Magic SNAFU

[AngelofDeath]

"Because doing things the old fashion way by hand has never been a bad thing? Magic can also be a crutch." Jema said as he was leading her into the antique shop. Was she surprised when he said he would pay for anything she wanted if she saw it and wanted it? Yes and no. Chris didn't have to throw money around to impress her, but it was obvious he wasn't going to listen to her about that.

So instead she simply began to look around the shop. A few things caught her eye here and there. Jema did have a big yen for antiques and did go treasure hunting when she had a free day to herself. Chris was still talking with the owner though she couldn't make out any of what they were talking about.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

The owner handed an object wrapped in black satin to Chris and he looked over at Jema, but saw that she was still looking at all the antiques. He admired her as the sun caught her from behind, the way it shone on her hair and the new shadows that was cast on her face. He smiled as he leaned against the counter to watch her, how much he wished to run his fingers through that hair right now. He turned towards the owner and asked him for the book, the owner reached under the counter and lifted out an old book. Chris paged through the book and started to read from one page, he was still busy studying the old text when Jema made her way back to him, he looked up to her

"Found anything that might peak your interest?"

He smiled as he knew there was, there always was something in the shop that interested somebody, that was something he learned many years ago.

 

[AngelofDeath]

"A few things, but nothing that really caught my attention," it was only a small lie. Jema knew Chris had offered, but right now it just felt far too weird to have him buy something for her. "I see the same can't be said for you though." Jema took note of the book in front of him. It was clearly old and while not out of the ordinary for the shop it really looked like something that should have been in a library or someone's very private collection.

"Where to now?" Jema of course was trying to come up with her own ideas. Truth be told it was somewhat hard to get a real read on Chris. He seemed so normal and down to earth one second and the next he was telling her to pick what she wanted and he would pay for it.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

Chris closed the book and slid it back to the owner with a thanks, he picked up the package and slid it into the pocket of his pants where it seems to just disappear, he turned to face Jema and smiled gently at her

"I'm not trying to impress you by throwing money around"

He gave her a sly smile

"There is something that caught your eye, I can see that little twinkle in your eyes that says there is something"

He chuckled

"But I understand your position, really I do"

He opened the door for her and once they were outside he looked around

"Now you take the lead my dear, you can take me to a library if you want to and I'll be perfectly fine with it"

 

[AngelofDeath]

"Ok I need a better poker face around you, if you figured me out. And I don't think you're trying to impress me with your money. I think you don't think that poorly of me or even like women like that. You on the other hand didn't want to say no so a little white lie was the next best thing."

Jema lead him away from the busy downtown center. The Library would have been easy but at the moment she had other ideas. They walked for another two blocks before Jeam lead him into a rather unassuming store. Once inside it was obvious just how off the beaten path it was. On the one had it was filled with the usual things that appealed to the wanna be and very casual magick user. On the other it was the sort of shop that greatly appealed to those who didn't really specialize in any one form or skill.

"Yes I know its corny, but this is still one of the best shops in town," Jema smirked at him as sher started looking at what was in the display cases.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

Chris was actually happy to go anywhere, just to see where she moves around, he started to browse through the shelves, there was quite a huge selection here and he was enjoying himself immensely, that was until the new ring started to hum softly and increased in intensity, he wondered what was going on and he stopped walking, the ring kept humming but not growing in intensity. He frowned and slowly moved away, the humming lessened and grew silent, he looked at the ring and wondered what the hell it was doing. He looked around and located Jema, he sneaked up to her and covered her eyes and spoke in a nasal voice

"Guess who"

 

[AngelofDeath]

"Hmmm the tooth fairy?" Jema laughed and pulled Chris' hands down to look at him. "Find anything interesting?" Before he could answer the shop owner walked out from behind a beaded curtain. She was what most would call Hollywood gorgeous. A natural tall curvaceous beauty.

"Jema, its been too long. And you brought a friend, a male one at that." Jema blushed and looked at Chris with a shy smile.

"Chris this is Star. Star this is Chris."

Star held her hand out and shook his, "Its nice to see Jema has found someone to drag her away from the office on a work day. There may be some hope for yet." If she recognized Chris Star didn't give any sign that she did. "Is there anything I can help you two with?"

