video; un: x; 12/21 (during the Solstice)

[apogeal]

[The video opens onto a long shot of singing people dancing around the base of a huge tree. Naked singing people! Not all of them, but many of them, though some are wearing white robes instead of going totally nude. That's right, it's the majestic and emotional climax of the Nicnevin Solstice tradition, apparently being liveblogged by someone who is not participating in the naked musical antics.

The shot holds for a few solid moments, and then the phone camera swings around to a large, muscular man sitting a short distance from the action, under a tree, also naked—except for the black wrap tying up most of his hair. It takes him a second to steady the camera and aim it well at his face, but only a second. He actually seems to be decent at working this thing.

He says:]

So, this is "magic"? I want to understand. This ritual is more than a symbolic gesture of bonding? Is there proof? Or is this simply what people accept?

And if there really is more here than symbolism, how have they done this to us?

[His body jerks in a tiny shiver against the cold—boy does it look cold out there, but he's trying hard not to show it, and with that little tell, he turns off the camera with a flicker of annoyance. Cold!]

Comments

[apogeal]

Yes. But someone does understand. Someone understood the rules well enough to mold our bodies and minds into forms that act within these parameters, instead of those we came from. That would require a complete understanding of how "magic" works.

And none of you share that knowledge?

[He's not surprised, just disappointed.]

[groundzeroes]

Not to that extent. We're all magic peons atm. lol

[Rei would consider himself at least a middle-class magic user at this point, but. Details]

Still, I think you'll find there's a lotta shit you can do with magic without fully understanding it. Surely you haven't gotten this far without using whatever types you wound up with, right?

[apogeal]

[He looks at "lol" and "atm" for a moment with a frown, just like he had at "imo" last time, but he'd thought that one was a fluke. What do they mean?? Aren't they all speaking the same language here, somehow? Lol isn't a word! He'll just have to learn them from context if they're new words . . .

Anyway, after that, he switches on the video again to hold up the camera and demonstrate: a string of brightly glittering, rainbow light threads between the spread fingers of his other hand. Ooooh!]

But this is the power of an ant, or a pebble. This is nothing. As for the second, I've not found it yet. And we have only two of these . . . classes?

[groundzeroes]

[poor Kars... ancient being temporarily hampered by SMS conventions....

Anyway-- hmm, that looks like... light type? Rei only knows a few people with that personally... but it has its uses.]

That's right. Actually, we started out with just one at first. The second class cropped up later, after some more ritual development shit. So-- assuming that continues-- maybe you can fulfill your dreams of reshaping reality in a year or two.

[LMAO yeah right]

[apogeal]

[He grins widely at that response before turning off the camera again, because he's done with his demo, and while the texting is kind of annoying, it's even weirder to read texts on camera, or keep flipping it on and off while he reads.]

You see? I wasn't told any of this. That sounds very relevant. You had one, and now you have two. It only makes sense that more might be forthcoming.