handwritten;

[telvanni]

I have spent the last week painstakingly enchanting a small selection of high quality magical staves. Since I am a wizard, I find my own powers of spellcasting are more than sufficient for my needs. As such, I do not actually need the staves I have made. They were produced simply as a way to hone my craft; nothing more.

This means I am giving them away to certain parties that may be in need of them. If you would like an enchanted staff that fires elemental blasts at your foes, you need only make your case to me. Preference will be given to applicants who as of yet possess no useful echoes and agree to submit to some harmless tests.

No time-wasters.

Comments

[telvanni]

Saying it can't hurt anything would be inaccurate. If you are foolish enough to point the staff at your own face, the results would be less than pleasant. Assuming this is not the case, all should be well.

If you could tell me a little about yourself, that would be useful. Very basic information. Describe yourself in five adjectives, perhaps.

[dead_black_eyes]

[There's a pretty long pause, here.]

Male, bony, crippled, insubstantial, clever.

[telvanni]

[ Blink. Some odd choices, there. The "clever" descriptor piques his interest, though, since he's running on the assumption that the staves might be more powerful in the hands of a more intelligent user. ]

I see.
And your past self? Was there magic in his world? In he himself?

[dead_black_eyes]

I don't think so. But he was clever, too. One of my "useless" echoes was a pair of handcuffs, and I know that he was a detective who rescued children.

I would need a very light one.

[telvanni]

Then you are - as far as magic powers are concerned - completely mundane, both in that life and this? Excellent. A perfect control subject.
None of the staves are especially heavy. Most are simply enchanted walking sticks, since hand-carved wooden masterpieces of magical engineering are rather hard to come by in Locke.
If even that may prove to be of concern, the lightest is a bamboo cane. Frost enchantment. Expells a jet of extreme cold from the tip. Thoughts?

[dead_black_eyes]

I would certainly be willing to try, if it means a chance at being capable of meaningfully defending myself, rather than constantly being the catalyst for the heroism of others.

What name can you give me here, and where should I meet you? I would prefer someplace public, initially, and after we've talked more, I would be willing to accompany you to a private location for your tests.

[telvanni]

Nathaniel Mithryn, owner of Mithryn's Books.
If my shop isn't a public enough place, there is a small park a couple of streets away. If, of course, you are inclined towards making an old man go out of his way in order to give you a valuable gift.

[ SNOT SNOT SNOT ]

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

Please don't take it personally, Mr. Mithryn. As you've likely inferred, I am not strong. I am, in fact, vulnerable. Knowing what I do about the police force in this city and the presence of several malicious voices in the numbered ranks, I have to be careful when encountering people I've met on this network for the first time.

I know the location of your shop and, by extension, the park you're talking about. If you will briefly humor my caution, I'll gladly assist you in your experiments.

[telvanni]

I suppose this is acceptable. I would so hate to gain a reputation for turning away waifs and invalids.
Would you care to specify a time? I would so hate to inconvenience you.

[dead_black_eyes]

It's my turn to prioritize your convenience, and I'm afraid I must insist. Any point between now and Sunday evening is acceptable for me; I've these two days off from work.

[telvanni]

Then perhaps seven tonight?
I can make it a part of my evening constitutional.

[ The evening constitutional that he never takes, since he's too busy brooding and grumping with his books. But shh. ]

[Text]---> [Action]

[dead_black_eyes]

Yes, that would work. Look for someone with dark hair in a grey coat.

[The park isn't crowded today, so Nathan is likely to see the man he agreed to meet in relatively short order. He's wearing a dark grey trenchcoat that hangs off his gaunt frame, he appears to be in his mid-twenties, and most of his adjectives seem to be dead-on; pale, haggard, and disheveled, he looks downright brittle.

He sees one man who looks like his temperament might match the one he gleaned from the interactions on the network.]

Nathan Mithryn?

[His voice is soft, clipped and precise.]

[telvanni]

[ In contrast, Nathaniel is very neatly turned out, straight-backed and pretty much the picture of haughty old man health. His nostrils flare a little in dismayed surprise as he hears the man speak his name.

He was expecting a certain lack of vigour, but gosh. He's seen healthier hobos. ]

Mr. Mithryn, yes. I'm afraid I neglected to ask for your name, Mr...?

[dead_black_eyes]

Lazarus Lawliet.

[He hesitates before drawing a thin hand out of his pocket, offering it to shake. This is probably why he said "crippled", because most of his fingers are limp, atrophied, and don't move and bend with his forefinger, seemingly the only functional one, along with his thumb.]

[telvanni]

[ He takes the offered hand gingerly and shakes it as carefully as possible. Nathaniel might be a crotchety old grumpmaster, but he has no desire to hurt anyone - and for all he knows, a hand like that could be painful. He'd rather not pry (it's the English way), though, so he makes no comment. ]

...Mr. Lawliet, then. Do I pass your "not an axe murderer" test?

[dead_black_eyes]

[The young man appears to give it some honest and discerning thought, saucer-eyes glancing Nathan up and down as he considers the question.

He nods briskly.]

You do. I suppose that if you are an axe murderer, I'm not clever enough to discern it, and natural selection should be allowed to progress unimpeded.

We can go to your store, now, if you'd like.

[Since he knows the location of the store, he slips his hand back in his pocket, shuffling that direction; his posture is far worse than Nathan's, curved shoulders and twisted back making him look crow-like in his oversized coat.]

[telvanni]

[ Nathaniel hesitates before following, blinking in complete befuddlement. He isn't entirely sure if that was a joke or not.

