davis?" Sean asked as he nervously uncapped the water bottle.

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 6:29 pm

"Either works. I also answer to Nate," he said chuckling.

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:53 pm

"Sorry, Nate," Sean said rubbing the back of his neck looking a bit embarrassed. "I never thought I'd meet you in person and I kind of just blew myself across a room. And I'm now acting like an idiot."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:02 pm

"Generally what one does after blowing oneself across the room. Although, I wouldn't feel like an idiot if I could generate a force of that magnitude."

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:28 pm

"I wouldn't if I'd used the force correctly in the first place," Sean smiled. "Though mistakes are all part of the process."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:35 pm

"So long as mistakes just destroy water bottles and not you. So what went wrong?"

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:49 pm

"I do certainly prefer it that way," Sean said, "It's...I...I've never really tried to explain this to anybody."

"The spell I used wasn't perfect. The wrong combination of words mixed with me putting too much energy into it, too quickly. The spell itself was flawed and failed during a stress test. I've been refining the spell over the course of about a month. It's exploded a couple of times when I thought the spell could hold, but now I think I'm close that's the longest and most energy the spell has actually managed to contain. Even then I'll be tweaking it for years. Eliminating waste. Eventually I'll be able to do it without vocalizing the spell or with just a couple words."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:53 pm

"Interesting. I actually understood most of that," Nate said, chuckling. "So what's the ultimate purpose of this spell? Not to disintegrate water bottles, I assume from your reaction."

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:59 pm

"It's actually a shield," Sean said, "If I can get it to work properly it'd probably be the strongest defensive magic spell I can use since it should in theory be able to multiply the energy I put into it.

Defensive magic isn't really my specialty though. When I was younger It was much more fun to throw fireballs and be able to fix myself if I fell while rock climbing"

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:15 am

"Just like the offensive moves in martial arts are always more 'fun' than the blocks," Nate said, nodding.

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 5:57 pm

"I'm just starting to feel like I can't blow everything up," Sean said, "Dating the phoenix has opened my eyes to the fact that maybe fighting Dr. Doom is the least of my worries."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:04 pm

"When an entity like the Phoenix comes into play, I have to agree with you." He looked at Sean, "So did she give you the tattoo or was that a fit of drunken, enamored misjudgment?"

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:17 pm

Sean chuckled pulling aside the back of his shirt a little revealing more of the mark.

"She did as a warning of sorts," Sean said, "Hoping to keep the monsters at bay with the threat of immediate incineration. Though I think that Altamira is a bit too kind for the threat to be taken too seriously."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:22 pm

"It will either make them leave you alone or make you a bad guy magnet. I guess just which remains to be seen."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:25 pm

"Best to be prepared for the worst, hope for the best, right?" Sean asked with a smile. "Otherwise I might end up a masked smear on the pavement."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:30 pm

"That's about all one can ever do. The prepare bit, not the smear bit. Try to avoid the smear bit."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:40 pm

"I certainly would like to," Sean said, "Don't quite have the healing factor you do and my version requires me to be conscious."

"And I doubt Altamira, my parents, or your daughter would forgive me for going off and getting myself turned into a corpse."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:49 pm

"I don't have quite the healing factor I used to either," Nate said. "And yes, be very afraid of my daughter."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:53 pm

"I thought men were supposed to be afraid of all women," Sean said, "Your daughter is just near the top of that list."

"I hadn't heard about that. Your healing factor I mean."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:57 pm

"Not exactly something I advertise. It's been that way for a while now. I've gotten used to it."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:06 pm

"I can imagine why you wouldn't," Sean said, "You've probably made your share of enemies like anybody with your reputation has. I still have the action figure they put out for you years ago."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:13 pm

"Burly black-furred one?"

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:15 pm

"That's the one," Sean said, "It's sitting on my desk here. You were a pretty big role model for me when I was younger, a human pretending to be a mutant, going through what mutants go through."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:17 pm

"I'm flattered. I hope I continued to be an inspiration, even after I fell off the grid."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:22 pm

"Well, my younger self didn't want to forgive you for doing so," Sean admitted, "It was hard to understand your reasons at the time."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:30 pm

"Radically altered powers, among other things, make it difficult to work the PR super hero gig," Nate said. "I also wanted to spend more time with my family, which in this case is not a euphemism for being fired."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:33 pm

Sean smiled.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Sean said, "I'd imagine that the super hero career doesn't really allow for much else."

"Wait radically altered? That I had not heard about."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:50 pm

Nate smiled and for a few moments, he became singularly unimportant. So unimportant in fact, that perhaps he had left, or just ceased to be there or any number of potential rationalizations. Then Nate was there again, "There's a reason I go by Ghost now."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:59 pm

"That is somewhat unnerving," Sean said, "The new codename certainly fits."

It must give villains fits."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:13 pm

"Villains, security personnel, high school students... It unnerves everyone. If I hadn't been talking to you prior, you might never know I was here."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:19 pm

"You certainly do make my roommate look like an amateur," Sean said, "And I don't want to think of the sort of mischief he'd get into if he had it either."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:24 pm

"If I'm shifted, I can be virtually invisible, except to mechanical means, so I still have to be careful of cameras and things like that. But yes, not a power for the mischief minded." Nate altered his voice a little to approximate a public service announcement, "Please obfuscate responsibly."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:27 pm

Sean chuckled.

"I like that," Sean said, "Probably would be useful to actually have those sorts of public announcements here at the university.

Reminder: If you have super strength don't use the regular mugs."

by **Nathaniel Davis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:32 pm

"The super heavy weight bench zones are for lifting capacities of 1 ton and above only, thank you..."

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