fandomhighdorms | Magic Reserve - The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

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Magic Reserve - The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

Nobody was at the usual meeting place. Instead, the Magic Reservists would find arrows drawn in the air with blue magical energy. (Look, Tony only had so many cool tricks. He had to make do with what he was given. Besides, it was easier than sticking signs to grass.) The arrows pointed to a space about a hundred feet away, where the ground rose up to make a small hill. The leaders of the Magic Reserve stood at the top of the hill. Refreshments were set up a few feet away from the base of the hill.

"Hey, everyone," Tony said. "Before we get started, I'd like everyone to fill out a brief survey. Let us know where you feel your strengths are and what you think are your weak spots. General stuff, like distance attacks, focused attacks, shielding, scrying, that sort of thing. Next week we'll pair you up with someone who will balance you out and practice working together."

Karla was not in a mood to be particularly helpful today. In fact, most of her thoughts were trending in the complete opposite direction. This probably stemmed from the fact that Karla was currently a male. Sure, it had happened to all the females on the island, but from her expression, she seemed to be taking it personally.

The additional testosterone probably wasn't helping any.

Thus, when it was her turn to speak, she kept it short, brief, and to the point. "Anyone feels the need to laugh or make a comment and I will cheerfully set you on fire."

She didn't look like she was kidding.

...Yes, she was still rather terrifying as a boy.

Merlin eyed her warily before nodding along with that. "So, today we'll be playing a spot of King Of The Hill. And... um... let's all try not to bring up the changes to the girls, yes?"

Rather than respond, Karla just stormed off to the edges of the crowd. It was probably a safe bet that she didn't have anything else to add.

"...Tony?" Merlin prompted, sounding a bit desperate.

"Um, yeah," Tony said. He pointed randomly in the opposite direction of Karla. "You're the King to start. Everyone else's job is to knock you off the top of the hill. Think of ways to push, pull and move, not attack and injure, okay?" They had a five minute break to clear the playing field and then Tony gave the signal to start.

[OCD up!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, Dinah's Bitch, Please face survived the gender transition. "Raven. Don't go sour grapes on me." And if the trash talking was a little easier as a guy, at least it was fun. "You know you can't dooooo iiiiit."

[?? *snort*]

The extra testosterone was doing a number on Raven. If she'd been born with it, that would've been different, but it was new and very compelling. She cocked her head, eyed Dinah, and smirked. Time to see if her Soul-Self had transitioned to this body as well. She raise her arms, summoning it, and directed the shadow-raven to wrap itself around Dinah.

"Ooooo!" Dinah was half-impressed, and half-nervous, and all buzzed on adrenaline, so she laughed, calling, "Are you going to hug me off this hill, Raven? Seriously?"

Still giggling even as it wrapped, and then had to start throwing punches, and push with TK, although it seemed to slither and manage to insinuate itself wherever she wasn't currently fighting it.

"No, teleport you off," Raven said. Punching had no real effect on her Soul-Self, as it was intangible unless she wished to use it as a shield, but the TK was able to push it back. She continued to direct it to "hug" Dinah, as it were, trying to get Dinah to focus all her attention on it.

Which worked, because Dinah was now really focusing the TK in little bursts, pushing at it hard, but trying to get it to do a 360 was just not working for her yet. Something to practice, and gaah, c'mon, shadow-thing, gerroff!

"Wait, what--?"

"If I contain you, my Soul-Self will transport you elsewhere," Raven said. Now, don't mind her creeping up the hill behind Dinah.

"How did I not know that?!" Dinah asked plaintively, and Umph! Telekinesis didn't require punching, but she could do both at once, bam bam bam bam! Just, you know. Not effectively.

Raven wanted to say, "Because I did not realize I had not told you," but that would've given away the fact that she was behind Dinah now, able to reach out and give her just a little push....

"Ack!" And that might be deeper, but the windmilling arms are just as distressed, and Dinah went toppling sideways down the hill, bump bump ow, and seriously, recovering as a guy, way more difficult than as a girl. "Ow."

Aaaaand cue Raven being horrified by her actions. "Dinah, I am so sorry!" she said, flying down the hill to kneel beside her friend, not even bother to ask first before laying her hands on Dinah and attempting to heal her of whatever bumps and bruises she had suffered on her tumble down the hill.

Okay. More hormone buzz. Ahem. Try to play that down, okay? "I'm okay, I'm okay, really, Raven." Dinah grinned at the other girl, and rubbed one shoulder, bemused. "Just didn't account for center of gravity when I fell."

"I should not have done that," Raven said, still unsettled. "I have never used physical violence against another like that before."

"Raven, really." Dinah reached for Raven's hand, if she'd let her, projecting as much reassurance as she could. "I'm fine. See? It's fun!" And under and around the ow there should have been a lot of amusement mixed with ruefulness and glee. "You did great. Sneaky is good." She added, trying to help, "You don't have to do it again, but now you know you can?"

"I am trying to reconcile true violence and mere play," Raven said, sitting back on her heals. She didn't refuse Dinah's touch. "But I still worry about causing a friend actual harm."

"No, that's understandable." Dinah sat up, and squeezed Raven's hand, smiling. "You missed out on everyone getting scraped knees and broken arms when they were little, hunh?"

Raven shook her head. "There was no one my age," she said. "And such rough play was unheard of. There were only the occasional accidents, such as someone falling off a ladder while reaching for a book on a high shelf." Except for her father killing Juris, but in a way he had provoked that attack.

"This is normal," Dinah said, trying to push down any amusement. "We get hurt--" She got up, dusted off her jeans. "We get up. See?"

That hurt was gone now, because Raven wasn't taking no for an answer. "I am learning," she said. "But pain has always been my enemy, and it is difficult for me to grasp allowing oneself to be injured for fun."

Or pleasure for that matter, but that was a whole other can of worms.

"The pain isn't the fun. It's just the risk you're willing to take for the fun." Dinah took a second to get her breath back, noticing she didn't hurt any more, and rolled her eyes a little. "That and saying you're tough enough to survive it." She straightened, raising an eyebrow at Raven. "Even though it was nice of you to take it away."

"Even in this wrong body, I am still a healer," Raven said. "Banishing pain is like breathing for me."

"Is it 'cause you're feeling it too?" Dinah wondered, cracking her neck. "'Cause you gotta learn to let some stuff, the little stuff, go, Raven." She gave Raven a serious look. "You could so burn out."

"I can be overwhelmed," Raven admitted, thinking of the Other Fandom. "But I do not think I can 'burn out.'"

"Hmmm." Raven probably would know better, at that. Then Dinah grinned, and leaned over to bop Raven on the nose, glee tipping her finger as she did so. "Then take as much fun as you do pain. Works?"

"I think people would be upset with me if I took their pleasure and amusement from them!" Raven protested. It was sort of an attempt at a joke; she knew that wasn't what Dinah meant.

Dinah rolled her eyes, then grinned when she realized Raven was kidding. "Then make your own fun. You know what I meant." She nudged Raven with one elbow.

Magic Reserve - The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE