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xp_logsThe magic ladies gather to talk, and Amanda has a most horrendous idea.
Topaz was leaning on the edge of the boat, her attention only slightly on the people around her. Amanda was running the show, and Topaz was trying to focus on the very faint emotional signatures. They were just barely within her range, and it was like trying to hold onto water - it kept slipping. She frowned and closed her eyes, blocking out everything she could without putting her hands over her ears and looking completely childish. There was something... wrong. Something off about the emotions she could feel. It almost reminded her of Alaska, and she shivered slightly at the thought.
Amanda was watching Topaz out of the corner of her eye, trying not to add to the distractions. Away from the Keys, she'd sobered up pretty quickly and her manner was the brisk professional one that was recognisable as her 'work face'. At the shiver, her eyebrows went up. "Get something?" she asked quietly.
It took Topaz a good thirty seconds to finally open her eyes again, frowning and staring hard at the floor. "Barely. They're down there, almost out of my range, but I can still feel them. There's something wrong though. It's like when we were in Alaska and that bloke was using nanites to control people. Their emotions are... wrong, I guess is the best way to put it. Like walking into a room and feeling like something's changed even though it hasn't." She had no words to describe the sensation in a way that made sense outside of her head. This was the best she could do.
"If they're alive, something might have been done to make them stay that way even at the bottom of the ocean." Amanda gave Topaz a brief nod and a half-smile - she didn't want to antagonise her with actual praise. "All right, so we're looking at rescue. From the afore-mentioned bottom of the ocean. Anyone got any thoughts on how we're getting there without dying?"
Clea was also looking down at the waves below. "If only we had gillyweed." Yes, Clea made a Harry Potter reference in the presence of people who didn't find it as amusing as she did. Looking over at her teacher, "Maybe a fish?"
“Who can hold their breath the longest?” Topaz asked, sarcasm thick in her voice. “Or maybe we could borrow scuba gear.” Although if they were as far down as she suspected, that wouldn’t do any good. Human bodies wouldn’t survive. She closed her eyes again to focus on the kidnapped people once more. Something was wrong, and it set her on edge.
Amanda wrinkled her nose at the Harry Potter reference, but held her tongue. "Scuba gear won't do it - the water pressure's too much," she pointed out. "Clea might have something with the fish tho'..." At that she pulled out her phone and pulled up the spell reference guide she and Doug had put on it. "No, no, not unless we want to stay trapped down there forever, that's for curing warts..." Then she paused, read the entry intently, and let out a groan. "Oh, you have to be fucking joking."
This time Clea raised her eyebrow at the list that Amanda was going off. Spells were interesting. "What is it? Is it super complex?" This time she was being serious as she scooted over to Amanda and tried to peer over her shoulder.
"No... well, yeah, it is, but that's not the problem." Amanda turned the phone around so Clea could read it. "If one of you has been cross-referencing my spells with Disney movies, now's the time to own up."
"Disney movies?" Topaz opened her eyes again to raise an eyebrow. Tandy had put her through the entire Disney movie line-up over the course of a weekend once. It hadn't been pleasant. "What do Disney movies have to do with getting under wat-" There was almost an audible click as the pieces fell into place. "No."
Clea read the words and bit her lower lip as she looked at her fellow friends, "Can I say, I am bloody jealous? Because I am."
"If it wasn't for the giant squid, I'd happily swap spots, Clea," Amanda sighed. "But it looks like this is the only option." She took a breath and forced the words out. "We're going to have to turn into mermaids."
==
Scott stared morosely down at the water, dark eyes watching the waves cresting, a line of bubbles breaking on the surface as he rested his hands on the rail, weight slumped against the wood for a moment before he turned, letting his gaze settle on Amanda, "So, they're down there and you want us to do what to get down there?"
The witch sighed. "I know, it's totally daft. But it's the only thing I've got." She paused, and then forced the words out again. "We're going to have to be mer-people."
Clint opened his mouth, but quickly shut it for the third time with a clack of his molars because sometimes his sense of self-preservation actually worked. After clearing his throat, he carefully raised his forefinger to touch the end of his nose and said, "Not it." He dropped his hand almost immediately, though, and asked, "What d'you need for this thingamajig to work?"
