゜ﾟ*❀*ﾟ ゜ One

[bespell]

.: at 1485 Kramden Road :.

[It would have been a peaceful and uneventful Mayfield morning, given the mild chaos of the past few days, were it not for the loud clanging of pots and pans accidentally crashing onto the floor. A complete accident. Honest. The kitchen itself is not a disaster zone at this point, but it's well on its way to becoming one, courtesy of a young girl who's far too used to using magic at this point to do without it now while making breakfast.

There's anger, confusion, and a slight fear. But most of all, there's hunger.]

All of this would be a world easier if I could just get my wand back!


.: Downtown Mayfield :.

[There's a girl on a borrowed stolen just for a little bit really bike stopping every once in a while to squint at the shops for any familiar faces, or even any trace of magic. Please excuse her if she crashes into you.]

Comments

[ooeeooahah]

[ The woman at the other side of the door is mostly notable for an abundance of nose, and dark circles under her eyes. ]

You... are having trouble? Not used to cooking this way?

[ Her eyes go back to the stove at the hissing mess. ]

[bespell]

I've never been too good at it, rea-- [the egg yolk was starting to congeal into a merry black mess, so she abandons the door to rescue the smoking heap.] Oh no...

[ooeeooahah]

[ She moves quickly to follow, leaving her purse on the kitchen table. ]

Careful! Here, let me help.

[ Ilsa takes the frying pan from her, away from the heat, and smothering the mess with a pot lid before it can catch fire. ]

[bespell]

I'm terribly sorry about this! You see, my sister does all of the cooking... [and the situation's contained so efficiently that Lily starts wishing for her wand back even harder. She misses being on top of things.]

You're a great help, miss.

[ooeeooahah]

Ilsa Higa. Doctor if we were back home, but right now just a neighbor.

[ No magic this time, but once the stuff cools enough, she'll dump the mess in the waste-bin and clean the pan. ]

I had to get used to the antique appliances, but at least I did have the culinary training to fall back on.

[ Without seeming to be hurried or even busy, she's got the kettle on, toast started and the frying pan back on the stove. ]

[bespell]

Is everything here really that old? [Lily's stopped paying attention to household appliances and top of the market products ever since she started school, but she has yet to venture out of the house to get here real shock.]

Where did you say your home was? Oh, I'm asking too many questions, aren't I?

[ooeeooahah]

No, not too many questions, and so far, interesting choices.

[ Ilsa starts cooking more eggs. ]

In my world, this place approximates the 1950's. The year when I was brought here was 2031... over a year ago.

[ The kettle begins to boil, and she pours it into a mug with a teabag. ]

Home for me is currently Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. I'm not sure of the planetary placement. Lots of us kidnapped from all over creation, multiple dimensions, and multiple times.

[bespell]

That would... Explain... things. [No. Not really, but it stands to reason that she's alone in this house, without any familiar face.] Although why would anyone kidnap me is puzzling in itself. [Hello, chair, she'll just sink onto you while she lets this sink in.]

Wait. Did you just say multiple dimensions?

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa nods, plating the eggs and toast. ]

There's people here that have never even heard of our star system. Several people here are from an Earth, but they don't share the same history. In some cases, there's people here that do know each other, but they were taken from different points in history.

[ Putting the mug and plate in front of the girl, ] You've been presented with more than six impossible things to believe, so maybe it's time to stop for breakfast.

[ Ilsa takes a sip from the other mug of tea she made. ]

[bespell]

[If anything could make this absurd predicament better, then it would be a proper cup of tea, and one Lily doesn't refuse. She sips as well, in an appallingly pink nightgown that clashes with her hair and fluffy slippers, mulling things over glumly.]

And here I thought all of that nonsense was a wizard's pipe dream, but if I'm here, and all of these people are, perhaps it's not a dream after all.

[ooeeooahah]

Oh, there's mages plenty here - no matter what they call themselves.

[ She watches for the girl's reaction to the acknowledgement of magic. ]

[bespell]

[It's relief, out with the breath she cools the tea with, and visible at that.] But how do you know that? Do they go around telling everyone what they are?

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa waits for the girl to finish sipping her tea before sketching her recognition sigil in the air between them. It glows briefly as Ilsa continues. ]

Some of us do, here. I'm also a guardian mage for my city.

[bespell]

[Eyes widen slightly at the display, and something aches at the loss of her own magic.]

That's horrible, keeping you away from your home when you might be needed. Why would anyone do something like that?

[ooeeooahah]

We don't know yet. But for some reason, they kidnap us, strip us of abilities, and in some cases our normal bodies, and then we get them back piecemeal.

[ Ilsa pulls an envelope out of her purse, which contains mimeographed copies of a map of Mayfield, out to the highway, the safe housing and medics list, the most recent edition of The Rose's introductory letter, GLaDOS's letter to the hero and some other reports. ]

You'll need to read these. [ Ilsa raises an eyebrow at the girl. ] After breakfast.

[bespell]

[She reaches for them quickly, drawing her hand reluctantly at the suggestion to pull the plate of eggs closer.] That explains it. [She adds softly.] My magic is gone.

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa waits for the girl to start eating before continuing. ] You will likely get it back, but we can't tell how or why. When is usually after the town goes mad for a few days.

[ She twitches a little, but goes on. ] I got my Sight back , but not at full power. My Empathy came back in sections, sensory before projection. I'm still not up to the level I was before I was brought here, and it's been a year since I got my Sight back.

[bespell]

[She's surprised at how famished she is. Then again, she was hungry enough to almost set the kitchen on fire.] I can't remember ever being without it. It's very disorienting, what they're doing to us.

What is the Sight, if I may ask?

[ooeeooahah]

The technical term is Sight of the Wyrd of the Worlds, but it means I can see the power flows in the world.

[ Ilsa takes the time to talk, to make sure breakfast is eaten. ]

It runs rampant in my mother's family, to differing degrees. I got the guardian mage toolkit, my sister got the Seer talents... it was disorienting, but at the same time instructional to get my abilities back in pieces.

[ Taking a sip of her tea, she continues. ]

You'll find there's quite a few different schools represented here. Most experienced one I've met so far is Granny Weatherwax. She's one of the really old-school types, like my teacher, who is a minimalist. There's been a couple of wand-workers, and some of the flashier types.

[bespell]

[Her face visibly brightens up at the mention of "wand-workers", forgetting her caution to mention magic, but they've already gone this far.] So there are people like me here...

Not that I'm happy anyone was brought here by force.

[ooeeooahah]

True enough. I haven't met anyone from my world, that I know of. There's several people who might be from my world, but back home, mages work without public knowledge.

[ She shrugs, ] Here, however - we might need everyone's talents to get out.

[bespell]

I guess all wizarding communities have something in common, even in different worlds.

I will want to help, though. I need to do something. If you let me.

[ooeeooahah]

[ She nods. ] I'm hoping to have a get-together for magic workers around the solstice. It would be good if you could come, even if you don't have your magic back by then. We need to get used to the way all of us work.

[bespell]

That would be the right thing to do, wouldn't it be?

I just hope I'm not in the way.

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa fixes a firm gaze on the younger woman. ] The only way someone here could be "in the way" would be if you blocked others. Everyone here has knowledge and skills to contribute, even if you don't have all of your talents at hand.