trade my soul for a wish

[from_scratch]

This is a successor to "call me maybe", which is getting crowded.

Cam is dipping a grilled cheese sandwich into a bowl of tomato soup when he feels the summons. He goes ahead and grabs it. Doesn't even drop the sandwich.


with Mark (kappa)

with Adanya (Aestrix)

with Sable (kappa)

with Ari (andaisq)

with Metella (kappa)

with Miles (kappa)

with Isabella (Eva)

with Steel (Rockeye)

with Daphne (Maggie)

with Edie (Maggie)

Comments

[from_scratch]

"Right then. Okay, ramp it up."

[kaolinandbone]

"I command you: Raise your right hand immediately!"

There's a wave of pressure, but it feels unfocused and indistinct.

[from_scratch]

"Huh. I can sort of tell you're doing something, but it isn't really hitting."

[kaolinandbone]

"I'll try it at full power, then."

Isabella draws herself up to her full height, squares her shoulders to Cam, and proclaims: "I, Isabella Katarina Markova, command and compel you to raise your right hand!"

The wave of pressure is much more noticeable now, though it's still just as vague and unfocused.

[from_scratch]

Cam squints at her. "...Kind of makes me want to take off my glasses, which is kind of unsettling all by itself, but still really blunted and not affecting my hand."

[kaolinandbone]

Isabella hums.

"At the level that I was using it, vampires have been known to compel entire crowds at once. That never made much sense to me, considering that they would have to make continuous eye contact with fifty people or more... But if there's an underlying effect of 'pay attention to me', suddenly that becomes much more reasonable."

[from_scratch]

"Makes sense. Hmmm, I wonder what the best way is to really securely attach these to my face without looking like I had a run-in with a piercing shop. I guess I could bolt them through my nose. Be uncomfortable if I were going to sleep, but I don't have to do that."

[kaolinandbone]

"Pins behind the ears might also help."

[from_scratch]

"More visible, I think. Okay, this is gonna suck..." There is a pause, during which his eyes close. A small trickle of blood dribbles down one side of his nose; he makes a tissue to dab at it.

[kaolinandbone]

"You know, if you had asked before just going ahead and doing it, I might have been of some help to you."

[from_scratch]

"Yeah, what would you've done?"

[kaolinandbone]

"Painlessly pierced your nose beforehand."

[from_scratch]

"I was numbed up. Pain's not the issue, it's just weird making objects inside myself."

[kaolinandbone]

Isabella inclines her head.

"I can understand that."

[from_scratch]

"What kind of painlessness do you have on offer? More magic?"

[kaolinandbone]

Isabella nods.

"Yes. Of the non-vampire type, this time. I didn't learn Old Lupinian on a whim: it was necessary in order to gain access to the best texts on the formation of Memni."

[from_scratch]

"Do tell."

[kaolinandbone]

The girl pauses a moment, closing her eyes.

"Just let me get my thoughts in order..."

She steeples her hands.

"Mm. Best to start at the beginning. Memni are mental tools that emulate the function of physical ones. They are acquired by ritually practicing the action performed with the tool until the physical tool becomes unnecessary. Those who practice for decades with Memni formed from tools that work well together occasionally form Memnodynes, which are 'sets' of mental tools that have... metamorphosed? Congealed? They work together fluidly as one ability, rather than individual tools."

[from_scratch]

"Interesting. Any downsides besides the time expenditure?"

[kaolinandbone]

"None that I know of. It is a much better deal than turning into a vampire."

[from_scratch]

"'Cause, I'm immortal, and picking up magic besides demon powers sounds great. What makes a practice 'ritualistic'? Does this require any features that might be exclusive to people from this world?"

[kaolinandbone]

"I don't believe so. The 'ritual' component is a extended period where you practice a specific action - say, picking up a stone - until you can do it in precisely the same way every time you do it. Once that is achieved, you begin attempting to substitute your will for the last component step - say, drawing the stone up into your palm with your fingers. It's an exercise in extremely precise visualization, more than anything else."

[from_scratch]

"How do you pick up anaesthesia that way? Inject it into patients on a tremendous number of occasions?"

[kaolinandbone]

"Yes. I know of no other practicing mages with a true medical Memnodyne. This is not to say that they don't exist, but we're thinly scattered enough that we don't have weekly meetings."

[from_scratch]

"What other kinds of tools can you pick up?"