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[Fortescue is used to losing a little time here and there. That's the life of someone who drinks heavily. But coming back to herself in a part of the ship she's never been in? While sober? That's different. She's about to chalk it off to the ache in her healing right knee that's been bothering her — maybe she's back to the woozy part of her injury — but then she spots something that doesn't really fit the decor of the ship. Something painted, angry and red, and she decides to get back to a part of the ship she recognizes.

A bar, more specifically. Because suddenly she really, really needs a drink. And to sit down, because her knee is back to shooting pains up her leg. She downs half of the drink quickly — barely paying attention to what it is — before she pulls her comm out. Jazz is spends the time prowling the bar, the slim black cat stopping occasionally to sniff interesting objects.]

So who's the madcap artist having a bit of fun?

[It had been interesting. She'll give it that.]

While this place could use some livening up, I'm not sure that disturbing painting really sends off the right vibes. Much like those smiley faces.

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It's illegal in most countries. [Might as well just get that out of the way.] If you don't take precautions, it can permanently damage you. That's why most people call it Blood Magic. It's not as bad as all that, but it's so firmly ingrained in culture these days that it's not changing anytime soon.

[Fortescue shrugs. Technically, it's damaging even if you take the only precaution currently known. But it's worth it. It's saved her life more times than she can count.]

My specialty within it means that I can utilize shadows.

[She closes her hand around the googly eye, turning it slightly, and the corridor seems to brighten a little as all the shadows around them -- even their shadows -- move to form a ball on the floor next to them.]

[Blood magic does give Sirius more than a bit of pause. There's no magic that requires blood except that which shades close to Dark magic--and sometimes it's a bit more heavy-handed than what mere shade would suggest. The fact that it's illegal doesn't do much to dispel that thought, but--

But. if it was really Dark magic, if she was really some Dark witch--she wouldn't just come right out and say it, would she? Or would she.

Anyways, it doesn't matter, because then she moves all of the bloody shadows in the room, draws them down into one concentrated little spot, and Sirius is so caught off-guard that he laughs.]

Well, that's something. What d'you usually use that for, besides as a party trick?

Oh, this and that. I can fade into it, when I need to, or use it to move things.

[Or slam it against people and take them out of a fight, but Fortescue is keeping that very firmly out of the conversation. Much like the reason why Blood Magic has its name. It isn't that it uses blood, but that, long ago, humans had thought it infected blood. Now, magi know that it actually infects and hurts the soul.

But Soul Magic just makes it sound like that musical craze. Too bad anytime someone proposes changing the name, everyone else has a conniption that reminds the world that 'Blood Magic' is still very much hated. Even though it's only, arguably, misunderstood -- largely in thanks to how those masses treat it.]

It's not quite as versatile as creating a googly eye.

[Cautiously, he smiles a little--too amused by the idea of shadows suddenly dissolving and reforming in various places. Come on, that's the sort of magic that can't be that evil, right? The possibilities for fucking with people in amusing ways is far too high]

You could do a shadowy googly eye.

[He closes his fist, indicating--presumably--shadows all balling up into a single shape.]

Like the dark twin of the regular googly eye. You can really move things, with shadows alone? Like--shove into them, or when you move their shadow, they move as well, that sort of thing.

I suppose I could. But no, it's more like...

[She holds up her hand again, balling it into a fist, and Sirius' shadow -- along with the rest of the shadows in the room -- is sucked into the ball of shadow she's manipulating. Then, closing one eye in concentration, she forms the ball into the shape of a hand, which gives Sirius' leg a gentle poke. The sensation is like being tapped by a cold lump of plastic.

It's actually quite a bit easier to do things like swipe someone off of their feet. Gentleness involves practice, and finesse.]

That. No puppeteering. Moving people remotely is another brand of magic entirely.

[Er.

It's not exactly a subtle movement, the shift of all of those shadows, screwing down into one single shape--and then that tap, very live and very real. And it's a good thing that it's all so demonstrative, because otherwise it would have been downright surprising. As it is, Sirius just laughs, a little startled--but amused!--and shifts his leg away from the shadow-hand, almost like he's playing with it.]

Merlin-- [He's weirded out, but only mildly. Wizards can take a great deal into stride, and he looks around at her again with a grin.] That's great. You could drive people mental.

[In a prank way, he means, though of course the more serious option is possible. But why talk about that!]

[Fortescue arches both brows at Sirius. One move of her fingers later, and the hand is a cat which starts running around them in circles. If it's on a set path, there isn't much concentration involved on her part.]

Mental?

[This magic is so taboo (and illegal) back home that no one would be suicidal enough to prank someone with it.]

Do tell.

Yeah.

[And here we go, this is what he's good at. Pranks. He grins at the shadow-cat, as it makes its rounds. Despite his doggishness, he really does like cats, and he holds a hand down low, to see if it will do any cat-like things.]

These are just off the top of my head, right--no real refined thoughts--but, say you're sat in a particularly boring meeting. Bloke across from you is taking really fervent notes. You hate him--just a little! But enough so that messing with his notes would be satisfying. So you snatch the parchment right out from under his hand, via shadows. He looks around, but no one's done any magic. Maybe you aren't even looking at him. He picks up the parchment--you do it again. Or there's shadows being used to shut doors on people, so they think they're cursed never to leave a room. Door opens for everyone but them. Or, shadows poking someone in the back of the head as they're walking along an otherwise deserted corridor.

Very basic. Give me time, I'll come up with far more complex ones.

[Fortescue chuckles. Jazz eyes Sirius before, delicately, sniffing his hand.]

I like the way you think.

[Perhaps, given some time, a little pranking with magic won't set her on edge.]

Is that what you do? Prank people in your spare time?

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