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pulchra prudentiae, tell me you spent a fruitful and warm yule without tormenting too many unsuspecting mortals
[It's always good to start any conversation with prudence by calling her beautiful, after all.]
[It's always good to start any conversation with prudence by calling her beautiful, after all.]
[ Oh yes, that always helps.
Of course, it still takes her a bit before it occurs to Prudence to actually check her device, and then another little bit as she figures out how to reply. Texting... hmm. It gives her the option of speech to text dictation, luckily; everything is better when it's hands free.
Or nearly everything. ]
How many is too many, Nicky dear?
Did you have a bright Solstice yourself?
Of course, it still takes her a bit before it occurs to Prudence to actually check her device, and then another little bit as she figures out how to reply. Texting... hmm. It gives her the option of speech to text dictation, luckily; everything is better when it's hands free.
Or nearly everything. ]
How many is too many, Nicky dear?
Did you have a bright Solstice yourself?
enough that start a rampage
it was fine. uneventful, if you don't count dorian's party
it was fine. uneventful, if you don't count dorian's party
my office. i'm shocked you didn't come back there. you're normally so good at walking in on me
were you walking in on someone else?
was it dorian?
was it dorian?
you'll find the are very eager to learn. they don't know anything and it's a wonder
That mortals don't know anything is hardly a revelation. I've known it since I was a little girl.
That's what makes them so fun to play with, yes, but why ever would I let something that can barely think for itself beneath my skirt?
Is it because you're a man or because you're a slut that you have such low standards?
That's what makes them so fun to play with, yes, but why ever would I let something that can barely think for itself beneath my skirt?
Is it because you're a man or because you're a slut that you have such low standards?
Here's the spell we talked about.
Please respond via text.
Or at least don't write anything on my skin.
[There are two photos attached the text. The first shows the cover of the book. It's a plain dark red with gold embossed lettering: The Simple, Straightforward Book of Spells. There's no author identified on the front cover. The second is a landscape photo that shows the page the spell is on.
"For the Concentration of Magical Energies (External to Internal)." The spell is a very simple thing and doesn't require any items. It just needs the appropriate marking on the individual to have the spell cast on and the appropriate incantation. The incantation is in English and composed of a series of rhyming couplets. There's nothing particularly notable about it. The page depicting the markings is drawn on an androgynous human body. There's a note at the bottom of that page that reads "To be applied precisely.♦"
The diamond is very small and will likely be recognizable to Prudence as the magical equivalent of a footnote. The actual footnote itself isn't on the page or anything else that Jon has sent.]
Please respond via text.
Or at least don't write anything on my skin.
[There are two photos attached the text. The first shows the cover of the book. It's a plain dark red with gold embossed lettering: The Simple, Straightforward Book of Spells. There's no author identified on the front cover. The second is a landscape photo that shows the page the spell is on.
"For the Concentration of Magical Energies (External to Internal)." The spell is a very simple thing and doesn't require any items. It just needs the appropriate marking on the individual to have the spell cast on and the appropriate incantation. The incantation is in English and composed of a series of rhyming couplets. There's nothing particularly notable about it. The page depicting the markings is drawn on an androgynous human body. There's a note at the bottom of that page that reads "To be applied precisely.♦"
The diamond is very small and will likely be recognizable to Prudence as the magical equivalent of a footnote. The actual footnote itself isn't on the page or anything else that Jon has sent.]
Well if I kept myself to the highest standards, I would only sleep with you, and we both know you wouldn't like that, would you?
I still think you should try it.
I still think you should try it.
You know, one of Agatha's mortals once kept hanging around long past his expiration date. I had to erase his memories, for both of their sakes.
She was a little put-out at first, but it was for the best.
What makes yours so worth the trouble?
[ There's a pause, but then she continues: ]
I have considered it.
The trouble is finding one scrumptious enough to be worth tasting.
She was a little put-out at first, but it was for the best.
What makes yours so worth the trouble?
[ There's a pause, but then she continues: ]
I have considered it.
The trouble is finding one scrumptious enough to be worth tasting.
[ Ugh, responding via text. She's been practicing a little since their last conversation, at least, but that doesn't mean Prudence likes using phones for this.
The Simple, Straightforward Book of Spells. Curious. Prudence doesn't think she recognizes it, but it's harder still to confirm without an author. Maybe Nick would know. What she does know is that footnote seems vaguely problematic. ]
How does the desired effect compare to the actual effect?
If I'm to help you fix your problem I need to know exactly what that is.
