light_mischief | [come sail away] ic inbox (season 1)

"That kinda high-level magical theory is currently beyond me." Currently. "But if there's anything I can do to help on that end, just let me know. If nothing else I can haul big heavy things for the inevitable reality-stabilizing ritual. Everyone seems to have rituals."

Erin opens her mouth to make her polite exit and then pauses, brightening up as she Remembers. "...Actually. Have you had a case yet of someone catching intrinsic magic off of another world, rather than learning an extrinsic technique?"

Skulduggery can only hope there isn't a ritual involved at some point -- there are at least a dozen people on the ship who would likely ruin it without even realizing. (An additional half-dozen or so would actively sabotage anything that might prevent a violent confrontation with the Captain. At least one of them ~~Clarke~~ would think they were doing it for the right reason...

The question makes him pause, as he tries to think back over the past few months. "I've offered to teach two people magic the way I'm accustomed to it, to no effect. ...There was Clarke practicing blood magic, the one time... Blood sigils are how Jenny ran her own ship, and I think Clarke wanted to emulate her." He hums thoughtfully. "She's probably still practicing them, although I doubt she'd let me anywhere near her now."

"Who the hell is Jenny?" Erin thinks she said that in her head. She did not say it in her head; best she manages is saying it mostly to herself. Erin nods and then decides to go for it, speaking up at a much more normal volume: "Miss Ruby's uh, particular strain of humanity has this interesting ability to project their souls. Protect their body with it, smite the wicked with it, that kinda thing. I've been soothing her dreams most of the last month and I seem. To have caught that ability off of her. Now it's got me curious about what else might be possible." A beat, and then, thoughtfully: "...And truth be told it turns out learning about magic and wonder from other worlds is really cool just by itself. I suspect that's the limit of the useful information I can offer. If it leads to any insights that get added to the Binder...could you leave my name off of them? I'm not sure everyone else will be as understanding about my harvest as you're being."

Skulduggery hears the question, of course, but the answer is somewhere in the binder. He's pretty sure. ...She probably can't read that though.......

"Ah, yes, she told me about those when I met her." Skulduggery's usual go-to for introductions is "name, are you from Earth, and what kind of magic do you have?" It's gone pretty well so far. "It's interesting you developed the magic yourself, but I can't say it's entirely unsurprising, given how slap-dash the entire system is here. Magic is probably leaking between all of us at a consistent rate."

And, since the binder's brought up... "I don't tend to leave names to information. And, if your harvesting truly doesn't affect anyone negatively, I don't see any reason to worry about it. Considering that we have had blood-drinking vampires on board without any problem, I doubt you'll be much worse off." Still, of course he won't blow up her spot. "And, if you were really curious: Jenny was a passenger from the last batch. She murdered her own group in order to win her freedom. She recently was returned to the ship through unfortunate circumstances."

So, not very free. Also, not in a very good mood.

"...I find my curiosity now much-dimmed by my sense of self-preservation." Erin takes a deep breath and dusts herself off, not for any particular reason beyond it being something to do with her hands. "We really do need to socialize outside of crises or work sometime. You're interesting company, Skullduggery. Usually this'd be when I suggest drinks sometime since we're all, you know, adults under stress but that's a bit of a non-starter. Still."

"I generally try to avoid her," which is the first time he's admitting to that fact, despite it being for reasons unrelated to her previous stay on the ship.

"Well, I'm not much for drinking on my own, but I make for decent enough company." He shrugs. "I very rarely let being sober stop me from having a good time."

"We'll have to make time then," Erin agrees. "And who knows, if more movies wash up aboard I could stand to listen in. Well," she adds, conscientiously, "once people are...feeling up to gathering at the pool again. If ever. In any event since I'm here anyway I think I'll go raid the stacks. Thank you again for your time, and your insight."

[come sail away] ic inbox (season 1)

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