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[retroductions]

( art credit )

[ INMATE REGISTRY ]

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[velluminous]

[ she moves to stand over him, bringing his pipe to her lips ]

Geas. In this way, I would speak to you any command. You would be compulsed to obey, and were you to take any action counter to it, you would suffer immense mental agony. This would persist for thirty days, at its briefest. [ bending closer ] Short of suicide, I could ask you to do anything.

[retroductions]

[Looking up at her, a frown beginning to grace his features.]

Anything at all?

[velluminous]

Anything at all. Destroy your home. Thieve precious artifacts. Assassinate noble.

[retroductions]

And you are to tell me there is no way to circumvent this? None at all?

[velluminous]

Your willpower might overpower mine upon first casting, but if not... it would take fairly powerful magic to unmake.

[ puffs his pipe ]

[retroductions]

[This is highly disturbing, though equally intriguing.]

Then it is a wonder that the strongest willed in your world refrain from controlling each and every aspect of daily life.

[Unless... they don't.]

[velluminous]

[ her face betrays nothing ]

Now you are getting idea.

[retroductions]

That is utterly disturbing, Ms Vaux. You will at least tell me that this spell is a difficult one to cast?

[velluminous]

It is beyond me. [ but not for much longer! ] I would not call it most difficult spell to cast, however. There are certainly more taxing ones.

[retroductions]

[He runs a hand through his hair, huffing.]

Good heavens. Whereas my world begins to revolve around increasing capital every day, it appears that yours might impress more importance upon magic, if such powerful spells exist.

Honestly, how would a detective get anything done...?

[velluminous]

How do you? With unfailing effort and determination.

[ leans back against the edge of the table, crosses her legs at the ankle. puff puff ]

[retroductions]

[She can puff as long as she wants; Sholmes does not seem to be eager to have his pipe back.]

Paired with the use of logic that applies to a very strict set of rules by which the physical world operates. Magic is but a wrench thrown into that very critical process, it would seem.

[velluminous]

Ah, but one may also use magic to help deduce. Remember.

[retroductions]

[This seems to pique his interest further.]

And are there spells that can reveal the use of another?

[velluminous]

Of course. Detect Magic, for one. See Invisibility, for another. There are also various abjuration spells that might protect one from certain effects.

[retroductions]

Quite interesting, indeed. A whole new toolset to approach a new, potentially frustrating set of problems...

[velluminous]

You would find it new and frustrating, perhaps, but for those at home, this is simply way of life; how it has always been.

[ despite her words, it's clear she's enjoying this conversation, because her tail keeps flittering where it drapes over the edge of the table. she even dares to bring one foot up and rest the curve of her ankle over one of Sholmes' knees.

you could say she's still nervous about her ill omens wisping him away ]

[retroductions]

Mm.

[-he says at first, considering. Wondering at how he would approach matters if he were a detective born into her world, rather than his own. He does not seem to mind the point of contact, and he easily notes her flickering tail. The air between them is casual, it would seem -- less the air of student and teacher, but simply friends.]

I admit it is fascinating. And the privilege of being frustrated is only one that would happen in theory. My detective-ing will remain in London for the foreseeable future.

[velluminous]

[ gives a little pull on his pipe and lowers it, exhaling the smoke slowly through her nose, which gives her a distinctly bullish appearance. it's always all just theory, isn't it? the one thing she cannot do is break between worlds.

so far. ]

Yes. Indeed it will.

[retroductions]

[He inhales a fresh take of secondhand smoke.]

Such is one's lot in life. To think that I would not have known about all these other worlds without being brought into this... blasted prison.

[velluminous]

And now you know what lays beyond your stars.

[retroductions]

I do hope I have the honor of remembering it once we are returned to where we belong, as well.

[velluminous]

[ honestly, the thought that they might not makes her entire chest clench unpleasantly, but for once, very little of it shows. the stillness of her tail is maybe the biggest tell, but only if one has come to recognize what its usual constant motion means.

her gaze is on where her ankle hooks over his knee. ]

And if this were all one prolonged dream?

[retroductions]

[The stillness of her tail means something where it is usually so active, he can deduce at least that much.]

Well, then what a dream it would have been. One of my better ones.

[velluminous]

[ how befitting of her that she might dream of a world where she was trapped and moved like a puppet, that she was loved, and everything she could possibly learn or grow from would vanish with wakefulness.

...bah. she can't think these things.

brings the pipe to her lips again ]

You must have some awful nightmares, Herlock.