Character Meet and Greet~~ At Night

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I. Main Street Usa!

It's twilight, edging to evening, and yet the streets are still alive with citizens and Apprentices (that means you!) alike. Take the time to admire the lights, pop in and out of the cafes or just relax in the garden.

Weapon shops and magic shops are open late into the evening this time of year, so feel free to enjoy yourself before you equip yourself for the life head.


II. Apprentice Training 101- Evening Class

Same commons behind the fire house, same weapons and wands available for practicing your skills-- though this time under the cozy street lights and the bright blues and tired purples of a fading summer twilight. Strike at the training dummy or try to catch fireflies with whispers, its all up to you.


III. Things that Go Bump

Are bumping. And they mean business. A few level 1 corroded monsters are scurrying around Main Street causing havoc and it's up to you to stop them. The question is, is it early in the evening or do you dare to face the creatures at the night's darkest hour?


IV. It's time to Sparkle!

Everyone has a spark of imagination. That is, in fact, why you're here! It's time to shine with your own scenario! Just try to keep from causing too much trouble.

Comments

[enhancomancer]

Ivy stared at him and watched for a long while. This obviously wasn't Xanth, but it wasn't Mundania either, magic still worked, it was just... different. And there was definitely something odd or at least, different, about this young man, she couldn't put her figure on. Was he a giant compressed to smaller size? No, too normal. Gosh, he even kind of looked like Esk a little. Brown hair, neutral eyes. Maybe he was a quarter ogre like Esk? But he seemed to lack a certain temperament of even a grandfather that turned trees into pretzels. Ivy would know, after all, Grandpa Trent didn't pretzel anyone, but he had turned an awful lot of people into trees!

Still as reckless as ever, and perhaps even more so without her parents, the centaurs, or others around to warn her, Ivy strode right up to the man and looked him up and down.

"Aha! I got it!" the ten-year old squeaked, with a pause to realize no centaur was there to correct her grammar to I have.

"Sir! Are you from around here?" She had a theory to test, but it was too blunt to say in full, and princesses had to learn an awful lot about grace and timing.

[believe_it_or_not]

He blinked a few times at the adorable little kid in front of him. She looked so much like one of their future possible kids from the moons of Ida that his heart melted a little. This... could be his and Ivy's future daughter. Or a what if cousin or sibling that had never actually been born.

Sorry, delivered by the stork.

So he gave her a warm smile, even as he shook his head. "I am from Xanth," he said, which was true enough. Xanth was home now.

[enhancomancer]

OH! Well, that settled it! Ivy glomped his middle, "I was looking around everywhere and couldn't find anyone I recognized! But wait!" She shook her head, "No! Now I'm even more confused!"

She laughed brightly, nevertheless. She put a finger to her mouth in thought. Maybe his magic Talent was Grandpa Bink's? Mysterious and invisible and -- no wait, Talents didn't work right here!

Ivy laughed again, "How do you do it? It's like everyone--" she failed to find a graceful to put it. How did you nicely call someone completely unremarkable so as to be almost boring to their face?!

Another head shake instead and she remembered her princess lessons and smoothed her dress, and curtsied. "I'm Princess Ivy, daughter of King Dor, and Queen Irene." She puffed her sad lack of an interesting chest up all the same, quite proudly, "Have no fear! I'll protect you while you're here!" She was told that rhyming like the ogres would help with some of the magic. What fun!! Although she hoped it didn't give her subject the impression she was just an idiot like the ogres. No no, for all magic seemed to slide around him somehow, surely she could still enhance him to be bright enough to understand this simple reality!

She snapped her fingers. Of course! Esk and Chex and Volney and the others said that the containment spell for the Wiggles was the dream world version of void! Maybe his talent was like void!

