⚜ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ꜰɪꜰᴛʜ - video/action

[deathsought]

[ A: Action, open to anyone in Fairy Haven ]

{ A pile of notes, two open books - both written in long-dead languages, and one in particular written entirely in hieroglyphs - and an untouched plate of food, quickly growing cold, laid before Zeref at his table in Fairy Haven. He was neglecting all of them, as he shook a snowglobe-like object and just... stared at it. A smile slowly spread across his features, as he stared, transfixed as if in a trance of some kind. For several minutes he'd sit like this, before stowing the object in his pocket, turning back to the forgotten lunch and unfinished translations.

Clearly, he was having trouble focusing. He looked over his notes once more, and then unceremoniously closed the books and set them aside. They weren't needed until the end of the week. They could wait. Without any input from him, a Pokéball fell out of his sleeve, and out popped what looked like a blue-eyed doll dressed in a gothic lolita dress. She didn't say anything; just stared, unblinking, at her trainer, as if expecting him to say something in particular. }

Gothorita.

{ Zeref nodded down at his notes. }

Can you proofread those for me? They're written in lunar runes. You're the expert, there.

{ Gothorita didn't answer. She just continued staring for several seconds, before the notes rose up into the air, levitating in chronological order in front of her. He didn't need to convince her with words; Future Sight told her everything she needed to know about the reward in the form of ice cream waiting for her afterward. With that, Zeref withdrew the snowglobe once more, setting it down next to the uneaten food, and went back to staring, himself. }

B: Video, OTA

I have a question. Anybody may answer.

{ Zeref picked up the device, moving it away from the sunglare coming in from a nearby window. }

For those who remember, a while back, necromancy was illegal in Everglade. That ban has since been repealed. I was thinking about the parallels to my own world, where certain forms of magic were arbitrarily banned by various governments, on the pretext that they were inherently dangerous.

{ Zeref had plenty to say about that, but he'd keep the political discussion for another time. His question was far more straightforward than that. }

How many of you come from a world where magic, or any sort of equivalent power, was made forbidden to even learn, and what was the rationale behind that decision? I want to compare these instances to my own world, and this world, for that matter.

Comments

Action <3

[fairysoul]

[Mavis walks to Zeref's table, as silent as usual.]

Hi, you two! Is it going to be time for a coffee break soon? You guys have been working here for hours. ...And you've barely eaten at all.

[Her tone is not really scolding but it's clear that she'd rather be able to enjoy some quality time with her boyfriend after work than see him study and play Pokemon. Then again, she can't really blame him. She likes doing that too.

Whether she's noticed the sphere before he put it away or not, she does not comment on it. She just hops onto a chair next to Zeref's and smiles gently at him.]

[deathsought]

I guess I've been a little distracted.

{ Gothorita briefly pauses in her reading to turn to Mavis, but quickly goes back to work, motivated by the visions of a sundae. When Mavis takes a seat next to them, Zeref becomes even less interested in the food, turning to face her, as if the table in front of him held absolutely nothing of interest, including his work. }

How did you make it? The orb, I mean. It isn't a lacrima.

[fairysoul]

[Mavis smiled, but not one of her usual simple and cheerful smile, it looked fonder and was laced with some deeper emotion. The love she felt for the man in front of her.]

Then I guess I chose them right.

[The memories, she means. Her hand went to cover the one with which Zeref was olding the globe. Together, they shook the 'snow globe' and one of the memories started playing again.]

The orb itself, no. There is a lacrima inside, though. Otherwise it wouldn't work. Mirajane helped me with creating it. [To thank her for helping her make Erza's Christmas gift.] And my illusion magic did the rest.

[She looked both proud and shy at the same time.]

I wanted to find a special shape. Something to match the fairy you gave me but I thought... they always say there's nothing as perfect as a sphere, right?

[deathsought]

You certainly did.

{ So, there is lacrima in this world? Or did they find a way to make it, themselves? Interesting. He'd just file that information away for later. }

It's beautiful, Mavis. Thank you.

[chambermusicandtenpins]

The magic in our world is hidden from most of those who live in it. Wizards and witches live in secrecy or hide their abilities from the rest of the world, in case of repression.

Among ourselves, there is other magic, Dark magic, that is banned by most of our world. There are three spells in particular that have been labeled Unforgivable Curses and would lead to a life sentence in prison.

[deathsought]

The polar opposite of my world, then. Interesting.

{ An entire parallel society of magic, hidden from the larger the world. How is that even possible? Surely knowledge of magic would leak out eventually. That's just the nature of magic, at least as he knows it. }

How is it suppressed? Do you round up every written mention of the magic and burn it? Try to purge it from the minds of its practitioners with other forms of magic? Or just threaten everyone who speaks its name with a prison sentence?

{ He might be just a little bit bitter. He still remembers how and why Magia Dragon was founded, and the Hands of Decay's crusade against magic here in this very world. }

[chambermusicandtenpins]

Nothing quite that extreme. There are materials about it, books and studies and papers, and they're available to those who wish to seek them. Generally, they're not widely available, but they exist and can be sought after. Plenty know of such spells even if they would never use them.

The only consequence is if you use said magic to harm another, or use the three spells that have been banned. Then that would indeed lead to a prison sentence.

[deathsought]

I see.

{ Only three spells banned, and referred to as 'unforgiveable.' Zeref never understood that. A fire spell was every bit as capable of killing as Ankhseram Black Magic. One might even argue that the latter was preferable. At least it was quick and painless.