The Simple, Straightforward Book of Spells. Curious. Prudence doesn't think she recognizes it, but it's harder still to confirm without an author. Maybe Nick would know. What she does know is that footnote seems vaguely problematic. ]
How does the desired effect compare to the actual effect?
If I'm to help you fix your problem I need to know exactly what that is.
What I am has certain requirements.
I take Statements from people, stories about their experiences with the supernatural.
They can be written Statements that I read or verbal Statements taken directly from a person.
Verbal Statements are more filling, as it were, but they also have undesirable side-effects for the subject of the Statement.
The spell was meant to enhance the effect I get from the written Statements.
They used to be enough, so I just wanted to get back to that point.
It's worked and the written Statements are more or less adequate.
Someone recently saw fit to give me a verbal Statement without my asking for it.
The effects of that have been enhanced, as well.
To a point of being extremely uncomfortable.
I need to tone down those effects and just retain the enhancement to written Statements.
I take Statements from people, stories about their experiences with the supernatural.
They can be written Statements that I read or verbal Statements taken directly from a person.
Verbal Statements are more filling, as it were, but they also have undesirable side-effects for the subject of the Statement.
The spell was meant to enhance the effect I get from the written Statements.
They used to be enough, so I just wanted to get back to that point.
It's worked and the written Statements are more or less adequate.
Someone recently saw fit to give me a verbal Statement without my asking for it.
The effects of that have been enhanced, as well.
To a point of being extremely uncomfortable.
I need to tone down those effects and just retain the enhancement to written Statements.
Edited 2020-01-04 01:01 (UTC)
What are you besides an Archivist?
[ Just checking. By this description alone he almost sounds like some form of demon, particularly given the comparison to feeding, but that isn't a dealbreaker. Prudence has helped banish demons before; helping weaken one, so to speak, is till within a similar ballpark. ]
I see.
I may be able to help you, but I'll need some time. This will require research.
[ Just checking. By this description alone he almost sounds like some form of demon, particularly given the comparison to feeding, but that isn't a dealbreaker. Prudence has helped banish demons before; helping weaken one, so to speak, is till within a similar ballpark. ]
I see.
I may be able to help you, but I'll need some time. This will require research.
I'm the Archivist.
That's what I am.
The title came with certain, unmentioned complications when I was hired.
That's what I am.
The title came with certain, unmentioned complications when I was hired.
I was a mortal.
And I'm not a demon.
There are entities in my world that are responsible for all supernatural activity.
Some people think of them as gods.
Really, they're just beings of extraordinary power that exist on a plane of reality outside our own.
They feed on primal fears.
The dark, fire, being hunted, dying.
And they are those things.
They perpetuate them.
Some mortals with a particular affinity are selected to be their vessels.
It's not like being controlled, though.
Not entirely, anyway.
I was Jonathan Sims.
Now I'm Jonathan Sims, the Archivist.
I'm fairly certain I'm still me.
More or less.
And I'm not a demon.
There are entities in my world that are responsible for all supernatural activity.
Some people think of them as gods.
Really, they're just beings of extraordinary power that exist on a plane of reality outside our own.
They feed on primal fears.
The dark, fire, being hunted, dying.
And they are those things.
They perpetuate them.
Some mortals with a particular affinity are selected to be their vessels.
It's not like being controlled, though.
Not entirely, anyway.
I was Jonathan Sims.
Now I'm Jonathan Sims, the Archivist.
I'm fairly certain I'm still me.
More or less.
They're not demons.
That would imply we have anything like a hell.
We don't.
It's hard to say they even have the capacity to think like we do.
I assume your demons are capable of conscious thought rather than just animal instinct?
That would imply we have anything like a hell.
We don't.
It's hard to say they even have the capacity to think like we do.
I assume your demons are capable of conscious thought rather than just animal instinct?
So, they have bodies?
The Fears aren't that concrete.
Their manifestations or servants can be, but they're concepts.
One of them is literally the fear of the dark.
It's just a thing that is.
Your Lilith's keen on destroying some of them and doesn't seem to get that it's like trying to destroy and idea.
It just doesn't work that way.
The Fears aren't that concrete.
Their manifestations or servants can be, but they're concepts.
One of them is literally the fear of the dark.
It's just a thing that is.
Your Lilith's keen on destroying some of them and doesn't seem to get that it's like trying to destroy and idea.
It just doesn't work that way.
Edited (typo city) 2020-01-04 04:57 (UTC)
[Jon draws in a deep breath.]
How would you go about destroying a color?
A color, let's say, that hates you.
How would you go about destroying a color?
A color, let's say, that hates you.
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