open!

[polterguide]

Who: Bailey Morello & You!
When: Juril
Where: Various
What: Quests and circus visits and hopefully not embarrassing anyone too badly.
Warnings: There shouldn’t be any need!

the cheeriest;
[Making bread isn’t exactly new to Bailey - their mother insisted they learn how to cook, though the breads she made and these buns aren’t really all that similar. Which, okay, not so surprising considering Aefenglom is nothing like their home.

Well. Turnskins are kind of similar to some creatures they’ve met at home, and so are vampires, but two things don’t exactly make a place feel familiar. Still, homesickness is no reason to be mopey, and they especially can’t be mopey when they’ve got a job to do.]

You’re doing great.

[Their voice is soft on a good day, so someone couldn’t be blamed for being confused over whether they’re addressing the loaf they’re kneading or another volunteer. And, honestly, Bailey isn’t quite sure who they’re addressing either. All they need to do is compliment, right…?]

You’re really gonna rise to the occasion…!

[And make puns, apparently.]

circus, festivities flavor
[A circus! Not something Bailey would usually get excited about, but they can’t deny that they’re curious to see everything going on here. The food is a welcome change from what they usually eat, and they’ll gladly share food with anyone who doesn’t have enough money to buy something. (Or someone who’s very convincing that they don’t have any money, anyways.)

Something they’re less glad about is the games. They’re standing at the stall, frowning deeply.]

This seems more rigged than carnival games usually are…

[Hmm! They turn towards the person nearest them, thoughtfully holding a ring for the ring toss.]

Right? Not everyone would be doing this terribly…

[Enchanting a game to always lose just seems too unfair…!]

circus, no inhibitions flavor;
[The performance is amazing, and they don’t notice the spell that’s taken hold of everyone. They just feel delighted! It was beautiful and wondrous and they’re feeling good, and they hope everyone else is feeling good, too.

Everyone else is certainly looking good, which is not a thought Bailey lets themself think very often. They’re a shy, awkward sort and they’ve known that about themself for years, long before they became Bailey. Still, maybe it’s just a burst of confidence from all of the awe, because they can’t stop themself from stepping up to the person who managed to catch their eye.]

Ah, sorry! I just wanted to say you’re really beautiful.

[Or maybe they say handsome, or cute. The point of the matter is there’s a very tall faun with curling horns smiling sheepishly, with their hands pressed together in front of them.]

wildcard;
[Feel free to throw something at me, or hit me up at daintily or in the disco!]

Comments

[scowlish]

[Onni tilts his head a little, and then shrugs.]

I might. I don't know my way around very well yet. And I need to find a job.

[A sigh, because it seems like such an incredibly stupid thing to be worrying about after arriving fresh to a place like this. Another world. But it's a concern, because things here still cost money.

That question has him pausing for a moment.]

Really? Is that personal? I'm a mage...Witch...just like at home.

[He says it with utmost certainty, like there would have been no question about it.]

[polterguide]

Well, there's a few different ways to make money, and a lot of different businesses you can work for...

[Plus housing is free, at least, so there's one less bit of stress.

They shrug.]

I feel like some people might take it personally, being asked if they're going to start undergoing a transformation.

[But a witch... And just like at home? That makes Bailey curious, but they hesitate for a moment. The magic of Aefenglom is so different from the magic his family did, but it's probably too much to ask him about what his home was like...

Still.

Curiosity killed the cat. Or sheep, in this case.]

What's the magic in your home like?

[scowlish]

Yeah. I've had a few odd jobs, but something more permanent would be good. I'm so used to being in the military, and there isn't anything like that here. The one group that goes out seems more like Cleansers than military.

[A shrug. For now the odd jobs will do, but Onni has always felt best when he's settled into a routine, with consistent expectations and tasks and where he knows what's expected of him.]

Ah. I guess so. I just don't see the point in being defensive about it. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. Pretending it won't isn't going to change that.

[A shrug. It is what it is. That last question makes him hum softly in his throat, thinking.]

Different. It's a bit more complicated than here, I suppose. Everyone can use spells by speaking to the gods, but some people, who are considered mages, are able to see and hear the spirits. Those people can use stronger magic, depending on the strength of their luonto...like a part of the soul, I suppose. That was what I did, with the military. Mostly defensive and protection spells.

[A pause.]

Of course, that's only how it works in Finland.

[polterguide]

[Military, huh... Bailey's met a few military types in their life, though they were usually people who were, well. Dead. Some of them reverted to what they were like in service, some people didn't, it all depended. Onni seems alive and well, just like everyone else here since they certainly can't see spirits anymore.

The Cleansers, though, confuses them for a moment. They have... Absolutely no frame of reference for what that could mean. But okay. Cleansers. Sure. Maids and stuff.]

