theweakhavepurpose | Hadriel Inbox

Mister Pratt, are you available? I have something for you.

yeah. im at home.

you have something for me?

[Carlisle squints at his device. He just said that, didn't? Yes, yes he did.]

Yes.

You will have to remind me where it is you are residing these days.

loves housing. its the a-frame wooden one.

but i could meet you at the range if you want?

The housing by the lake? We just moved here. We might be nearly neighbors.

yeah near the edge away from the hot springs. it was an ocean view when i moved here. but now it faces the lake.

seems like a downgrade but a lot more like home.

i can go stand on my porch.

Splendid. I will see you momentarily.

[Someone is in a chipper mood. All that not-dying must have really been a pick-me-up for him. He even offers a genuine -- albeit tentative -- smile as he approaches, a small package tucked under one arm. Though still more vibrant than when they first met, some of the cinnamon color has definitely faded from his hair, though his eyes are as aglow as ever.]

Ah, Mister Pratt. Er, Deputy. Deputy Pratt. My apologies. We live but a few doors down from you now. How coincidental.

[Pratt's sitting on his battered porch chair, trying to admire the view. It's not a bad one, there's a lake and the distant tundra has it's own sort of beauty. Maybe it would be nicer if the lake wasn't frozen solid and he wasn't having to wear all his wardrobe all the time in order to stay warm.

He nods politely, getting to his feet.]

Afternoon. I.. haven't actually met my neighbors. I see some of them sometimes but that's about it.

[He should be a little more social honestly. At least he's trying at the range.]

Well, you are welcome to stop by our house, if you'd like, the one with the stone chimney. Or, ah. Perhaps just the garden outside that I'm working on. [He's not sure how Glacius feels about company he's not acquainted with in their new abode.] Speaking of gardens—

[He offers Pratt the parcel from under his arm, a heavy package wrapped in plain paper and tied with a string. It's nothing fancy, but hey, at least he tried. As for what's inside, it certainly feels and weighs like it might be a rock, something just big enough to fill the crook of one's forearm.]

I thought you might enjoy this.

Edited 2019-01-20 01:57 (UTC)

[We? Our? Carlisle lives with someone? He's trying to remember what all he saw during the memory share event and determine which one of those people was willing to put up with someone as cranky and twitchy as Carlisle. He's coming up blank.]

You're building another garden? That'll be great. We need more greenery.

[ He takes the package, it's far heavier than expected and he sets it on the railing to undo the string and peel off the paper. He's pretty sure it's not a package bomb, so he feels safe opening it. But whatever it is weighs a lot. ]

Yes, I did think that, though it may surprise you to hear it was not an inspiration for this gift.

[Spoiler: it feels like a rock and weighs as much as a rock because it's a rock.

But not just any rock, perhaps. This stone as a glyph etched into its surface, one similar to those on the various structures around his garden in the park; it cuts a wide path down the sides of the rock, covering an entire side and nearly wrapping around to the other. There are a few paper packets in there as well, ones folded over to contain seeds and clippings from a selection of the plants in his own garden.]

[It sure is a rock. He looks it over, turning it in his hands and running his thumb over the edges of the glyph. He figures it's one of those 'meditation stones' that Xander put all over the place to make some sort of Zen garden. So he sets the rock down, turning to the little papers.]

Can I plant these?

[Oh he sounds excited now. He doesn't know too much about gardening but he recognizes seeds and plants when he sees them.]

Aheh. That was the intention, yes.

[At least Pratt sounds excited, even if he doesn't know exactly what it is Carlisle has gifted him. His smile fades just a little, his voice softening as his eyes affix themselves on his hands.]

I... know too well that this world can be frightening. That so often, the false gods delve into our nightmares and manifest them before our eyes. We have spoken of- of being mired in our own guilt. I told you I keep busy with gardening. It helps me cope with the mere weight of living, and I thought, perhaps, it might help you, as well.

[He smiles, soft and genuine.]

That's.. very kind of you. Something to ease the torment in my own mind? I could definitely use that.

Being alive is rough sometimes. Especially when.. circumstances out of your control start ruining everything no matter how hard you try to stop it.

[He picks the rock up again, just to have something to do with his hands and a place for his eyes to rest that isn't on another human being.]

What do the symbols mean?

There is only so much we can do against our circumstances, both here and in our own worlds. Finding a reason to keep surviving them is key.

[Even if he's only recently found his own reasons, ones he's actually satisfied with and not merely grasping at out of desperation. His eyes flick back to the stone as Pratt handles it, his voice still quiet as he answers.]

It's a glyph. That sigil there is for abjuration, and those for the various elements one might encounter in nature. And the platforms encircling them, along with the inscription there in that outer circle -- they dictate what the glyph should do when activated. In this case, forming a barrier.

That's well said. I could do with remembering that more.

