riverviewlogs | [semi-open] ✪ may your smile shine on, don't be scared

Man, one day I'm gonna meet someone that doesn't call me out on that shit. [He sounds amused though, rather than annoyed. It's just kinda funny to him that everyone seems to pick up on it.] My aunt always called me that, don't remember what it means.

[It's become basically a general term of endearment to him, at this point.

But! Magic.

Taako picks up the scissors, offering them to Eddie handle first.]

This part's for you.

[Eddie laughs softly, shaking his head.]

It's cute.

[Shrugging, he turns his attention to the magic, as Taako hands over a pair of scissors, carefully, handle first. Eddie takes them looking at them curiously.]

Okay. Magic scissors? I mean, did you cast a spell on them?

Nah I just want you to cut my hair for me. [a beat, and a grin.] Actually they're normal fucking scissors, the spell is in the ribbon.

[He waves a hand at it, then pats the spot in front of him on the bed; Eddie might as well get comfy, Taako doesn't know how long this'll take.]

It's a contingency, I basically just baked a spell into the ribbon that'll be cast when it's cut. Elves don't like, sleep, so I couldn't just put a sleep spell in there, but it's kind of a work around. If shit goes sideways, you can cut the ribbon and tell me to meditate. But I need to cast something on you first, 'cause I need to be able to understand you no matter what.

[He's not actually sure if it'll work, but... it's the best option he could cook up.]

[For a moment, it gets Eddie, mostly because he doesn't know the first thing about how magic works, and it seems perfectly valid that Taako might need a piece of his hair for some spell or other. So he's already nodding when Taako says they're normal, and he abruptly huffs, gives the elf's shoulder a little shove, and rolls his eyes.]

Ha ha.

[Still, he lets it go right away, settling down on the bed and holding the scissors, attentive to what Taako is saying while he explains the spell and everything. It's dangerous, Taako told him, so he wants to make sure he understands exactly what to do and how, in case something goes wrong. It feels like a big thing, the fact Taako is trusting him with all this.]

You don't sleep? Oh wow. [But that's beside the point. After a moment of thought, he nods, takes a deep breath and releases it.]

Okay. So if the spell doesn't work and you're speaking gibberish, then I cut the ribbon, and it'll put a spell on you so you can meditate it off. Gotcha.

[For a moment, he pauses, then-]

I thought you said you might not be able to understand any kind of speech?

[He makes a note to explain the whole meditation thing for elves a bit later, since it isn't vital to what's happening right now and he's sure there'll be time for a change to delve into elven physiology in the future.

Right now, he's just looking a bit sheepish.]

Yeah, that's... that might be a thing? I'll be honest, I'm not totally sure that this will negate that, so I guess just improvise if it doesn't? I'm not gonna be like, difficult or anything, just fucking confused. [Taako pauses, then huffs out a breath.] If what I'm about to try backfires, I'm gonna get hurt, not physically but... still hurt pretty bad. So worst case scenario just finish the job and knock me out.

[Not reassuring!!]

Wow.

[It's all he can get out for a few moments, as he puts some thought into that. He really, really doesn't want to have to knock Taako out, and the idea of Taako being confused and speaking gibberish pulls at his heartstrings in a pretty unexpected way. So his face softens a little, and he nods.]

I swear to god, you'd better not need me to knock you out. I really don't want to do that. There is literally no way to knock a person out without the danger of causing brain damage. So please, let's try to make sure this doesn't go wrong, okay?

With the amount of times I've been unconscious we are way past worrying about that shit.

[There's a slight difference between falling unconscious in D&D land and in the real world, but Taako has no clue about that, so he's just rolling with what he knows.]

Edited 2017-04-13 05:49 (UTC)

[Eddie's brows raise, and he shakes his head.]

Say what you want, but I don't ever really get past worrying about my friends, okay?

[He says it like he's trying to joke, but there's a certain earnest sincerity about it that he can't mask. So he tries to sober up a little, licks his lips as he looks at the scissors in his hand.]

Okay. What next then?

[Taako rolls his eyes at that sincerity, but his smile is just a little bit fond. It reminds him of Magnus and he can't help being fond of that.]

I'm gonna cast a spell on you.

[He reaches out to put a hand on Eddie's shoulder, since contact is necessary, then mutters something under his breath. And it's done.]

Can you understand me?

[He's speaking Elvish, and Eddie will be able to hear it as English.]

[Eddie can't help it, he gives Taako a little grin, raises his brows, the flirtation obvious in response to that comment about casting a spell on him.]

Gonna, huh?

[But this isn't the time or place, so he lets it go as Taako puts his hand on his shoulder, then speaks quietly under his breath. When he speaks again, Eddie blinks, nodding.]

Yeah, of course. Why?

[He huffs a laugh a little belatedly, waving a hand at Eddie like please focus even if he's smiling.]

I'm speaking Elvish, the spell's translating for you.

[Eddie can't help but make stupid jokes, it's just in his nature. But once Taako tells him he's speaking Elvish, Eddie's eyes go wide.]

What? Seriously? Am I?

Nah, if you were speaking something I didn't already know it'd translate for me, but this kinda spell is more about like, uh...

[He's trying to think how to explain it.]

It's not really a direct translation, it's more mental? You're understanding my intent behind the words, not the words themselves.

[Does that make sense?]

Oh, okay, I get it.

[And he does. It makes a lot more sense now, why Taako wanted to cast this.]

It's so if the spell goes bad, and you're speaking gibberish, I can hear the intent behind the words, right? Better chance of understanding each other, providing your brain is thinking normally and not in gibberish.

[A pause, and then he smiles a little.]

Smart.

That's what I'm hoping.

