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Who: George Lass and Harlan Halliday
What: It's time to make George's focus!
Where: Spiral Two, 1402
When: Now
Warnings: None anticipated, will update if needed.

[George has been busy, preparing for her guest. there are cookies and a bottle of whiskey, the couch cushions have all been fluffed, and she's as ready as she'll ever be to make her focus. she's been warned that it's an arduous procedure, but she's hoping that there are exceptions for immortal Grim Reapers. she's got to get something out of her state of unlife, right?

...probably not. but whatever it takes, she'll do it. she needs this to advance in her magic and she needs to advance in her magic if she wants to be fully capable of defending herself.

she fiddles with the hourglass necklace she's wearing and waits for Harlan to arrive]

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[Harlan shows up right on time. He walked over instead of teleporting to conserve his magic--George will probably need more than a little guidance from him on that front. Newbies usually do. He thinks, anyway. He's never actually helped someone make their first focus, so he's not sure how much this is going to take out of him. But if he was able to do it by himself when he was a kid, George should manage just fine. Still. It's better to play it safe.

He's also brought a backpack full of actual food (read: not cookies and booze) because there's a good chance she won't be making it very far from the couch for a couple of days. PB&Js and rice and bananas are good at not fucking with an upset stomach, so he's got... well, the sandwiches and the rice and some weird banana-adjacent fruits he found in the orchard. Close enough.

He knocks on the door. This will be fine, probably.]

[she immediately opens the door. not that she was pacing around waiting for him to arrive. she wasn't (except that she was)]

Hey. C'mon in. How're you doing?

[she's a little excited/nervous. can you tell? probably. for good or for bad, she's always been bad at concealing what she's feeling]

[George and HH have so much in common, honestly.]

Hey. I'm good. [He means it. She can probably tell, too--he's looking way happier than the last time they saw each other. And healthier. Amazing what not being dick deep in a Null invasion will do for a person's wellbeing.

He picks up on the nerves right away. Good. She should be nervous. It's a sign that she's taking this seriously. Plus, knowingly giving yourself the flu for a couple of days is more than a little bit stressful. This is gonna be work.]

You still up for this?

[Just checking.]

[no wonder why they're such good friends]

Good. I mean, you look better. [a beat] Not that you looked bad before, but. Yeah. [yeah, he doesn't look like he's been through hell and back. neither does she. by the end of the Null invasion, she hadn't eaten or slept in two weeks and even with her Reaper metabolism, that does a number on a person.

she is taking this all very seriously. despite the ridiculous food options she came up with. she's gone long enough without needing proper food and sleep that her idea of what's appropriate is out of whack]

Yeah, definitely. Let's go for it?

[she's good]

[He laughs.] Thanks for the attempt at sparing my feelings, but nah, I looked like hell, I'm sure. [It's been a while for him, so he actually has no clue what he looked like a year ago. Probably stressed and grumpy and tired.

And it's okay, George. Harlan routinely forgets that he actually does need proper food and sleep, so. Right there with ya, buddy. He's really great at making sure other people get these things, though.]

Cool. The next step is get comfortable. We're gonna be at this a while, and then you're not gonna want to move very far for a couple days. You good with the clinic, by the way? [She had mentioned wanting to take time off and such.]

[she laughs] Well, you said it. I didn't. [he looked like he'd been dragged feet first through hell and back again, to be honest. she's sure she did, too.

that's another thing they have in common: looking after others while ignoring their own needs. it's like they're siblings from another mother.

she sits down crosslegged on the couch] Okay. I'm comfy. And they know I'm doing this and won't be up for much afterwards. It's cool. I mostly do the most basic stuff, anyway. Except now I know how to do stitches and set bone.

Good. [It's good enough for him. He sits down next to her, a little closer than he would normally. It'll be easier if they're in a tighter proximity, even if the closeness makes him a little nervous.]

No shit? Those are some handy talents. I can teach you a healing spell once you've got your focus, too. I only know the one, but it's useful as fuck.

[Anyway. Down to business. He fishes a black guitar pick out of his pocket.]

This is mine. [He flips it through his fingers to show her.] Don't touch it--and don't let anyone touch yours--but you should be able to feel the magic radiating off of it if you concentrate.

[It won't even take much effort. Harlan is a pretty powerful sorcerer by now, so his magic is very intense. It feels a bit like a pulsing hum, like standing in front of a subwoofer at a concert but without the noise. He doesn't feel it, of course. It's just part of him.]

Yours won't be this strong for a long time, but this is essentially what you're aiming for. You're channeling your energy into an external object that'll act as a sort of lightning rod when you're casting heftier magic.

[yeah, George is fond of her personal space, too, but she figures that there has to be a reason why he's sitting so close]

That would come in handy at the clinic. Granted, things have slowed down now that we're not being attacked by crazy asshole robots, but you've got your average acts of stupidity to deal with.