No. No no no. That was impossible. Also terrifying. Worse than the brain coral! It wouldn't magic slide around them! She scrunched her face up in slight worry. Again, she struggled to find a nice way to ask about his magic talent. Especially if he was embarrassed about it, and given that she was considered the strongest Sorceress in Xanth... Old habits died hard, and Ivy forgot about the other types of magic here in favor of trying to use her enhancement again. -- Though luckily this would coincide with Charming; if only she knew it was both inapplicable and unnecessary on Grey. "I'm sure you have a very nice talent! Can I help you enhance things in anyway?" Have a giant pair of emerald woobie green eyes wibbling at you psuedo-innocently, Grey.

[believe_it_or_not]

His heart stuttered painfully in his chest as he listened to her. Ivy. Somehow this was his Ivy. "Okay..." he said taking a deep breath before he scooped her up to rest on one hip as he stood. "Okay. We can deal with this. Ivy, I know you can't remember right now, but some sort of magic hit you to turn you into a child again." Oh gods, the adult conspiracy. When she was back to her own age she was going to give him such a hard time over anything he had to talk around. "Either fountain of youth or Zora and some reverse wood, I don't know yet. But we'll find a way to figure this out and set things right, okay? But I need you to trust me. And if your magic works at all here... then your trust is the strongest magic we could have." He could try and null the spell around her, but the way magic worked here, he was afraid he might null her magic instead. He wouldn't do that to her. There had to be some other way. They'd think of one, he knew they would. But what he wouldn't give for the book of answers about now.

[enhancomancer]

"Gee! That's great!" Ivy was THRILLED! "I got rejuthenized just like Stanley and Hugo's Dad!!" All the excitement! She even invented a new word accidentally by failing to get the correct one.

But then it dawned on her. "Oh no... I can't just go to Zora or reverse wood the fountain here, can I?"

She looked up at him 100% trustingly, "Of course I trust you!!" Just one thing... "Just one thing, who are you again?" Was she joking with him? Well, he hadn't actually introduced himself, so...

But she gave him a hug because she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen an adult look so scared! "It's okay. Maybe I was trying to fix the corroded, and enhance their youth to reverse their effects, and enhanced myself instead? Gee! Sure wish I could remember!" I surely -- seriously, antagonizing the centaurs was no fun without them here. "Okay, you're the brains now!" Hugo 2.0 "How long have we been here?"

[believe_it_or_not]

"That's a thought, maybe you had done that. Well we can talk to Merlin and Dreamfinder," NOPE, still not over those names, "and see if you were an adult or a child when you came through. I've only been here two days, but I would have known if you were already here." Wouldn't he? He would, right? He hugged her tight to him, protectively. "I'm Grey," he said softly. "And I love you very much Ivy, and we WILL fix this." He kissed her forehead.

[enhancomancer]

Oh wow. SO MUCH BETTER than Hugo. Ivy's vaguely overwhelmed with alllllll the love, and even Grey can probably definitely feel it radiating from her, especially since this is far before she grew up and got vaguely tsun-tsun, but rather back when she was starry eyed and filled with constant dokis because everyone loved everyone; at least all the best things, and Ivy definitely loves everyone. So Grey is somehow greater than a Knight in Shiny Armor. What's greater than a Knight in shiny armor? A magician!! Certainly!! "Wow!" Don't mind her a little bit starry eyed, and incredibly pleased.

"Did the Kiss-Mee River work?" She was so glad for Volney, Wanda, and everyone else's sake.

By Grey's time Ivy had mostly grown out of putting all her loved ones on uncomfortable pedestals, but now he might find himself on an invisible one with no way to get down. "How did we meet?" Because it does bother her that she doesn't know. Not that she minds the affection and attention and love!! Definitely not that!!! But how can she properly lavish it all back on Grey without any basics?!

Oh wait! His name!

But what if she was just repeating herself?! No! It would be fine too! Because it would just strengthen and reinforce the pedestal! "Grey's such a nice name!" she beamed ear to ear. "Did you know even Mundania has rainbows, but they don't have grey in them, because grey lets all the colors hide! It's so nice like that!!" she beamed and effused all her love for all the things! "And Daddy's rocks are grey and they're always so funny! Have you ever talked with them? And swords too! And mother likes green, obviously, but to me that's what makes grey special because it's almost never in plants! Only the mist and fog that hides them! See? But it's so strong and smart and can do whatever it wants!"

