paixaorpg | New Hope Returns [Open]

Entry tags:

New Hope Returns [Open]

Character(s): Urd, open!
Content: Urd's relief shop once again opens to the public.
Setting: Across the street from The Cheap Prayer.
Time: Week 39, all day!
Warnings: None.
Note: This log will be done via "party style" threading! Come in and make your own thread to get Urd's attention, or join into someone else's thread. It's all good!

Urd sat in mid-air, floating casually as she watched the wide shop window in thought. Though she'd opened up the shop for all the right reasons -- new people needing guidance, meeting those with magical skill to help keep Shantotto's curse at bay -- she had to admit it was also a way to hide from everything going on in her personal life. She needed a retreat from Genie and Eden and all the problems therein. She wasn't hiding...she was just...taking a breather.

Smiling wryly, she sighed and closed her eyes. Hopefully people would come by, or this whole attempt to get her mind off her troubles would hardly work.

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"Oh...right," said one of the Mini-Urds. All at once, every little version of the goddess disappeared in a puff of smoke and Urd, in her full form, parted the beaded curtain and entered the shop front.

"Helen, right?" She smiled as she approached. "Sorry about the mess."

Helen blinked and suddenly the clones were all gone, replaced by a larger version of the woman walking from the beaded curtain. She wasn't sure she'd ever gotten the woman's name, but that could wait for now. She offered a small smile in return, her body language guarded. Helen was nothing if not careful.

"Dr. Helen Magnus, yes," she answered. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You've got a lovely shop here. Have you been running it long?"

She snorted in amusement, waving a dismissive hand. "No, no. Sometimes I even forget this place exists. It's more like a hobby, really..." Urd cast a critical eye over Helen, smiling. "Hmm..." As she spoke, she made a slow rotation around the other woman, arms crossed.

"So what does a human doctor know about magic? I take it mortals from your world can cast a few spells?"

"I suppose we all need a few of those," Helen conceded. She wasn't particularly pleased with being treated like a creature, something to be fawned over, but the only sign of her wariness was the slight lift to her chin and the steady way she shifted into a strong position to stand in. Helen didn't scare easily, but her guard was always up. More so when she was being looked over.

"Not exactly. It's much more scientific, where many creatures and humans have genetics that gift them with abilities most would consider to be magical in nature." Honestly, she'd been mostly offering her brain to puzzle out a possible solution, not any sort of ability - magical or otherwise. That and simple curiosity about this woman had brought her here.

"That does explain how well you've adapted to this fantasy world," Urd replied with a chuckle, finally ending her scan of the woman to walk towards the counter by the far wall. "I'm always amused how tenacious the human mind can be." She turned and slid up onto the counter, sitting with her legs crossed.

"Well, then. Do you have any questions before we get to the real meat of this problem?"

"What can I say? I've seen a lot," Helen answered, following slowly to fold her arms over her chest as she listened. Tenacious indeed, especially someone like Helen Magnus.

"Only one but it's unimportant at the moment. I'm more interested in this problem of yours."

"Ah." Urd sighed, leaning back and supporting herself with her hands behind her. "Shantotto's curse. Leave it to that little menace to create the vainest spell imaginable." She eyed Helen, eyebrow raised.

"Have you dealt with curses before?"

Helen tilted her head just slightly as she listened, taking in the name mentioned and how it was mentioned. "I've certainly dealt with abilities that would be considered as such." And she didn't mean her longevity this time. "I suppose it would depend on your definition of the word."

"Any magic that causes harm could be considered a curse, but I guess you could argue semantics." She shrugged. "One world's curse may not be a curse to the denizens of another world. It's this sort of ambiguity that makes dealing with magic here all the more complicated."

Urd rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. "Well...we'll just give it a try, I guess. How have you broken curses before?"

"We don't exactly have 'magic' as it seems you're referring to, but there are quite a number of abilities that would be considered similar," Helen clarified, watching the other woman carefully. "If it's a manner of magical power, then I'm afraid I won't be of much use to you. I can aid with physics and a general knowledge of puzzles."

Honestly, she wasn't expecting to be able to do much. She just wanted to know more about this world and the abilities of the people who had been dragged here as she had.

"I'll take what I can get," she replied wryly. "Let me see here..."

And then the goddess held out both her hands, palms outward. Eyes closed, she focused on the flow of varying magical signatures in the city. A thrum of power seemed to vibrate in the air, the low drone of a spell heard faintly. "I...I see it. It's --"

And then Urd was flung backwards with enough force to break the wall behind her.

Helen watched with guarded interest as the woman appeared to do something. The thrum of power isn't lost on someone like her, as she'd seen abilities do many different things in her 159 years of life. However, when Urd was thrown backwards, Helen's eyes widened in shock and she hurried over to check to be sure the woman hadn't broken her back or something.

"Are you all right?"

Sprawled over rubble, dust and debris sprinkling over her prone form, Urd groaned. "Ugh...that was...unexpected..." She sat up slowly, apparently none the worse for wear outside of a headache and persistent dizzy spell. Holding her hand to her head, she looked up blearily at Helen.

"Sorry about that. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Helen did what she could to help dig the woman out, examining her with a critical eye as she did so. "No, I'm fine. Though, if you don't mind, I'd like to look to be sure you don't have a concussion."

Whether or not Urd gave her consent, Helen knelt down next to her and examined her eyes from that angle. She still had no idea how the woman didn't break her back in that blast, but she wouldn't knock it. Some people - and creatures - were far more durable than others.

She had to smile, faintly amused at Helen's concern. "It's okay. Something like a little magic backlash won't hurt me." Generally speaking, anyway. One eye shut, Urd winced as she stood up. "Ah, but my wall! Dammit..." She frowned at the damage before looking back to Helen.

"Guess I won't be able to get a visual on the spell algorithm after all. That's a problem."

Helen was a doctor. Being concerned for people was what she did. She stood as Urd did, still looking concerned. "I hope you're right." Not that she doubted the woman, but she was a doctor. It was in the job description.

"What happened? I take it you encountered some measure of resistance in your efforts, but what exactly was it?"

Urd laughed in self-deprecation, running her fingers through her hair. "Hard to say for certain. My magic is a little off-kilter today thanks to..." She trailed off, blushing a bit behind a scowl. "Things. And then there's the conflicting magical sources and Paixao's weird law of physics to begin with..." She sighed, turning to retrieve a bottle of sake.

"I guess I should have expected it not to be that easy."

"Nothing ever is that easy," Helen agreed with a tense smile, "but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try." She was nothing if not determined and she'd seen far worse than this at times, after all.

"Perhaps it's the wrong angle. I admit I'm not particularly familiar with your capabilities, but from a mathematical standpoint, perhaps we're coming up to the puzzle itself from the wrong angle."

Urd poured herself some of the strong smelling sake and tipped the cup back without hesitation. "Mmm...wrong angle, huh?" She considered this, looking down at the clear alcohol in her hands. "Well, if I can't access her magic directly, maybe a proxy would have an easier time."

At that, she raised her gaze and stared at Helen.

Helen's lips twisted up into a smirk just enough to be visible, but not enough to be forceful about it. She was amused and more than willing to help, despite the defiant way her chin rose a fraction of an inch.

"And what would you have me do?"

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New Hope Returns [Open]

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