Might still be something to consider, if that's what you're most familiar with. I'm sure they'd appreciate more help.

[They consider the explanation of magic, making a noise low in their throat. Gods, huh... Bailey doesn't know anything about any sort of gods or god that might exist back home. People have faith, of course, and they've met their fair share of ghosts who were concerned with going to heaven or hell, but the gods... There was no proof they existed.]

None of the magic I've heard about has been like the magic at my home. There, people can't... See spirits and do magic at the same time. Having powers and abilities like that tends to supersede magical ability. It's also a lot less flashy than the magic here...

[scowlish]

Maybe. What I did in the military was a little different than the Cleansers. I wasn't immune at home, so I didn't want to go out into the forest and burn and clear infected land. I'm not much interested in the idea of it here either. My duties in the military were more defensive and protective, mostly maintaining spells and running perimeter checks, that kind of thing.

[A shrug, and he glances up at Bailey's face - tall, very tall, similar to Reynir.]

Oh? That's interesting. Sort of the opposite of where I'm from, then. The magic at home ranged from very simple to very flashy, depending on the usage and the power of the mage. What was it like in yours?

[This is something he's interested in hearing. It's the closest he can get to having professional conversations, and it's been a long time since he's been able to do that.]

[polterguide]

[The more Onni speaks, the more feels like Bailey both does and doesn't understand what he's talking about. There's a lot of information they don't have, but it still paints a clear enough picture. Whatever life Onni led is something beyond Bailey's scope, and it... Doesn't sound all that great, if there's talking of burning infected land.

They purse their lips, tucking that information away for later. Magic they can talk about, and with Onni there's no fear of him wondering just how they know so much about magic when people hold their secrets so close to their chests.]

It's... Hm. I suppose the easiest way to describe it is that it's more of a gentle influence on the world than anything super drastic or immediate. Stuff like helping plants grow healthier, or ensuring machinery and technology functions smoothly, giving people better luck and protection. Most magic is hereditary, with parents teaching their kids how to craft the charms needed for magic. It's possible to be born to non-magical parents, but a lot of those people will never figure that out.

[They tilt their head, humming.]

And there are people who aren't magical, but who have extrasensory or enhanced physical abilities. Like being able to read people's thoughts, or being stronger than a human should be. Being able to see ghosts and spirits, stuff like that.

[scowlish]

[Frankly, this place reminds Onni of home a great deal, though it's more technologically advanced than at least Finland if not Sweden. It's safer, too, and the Cwyld isn't an instant death sentence like the Rash is, even if it corrupts the soul in a similar way. So this place could be more foreign, more frightening, more unfamiliar.

While Bailey explains what the magic was like where they came from, Onni tilts his head and makes a sort of 'hm' of acknowledgement to show he's listening. It's interesting to hear the similarities and the differences.]

It was like that where I came from too, in a lot of ways. Being a mage is highly hereditary as well, and we learned magic from our family members or the people in our villages. Iceland has an academy of some sort for it, but we never had anything like that in Finland.

[That last bit is interesting, and Onni raises a brow.]

Ah, any abilities like that would be limited to mages at home, and the ability to hear and see spirits is what differentiates someone with strong enough magic to be considered mages. So someone with that ability couldn't be anything but a mage. It's interesting hearing about how these things work in other places.

[A thoughtful pause, and then he asks.]

Were you a mage at home?

[polterguide]

A magic academy...

[They have a hard time picturing such a thing - they honestly think the world could benefit from something like that. The families with magic should be more willing to teach those who would never have magic otherwise.

But that means relinquishing control and power and they'd never do that.]

So all mages can see spirits? Hah. That's funny - it's impossible for those things to exist together where I come from.

[...Ah. They didn't mean to sound so bitter. Their smile goes crooked at Onni's question, and they shake their head.]

No, no. I'm not close to a mage at all. Well, not unless you go with your definition of a mage, someone who can see and hear spirits. My home's magic, though? Not one bit.

[They decide not to mention the fact they could also feel the emotions of others - talking about being a medium is easy. People tend to get strange when you tell them you're an empath, even though they're no longer one here.]

It was also possible for me to detect traces of magic on items, but that's not as useful as you'd think it could be.

[scowlish]

Oh.

[There's obvious interest in how he says it, and he leans forward a little, pinning Bailey with a curious look. It's always interesting to talk to other people who have the ability to see and hear spirits, and he's certainly game to hear more about it.]

What are they like, the spirits you see and hear? I hope they aren't as bad as the ones in my world.

[Those things are twisted and disgusting and violent and hungry and manipulative, digging into all the soft places in a mage's mind, trying to find a way to get in and take over. It's exhausting.]

Ah, it wasn't? My first thought is that it would be, but I suppose it depends on your situation, and how things are in your world.