Amanda's expression darkened even further, if possible. "It's a big spell, so I'm going to need all the magic users I can get hold of. Plus... samples. Physical samples. From those who are going down there. And fish eggs. Lots of fish eggs."
The look Scott turned on Amanda was less than happy, less than impressed. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm gonna hate every single minute of this spell, you're sure there isn't another way, magical diving suits or something that aren't quite so...well fish eggs and samples?"
"Scott, bro," Clint said, clapping a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Look at Miss Sefton's face. If there was any other way, don't you think she'd be on that in a heartbeat?" Glancing back toward Amanda, he asked, "Just like, I dunno. Do the fish eggs have to be fresh? Or would caviar work? Cause if you need it fresh, we're gonna need to start fishing, which seems tedious... though, how much roe's required?"
"A couple of pounds. But I can get Clarice to get some from a fish market in Key West as she brings people in. The hardest part will be getting everyone naked for this." Amanda hazarded a grin - sometimes, it was just better to laugh even in the face of embarrassing magic and giant squid.
"Naked?" Scott's face fell further and he had to shake his head, a laugh matching Amanda's as he rubbed at his forehead, "I can bet everyone's going to love that. Although you know Amanda...if you wanted to get Mr Barton here naked, I'm sure there are better ways of doing it."
"You're lucky I know you've gone through sensitivity training, Captain Sexual Harassment," Clint deadpanned. Glancing over toward Amanda, he continued, "I'll stay topside, though -- still good at boats. Nictating membranes might come in handy underwater, but I think it'd be best to have a group up here just in case the squid comes back or something like... other pirates?" It still boggled his mind a bit that Summers' dad was a legit pirate.
"The day I have to use magic to get someone naked is the day I join a nunnery," Amanda snorted. "But yeah, sounds like a good idea, having back up topside. Summers, while you get a team sorted, I'l go get the mojo going with my lot. Sound about right?"
Scott nodded, his good humour draining away as he reached for his communicator, he could just imagine how this call would go. 'Hey I need anyone willing to strip down and be turned into a mermaid to go and rescue my dad" ...actually the mermaid thing probably should be what he started off with.
Topaz was leaning on the edge of the boat, her attention only slightly on the people around her. Amanda was running the show, and Topaz was trying to focus on the very faint emotional signatures. They were just barely within her range, and it was like trying to hold onto water - it kept slipping. She frowned and closed her eyes, blocking out everything she could without putting her hands over her ears and looking completely childish. There was something... wrong. Something off about the emotions she could feel. It almost reminded her of Alaska, and she shivered slightly at the thought.
Amanda was watching Topaz out of the corner of her eye, trying not to add to the distractions. Away from the Keys, she'd sobered up pretty quickly and her manner was the brisk professional one that was recognisable as her 'work face'. At the shiver, her eyebrows went up. "Get something?" she asked quietly.
It took Topaz a good thirty seconds to finally open her eyes again, frowning and staring hard at the floor. "Barely. They're down there, almost out of my range, but I can still feel them. There's something wrong though. It's like when we were in Alaska and that bloke was using nanites to control people. Their emotions are... wrong, I guess is the best way to put it. Like walking into a room and feeling like something's changed even though it hasn't." She had no words to describe the sensation in a way that made sense outside of her head. This was the best she could do.
"If they're alive, something might have been done to make them stay that way even at the bottom of the ocean." Amanda gave Topaz a brief nod and a half-smile - she didn't want to antagonise her with actual praise. "All right, so we're looking at rescue. From the afore-mentioned bottom of the ocean. Anyone got any thoughts on how we're getting there without dying?"
Clea was also looking down at the waves below. "If only we had gillyweed." Yes, Clea made a Harry Potter reference in the presence of people who didn't find it as amusing as she did. Looking over at her teacher, "Maybe a fish?"
“Who can hold their breath the longest?” Topaz asked, sarcasm thick in her voice. “Or maybe we could borrow scuba gear.” Although if they were as far down as she suspected, that wouldn’t do any good. Human bodies wouldn’t survive. She closed her eyes again to focus on the kidnapped people once more. Something was wrong, and it set her on edge.
