[FIN] There is no spoon [Preacher/Shun]

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun was, once again, in Other Ashdown, doing what he could to refine his skills in magic. He had a better handle of it now than before for certain, but as with anything, he could always use more fine tuning. The more he got this down now, the better the chance he'd have if something happened that would require him to be able to perform well.

He was doing a few things, striking at the air while some shadows were forming in the air along side. Parts of it appeared to be crystallizing into black ice before it all dissolves away back into shadow.

At some point, he conjured up a few shards of ice and sent them flying off towards a tree some distance away.

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The Semblance of Uniy

Hope this works!

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher whistled lowly and clapped as she popped into the clearing. Of all things, she hadn't really supposed she'd run into Shun practicing quite a bit more than solo ball-play out here. "Was that ice? Or like the solid manifestation of your personality?" Her tone wasn't joking, but she was definitely taking a jab at his stick-in-the-mud self.

"No balls?"

blade kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun turned as he heard the low whistle, pausing upon seeing Preacher here of all places. So it seemed she had gotten herself mixed up in all of this magical nonsense now as well. More and more people were getting pulled in, it seemed. That was something he wasn't sure how he felt about. There was also the fact that this was the second time she's stumbled upon him while he was out and about practicing.

"That was ice in some form, yes," he answered lowly. He dismissed the little jab at his rather cool demeanor.

"No balls. Not here, anyway. I can handle and do more s**t on this side," he shrugged, "When did you start coming here?"

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The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Haha, you said you don't have any balls here." Preacher's humor was often likened to that of a barely pubescent boy. She didn't argue with this assessment.

His next question though... did it even matter? He'd been like in rainyshitland stuff for forever. She spoke emotionally: "Well, ya see... I had a dream. My previous life - like I lived 'til I was 94 so that was pretty cool - apparently used to tool around here a lot. And she came to me inna dream and told me I was a little s**t for not chillin' out here in this life. So she took my tiny, fragile hand and guided me to this place o' wonder. So ya could argue I've been here for decades." She finished off her long-winded, grandiose lie with a snort. "Iunno, not long."

"Sooooo... what exactly are you doin'?"

blade kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

The detective gave her a rather flat stare for that comment. He didn't say anything, but he was definitely judging her for that one. This silent stare of judgement did not go away as Preacher began to go on an elaborate tale of bull. But he didn't interrupt her. No, he just continued on with that expression of his.

"In short, practicing magic," he deadpanned, "I finally figured out a medium I could work with here. So now it is a matter of improving upon that."

A second medium, anyway.

"If you are seeking a way out of Other Ashdown, I am afraid I cannot help you much in that regard. I do not have an easy way of getting out of here."

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The semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Aw, boo, no real reaction. But that was just how Shun was. "Nah, I figured - most people can't help with a way out n' such." Preacher shrugged. It seemed kind of shitty that shitland sucked people in and didn't give them an easy way out. Maybe eventually it'd suck them all in and never let them go.

"Tell me how ya do it."

blade kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun tilted his head in thought, then turned to face Preacher more directly.

"Well, the biggest thing to magic here is that it is powered by one's will. In theory, you can do just about anything here. You need a clear idea of what it is you want to do. Focus on that, and have no doubts," he explained. There wasn't really a super easy way of describing how magic worked here.

"It does still take time and practice to really get a handle of it. I would not expect anyone to be able to do drastic things right off the bat."

The semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She made a face. "You don't use words or spells n' stuff?" It just seemed easier to use set words to mean something versus power of will, which sounded kind of hokey anyway. Then again, all of magic sounded like mumbo jumbo, even if she knew it was real.

"Ok, Master Jedi, what-all can y'do?"

blade kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

"Some people do tie it to words or phrases. It varies from person to person, but willpower is still at the core of it. I knew someone who cast things based on the spells from Harry Potter," Shun said with a shrug. Algernon also had to tie words to his spells.

He tilted his head as Preacher asked what he was capable of. Taking a step back, he raised a hand. Inky blobs of wispy shadow formed before solidifying into what appeared to be blades of black ice. He had these orbit around his body a few times before sending them off into the distance. Most likely she was looking for something a little more impressive, though, so he took another step back and began to focus. Closing his eyes for a moment, he made a quick swiping motion with one of his hands. The shadows seemed to to stretch on out of the ground, curving around him before the outer edges crystallized into the same black ice, forming a sort of partial barrier before him. It lingered there for a few seconds, before it melted away back to the shadows on the ground.

It probably still wasn't quite as impressive or flashy as something like a fireball, but it was at least something easier to see than some of his other tricks.

the semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Fancy." She poked at a shadow with one toe. "Where's the water for tha ice come from? Like does it dehydrate you or just pullin' it from air n' s**t?"

blade kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun shook his head, "Either it is from any water in the air, or it might just be magic materializing in a certain way. I have seen fire, of all things, freeze. I do not exactly know the science behind it... or if there even is a science to it. I have heard that magic is like matter in that it cannot be destroyed. In theory its form can shift like matter as well, then."

The semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Magic jus' sounds like weird chem." And Preacher hadn't particularly liked chemistry in high school, although she shockingly managed to maintain a high grade. There should be science behind magic, she thought grumpily. It's be easier than this fifteen percent concentrated power of will stuff.

"How'd you figure out you were ice stuff?"

blade kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

At that, Shun tilted his head, thinking about it.

"Well working with fire was difficult for me. I actually found out I could sort of manipulate the shadows first. Or at least get them to work with me. Only problem is that shadows are very... incorporeal? Using ice is just a means to make it more solid... It just sort of worked out that way."

It was a pretty shitty explanation, but he wasn't sure how else to say it. None of this made total sense to him.

"...Magic is ******** weird, okay."

The semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"No s**t, Sherlock. Maybe I can learn to fart fire or something." It seemed highly useless, but it'd be something. Preacher really preferred to just punch things. But she knew, with magical bullshit, she'd be severely outclassed unless she learned a few things.

"So what should I do? Just... think really hard about stuff and fwoom?"

blade kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

"If you really wanted to, I am sure you can," Shun deadpanned. Why she would want to do that, was beyond him.

"It is more than just thinking really hard about it. You need to know exactly what it is you want to do. If conjuring something, know its size, feel, looks, smells, and perhaps even what it sounds like. Attach a word or phrase to it if that helps you. For me, it was easier starting with things that augmented myself in some what."

To demonstrate, he crouched down, then jumped straight up. About ten feet up.

The semblance of unity