"I don't know about Chris, but you know me Star I like to look around and eventually find something."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

Chris smiled at Star

"Good to meet you Star"

He placed a friendly arm around Jema and grinned

"You know that friends got to look out for each other, I could see that poor Jema here needed some R&R, so I used an old fashioned browbeating to force her to take off"

He gave Jema a squeeze and let his arm drop

"I do have a question though"

He held up the ring her got from his parents

"Do you have any idea what this is?"

 

[AngelofDeath]

ooc: such a spaz forgot to post this yesterday.

Star took one look at the ring and then looked at Jema, "You really do make the most interesting friends. Let's talk in my office." she turned and led them back behind the counter and through the curtain. Jema just shrugged as she looked at Chris. She watched Star pull a book off her shelf before sitting down at her desk. Both she and Chris took a seat on the couch across from it.

"Ok Star you're acting odd even for you," Jema said once they were settled.

"This coming from the woman who normally doesn't date let alone play hooky and comes to my shop with Chris de Muerte. His family is practically the Kennedy's of the magick world."

"I know that, Star, but you can talk about my sudden change of doing later. What do you know about his ring."

Star looked at Chris and smiled at him, "I assume your parents left that to you? Well you've inherited a very hard to find artifact." She brushed her blonde curls back from her face. "Tell me did you notice anything while you were out in the store while wearing that?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

Chris watched the two converse with amusement, it was the first time he heard the de Muerte called the Kennedy's, but then again they have been around for some time. He watched Star as she recovered her book and upon her question he nodded at Star

"Yes I did get it from my parents"

He wiggled his fingers

"Yes when I got to the shelves where there was some sort of dark art objects it started to vibrate with a hum and the further I moved the more it vibrated and hummed harder, only when I moved away did it lessen and stop"

 

[AngelofDeath]

Star nodded and passed the book in her hands over to Jema who passed it to Chris, "I felt as much. First and foremost the ring is one of protection. And before you say it, yes protection rings are quite common. Yours however if my guess is right has been tuned to warn you of dark magick. In this case some of the blackest out there. The journal belonged to the last person I knew of with such a ring. It should give you some insight into what the ring is capable of."

Jema looked at Star, "Do you...?" her question was cut off with a headshake.

"Jema you know I can't tell you. This is one of those times you are going to have to find your own way. If your parents meant for this to come to you the way it has Chris, you would be wise to look into things about those around you that you have never considered before. Good thing you have Jema at your side. If anyone can get to the bottom of something or at least make research far more pleasant it is her."

"And that's her nice way of reminding me that I need to get out more often," Jema commented with a laugh.

"Not at all Jema. Just that you need to get laid more."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris Grayson

Chris almost burst out laughing, but he bit his lower lip, looking for all the world that he was studying the book. It was the first time that he had heard a lady tell another that and he suddenly looked up.

"Something else happened Star, when I first got the ring it flashed and Jema's fritzy magic seemed to have disappeared. I seemed to have gotten that same fritz and again it flashed and it disappeared, could it be that it does more than just warn? Could it have some sort of power to dispel other types of magic?"

He raised the book

"This book isn't much of an answer to that question or I wouldn't have asked"

 

[AngelofDeath]

Star nodded slowly,"It can if the owner has used the right incantations. Though Jema being sick and giving it to you were more a matter of bad luck and poor timing than of magic." She looked at the other woman, "And no i am not going to lecture you again for working so hard your body picks up the simplest cold and turns into a walking disaster area."

"Thank you," Jema replied while looking at Chris' ring. "Is there anything else he should know that you can actually share? Besides my nonexistent life outside of work and lack of sex?"

"Not at the moment, the book and simply having the ring will give him the knowledge he needs. Its all simply a matter of him using that knowledge in the right way."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

"So in a manner of speaking, I will know what to do, I must just decide if I must use it or not"

Chris inspected the ring and then looked at Jema with a grin

"Non-existent sex life? I'm guessing here, but I'd say that it's got something to do with the men, because there is obviously nothing wrong with you"

He looked over at Star and then down at the book, he scanned through the pages, trusting his photogenic memory to capture all the information as he goes along.

"I'm rather curious Star, how did you procure this shop, because I'm guessing that you and Jema met here"

He glanced up at her

"And unless there is something I should know about you, I must say that you are quite an attractive woman, somebody more adjusted to the lime light than the business world"

 

[AngelofDeath]

Jema blushed right to the roots of her hair and shot Star a small but friendly glare, "See this is why I come here alone." Start just chuckled and smiled at them both.

