[He shrugs his shoulders and lifts his free hand.]
Just checking!
[One never knows how dedicated a person is to keeping their things intact.]
It's so long ago now I can barely remember feeling afraid, but I remember the trick and I always do it when I play. Didn't know my parents as I've said but I had an image of them and for a long time I played for them. Then for friends. Very quickly for Imelda and a long time just for her. And then Coco. I found, when I played for strangers, I couldn't find the heart in it. It felt forced and wrong. And when I played just for me, well, that was hard too. I never was very good at minding myself alone.
[Easier to care about others. So much harder to care what became of him without them.
He props the phone up carefully, so he can pull back away from it and show both his hands. His old standby spell. His markings light up under his skin, as they do when he's about to change. He mutters the incantation, moving his hands, and instead of a shift, the light pools at his hands, and then lifts, a little ball above them both. His markings keep glowing, without changing him, and he smiles warmly on the little light.]
I think of Coco, showing her things like this. Even though she can do so much magic on her own, I know she'd be thrilled. [He lets the light go out, and himself as well.] When my magic fails me, when I struggle with keeping this appearance, I think of her, who I need to be whole for, and I think of Imelda who likes me so much better like this.
...And one time I thought of you. That night you helped me. I'm sure you remember. [He takes a breath.] Okay. Grab whatever you're going to use. We'll get started. Let me know when you're ready.
no subject
Just checking!
[One never knows how dedicated a person is to keeping their things intact.]
It's so long ago now I can barely remember feeling afraid, but I remember the trick and I always do it when I play. Didn't know my parents as I've said but I had an image of them and for a long time I played for them. Then for friends. Very quickly for Imelda and a long time just for her. And then Coco. I found, when I played for strangers, I couldn't find the heart in it. It felt forced and wrong. And when I played just for me, well, that was hard too. I never was very good at minding myself alone.
[Easier to care about others. So much harder to care what became of him without them.
He props the phone up carefully, so he can pull back away from it and show both his hands. His old standby spell. His markings light up under his skin, as they do when he's about to change. He mutters the incantation, moving his hands, and instead of a shift, the light pools at his hands, and then lifts, a little ball above them both. His markings keep glowing, without changing him, and he smiles warmly on the little light.]
I think of Coco, showing her things like this. Even though she can do so much magic on her own, I know she'd be thrilled. [He lets the light go out, and himself as well.] When my magic fails me, when I struggle with keeping this appearance, I think of her, who I need to be whole for, and I think of Imelda who likes me so much better like this.
...And one time I thought of you. That night you helped me. I'm sure you remember. [He takes a breath.] Okay. Grab whatever you're going to use. We'll get started. Let me know when you're ready.