[He switches back to English, because Elvish still feels kind of clunky on his tongue when he doesn't use it all that often.

But the compliment makes him smile, a little wry. Despite his insistence that he's a simple idiot wizard, it's kinda nice to have someone say he's smart, but he's not really sure what to say in response, so:]

You ready for this?

I hope so too. I mean, maybe a little less than I hope the spell just doesn't go bad, but if something does happen...

[Taking a deep breath, Eddie watches while Taako processes the compliment and then doesn't address it - obviously he's not used to it, and Eddie makes a mental note to give him more of them. Just to get him accustomed to them.

But Taako is talking about actually doing the spell now, and Eddie takes a deep breath, nodding.]

I think so. But let me go over this one last time. If you do the spell and start speaking gibberish, I should cut the ribbon with the scissors, which will make it so I can hopefully order you to meditate it off. If it doesn't, then knock you out.

Good?

That about sums it up.

[He gives Eddie a grin to hide any of the nerves he's feeling, not wanting to make Eddie worry, since at least one of them needs to keep their shit together if this goes awry.]

I dunno what this shit is gonna look like from this end, if I start talking to myself don't sweat it too much.

[As long as it's normal talking and not muttering insanely.]

Alright. Maybe I'm not so hopeless with this magic thing.

[Eddie says it with a teasing little grin in response to Taako's. Eddie's observant enough to tell the elf is nervous, but he can also tell Taako is trying to hide it, so he doesn't call him out on it. It's a little catching though, the anxiety. How could it not be when this is apparently a really dangerous spell?

Eddie nods in response to Taako's last warning, takes a deep breath and holds it for just a moment, again, before letting it go.]

Alright. Let's do this thing.

Hell yeah.

[Taako takes one more second to get comfortable, resting his hands loosely in his lap, before he closes his eyes. There's an incantation for this, spoken in Elvish although it doesn't quite translate for Eddie because they're just... magic words with no meaning except to do what he needs them to do.

Nothing really changes, not noticeably, but Taako's posture slackens a little, as if he's not quite focused on holding himself up anymore.

In his mind, he sees the witch of the river. Worry crosses his brow at the second question he asks her and never quite smooths away, but that's the only outward sign of what's happening.

And then a minute has passed, and he's back. His eyes open and his mouth twists in a smile that isn't quite genuine.]

Hey.

[They're good, nothing went wrong.]

[The spell doesn't take very long, only a minute, but it's one of the longest minutes of Eddie's whole life, and he spends nearly the entire thing holding his breath, watching Taako's face. The elf murmurs soft words that Eddie can't understand, and his heart beats harder because he's worried about that, but then Taako seems to relax, his expression softens, his posture goes looser, like he's in a trance.

Eddie watches his face clearly for any sign of distress, notices the way his brows furrow a little with concern, and Eddie's about to say something, try to see if he can help, when Taako abruptly comes back into himself.]

Hey. You understand me. I understand you. You're looking at me. We're good?

[Smiling, Eddie suddenly registers how hard his heart is beating and how fast he's breathing.]

Did you get the information you were looking for?

We're good, my man, take a breath.

[He can't actually hear how hard Eddie's heart is beating, but Taako can guess that he was worried, that he still might be a little worried. That's just the kind of guy Eddie is.

It's almost sweet.]

Yeah, it's, yeah. The people here don't have any ill intentions towards us, and they're not lying about being able to send us back. [He knows that isn't as relevant to Eddie, but it's an important fact for most people here.] And I asked about whatever the fuck is happening back home, if it's a threat here. She said 'not yet', so I guess we don't have to panic.

[He doesn't say that he asked about his friends, Eddie doesn't need to know how many questions he asked.]

[Eddie actually laughs softly at that, and he stands up, sits down on the bed beside Taako with a soft exhalation of relief, and shakes his head.]

Good. Good, I'm glad we're good, and you're okay.

[While Taako explains the intel he got, Eddie's brows raise a little bit. The answers aren't all that unexpected, since Eddie never really got any bad vibes from the people in charge here. They seemed...well-meaning but maybe a little henpecked and slightly incompetent. The fact that everyone can go home is a little disheartening, but Eddie doesn't want to think about that, right now, about being stuck here while everyone else goes home once they figure out how.

Nodding again, he exhales softly.]

Alright. Well, that's something. Do you mind if I ask...how you got these answers?

Fuck yeah, not crazy! [His grin is a little more genuine, as is his laugh.] Super glad about that one.

[He realises that he would've been less worried if Magnus or Merle were around; it's not that he doesn't trust Eddie, just that Eddie doesn't know him the way the others two do, he doesn't know magic they way they do.

But nothing went wrong, it's fine, and with a wave he drops all the rest of the spells that he'd cast, including the one on the ribbon.]

There was a witch, said she was the witch of the river, or... I knew she was? It's kinda hard to explain. I asked my questions, she answered.

[It's to be expected, that he's no substitute for the people from Taako's home, but even so, if he were aware of how Taako is feeling, he would probably be a little sad. A little homesick. Fortunately, he doesn't know, so he's focused on Taako and his responses.

Lifting a hand, he gently rubs at Taako's shoulder as he drops the spells, an instinctive comforting response.]

So you contacted a witch? Is she...a dead witch?

[There's a brief flicker of surprise when Eddie touches him; Magnus is a hugger, but tends to let Taako initiate any contact between them, and while he's not exactly adverse to physical affection, he tends to keep the gestures small and brief.

But he doesn't pull away, instead relaxing under the touch.]

She was hella dead, for a long time. Not that I wasted a question on that shit, but she felt old.

[semi-open] ✪ may your smile shine on, don't be scared

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shall we call it here?

yes ma'am o7