[ And then Carlisle is explaining the rock and it's like he started speaking a foreign language. Not just a foreign language but as if he was explaining calculus in Arabic or something. He's getting a few words here and there: encounter in nature, inscription, forming a barrier. ]

A barrier? Is it similar to the dome you have over your garden?

[Carlisle's mouth widens into a grin.]

Yes. Just like it, actually. Well, a smaller version of it. I didn't know if you'd have anywhere to put it around your home, and it's not quite as sturdy as the one surrounding my garden in the park, and won't encompass nearly the area, but this one took quite a bit less work to craft and is far more... portable.

[Hey look at that! Pratt's kind of proud of himself, he's not a complete idiot and he didn't offend Carlisle by not knowing how any of this stuff works. ]

So I put this on the ground and plant all my plants around it.

.... How do I turn it on?

[He sidles a bit closer to Pratt.]

The contact point is this this arch here. It did occur to me that you might not have the ability to actually activate it. I'm not sure of the capacity for magic in your world, but I have met others here who, while their worlds had no known magic, were capable of utilizing it once taught. And a glyph is the barest form of magic I know, able to draw out the energy required from someone even if they are unable to manipulate that energy themselves.

[He wrings his hands once more, his nerves showing.]

But, should you be unable to activate the glyph, it is capable of maintaining its, ah. Charge, I suppose, for a day or so before the energy fades. And- and since we live so close, it is convenient that I could recharge it myself, if need be.

We don't have magic.

[He says it slowly though. They don't but they do have things that are unexplainable. How does Faith control the Bliss? It's just a drug, how is she physically present when people are dosed with it? How does Jacob appear in peoples hallucinations even when he's miles away? How does Pratt's voice carry into the trials?

He has no idea how any of that works. He assumed it was because he was going insane and something else was at play. But now being here he's seen so many things that he doesn't understand. Maybe it is something more.]

So it's kind of like a battery. I charge it up with my energy and it slowly uses that over time.

[He runs his finger over the glyph, wondering what he should do? Concentrate on making it glow? Think happy thoughts?]

Ah, yes. A battery.

[Said just like someone who is very proud he that he knows what a battery is. Most otherworldly technology scares him, but he's picked up on a few of the less frightening terminology.]

To 'charge it up,' you'll need to press your finger to the contact point. The glyph will do the rest. It is a fairly benign construction, so if it turns out you haven't enough energy to activate it -- but enough to get it started -- it won't drain you dry. Or fatally backfire.

[Probably.]

But if you'd rather I activate it to show you how it works, I don't mind.

[ He's so happy that he actually gets it. He feels like he's learning. ]

If it fries me, you can plant all this in my honor. Lemme see if I can give it a go.

[ A battery he charges with his own energy. Finally he's useful for something. He holds the rock in one hand tracing that engraving again before pressing where indicated.

He'd expected it to hurt or at least feel like something. But it sort of feels like touching the static of a computer monitor. It glows slightly, but doesn't exactly turn on.]

I did something!

[ He's delighted! Sure he's basically just made a faintly glowing rock, but it's the most magic he's ever done. ]

[Carlisle grin widens, stretching easily across his face as he eyes the now-glowing stone. Where Pratt touched is alight, the glow of energy slowly seeping into the lines etched around the rock, filling the circles and symbols one by one.]

So you did. I'd say it— oh!

[He doesn't even get the chance to finish his assessment as the stone vibrates gently, the energy trapped within it having finished its journey, and therefore activating the glyph; a barrier springs from the rock, engulfing them, passing over their bodies with a tingling sensation much like a sudden shock. It spreads around them, reaching around twelve feet in any direction before finally stopping, the barrier lingering like a translucent wall all around them. The temperature shifts, becoming more comfortable almost immediately.

Carlisle doesn't seem frightened -- just surprised.]

Goodness, that was more sudden than expected. How do you feel?

Edited 2019-01-23 05:22 (UTC)

[He keeps a tight hold on the stone, because he knows his first instinct is to drop the thing and that'll likely break whatever magic Carlisle has imbued it with. And just be plain rude since it's a gift.

He smiles up at the barrier around them. Look what he did!]

A little.. weird I guess.

[It feels like he's been tracking game through thick underbrush for hours. His body is tired and a little sore, but it's not so bad he needs to go lay down. And he has a dome! A magic one! Oh he's so happy.]

And this just feeds off me and the dome will protect my plants? This is fantastic!

[The corner of Carlisle's mouth curls tighter in a reassuring smile.]

'Weird' isn't bad. It's fairly average, actually. And you aren't wobbling like you might pass out, so I'd say better than average.

[He remembers that first time he realized he had the potential for magic -- it's a rush that he wishes everyone could experience, the immediate notion that there might be more to oneself than they ever possibly imagined. It gave him some sense of purpose, like he deserved to bear the name of Longinmouth.]

The initial activation should be the worst one. Just touch the contact point again every few days or so to make sure the energy doesn't fully dissipate, and the barrier should hold, protecting your plants and anything else encapsulated within it from the more extreme elements.

[text] - January 15thish

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