[april catch-all]

[spellslots]

who: Taako & various
what: What it says on the tin! Assorted threads for April that don't fit anywhere else
when: Aprilllll
where: Your mom's bedroom
warnings: drugs, booze, probably some slightly nsfw content
notes: hmu if you want something

Comments

[spellslots]

[Psych it was actually 19 times he just doesn't remember 8 of them. D&D is wild.]

I'm absolutely holding you to that.

[But he's also going to answer Clark's question with a thumbs up, before waving a hand over his own eyes and casting true seeing. There's a split second of tension when he casts it first, waiting to see those white eyes that followed him back home, but this world still seems to be clear of them.

Taako sets his pack down, digs out his spell book, and walks closer to the portal, regarding both it and the area around it, trying to pick out anything that might give a clue to how it works.]

So, this shit is kinda magic, but not... [He hums, probably more thoughtful than Clark has ever seen him as he flicks through his spell book, skimming the contents.] It's not a magical portal, not totally, I know what those look like and this ain't that. But it's got a little magic flavor, for sure.

[Magic and science being used together isn't unfamiliar to him, but the portal is even more than that, since it's some kind of natural phenomenon that sits on the edge of magic and science.]

[signifies]

[ Clark watches Taako intently. No matter how often he sees him cast a spell, it feels like something wondrous is about to happen. Taako puts effort into making it look effortless.

The other part is magic. ]

I'll have a look. [ He walks around while scanning the Portal. ] That's strange. It's not a containment device.

[mannerism]

You boys are terribly busy saying what is isn't.

[ for a woman who is seeing magic for the first time, she remains stoic, eyes darting between them and the portal itself.

she's hardly as skilled, hardly as observant. she walks closer regardless, peers at it. ]

Let us begin by listing what we do know. I have with me two of the most skillful men in Quarantine. We can do better than that.

[spellslots]

[Sorry Peggy, that comment startles him enough to draw a laugh.]

Listen, I'm not speaking for tall, dark and handsome over here, but I'm just a shitty wizard, skillful is being generous. [Clark gets "tall, dark and handsome" because Taako isn't sure what name he's going by with Peggy.] Oh, and elf, not man.

[That's actually Important to him.]

[signifies]

I wouldn't know about skilful. [ He can do more but that's a product of alien biochemistry and not inherent talent. ] I'm looking at the mechanism of the portal with my X-ray vision. It looks like measurement instead of containment.

[mannerism]

Elf, then.

[ what has peggy carter's life become? and she used to think it was lively enough with just the presence of howard stark's inventions. ]

Measurement?

[ the one least knowledgeable of the three, she takes to asking the question, pointing out the discussion, so to speak. ]

How so?

[spellslots]

[Taako gives her a thumbs up, then unceremoniously finds a spot to sit down.]

You guys do your nerd shit, I've got another idea.

[This is going to take him ten minutes.]

[signifies]

[ He stands next to Peggy. ]

The edges of the Portal look like they're being held in by the ring. [ Like glass on a window. ] I can see and hear what's happening on the other side normally.

[mannerism]

-- Well that isn't bizarre at all.

[ and a bit creepy but she won't admit it, not right now. ]

Do you think the thing is sentient or do they operate it somehow?

[spellslots]

[Please ignore the fact he's drawing invisible symbols with his hands while he talks. Luckily talking is a free action that doesn't break concentration.]

Pretty sure if they could control it they'd send all us whiny fucks back where we came from.

[He's rude.]

[signifies]

[ Taako pls

Clark examines the ring again. ]

I don't see anything controlling it.

[mannerism]

I doubt it'll be that easy. Well, if they cannot control it, then the question remains, can it control itself.

[ she squints a bit, trying to come up with another question, another direction. ]

If it does, as Taako so elegantly put it, perhaps it could send us back.

[spellslots]

I could give one spell a shot, but it could break pretty bad for me, not sure I wanna roll the dice on that one again just yet.

[Clark might be able to guess that Taako's referring to the spell he used to speak with the witch of the river.

But it is pretty risky, and he'd need more prep time if nothing else.]

[signifies]

[ Clark guesses it might be something like that for Taako. He also doesn't want to risk trying that spell so soon. ]

It can bring objects from our worlds. Theoretically, we might be able to lengthen the time the Portal stays on each one.

[mannerism]

Using anything that would risk you is entirely out of the question.

[ for now. it sounds desperate and hell, peggy carter isn't desperate to encourage this manner of risk-taking. she considers the portal and arches an eyebrow. ]

Do we know of anyone who went the other way around? from Quarantine to their world?

[spellslots]

[That gets a little chuckle from Taako; every day with the Bureau is likely to get him killed, so while he isn't inclined to try this spell again just yet, it's sweet that Peggy is apparently worried about him.]

I think it might be a luck of the draw kinda deal. There was a kid here who isn't anymore, and she was too smart to get her ass killed, so my money's on her going home.

[signifies]

I've heard of one person from a world like mine who disappeared. I can't hear him in the city, so he must have gone through the Portal.

[mannerism]

I don't know if I believe in luck.

[ it would make everything that less predictable and already, she is unhappy with it. ]

If so - why send people back at all? It seems to bring more people than it takes.

[spellslots]

Luck exists, for realsies. I can confirm that one.

[Or at least it exists in a concept that liches can exploit, although he doesn't know the specifics.]

Sending folks back is probably a like, hm. [He knows what he wants to say, he's just having trouble wording it.] A sign of good faith, maybe? They're still doing their best to encourage people to stay, though.

[signifies]

Or it's an accident, a malfunction...

[ It's hard to say. ]

[mannerism]

They won't give us much intel on that thing. That's already something that makes me curious.

[ and suspicious, as it turns out. ]

Different worlds, different times. It's a great power to wield. All of this and they still need our help.

[spellslots]

Are you always this suspicious, my dude?

[He just wants to make sure.]

[signifies]

[ She's not wrong, though. Clark's also not sure why they've really been brought here.

He'll keep examining the Portal from different angles and see if anything pops out at him it. ]

[mannerism]

Nasty habit, I'm afraid.

[ she makes it sound as if she was born like this. the truth is always more complicated. it's the second nature of every spy but such explanations are out of place in this particular moment. ]

And may I ask - if I'm to be your anything, should I at least know what I am being referred to?

[ she walks just a step behind clark but she does spare him a look. ]

What is a dude?

[spellslots]

Oh, it's just slang, I guess? Like it usually means guys but I'm not about that life.

[Gender? He doesn't know her.

More importantly, Taako suddenly holds up a hand in a request for silence, head tilted as if he's listening to something.]

Okay, huh, that's a weird one. This thing used to be alive?