"Thank you for the compliment and I inherited the shop from my great-aunt. Its been in the family for years though. Its always been a bit of a bridge between those who are gifted and those who are not. While not the limelight I did step down the social ladder so to speak when I took over this place. Can't really be one of the big movers and shakers if you run what looks to most like a tourist trap."

"Well not any more since you sold the shrunken heads," Jema chuckled softly. "You are right though about us meeting here. Her aunt knew my parents so she was pretty much the first person I met in the city and when Star took over we manage to form a fairly weird friendship."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

Chris leaned back in his seat, it was not everyday that he could feel at home with strange people and even less two beautiful women, witches yes, but they were human after all

"Well now I don't really see a problem of coming here with you, I might just pick up on some of your dirty little secrets"

He chuckled and gave Jema a disarming smile and held up his hands in a defensive pose

"Just kidding now, don't turn me into a toad or parrot"

He looked around the building

"Star just out of curiosity, have you ever wondered about the condition of the bricks in this place?"

He looked at her a strange gleam in his eyes

 

[AngelofDeath]

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. I ma have an affinity for animals but transformations where never my strong suit." Jema replied. Both she and Star did give him a rather curious look when he asked about the bricks that made up the store.

"Beyond how they are holding up considering how old this place is, not really. Why do you ask?"

Jema's mind jumped back to their earlier conversation about the older buildings of the city.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

"Well I have this little spell that I want to try that actually restores old bricks to their original condition"

He gently chewed on his lower lip

"Woul you mind if I tested it on a piece of your wall? If I break anything I will replace it and reimburse you for any loss you may suffer"

He sighed

"I'm sorry, it's just that it's became an obsession of mine, I would like to see the city retain some of it's former glory, but as Jema so correctly stated, you can't really tear them down and rebuild them again, so I came across the alternative, why not just restore it?"

 

[AngelofDeath]

Star looked at Jema who just shrugged, "Its your store and he has offered to pay for any damages. And you were saying you did need to have the wall in your back room looked at."

Star nodded and looked back to Chris, "If you don't mind me asking what or rather how do you plan on trying this? I want to be sure for myself before I say yes, considering how many other items are in the store. The display glass is shielded but we all know how fickle magic can be at times."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

"Well as you obviously know, old buildings have their own energy, energy that basically comes from the energy that passed inside, outside and through them. Now this spell basically calls on the energy of the building itself and it's focused on the bricks, mortar and plaster, to return to the state they was when the building first became a whole"

He grinned at Jema

"Told you the store had anything you look for, just funny that the idea never occurred to me to look for the answer until I spoke to you about it"

He turned his attention back at Star

"There is no quick shift in energy or balance, so I am quite certain that even the most sensitive artifact should not react to the spell"

 

[AngelofDeath]

"Well my aunt was never one to turn down help and why should I change the tradition of this store. A second if you will." Star got up and went back out into the store front. She flipped the open sign over and put up the one stating she was out to lunch. Star stood at her office door and inclined her head. "This way."

Jema got to her feet along with Chris and the followed Star down the steps to the store room. It was of course filled with a mix of things, some personal, nut mostly more products to be moved out into the store as needed. "This wall is gonna need to be replaced within the next year or so." Start pointed to the far wall that was left bare. "That is of course if your spell doesn't work."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris de Muerte

Chris walked over and placed his hands on the wall, the ring he wore started to glow softly and for a moment nothing happened then like an awakening giant Chris could feel the building's energies arising. Clearing his mind of all other thoughts he explained to the building what was happening to it, how it was falling apart and that Chris wanted to help it heal itself, to become the splendor it once was. The energies ebbed and swelled as he spoke to it and finally the building agreed, or rather the energies agreed to be used. Chris envisioned one of the bricks and how it should look like, he made the energy understand that is what the bricks should look like, then he opened his eyes and let the energies see what the bricks looked like. They weren't pleased and started do build up the bricks from the foundations upwards, it almost looked as if a brush was washing over the bricks as the decay of years filled up again, the energies was slowly growing weaker, but Chris knew that there was more energy than decay in the building and he stood away to look as the cracks disappeared, the bricks shifted into place, broken edges and corners regenerating and he grinned. This was how magic should be used