Amanda wrinkled her nose at the Harry Potter reference, but held her tongue. "Scuba gear won't do it - the water pressure's too much," she pointed out. "Clea might have something with the fish tho'..." At that she pulled out her phone and pulled up the spell reference guide she and Doug had put on it. "No, no, not unless we want to stay trapped down there forever, that's for curing warts..." Then she paused, read the entry intently, and let out a groan. "Oh, you have to be fucking joking."
This time Clea raised her eyebrow at the list that Amanda was going off. Spells were interesting. "What is it? Is it super complex?" This time she was being serious as she scooted over to Amanda and tried to peer over her shoulder.
"No... well, yeah, it is, but that's not the problem." Amanda turned the phone around so Clea could read it. "If one of you has been cross-referencing my spells with Disney movies, now's the time to own up."
"Disney movies?" Topaz opened her eyes again to raise an eyebrow. Tandy had put her through the entire Disney movie line-up over the course of a weekend once. It hadn't been pleasant. "What do Disney movies have to do with getting under wat-" There was almost an audible click as the pieces fell into place. "No."
Clea read the words and bit her lower lip as she looked at her fellow friends, "Can I say, I am bloody jealous? Because I am."
"If it wasn't for the giant squid, I'd happily swap spots, Clea," Amanda sighed. "But it looks like this is the only option." She took a breath and forced the words out. "We're going to have to turn into mermaids."
==
Scott stared morosely down at the water, dark eyes watching the waves cresting, a line of bubbles breaking on the surface as he rested his hands on the rail, weight slumped against the wood for a moment before he turned, letting his gaze settle on Amanda, "So, they're down there and you want us to do what to get down there?"
The witch sighed. "I know, it's totally daft. But it's the only thing I've got." She paused, and then forced the words out again. "We're going to have to be mer-people."
Clint opened his mouth, but quickly shut it for the third time with a clack of his molars because sometimes his sense of self-preservation actually worked. After clearing his throat, he carefully raised his forefinger to touch the end of his nose and said, "Not it." He dropped his hand almost immediately, though, and asked, "What d'you need for this thingamajig to work?"
Amanda's expression darkened even further, if possible. "It's a big spell, so I'm going to need all the magic users I can get hold of. Plus... samples. Physical samples. From those who are going down there. And fish eggs. Lots of fish eggs."
The look Scott turned on Amanda was less than happy, less than impressed. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm gonna hate every single minute of this spell, you're sure there isn't another way, magical diving suits or something that aren't quite so...well fish eggs and samples?"
"Scott, bro," Clint said, clapping a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Look at Miss Sefton's face. If there was any other way, don't you think she'd be on that in a heartbeat?" Glancing back toward Amanda, he asked, "Just like, I dunno. Do the fish eggs have to be fresh? Or would caviar work? Cause if you need it fresh, we're gonna need to start fishing, which seems tedious... though, how much roe's required?"
"A couple of pounds. But I can get Clarice to get some from a fish market in Key West as she brings people in. The hardest part will be getting everyone naked for this." Amanda hazarded a grin - sometimes, it was just better to laugh even in the face of embarrassing magic and giant squid.
"Naked?" Scott's face fell further and he had to shake his head, a laugh matching Amanda's as he rubbed at his forehead, "I can bet everyone's going to love that. Although you know Amanda...if you wanted to get Mr Barton here naked, I'm sure there are better ways of doing it."
"You're lucky I know you've gone through sensitivity training, Captain Sexual Harassment," Clint deadpanned. Glancing over toward Amanda, he continued, "I'll stay topside, though -- still good at boats. Nictating membranes might come in handy underwater, but I think it'd be best to have a group up here just in case the squid comes back or something like... other pirates?" It still boggled his mind a bit that Summers' dad was a legit pirate.
"The day I have to use magic to get someone naked is the day I join a nunnery," Amanda snorted. "But yeah, sounds like a good idea, having back up topside. Summers, while you get a team sorted, I'l go get the mojo going with my lot. Sound about right?"
Scott nodded, his good humour draining away as he reached for his communicator, he could just imagine how this call would go. 'Hey I need anyone willing to strip down and be turned into a mermaid to go and rescue my dad" ...actually the mermaid thing probably should be what he started off with.