[she eyes the black guitar pick curiously]

So touching it's like touching your magic? Which would be a badtouch.

[she can feel it. it's kind of wild to think about feeling magic, but she'd like to be as powerful someday]

Okay, cool. [she unlatches her necklace and holds it in her hand so that the charm dangles down] I was gonna go with this. That way, I could always wear it and it wouldn't seem like a big deal to other people.

[He laughs. He'd love to hear more stories about average acts of stupidity, but also he can't really judge. It's not like he values his safety over doing cool shit, either. He files that away to ask her about later.]

Yeah. I've heard it feels different for everyone, but it's universally uncomfortable. Not usually in a physical sense, though. It doesn't really hurt. It's more like the equivalent of a stranger grabbing your crotch. It's intimate, since it's essentially a chunk of your... Life energy or some shit. Whatever you want to call it. Other people handling it is intense. I can't even let Michael touch mine.

[Touching Harlan's focus is pretty much guaranteed to trigger a panic attack, but he's in the minority. If anyone ever happens to touch George's, it'll be as Harlan described: An awkward grope from a stranger. She'll probably feel sort of spiritually icky for the rest of the day afterward, especially the first time it happens, but it won't leave any permanent damage or anything.]

Nice choice. How big of a deal is it to you, though?

[mostly people taking joyrides in the mopeds without knowing what they're doing or paying attention to where they're going. or thinking "hey, both suns are out, it's the hottest time of the day, now's the perfect time for some strenuous exercise"]

Yeah, no frame of reference here, 'cause I've never had anyone grab my crotch. Stranger or otherwise. But from that, I assume that it feels awkward and icky and it's something to be avoided. Not that I think anyone's gonna try messing with me. The only person here I don't like already moved out, thank fuck.

[if anyone touches George's, they're asking to be punched in the face. Granted, she is not exactly practiced at non-lethal modes of combat and would likely hurt herself as much as the other person, but it's the principle of the thing]

Thanks. I like it? Found it at the shops the other day.

[He laughs a little.] Yeah, uh, icky is a good word for it.

[For both focus-grabbing and crotch-grabbing, honestly.]

You'd be surprised. Back home, people tried to fuck with me all the time. Here, though, the bigger concern is people not understanding the significance. Everyone where I'm from knows to leave focuses alone, even if they're not mages themselves. There's laws and procedures about that kind of shit. So, here, someone's more likely to touch it without realizing.

[A necklace will probably prevent that, but still, it's important to say.]

Okay, good. One of the schools of thought for mages just starting out is that you need to make your focus some sentimental object. I think that's bullshit. My random guitar pick works just fine, and if something goes wrong and it gets destroyed, I'm not out a focus and some family heirloom or whatever the fuck.

[if anyone tries grabbing either, they're getting a knee to the crotch. badtouch! badtouch!]

Yeah, but you also had that adventurer job. I can kinda see people on the opposite side wanting to fuck with you. You know, fight dirty. And I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the idea of a world where magic is just there. What kinds of laws are there? I bet things get complicated real fast. And I'll just put my necklace under my shirt. That way, people wouldn't really be able to see it well.

[she appreciates the warning. all of this stuff is totally new to her, so she needs all the information she can get]

I don't even have a sentimental object here, so that wouldn't work. I can't even think of something from home that I'd use. Most of my stuff that I really liked is too big to work. I'd have to carry around an action figure or wear this one jacket all the time. And it's too hot here to wear a leather jacket. So my necklace will work just fine.

That's true, yeah, but I had people trying to fuck with me before I got into guildwork. It doesn't happen often, but it happens. [He shrugs.]

But, uh... [Laws. Hm.] It's probably like, I don't know, gun laws or something where you're from. It's tough to say since magic is normal for me.

[He takes a moment to think about it.] Well, what we're doing tonight is actually illegal back home. If you're able to cast magic above a cantrip, you're supposed to register as a mage and make your focus through official channels. You have driver's licenses and shit, right? It's like that.

[He could go on, but they'll have plenty of time to talk later.]

Don't worry, though. I've done this shit more than a few times. You're in good hands. [And she is. He's not lying when he says this isn't his first rodeo. He's made focuses for himself like a billion times, and he's helped others remake theirs, too.]

You ready to get started?

Seriously? That's not cool. You were at least able to defend yourself, right?

Okay. So it's sort of like I don't have to think about most laws, they're just there. And a part of everyday life. Or in my case, death.

[absurdly, she perks up a little at that] Seriously? You rebel. I promise to never tell. [she crosses her heart]

[right, let's get down to business!]

That's reassuring. 'Cause it means you know what you're doing. [good to be in the hands of a professional]

Ready when you are?

[He snorts. Yeah, it's pretty not cool.] Most of the time, yeah. If you're strong enough that someone needs to fuck with your focus to cripple you, chances are they're gonna have a hard time getting to your focus in the first place.

