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RESPITE FALLS PARK - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Annika was sitting down under a tree, legs curled under her. She was focused, 3 tails wiggling behind her absently. After ignoring it for so long, it was time to work out how this whole 'magic' thing worked. She had done somethings by accident before, but now she wanted to do things because she meant to! Something..simple..She had a green apple in front of her, and she wanted to turn it..red! Simple!
Louma finds herself slithering into the park, admiring the few healthy trees that have managed to grow here thanks to the efforts of Erika's mother. While not prone to favor the shade over the sunlight, the guard does occasionally enjoy curling up under the largest tree and reading, something she had planned to do today, when she spots Annika under that same tree. Apparently very interested in an apple. Louma hesitates, not wanting to interrupt this... ritual?
Annika screws up her nose, staring at the apple, and after a few moments..and Louma could swear the tips of her tails glowed a moment, the apple went smoothly from green..to red! "Yay~" She says quietly, picking it up, and eating the apple, which seemed to be the traditionally juicy apple a red apple is known for. She opens her eyes, and startles just a little..but Louma doesn't seem to want to arrest her, so she relaxes.
Louma watches in curiosity, then awe, as the fox that she could have sworn was simply a housekeeper performs the act, pausing when she realizes she's been spotted. Intrigued, she slithers closer to Annika's spot, stopping a respectable distance away and giving her a short bow. "Good afternoon miss Annika. That was... Incredible, when did you learn magic?"
Annika: "Oh..um.." She blushes awkardly, rubbing her ear "I..didn't..it..kinda happened to me" She holds out the back of her paw, showing the sparkling bloodred gem there "..This got stuck here, and..I've grown extra tails..and..uh.." She shows the apple "I..I've been trying to work out what I can do, y'know all those stories. If you don't control your power, your power will control you"
Louma looks to the gem, then toward Annika's tails, nodding. "I did think you were considerably fluffier than the last time I saw you. And yes, I've heard tales of how an untrained mage's power can run away from them. Is it... Are you in pain?"
Annika shakes her head "No..if anything, I've been feeling healthier. I'd usually have a cold or a stuffed nose by this time of year! But..well..I'm doing fine!" She gives a small smile "But..uh..I still should try and get this thing out of me, it's probably a bad thing..like..gems that stick in people are rarely nice"
Louma nods, settling on her tail and crossing her hands, her book held under them. "I think that may be wise. A little extra tail and transforming food doesn't seem too bad but that's only the surface, right? How did it happen?"
Annika: "Well, I was working..and, uh..I touched this gem by accident, and..it got stuck!" She rubbed the gem "And..you might be right..but..still" She's conflicted "You might be right though!"
Louma hums, slight concern in her expression. "You were working at Mr. Shaws? Does he have more interesting things like that around?"
Annika rubs her arm "I mean, he gets in a lot of stuff, but he hires people to test all of it! I dunno how this all slipped through..."
Louma sighs, shaking her head slightly but seeming to drop the subject for now, opting to try not insulting the fox this time around. "I see. Have you tried seeking someone out to remove it? A mage came to town fairly recently, though I believe she's had an incident after charging the generator, perhaps she can still provide some advice?"
Annika: "Y..yeah! I've been talking to a few people, and some have offered to look into it, or given some help! I'm sure it'll work out!" Now, this was the right thing to say, and she's been brushing off a lot of people that way recently, but Louma's a cop at heart, and at that moment she'd get that deep instinct of 'Hey, that's what you say when you want to assure somebody that they're doing the thing'. Though, at the same time, there's the complimentary feeling that Annika does have this handled, and there is nothing to worry about. It's probably just cop-paranoia.
Louma hums, indeed picking up on the dismissiveness, though she's already decided that prying Annika for details and answers wouldn't be helpful. "I do hope you get it sorted out, and if not removed, at least learn as much as you can about it. Can't say I haven't thought about what kind of magic I'd like to harness, given the opportunity."
Annika: "..Well, It seems to be..I dunno..just..illusion stuff?" She shrugs "Making things look like other things"
Louma chuckles, looking at how her tails interact with the world. "Those don't look like illusions to me."
Annika: "Well.." She giggles a little "Illusions look real! That's the point~"
Louma tilts her head, then chuckles as she nods. "Yes, I suppose you've got me there! Do you mind if I join you while I read? This is the best spot in the park, after all."
Annika: "Sure! It's handy to know if what I'm doing is believable!"
Louma smiles, giving a slight bow before coiling up with her back against the tree, wings relaxed slightly. As she opens the book, Louma keeps up the conversation. "So the extra tails are intentional?"
Annika shakes her head "No..they..just..kinda..happened. I don't understand it, but.." She wiggles them "I'm kinda used to them!" She takes out a red apple, and puts it on the ground, and focuses "Okay...gonna turn it from red, to green."
Louma chuckles quietly, watching the fox out of the corner of her eye, too interested in the magic to continue from her bookmark. She doesn't interrupt with any questions.
Annika: The tails glow for a moment again, and the apple's colour shifts from the red it had been, over to the green! "Hey, want to try it out?" She passes it over to Louma
Louma blinks, resisting the urge to applaud after setting her book down on her coils. She glances between Annika and the apple before nodding and taking the fruit. "Hm, certainly feels like an apple." She draws a small utility knife from her belt, cutting a slice out of the apple and eating it, nodding. "Crunches like a green apple, too. Very interesting!"
Annika smiles, and nods! "Yeah! It's really good!" She settles a bit "Well, maybe if this is all it is, it's not that bad?"
Louma cuts another slice from the apple, pausing with it on the edge of her knife as she stares at it. "Don't lose the edge of caution, Annika. I've never known a mage that didn't have at least a hint of fear of their own abilities."
Annika: "Yeah...maybe you're right..but..it seems so harmless right now, maybe if I just stick to this stuff, it'll be fine?" She frowns a little "But..um, maybe I should go, and chat with those magi I've been chatting with. They should be open right about now"
Louma nods, picking her book back up after eating the second slice. "Of course, that would be nice if it's limited to illusions. Thank you for the talk, and the apple, I hope the rest of your day goes well."
Annika: "I'm sure it will!" She smiles brightly, and turns to go "See you later!" She departs, tails flicking about merrily.
Louma watches Annika go, thumping the end of her tail on the ground a few times after she's gone and looking at the apple. With a shrug, the guard returns to her book, feeling strangely unconcerned about the encounter, and writing it off as due to the excitement of other recent events.