Perhaps it's best not to wonder, honestly. It doesn't matter much - while this Lazarus fellow certainly seems an odd sort, he also appears to be as far away from dangerous as it's possible to be.

As they reach the shop, he pulls a single key from his pocket and unlocks the door. ]

Wipe your feet on the way in. Was it the light ice staff that you wanted? Or would you prefer to inspect a flame-enchanted one as well? I still have several of those left...

[dead_black_eyes]

[L is so not-dangerous that a Blood Key would, and did, refrain from messing him up too badly because he was so pathetic.

That's not much of a defense mechanism though, and it's a large reason he was so quick to reply to the offer for a stave.

When they enter the shop, he is careful to wipe his feet; his shoes look like they've seen much better days, beaten converse sneakers that are practically falling apart. They contrast sharply with his relatively new-looking coat.]

It has to be a light one. As much as I want to see the extent of your expertise, I might have to be content with just looking at some of them.

[Both hands come out of his pockets, and the left one is much like the right; thumb and forefinger bend and grip properly, but the other three digits aren't really earning their keep.]

[telvanni]

[ After a doubtful look at those hands, Nathaniel ducks behind the shop counter and re-emerges with a pair of walking sticks. They're very plain compared with some of the monstrosities he's given out today - they're both just mundane hook-shaped affairs, one wooden and one bamboo - but they're the lightest ones he has. ]

The bamboo contains an ice spell, and the wooden one is enchanted with flames. It's perfectly safe to pick them up to see if you can carry them; they won't fire anything until you will it. Just tell me if you feel anything when you touch them.

[ In the hands of someone magically or intellectually gifted, each staff will feel rather different. The bamboo cane can range anywhere between "cool to the touch" and "holy shit I'm holding a tingling icicle", whereas the wooden one can be anywhere between "slightly warm" and "holy crap how am I holding this hot pipe without feeling any pain". Someone who is, say, a super genius ripped straight from the animes will likely experience the more intense effects. ]

[dead_black_eyes]

[It sounds both elaborate and extraordinary; despite the plain appearance of both canes, it's a little staggering to think what this guy is doing for complete strangers, and L recognizes that he will owe a significant debt if he's allowed to take one.

He doesn't care for fire; intense heat bothers him at best and frightens him at worst. Ultimately, the ice cane is more appealing to him both because of its elemental temperament and its lightness.

He reaches for the simple bamboo cane, using one hand to assist at wrapping the other's fingers around the shaft. But then he's looking alarmed... and pleased.]

It's just like ice....

[And as someone with nerve damage in his hands, it's a tremendous relief, considering they've felt like they were being held over an open flame all day. In short order, his other fingers are against it; though it's so cold he is vaguely worried about the effects of prolonged contact, for the moment, it feels incredible. If this was all the cane did, L would very likely still want it. Even the way it thrums and buzzes under his touch is soothing.]

[telvanni]

Excellent. Exceedingly promising.

[ He's getting a touch giddy, now. Performing tests and increasing his own knowledge is enjoyable enough, but when that's combined with getting to admire the products of his own skill? DANG, SON.

The latter is especially satisfying when the person wielding one of his staves is talented, of course. And all signs point to Lazarus being just such a person. ]

Come. My garden is the best place to test your ability.

[ And he heads out of the back door of the shop, directly into a small, walled-off garden complete with a rockery. ]

[dead_black_eyes]

[Happily, the cane is light enough to carry with a mere four functioning digits, so L lifts it and trails after the older man.

He's heard that many times... promising... but more often than not, he's let the people who said it down. In so many ways, he's turned failure into an art form.]

If this works... what should I expect? Is there any chance this could kill someone?

[telvanni]

Yes, it could kill someone. Absolutely. Though not accidentally. The staff will release a continuous stream of frost, but only as long as you will it to do so. A small dose of the spell could induce frostbite, freeze limbs, damage nerves... A more concentrated application of the magic could freeze a man solid or stop his heart.

[ This announced in a theatrically reverent manner. Magic is amazing. Amazing. ]

Aim the staff at the rock garden and will the power to leave it. It's that simple. Just a matter of your own intent.

[dead_black_eyes]

[L listens somberly; he's never seriously hurt anything in his life; he punched his uncle once, and that was a very, very strange situation. One that resulted in his losing a lot of freedom.

Being trusted to hold something that could cause such extensive damage to a living thing restores the sense that he hasn't been robbed of all of it, though.

His intent is gentle and curious; he's never even performed a card trick, and the idea that a shabby, mundane creature like him can wield actual magic will take some getting used to.

If this doesn't work, though, he'll feel ridiculous.

He raises the cane, biting his lip as he concentrates on methodically coating the rocks in a glaze of frost and ice. Clearly, he's approaching it as an exercise in control rather than one to test strength or ability to destroy. He pauses, though, when he sees a stir of movement among the stones. A frog, coming out of hibernation with the temperatures rising above 50 degrees, is completely unaware that a novice is bringing winter back.

L's teeth dig into his lip, drawing a small amount of blood; rather than stop the attempt altogether, or ignoring the frog, he's attempting to freeze the area around it, leaving it in its own little isolated circle, and concentrating to the point of ignoring pretty much everything else.]

[telvanni]

Very good...

[ Nathaniel strokes his beard thoughtfully as he watches. It's an interesting - and promising - approach. He pulls out his tattered little notebook and pencil and begins scribbling. There are several comments about L's quick grasp of how to use the staff, and then "incredible control" is underlined twice.

After a moment's thought, he underlines it a third time. That should suffice, though. It doesn't do for one to get too gushy, after all. ]