[believe_it_or_not]

Wow. And he thought she had energy as an adult. This was... something else. That was a lot to process. "The kiss-mee... oh yes, the hummers. I read about that in the book. As for how we met," he bounced her a bit. "You used the Heaven Cent and found me in Mundania. So yes, I know about Mundane rainbows. They're far more dreary than rainbows in Xanth. You taught me to believe in magic and showed me how wonderful it could be. We had all sorts of adventures. And yes, spending time with your father I've gotten used to speaking to very nearly anything."

[enhancomancer]

"You've read the Muse's books?" her mother had spoken of them, and she knew Hugo mentioned a few of them, since Magician Humphrey kept copies of all books he could.

She doesn't actually know what the Heaven Cent is yet. But more importantly; her mind reels. He knew a lot about Mundania and she had to introduce him to magic? "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Grey!" Wide eyes. "I didn't know you were from Mundania initially!" After the Nextwave invasion, it was decided of course to let in non-magic folks to settle, but Ivy had to admit she was really surprised! There was no way her parents would have let her date someone without even magic! A sorceress and a no-talent??? How awkward would that be as King? She gently pat his cheek. "That's why magic bounces around you," so sad for him!!! But she smiled gently all the same, "But they say everyone can do magic here, even if they couldn't in Mundania!" Although maybe not Grey if magic really did just work around him instead of flowing through him like normal people. Eek.

[believe_it_or_not]

He chuckled. She was slowing down. "Actually, the Good Magician's book. though reading it might be an exaggeration. I dfid read some of the leaked Muses books as well, though. While I was in Mundania. But there is nothing to be sorry about. You saved me from that dreariness, Ivy. I'm fine. Better than fine, I actually have a pretty strong magic talent myself." He couldn't help it, he kissed her forehead again.

[enhancomancer]

"How?"

"Really?" Wide eyes, both relieved, intrigued, and then melting into a puddle of gooey affection and warmth and love all over again. Why yes, she was right, kisses ARE fun, and she's excited by the prospect that there's a time when she does it all even more properly. "Can I ask what it is?" A beat... and she pouts. "May I?" Green eyes rolled, "It really is no fun without the centaurs around to throw conniptions." Another beat. Was that the right word? She was pretty sure it was! "They shoot them like arrows," she joked, not sure if Grey would get the joke or not, but testing to find out.

[believe_it_or_not]

"Who shoots what like arrows?" he asked, confused. Guess this really was Ivy. She was the only one left him with this particular flavor of confused.

[enhancomancer]

"Centaurs. They shoot conniptions. From their... hearts." She shook her head, maybe she hadn't gotten the word right after all. But he was also stalling and avoiding telling her he had a talent, so it was either embarrassing, bad, or like Grandpa Bink's; and had to stay mysterious, so she didn't bring it up. After all, she trusted him!

"So what have you learned in two days here already?"

[believe_it_or_not]

"I... am pretty sure that's not how conniptions work, Ivy," he said, tine the same as he would have used on her as an adult,. had used on her... just three days ago by his reckoning.

"Mostly that any world is boring without you, and that either they're right about my talent not working her eor that flower was utterly unmagical to begin with."

[enhancomancer]

"Why not? Tandy throws tantrums."

Gosh Grey, so un-funny!

But he's instantly forgiven at the insistence that any world is boring without her, and her eyes widen and shine in delight. "That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me," she flushed prettily, and kissed his forehead too!!

"Just what is your talent?" she wasn't completely frustrated yet, but it was rare that she could get so many hints, and still not arrive at the solution! Furthermore, how could she enhance it... or avoid enhancing it if necessary; if she didn't know what it was?! Though she still trusted him, of course! Now, more than ever!

[believe_it_or_not]

"But that's her talent, which makes it different."

