fandomhighdorms | Combined Magic/Support Reserves Meeting, The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

Thanks to baking class today, there were plenty of cupcakes to go around for anyone who showed up today. They were also very...interestingly decorated, but fairly heavy on the frosting, so all was well. There were also assorted pastries and things from J,GoB in case anyone got tried of cupcakes and wanted something else.

When everyone was more or less assembled and had gotten something to snack on, Karla stepped forward. "Welcome to the first ever meeting of the combined Magic and Support Reserves. I'm Karla and this is Tara, for Magic; Emmett, for Support; and Raven, who's liaising for both because she's just awesome that way." Karla smiled at the other leaders and turned back to the group. "For those newbies who haven't yet heard, Fandom gets invaded on a semi-regular basis: in the past, students have fought off gremlins, alligators, monkey-ponies, zombies, harpies, and a whole slew of other creatures that I've probably never even heard of. That's why the three reserves were formed: the Military Reserves for people with weapons skills, the Magic Reserves for people with paranormal powers--" Karla had looked that term up "--and Support for people who are willing to patch up the injured, research to find the best way to defeat the latest invasion, keep people fed and hydrated, and organize the non-combatants to keep everyone as safe as possible. Since there's a lot of overlap between the two latter groups, we decided to try having both meetings together."

"Since it's the first week, we're going to do some introductions and then a fun activity." She pointed to the second table, covered in notebooks, sandwich fixings, first aid equipment, and half-filled balloons. There was enough glitter on the table to suggest what the balloons were likely filled with. "So, for the introductions: name, year, and why you showed up today, please. An explanation of any powers or useful skills would also be appreciated, but not mandatory. And then I'll explain the activity," she said, flashing them all a mischievous smile.

[~~Please wait for~~ OCD is up. As always, these meetings are open to all. No one needs to participate in the activities to show up, listen, and eat. People can join any and all reserves, so please don't feel limited!]

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//Call me whatever, then,// Jono decided. //Most people just say Jono. Saves them a syllable, anyhow.//

And plus, it just sounded a little more rock-and-roll.

//And the telepathy is...// Well, this had backfired gloriously. //Actually, it's sort of th'reason I was asking about being afraid of it getting away from yer. See, I can't speak, the way everybody else does. Because mine got away from me, once. Didn't leave much behind.//

"You ... lost your mouth?" Rinoa asked, eyes widening. "Was there an explosion? How did you ... are you okay?!"

Define 'okay,' Rinoa.

Jono just shrugged one shoulder, a barely perceptible gesture before he lifted one hand and pointed at the top of his bandages, just under his nose. And then he trailed his finger down, over his throat, over his chest, down to just above his belt.

//Not just my mouth.// And now he was looking somewhere... else. Someplace. Nowhere in particular, really, just not at her. //I function well enough. Stand up, think, get my homework done. It doesn't hurt, at least.//

Because there wasn't much left to hurt, granted. But even he was capable, at times, of keeping his less pleasant thoughts to himself.

"I'm so sorry," she said, one hand creeping up to her rings again. "Because ... did it happen because you couldn't control your powers, and they were stronger than you?"

Edited 2010-05-12 22:56 (UTC)

He nodded.

//I don't work with them, much,// he admitted. //They're too... big. They've caused too much damage, already. I'll use them when need be, and thankfully, 'need be' isn't all that often, but for th'most part, I'm happy enough just to be able to speak.//

"I can see why," she said softly. "And that's what you're worried about, with me? That I have the same kind of thing."

//That yer afraid of it getting away,// he replied. //Of it creepin' up and being entirely too much all at once, and there being no way to repair what's been broken when it's all said and done.//

Because that wasn't ridiculously specific or anything at all.

She hesitated, but there was little point in lying.

"It's not myself I'd hurt," Rinoa said, carefully. "I suppose, ultimately, it would be, but ... my power is big, too. I could fall into it and set the world to burn."

Jono did an admirable job not wincing, there.

//I haven't managed anything quite so large as the world,// he noted. //But I did do one hell of a number on the girls' dormitory at my last school.//

Look, it hadn't been his fault that Paige was some sort of hormonal psycho-flirt when she was depressed and drunk.

"I haven't actually ... done anything," she said. "Not anything like that , anyway. Maybe I'm overreacting. But there are a lot who just ... go bad. I have a knight, and it's supposed to help me, but I'm not sure I even know what that means."

A quick double-take. "Did you really set the dorm on fire?"

Jono rubbed the back of his head a little more. If he kept up with the sheepish fidgeting, he'd just wear a hole in the back of his head, too. Maybe.

Probably not.

//Completely levelled it in a panic. Nobody was hurt, but it was far too near a thing for my comfort. If yer worried about causin' harm, luv, then whatever people say is supposed to help... It's good that yer takin' those steps. It's too bloody easy to misstep.//

"I'm going to try to stick with not using my powers, ever," Rinoa said, shaking her head. "It's too risky. I don't think there is a way to control them."

Jono considered that statement for a moment, and then glanced over his shoulder at the people gathered not too far off.

//Now I'm curious... Are yer powers something that you have to actually call, before they show up? Or are they... More the other kind. Like mine. Something you have to fight back, every hour of th'day?//

Because the answer to that was going to kind of affect the next thing he was going to say, here.

"More ... the first one," Rinoa allowed. "I have them locked up as tight as I can. It's harder to resist when I'm in danger, or when someone close to me is hurt ... it's easier to justify it to myself, and it's easier to let go and let it out. And then once it's out ... I mean ..."

Gee, I don't think I want all this massive arcane power! I don't enjoy the world bowing to my every whim. I'm just going to put it away again.

//Then it's best to not work with it,// he agreed. //If yer afraid it'd never go away again. Power... is. Just what it sounds like.//

He idly scuffed the toe of his boot against the ground.

//Too easy to let it control you, innit?//

If she'd said it was something that she had to constantly fight down, like his, he might have even suggested that working with it now and again, so that she wouldn't have any unpleasant surprises, probably wasn't a horrible idea. While being a complete bloody hypocrite about it and avoiding his powers as much as possible, himself.

Rinoa nodded. "That's what I'm going to try," she said. "It's too ... appealing. That's why it frightens me."

Because it would be so easy to slip into. The Sorceress Rinoa, wings tall, head unbowed. Dammit.

//There needs to be some sort of... naffin'...// Jono waved a hand around a little while he groped for words. //Powers pawn shop or some such thing. Don't like what you've got, swap them in for something slightly used, but more to yer liking.//

Or your comfort. Mostly comfort.

"I wouldn't wish mine on anyone else, either," Rinoa said. "Anyone who would want them, shouldn't have them."

Exhibit A: Adel.

//Junkyard, then,// Jono sighed. //I wouldn't exactly wish this on anyone else, either.//

He sort of was Exhibit B.

Combined Magic/Support Reserves Meeting, The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

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