Though, granted, you can't actually learn it. It's given, not taught. And it comes at a terrible price. }

I admit, your system is better than most I have seen. Far more would rather bury knowledge of such magic entirely, and hope that by pretending it doesn't exist, it cannot hurt them. An incredibly human decision. It is nice to hear that wisdom prevailed in another world, even if not in mine.

[Video]

[wonderland_vogue]

[Oh boy did her ears ever prick at hearing the word necromancy.]

It's the same in the world where I'm from. All the other schools of magic are taught without a care in the world, but the moment you even dare whisper the word "necromancy" everyone gets up in arms and going on about how it's only used for evil purposes.

It's such a shame, honestly, and I hate to know that it's transferred over here in some capacity since it has the potential to be used for good if in the right wizard's hands.

[Video]

[deathsought]

The banning of necromancy in Everglade was an outlier. I've yet to hear of another similar story anywhere else since. For the most part, everyone else seems to care far more about the intent behind the use of a certain form of magic, rather than the use of the magic itself.

;VIDEO

[hellorhighwater]

Outlawed? Magic? Nah, not in my world--the one I come from, not the one I was born in. There, magic's not outlawed, just hidden. I don't actually know much about the subculture, 'cause if there was one I never saw it.

World I live in, though? Magic ain't outlawed, there's just a lotta common-fuckin'-sense around it. Like necromancy, for instance--where I come from, there's serious consequences to raising the dead. It'll mess you up in a major way, so eventually? Someone's gonna come put your ass down, not because you dabbled in it, but because you probably lost your mind and tried to eat someone's heart or somethin'.

Fucking with known dark magic isn't forbidden--it's just that very few people are willing to touch the stuff on account of the price isn't just high, it's really damn extreme.

;VIDEO

[deathsought]

I certainly wouldn't argue, there.

{ Zeref's hardly the only mage who has used dark magic in his world, just one of the only people to use it successfully. And even then, he wouldn't claim that it wasn't without cost. The only question was whether that cost was worth it, and in at least one case, it absolutely was. }

Though, I will confess that I've never heard of any kind of magic that involves... eating hearts.

Re: ;VIDEO

[hellorhighwater]

That's 'cause there isn't. [A humorless smile crosses his face.] That's just the kinda shit that could happen to someone dipping into the dark stuff. Madness, blood lust, self contained plagues, shit like that.

There was this story that went around the barracks when I was in basic? Some guy tried to invoke the aid of dark spirits--he rotted to death. Actually rotted. Started at his feet, and just...full body gangrene. Outta nowhere.

;VIDEO

[deathsought]

So, the magic is considered 'dark' because it leads to insanity. { Now that he could understand. } Is it possible that he simply didn't cast the spell correctly?

video;

[mynameisallen]

We don't have magic in our world per say. But there is something someone does back home that is I guess close to necromancy that you talk about.

I hate it personally because where I'm from it means trapping a soul and forcing them to do things all the while crying out for help. But it's not forbidden since only one person can do it anyway.

video;

[deathsought]

Ah. One of those.

{ Like Franmalth, in a way. How quaint. }

And this person you speak of. What is it they're trying to accomplish with such a power?

video;

[mynameisallen]

The extinction of humanity.

[Right to the point there. Not even beating around the bush.]

But I was going to stop him, at least it was part of what I was hoping to do.

video;

[orlokbutterfly]

[Oh boy, is that a can of worms. He's smiling, but the bitterness in his tone is well present.]

The gods became scared of the mortals with their magic prowess, so they tried to rob the world of its magic. If they discovered any mortals that did have access to magic in some manner, then they would either attempt to kill them or force them into servitude, only likely to be killed off later.

Yours truly is under the latter. Only ironically, I have magic because of them. But I guess their living weapons needed to be a step or three above the general populace.

video;

[deathsought]

{ Hoo boy. Can of worms indeed. Zeref sighs, unpleasant memories forced back to the surface. }

I know all too well what the wrath of a god is like.

{ Though robbing the entire world of its magic? Considering magic was one of the main ways in which they exert their influence on the world, the thought is inconceivable to him. }

I take it by the fact that they can't simply will magic out of existence that their fear is well-founded.

Video;

[greatprecious]

[The video has been on a long while now. This little dragon was only listening in before speaking up finally.]

... My father helped to seal away the Demon King using five sacred stones.

[Does she need to say more?]

Video;

[deathsought]

{ Excuse him for a moment, Myrrh. He's... distracted by those wings. }

You... are you a Dragon Slayer?

{ One that is either undergoing dragonification, or somehow stopped it halfway through the process? He'll get to that 'Demon King' bit in a moment. }

Video;

[greatprecious]

[Did she squeak? Her heart leapt at "Dragon Slayer." That's an unsettling concept.]

N-No... I am a dragon.
My name is Myrrh...

[What is even this about Dragon Slayers?]

[Video]

[brat_from_hell]

It's only forbidden if you actually do more than read about it, but immortality research is called unsavoury on my world. Mostly because testing it usually results in killing someone.

[Video]

[deathsought]

They're not wrong about that.

{ Take it from another immortal. }

The people in my world who would covet immortality for themselves are often the very type of people who would gladly pay that kind of price. What they don't realize is that immortality can't be 'gained,' only given, and at exactly that sort of terrible price.

[Video]

[brat_from_hell]

The one way that people can gain a sort of immortality is by making a pact with a powerful immortal being...but the people who make that pact don't really think about what they're getting into, and the immortals that make that pact are frowned upon. I know what the immortals think because Lord Hellmaster said so.