He grinned. "Well now I feel like not telling yu and seeing ig you can guess," he teased. "But I won't," he said, till smiling till he thought about that poor firefly. He sighed and shook his head, focusing his thoughts on happier things. "Being b... delivered in Mundania had an odd affect on my magic, I'm the magician of null magic. I can disbelieve magical things into their mundane state and rebound restore them. Part of what makes you and I such a good team."

[enhancomancer]

"Maybe it's a joint talent of centaurs. Like curse fiends," nod nod.

She pouted at his tease, but brightened when he agreed not to.

She blinked at his nullification, and nodded about them being a good team. "Yeah! Your talent flatters mine!" Complements.

"Oh, but that must be real confusing here!" Like he said. Either his talent doesn't work here, or the flower was non-magical. She puzzled it over in thought. "Even if I enhanced something, we wouldn't know!" she laughed. "What do you think of the other kinds of magic?"

[believe_it_or_not]

He wasn't going to argue the point about the centaurs. He learned already, when he was sure he was right was the worst time to argue a point with Ivy. So he let that go. "Our talents do work out well together, subtle but undeniable. At home anyway. Here... Feeling pretty denied," he admitted, tickling her lightly with his free hand.

[enhancomancer]

Ivy cheerfully plays with his hand and nuzzles it a little. "Okay! Let's find something for you to null! There's practice dummies! I'll try to magic it, and you try to not-magic it, okay? I'll use the um... the magic here! So that way, it's not my talent."

[believe_it_or_not]

He chuckled and bounced her. "Let's see if we can't get you back to you first, okay?"

[enhancomancer]

"Okay! But I've been thinking on that. You said we should ask Merlin if I came in older, and I didn't. I remember coming through the mirror this age, and the last thing I remember before, was watching the Vale. But if I did get tiny here, I wouldn't remember coming here like this, would I? Does that mean anything?" Ivy took his hand and cheerfully swung it in hers, doing her best to enhance his optimism -- having no idea that this was a fruitless effort, because Grey was an eternal skeptic, and yet always optimistic about Ivy.

"Is he named after Merlin or is he actually Merlin? Humphrey uses fountain of youth, that's how Stanley got young, and Dad used a time spell to travel back to Castle Roogna's past in the tapestry, but everyone knows the first King of Xanth traveled to Mundania to help King Arthur and never returned. This isn't Mundania, but it has money, and magic, so it's like a weird hybrid of both? Maybe there's an eternal youth spell on Xanth Kings? Does that mean I'll get to meet Grandpa Trent when he was still King? Or Magician Roogna?" Headtilt. "And maybe it overcompensated for me, because I'm not thousands of years past whenever, so instead of preserving me from when I'm King... splash! Like Stanley."

A huff. "I guess we better ask him."

[believe_it_or_not]

He laughed. No, she didn't need a spell to make him optimistic. "Then that sounds like you got dosed before you arrived here. But he might know how to bring you back to your proper age anyway." He kissed her forehead again. "And there are stories about a Magician named Merlin in Mundania too, so who knows. We had to read a lot about him in Freshman English, a class determined to make even that interesting a topic dry and boring. You think Centaurs are bad, sit through one week of Freshman English," he teased.

[enhancomancer]

"Well, he did travel there," Ivy nodded sagely.

"That sounds terrible," she made a face. "Like castor oil. Be careful going into a gourd, they make you face your worst nightmares like that." She squeezed his hand. "But I'll come with you and pull you out." She didn't know that the Night Stallion himself owed Grey and older Ivy a favor, of course.

And then she titled her head again, "I don't know much about what happened to Merlin in Mundania! I have a lot of books, but the Tapestry only really works for Xanth. What do the mundanes say? How come mundanes don't believe in magic if they know about Merlin?"

[believe_it_or_not]

He chuckled. "Oh, we've been through the gourd. Can't say the Night Stallion is my biggest fan, but it was an interesting enough trip all the same." And they got to help two people, which was always worthwhile. "Mundanes tend to think that magic is for good make believe stories. What little magic survives crossing the border, like rainbows and nightmares, are explained away in other ways."

[enhancomancer]

"Like what?" she just naively looks at him, because how could magic not be magic?