On your broomsticks! [OPEN]

[theboywhodied]

Following the instructions given to him by crew members here and there, Cedric stepped through a green archway tucked on a corner of the fifth floor and entered a grey void. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sort of place that would be perfect for a day of flying. He imagined a bright grassy plain, a large lake, and a forest off to the side. Vague memories turned into vivid images surrounding him, so thoroughly convincing that he really believed he'd been taken from the ship and placed on a field back on Earth. It was quite a convincing illusion
.
All it needed now was the key piece: a group of brooms. He thought for a moment on which brooms to provide them with. Firebolts were the world standard, but he'd never known one well enough to be able to picture it accurately. The school brooms, Shooting Stars, were nice and safe for new riders but not quite reliable. In the end, he knew his own broom best: a sleek Nimbus 2001, gifted by his father. As long as he instructed the fliers to go slowly, they should be safe on those brooms.

Visitors would find Cedric side-mounted on a broom in his black and yellow Quidditch robes, gliding just slightly over the grass. As soon as he spotted them, he'd greet them enthusiastically and move to touch down. "Hi!"

((ooc: wide open for everyone to join in! We'll be doing some group exercises too, so thread around! Fly as a group when you're ready!))

Comments

[theboywhodied]

Cedric shakes his head. "It's mixed, I suppose. We elect the Minster, but the rest of the governing body consists of employed and appointed people. They have considerable power."

As for magic? He was most interested in seeing hers. "Yeah, that's what I meant to ask."

[fireforger]

Daja shook her head. "I don't understand how you could ever get anything done when your rulers are a committee," she said.

"I am a smith mage - my magic is rooted in fire, and metal. In my world, we call it Ambient magic, and it is the kind of magic that is rooted in ordinary, natural things. We have less range and flexibility than Academic mages, but our magic tends to be stronger and more focused."

[theboywhodied]

"Neither do I," Cedric had to agree. He leaned forward to listen to her tales, wondering about all of that power.

"Does that mean you can mold them?"

[fireforger]

Daja nodded. "Yes, of course. Although while I can use my magic to shape metal, it takes much of my energy. And, work crafted properly in the forge will always be stronger, as will the magics I place upon them. But if you like, I can show you a small demonstration - although it would perhaps be best if we land first."

She could still work her magic up here, of course - but she wasn't that confident with her flying yet. No, being on solid ground would certainly be better.

[theboywhodied]

"Of course. Come on," he smiled, tilting toward the ground and gesturing for her to follow him. He was eager to land and see what was next.

Once he settled on the grass, he turned to make sure she landed safely too. "All right?"

[fireforger]

Daja carefully guided her broom to the ground - she didn't want to fall or land too quickly - and soon she was gently (if awkwardly) settling down back on solid ground again. "Yes, I'm fine - thank you," she said.

Leaving the broom, Daja brought out a coiled piece of wire out from one of her pockets. She didn't usually carry around her mage kit, but she did try to always have at least some metal on her. You never know when you might need it, after all.

Using her hands and a hint of magic, she quickly unwound the wire. Then, using her magic she lifted the wire, bending it into the shape of a butterfly. With the little butterfly resting on her palm, she held it out for Cedric to see.

[theboywhodied]

Cedric couldn't help but be impressed. She worked with it as though it was a part of her, elegantly and competently. He smiled at the finished piece, definitely approving.

"Our magic's never quite so...natural, as you said. We train, and our spellwork improves, but there's always a fair amount of conscious effort. Unless you're simply making it look easy?"

[fireforger]

"I did have to train for quite some time to achieve the level of mastery I now have over my magic, yes," Daja said, with an amused smile. "When I was a child, I didn't even know that I had magic. But with practice, the simpler magics do become second nature, yes."

[theboywhodied]

"Oh?" Cedric had to wonder about that. "Does it usually appear at a certain age, like with us?"

[fireforger]

"Not necessarily - but as mages grow older, their power naturally starts to manifest more," Daja explained. "Some children will show signs very young, for others it takes longer. But everyone is tested for magic as children."

[theboywhodied]

"We simply wait for magic to appear," Cedric explained. "It usually happens when we're angry or upset. When I was small, my stuffed bear's ear was ripped off in an accident. I managed to reattach it. But how do you test---do they look for it?"

[fireforger]

"There are spells that academic mages use, to look for magic in a person," Daja said. "But sometimes they can miss someone's magic, and ambient magic in particular. My siblings and I were all tested for magic as children, but they didn't find ours. The only person who was able to find out magic was Nico, and he's a Great Mage who specialises in finding things."

[theboywhodied]

Nico was a particularly good finder, huh?

Cedric had to wonder about that whole process. "It seems awfully complicated. Has magic ever been missed and then detected later in life? After they're already used to being 'normal' for so long?"

[fireforger]

"As an adult, you mean? Sometimes, but it's not very common. One of my teachers didn't learn about her power until she was near thirty," Daja said, nodding. "That's much more likely with ambient mages than academic mages, though. Because our magic comes from ordinary things, it isn't as easy to spot."

[theboywhodied]

"I see," Cedric nodded. "It's so different, really. Do you manage to have fun, at least?"

Like with Quidditch? What was magic without a magical sport?

[fireforger]

Daja blinked. "Fun?" she said, finding the question rather strange and unexpected. Why had Cedric gone straight from talking of identifying mages to fun? She couldn't see any connection between the two. "Why, yes, of course," she said, unsure of whether she was answering properly. Everyone had fun, didn't they?

[theboywhodied]

"With magic, I mean. It's not all serious, is it?"

Oh, how he loved his silly spells. He wasn't fond of serious pranks as a rule, but a little laugh now and then was fine.

[fireforger]

"No...but magic isn't something to be used frivolously," Daja said. "My siblings and I...we used to use it for silly little things, when we were younger. Things that we could have just as easily done physically. But if we'd kept doing that, if we'd just gotten used to using magic for every little thing, then one day when we really needed out magic - all of our magic - we would find that we'd have weakened it through years of wasting it. Magic can be used for beautiful, amazing things, but it also needs to be respected."

[theboywhodied]

"Then our magic must be different," Cedric sighed, looking fairly guilty. "It doesn't endanger or weaken our other magic to use a small amount. The limits are hard to reach. I just...use it sometimes to cheer people up, that's all."

[fireforger]

"From what I have seen, the magics of different worlds are rarely alike," Daja noted. Then she smiled. "But I think using magic to cheer people up is certainly worthwhile."

[theboywhodied]

"Glad to hear it," he sighed in relief, flicking his wand to make a point. A shower of flowers rained down all around them.

"Not that I only perform party tricks, but it's one way to start a conversation."

[fireforger]

Daja laughed, reaching out to grab one of the flowers. "Now the rest of us will never be able to compare to your spectacular conversation starters," she said, amused. "You must be popular with the girls."

[theboywhodied]

Cedric smiled at her. "Maybe a little. Not as much as the others seem to think. But thank you, Daja. It's been great to meet you."

[fireforger]

Daja bowed. "I should be thanking you, for allowing me to experience your magic. I do hope that we will be able to speak again."