Story: Middle Part 37
[[Continuity Note: Alf just asked Damien why he's depressed. Damo doesn't want to tell him.]]
Jessica was waiting for Alf to just inside the door and knew from the look on her face that she knew it hadn't gone well with Damien.
"He says he never wants to use magic again," Alf stated.
"Oh," Jessica frowned. "Then why was he up a tree with a rain cloud overhead?"
Alf shrugged. "I think maybe he didn't realise he was doing it."
"Didn't realise he was doing it?" Jessica repeated.
Alf had to hold himself back from snapping "That's what I just said, isn't it?".
"Then he's more powerful than we thought," Jessica commented. "The more you have, the more likely you are to use it without thinking," she explained.
"Even though even having it is a new thing?" Alf asked.
"Well, we can't be certain, since you three are the only known cases of it, but I guess so. Unless Damien was lying."
"But that wouldn't make sense."
"Exactly," Jessica agreed. She seemed to take a great deal of pleasure in always being at least one step ahead of Alf's thought processes.
They sat down at the bottom of one of the Aldus staircases as they continued to talk.
"We still don't know what happened to make Damien not want to use magic," Alf reminded.
"I guess someone must have said something at the council meeting," Jessica said. "After all, he wasn't depressed when he left for it."
"Exactly right my dear," Mr Aldus stated, coming out from behind a pot plant. The pair on the stairs exchanged a glance, wondering how long he'd been sitting there watching them.
"You weren't eavesdropping on us, were you daddy?" Jessica asked in veiled accusation.
"Of course not sweetie," Mr Aldus replied. Though it would have been unlikely for him to say yes. "You know better than to have private conversations in public thoroughfares anyway."
"It's not exactly a public thoroughfare," Jessica pointed out.
"And it's not exactly a private conversation," Alf added.
"A private conversation," Mr Aldus defined. "Is one that you would not wish to share with anyone who may have an interest. You were having a private conversation."
Alf had nothing to say in response to that and felt properly chastised.
"So what did they say at the meeting?" Jessica asked.
"Certain council members may have implied that Damien was not responsible enough to use magic," Mr Aldus answered, disguising the guild as though actually worried about what his daughter and her friend might do to them. A couple of teenagers against some very powerful members of magical society - powerful in more ways than one. "They might also have suggested a binding spell."
Alf had forgotten that one had been placed upon him the day before. Thankfully, he did recall that he'd used magic earlier, so was not worried that it was still in effect. He also realised that he was no longer dripping pus green magic again thankfully.
[[End stuff written last night in bed.]]
posted by Cedric @ 8:06 am
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