paradisa | Thirteen Truffula Trees

[Well, that was an eventful trip, wasn't it? He'd actually been enjoying the world change right up to the point the fake Lorax showed up. Those words had hurt, even if a small part of him was always expecting them. So, the Once-ler is in his room (where else?) idly strumming out a guitar tune. He's not even sure he remembers where he's heard it from. Somewhere in the castle, probably. He continues to strum along as he dictates into the journal]

Okay, I have a question. Did anyone else see horrible illusions when the...whatever they were attacked us? Because I'm kind of wondering. How did they know what illusions to cast? You know, which ones would really get to us. Did they have files on us or did they just go play around in our heads and turn our own minds against us?

[He's not sure why it's important he knows that. It's not exactly going to make him feel any better, but still. That done, he has some filters to see to]

[Jane]

Your Utility Belt is all done. I would have got it done sooner if the castle hadn't decided to throw all those shenanigans at us.

[Phoebe]

Incoming, your ghosts are brining your birthday present. [It’s a scarf. Because it was something he was able to make on short notice, and hey, winter is coming so it’s practical too!]

[Kalinda]

[He’s been concerned about her, really. They haven’t properly talked since that...nightmare mess and he’s not sure if she even wants to see him again or not. Still, she’s been quiet- very quiet. He's trying not to think about those really not subtle at all hints his beloved friends decided to drop concerning her. Carefully:

...Hey.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hmm, something like that. It's a bit different for everyone. I always thought of them as walls, yes, but... not brick. More like a shimmering, with my color of magic.

...Huh. Must be a great trick at parties.

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Ah... not precisely. My magic is not good for such things. Not to mention not to be used lightly. FireStarting, perhaps, though it is not one of my favorite of my Talents.

...Isn't fire-starting....you know, dangerous? You could catch the tablecloth or something.

No one wants a fire at a dinner party.

Well, I am more in control of it than that. It comes in handy when needing to start fires or light candles.

So, what? You just snap your fingers and bam, fire?

More or less, though I don't need to snap my fingers. I just start them. I do not use it often, though. It mostly gets used when I am on circuit. It makes making camp a lot easier.

I guess it beats rubbing two sticks together.

Faster, for sure. I prefer mage-lights though.

What're those?

The easiest way to explain it is they are heatless balls of light. They are safer than fire, though they take my magic to work.

Now that would be really useful for all kinds of things.

Believe me, they are, though they make you easy to spot in the night. Which, in and of itself, is dangerous. Not to mention they drain magic over time. Double-edged swords, mage-light.

Ohhhh I know a little about things like that. Magic...uh mana? It's a limited resource, right? It needs to recharge.

Magic, yes. And when it is coming straight from a person, yes. I can overtax myself and easily hurt myself if I am not careful. With a node it is easier, since I can draw magic from an outside source, but Paradisa has no node that I am aware of.

...There's something horribly ironic about this magic dangerous castle not having a errr magical node.

Well, it might, but I cannot sense it, and if I cannot sense it, I cannot tap it. Though, to be frank, this Castle is... far beyond my magical understandings.

I think it's far beyond anyone's understanding, magical or otherwise.

Haha, that is probably true. But it is... disconcerting, nonetheless. It makes me wonder if an Adept Mage might be able to make sense of it. They have made sense of stranger things.

Or maybe a spirit of some kind? [Great and powerful. Appearing out of tree stumps...]

It is possible, though I have never heard of a spirit taking over something inanimate. Not to mention the spirit would have to be immensely powerful to perform what it is doing on a daily basis, and that begs the question of where is the power coming from? The obvious answer is one I do not like at all.