[Not to brag or anything. He laughs again at the rebel comment.]

Yeah, well, knowing how to make a focus on your own comes in handy, especially in my line of work. Unless you're out in the world doing dumb shit with your magic, the cops aren't likely to care very much.

[Aaanyway.]

So this will feel a little bit like the Message spell I taught you. You're pushing your magic into the necklace and storing it there. You don't have much magic to move around yet, and I doubt you're all that comfortable directing it. Hitting the target and starting that funneling process is going to be the tricky part. That's the part I can help with.

[He puts his own focus away to avoid any stream-crossing.]

How you open that channel is up to you. Some people get really ritualistic with it and want that whole new age vibe in the room-- [Which. That doesn't sound like George's thing, but if it is, whoops. He adjusts his tone to sound like judgy.] Or, uh, closing your eyes might help if you're holding the thing, or some people like focusing on it. Up to you. Whatever you need to get it done.

Okay. That makes sense. So all I've gotta do is become a badass somehow.

[she assumes that they'll get to that part]

Now I've gotta ask, what qualifies for dumb shit? Are we talking your everyday run of the mill pranks or, you know, popping someone's head like a balloon? Assuming that's possible.

Thanks. I'll probably need all the help I can get.

[she snorts at the new age vibe comment. he can be as judgey as he wants] I think I'll go with the whole literally staring at it thing. Because, you know, it's a focus. So I should focus on it.

[and she picks up the necklace, holding the charm up at eye level]

[He considers the balloon-head-popping. He doesn't know a spell offhand that can do that, but it's probably possible. Most things are possible with magic.]

Someone could pull that off, I'm sure. But the general rule of "dumb shit" is anything that disturbs the peace. You'd get in trouble for that shit anyway, but you're in especially deep shit if you're not a registered mage. Again, it's like driving without a license. Don't speed or start endangering the public and you're golden. No one will question you.

[So. If you're gonna do things illegally, confidence goes a long way.]

Hey, whatever works. Good luck. [Meanwhile, he settles back into the couch. He'd put more of an active effort in, but George is such a newbie that he can play wingman without batting an eye. It'll still be tricky for her since most of the effort needs to come from her end, but his role is easy.

Once he feels her start to channel, he nudges her magic in the right direction with his own. It's the ethereal, magical equivalent of a parent holding their kid's bike as they try to adjust to life without training wheels. He's here both to steady her balance and to act as a buffer so she doesn't fall off completely. Having to start over when you're making a focus really blows.

Connecting with the focus in the first place is the main hurdle. It's tough, trying to imbue a nonmagical object (and likely something that isn't even attuned for this brand of magic, but that's way beyond Harlan's expertise sooo he's just gonna hope this works like it should). It'll be like trying to thread a needle with a particularly finicky thread. Once she gets that, it's all about holding her concentration long enough to siphon enough magic out of her and into the new focus. That's the endurance part of this race. It's easy enough to sit back and let it happen, but if she gets too comfortable, she'll rip out the thread and have to find the connection all over again.

Harlan is there to help keep her focused, too. Don't fall off the bike, kiddo. It's a pain in the ass to get back on.

Luckily, as obnoxious as this process is, it won't last too long. An hour, maybe two if she really struggles with any portion of it. As annoying as it is to craft a focus when you're inexperienced, George doesn't have a lot of magic to move around. If Harlan had to remake his focus, he'd be able to snap into the channeling portion within seconds, but then it would be hours before he'd be able to funnel enough magic into the damned thing, and that would be exhausting. No thanks.

Anyway, Harlan is here to help, and will sit as quietly and unobtrusively as possible while she works, doing his job as magical spirit guide or whatever. Unless she needs something, of course.]

Edited 2018-04-01 10:31 (UTC)

[she stares at her soon-to-be focus as hard as she can and concentrates on trying to channel her magic. it's hard at first, but once she actually gets started, it's not too bad.

she can feel Harlan's magic helping her, which she really appreciates. unfortunately, she's too busy focusing to actually be able to say "thank you." that will have to wait until after she's done.

she's not use to concentrating. or rather, she hadn't been before she died. back then, all she did was lay around the house and mope. that's not an option here. or rather, it is an option, but it's not as appealing as it used to be. maybe she's finally growing the fuck up?

it takes about an hour and a half. maybe an hour and twenty minutes. it was rough getting started, but once she got her groove, it wasn't so bad. maybe because she doesn't have much magic to channel yet? maybe because she's already a supernatural being? whatever it is, she's not going to knock it.

his presence doesn't make her feel awkward. which is weird, because usually she's awkward in anyone's presence. maybe that's what having friends is like?

aaaand, done. she takes a deep breath. it feels like she just ran a marathon] ...damn. That was intense.

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i only have two "i'm doin magic" icons for him and the other one is explosions so

this is George's concentration face