Exchange PI Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

[Wil Carter]

He didn't mind having Gump on his head, though he hoped the little claws didn't draw blood.

As he watched Briar set up the ritual, he considered the importance of having a physical circle rather than one drawn with chalk. No need to worry if you had completed it properly. No need to be concerned that a portion of it would be rubbed out by accident. Especially as she couldn't see, it made this part much easier for her. Well, as far as he understood such things, anyway.

He was not expecting the ground to shake. “It was? Good. That means it was supposed to do that, yeah?”

[Briar Grimshaw]

Briar Cinder 5 passes; complete success
Components Ritual roll 2 success


Briar chuckled a little bit, “Oh yes, it was very good and meant to do something akin to that...depends on what the magic is feeling that day. ” she explained as she got the tray and pulled out the components that she'd gathered up for this.

Briar placed the; two magnetic chunks of iron, a live beetle with a dead one(those were in a glass jar), a vial of burnt ash and water tied together, and lastly a tooth from a carnivore and an herbivore. In the center, she placed his gloves down with the dominant glove going over top of the non-dominant one.

Each component seemed to light up in a sense, a vibrating hum leaving the circle and around them as she adjusted each one until they all hummed in harmony.

She smiled, her heart pounding a bit still but she was feeling confident over it all given it was working so well thus far. She was close, a few more steps and hopefully, he'd have some nice new gloves, “Can you hear the humming? ” she said softly. Briar wasn't sure if he really could but she felt and heard it like the hum of a generator.

[Wil Carter]

Wil noted each item as she placed it in the circle. He wasn't sure about the live beetle being stuck in the same jar as a dead one, but then he did tend to anthropomorphize living things. He would not want to be in the same space as a dead human.

Something in the circle made him itch. He stepped further back and that was better. He did not know it was the iron and would not understand it if it was pointed out to him.

Briar seemed please with the arrangement. “Uh, maybe?” he replied regarding the humming. He was not sure if he was hearing the circle or spell or whatever it was, or if the power unit on the roof of the building next door was whining again.

To Gump, he quietly asked, “Everything look okay to you?”

[Briar Grimshaw]

Briar Cinder 8 passes; exceptional success
Runes; prt 3 complete

Given that she used blood in her magic more often than anything else, she sliced her finger and pulled out a flower that she plucked. It was alive but once picked of course started to die; a perfect addition to her aiming to mimic balance in this ritual she was doing.

She painted small blood runes on the petals and placed them in the components. It was a bit out of order but thankfully the magic did not argue as it was respectfully added to it.

The petals melted over each piece she added, leaving a visible glowing mark in the shape of the blood rune that had once been on the petals. Closing her eyes, she felt it, feeling the strength from the runes and loving the tingling sensation running through her body right now.

“It feels good...now...we are coming to the point where it could go wrong...cross your fingers, Gump,” she called the small owl as he glided from Wil over to Briar to rest on her shoulder. She needed him to help her now and him being so far wasn't helping.

[Wil Carter]

Blood. Of course. It didn't really surprise him, but still. The last ritual he had witnessed was a few years ago now and had not been associated with him.

Gump left him to work with Briar and Wil swallowed.

“'M here if you need me, luv,” he said quietly, though what he would be able to do, if anything, should the spell go pear-shaped, he didn't know. He did not like feeling useless.

[Briar Grimshaw]

Briar Cinder 5 passes; Power Source electrical power from the grid
Blood + Power source; Last ritual steps


Briar smiled as Gump nestled closer as she sliced both her palms and pressed them together before placing them on either side of his gloves. Digging into it as she pushed through it all, she dragged in the electrical source to flare up the ritual circle she'd made.

She moved from it now after dragging her bloodied hands around in a circle around the gloves before settling outside the circle as everything started to glow brightly. The lights on the streets and in the buildings surrounding them started to flicker and dim as each object would be sucked into the gloves once by one.

Each item evaporated once drawn in on an invisible line around the circle, the young woman focusing and pouring in all her energy into making this work until the last object was sucked inside the gloves. Matching Runes appeared on the palms of the gloves as the circle faded and the power settled.

Briar slowly leaned back as she panted a bit, Gump flying over to pick up the gloves before dropping them into her hands. She held them, feeling the material and smiling, “I do believe...you have some nice gloves now, Wil, ” she told him as she felt the mimic run on the backs of them.

It worked. The left hand would mimic the right now for accuracy.

[Wil Carter]

Annnnnd, look at that, more blood, he thought as Briar sliced her palms and dragged them around in the dirt. That can't be healthy... It was good he was not squeamish about blood or magic or anything, really, though identifying the bodies of his parents had certainly set him off. Completely understandable.

Then she played with local electricity, to power the ritual.

The items she had brought from her office began to disappear in time with the dim and flare of the lights around them. It was fascinating and disconcerting and those things were going into his gloves, somehow...

When Briar leaned back and the tiny owl delivered his gloves to her, Wil came forward and crouched beside her, wanting to put a hand on her back to help support her but uncertain if he should touch her.

“I'm sure they are magnificent gloves now,” he murmured appreciatively, hovering a little in concern. “Do you need to lie down now... or anything... ?”