fandomhighdorms | Magic Reserves, The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

The plastic-covered snacks were once again under umbrellas today as the Magic Reserves met outside. Next to the table was a very large tub, covered with a bright blue plastic tarp from T&C's.

"Kiss kiss!" Karla greeted everyone as they assembled around the table. "Today, we're going back to different ways magic can be used to dodge or shield against attacks. Hopefully most of us will never need to know ways to avoid missiles flying at our heads and other various body parts, but as long as the island keeps getting attacked, we need to devote time and energy to keeping our skills sharp." She grinned. "Though no one said we can't have fun doing it."

"And what better time to break out a bit of fun than now?" Merlin asked, ~~blinding people with his Irish-ness~~ smiling far too much for someone only wearing a pair of swim-trunks. "Tony? Would you do the honors of starting us off?"

"Absolutely," Tony said. He flipped the tarp off the tub and called a balloon to his hand. Which he promptly threw at Merlin.

"Hey!" Merlin, so very kindly, responded the same way. Though his balloon was aimed at Karla.

Karla squealed. "I thought we'd agreed to gang up on Tony!" she protested, snagging the balloon with Craft and tossing it back at Merlin. Another flew out of the tub and raced towards Tony. "Have at!" she called to the rest of them. "Try to keep as many balloons as possible from hitting you!"

[OOC ~~on its way!~~ up!]

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It had been awhile since Karla had used this much Craft--not since she'd fought off the attack that had prompted her flight to Fandom. She was acting the magical equivalent to a funnel--channeling the raw, destructive force of her power into an orderly stream of Craft. Too little and her shields would collapse under Jono's onslaught. Too much and she risked overloading them and having them shatter spectacularly.

She was going to want a long shower, a full meal, and a nap when this was all over.

She felt the power rushing out of her Sapphire. It was going faster than she'd thought; she'd underestimated the sheer power that Jono could call upon. She estimated that she could keep holding on for another fifteen minutes, though that would get perilously close to emptying her Jewel. So ten more minutes at this intensity (five if he decided to kick up another notch or two) and then she'd call it.

Another notch, Jono could manage. Another two notches, as well, which was exactly as much power as Jono would have needed to, say, recharge a world with an existence that relied on pure psionic energy (something that another Jono, who never had the opportunity to attend Fandom High, had already done months and months back.)

Pushing it another notch still was... pushing it, period. He was going to try, of course. Here, it was safe to try. But what it ended up boiling down to was that, if Karla could last another five minutes, Jono had another... maybe thirty seconds left to go.

*C'mon, Jono,* Karla urged, ignoring her own strain. *You can do it. Just a little more...*

She sank to the ground, her knees too rubbery to continue holding her, but her shields didn't waver.

//Not... m-uch more... le-ft.// Bloody hell, speaking had become an entirely new sort of challenge. What wasn't broken by the effort that it took in order to speak in the first place was being snipped out in bits and pieces by the fact that he was about ten seconds away from passing out on the ground in a smoldering heap.

But she said he could do it. He didn't think he could do it. There were teachers back in Massachusetts whose job was to push him to do it, and he seriously doubted that he could. But somebody said otherwise, and that was enough for him.

One final push, a massive explosion of energy that saw the ground he was standing on pulling up and being blown about in a molten mess of dirt and ash, and then--

Then he really, really needed to take a seat, himself. Though it wasn't so much a sinking to his knees thing as it was a sudden drop from one point to the other, from foot to arse in less than a second, his hands going to his head.

//Oy.//

Karla let her shields collapse with gratitude, almost before the dirt finished falling back into place. *That was awesome,* she sent, mental voice slurring with exhaustion. *How you doin'? Okay?*

Groaning a bit, she pulled herself up so she to a kneeling position and kind of half-crawled, half-dragged herself closer to Jono.

*Ow! Fuck!* Yes, Karla. The ground it hot.

He was reaching for his bandages no matter how unsteady his hands were at the moment, if that was any indication as to where his brain had gone.

//Careful, luv. Some... of that's actual... fire.//

Good thing for water balloons.

//Could sleep for... 'bout a week. Don't think I'm... made for that.//

*I think I'll join you,* Karla agreed, expending a bit more Craft so she was kneeling on air instead of the super-heated ground. She was far too tired to think of the implications of that statement, other than how nice it would be to sleep. *Mmmm, this ground looks comfy. Okay, maybe not this ground. But some of that ground over there.*

The ground that hadn't been subjected to intense bursts of psionic flame.

Jono was even going to pointedly ignore that his bandages were hanging somewhat awkwardly over his face and chest right now. When coordination came back to him, he'd remedy the issue. As it stood, it was bloody well good enough as he nodded and oozed forward a little, his forehead just about bumping his knees.

//That has t'be... th'most I've ever put out,// he noted, certainly not one to nitpick implications of ill-worded statements if she wasn't. Now, if only the ground would cool down so that he wouldn't burn himself if he fell over.

Hopefully he wouldn't worry about his bandages on Karla's account. Right now, half the island could wander through, performing a naked song and dance number, and she'd be too exhausted to care. *S'good to know your limits,* she agreed on a psychic thread. Physically talking right now would take far too much energy.

*Hey. Put your hand down about shoulder height.* She firmed the air in front of him with Craft. Watching him keep moving was making her even more tired.

//Hmn...?// Jono blinked her way wearily, but nevertheless did as he was told, pausing when his hand brushed something solid. And so he lifted his hand and tried again. Yes, definitely solid. Solid air.

It was actually somewhat fascinating. For air.

//How strong's'it?//

*Well, I wouldn't suggest lighting it on fire,* Karla sent dryly, *but it'll support your weight.*

For what was probably the first and last time in his life, Jono was actually too tired to bother with some dry reply of his own.

He'd happily settle for an, //Oh, good,// before more or less falling forward onto it. Which was about the best he was going to manage, because there was no chance in hell that he'd be picking himself up in order to pull off anything that resembled anything less than an exhausted heap.

//Thanks, gel.//

*You're very welcome, Jono,* Karla sent, sounding tired but happy. *This was good practice for both of us.*

Magic Reserves, The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

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