As Jed sat watching Joshua working around the botanical garden, he realized that this attachment of Joshua to himself turned out to be a benefit rather than just an annoyance. I was supposed to help him remember what it was to have human relationships, and its really done as much for me to have one. Something about sharing living space with another person...stretches...you in ways that spending time with people outside of your home does not. Tolerating the imposition on your personal space, but also having another living, breathing human nearby, sharing meals, talking. He was helping, but also being helped.
Maybe he could help Marco. The young man seemed to have a grip on who he is and what he wants, but Jed couldn't understand him at all. Although Jed had been Catholic as a child, at the time of the Awakening and SURGE the Catholic church had not been accepting of Magic. They adapted, but there were still aspects of Magic that they didn't fully embrace. Perhaps Jed could locate an awakened priest who could give Marco some insight as well.
Jed leaned back, enjoying the fresh air and sun on his face. Casting his vision around, he confirmed that there was no danger lurking nearby and began to relax. His mind drifted back over the last few days with Joshua. Since he had been unable to help Yelena and crew, he had attended to some personal business. First off he had contacted the Keegans and picked up his Deepweed. while he was there, he had browsed their meager spell selection. Fortunately they had something he was looking for. By entering Joshua's garden in astral form, he had exposed himself to danger. Astrally projecting was like taking your true self and entering the astral. If you wanted to see something, you "walked" over and looked at it. If you got caught, it was the real you that was trapped. Jed needed the ability to cast his astral vision out like he did his physical vision. Detection spells were some of the most common and least restricted. The Keegan's had just what he was looking for. He had hoped to pick up a few other things, but they didn't specialize in this sort of thing. He had a few reagents, but not enough for what Jed needed. Time to go looking for himself.
Reagents are items, physical items, that have somehow become a repository for mana. Depending upon the manner in which you access mana, you may find regents but can't fully use them. Somehow, the mana is there, you can pull it out, but not very efficiently. Other items, depending upon your manner of accessing mana are more suited to you, and you can make full use of the mana within. Jed's manner of accessing mana was a very eclectic one. It was a system of belief about mana that varied even among adherents of the same belief system. Some referred to Jed's method as chaos. He didn't have a rigid view of mana, how it had to be touched, used, channeled. Magic to Jed was very experiential. As such, Jed had found that he found reagents in mundane items that had been part of someone else's experience. He often found his magical reagents in thrift stores, antique stores and pawn shops. They weren't often recognized by other mages as reagents. It wasn't that they couldn't be seen, but that they usually weren't looking. A shaman might find his in a bird's feather, some random shaped rock, or a plant harvested from a certain location at a certain phase of the moon. A hermetic may find his in a piece of quartz, an organ of a certain creature which was then distilled and its essence condensed. Jed would find them in a small stuffed animal that had been special to a child. In a ring passed from a grandmother to granddaughter. Or in a knife that had been used in some emotional fashion. The cost of the item wasn't important, but the emotion and intent attached to the item. Those impressions didn't last forever, but sometimes the most mana was found in items that had been significant on the part of the giver and the one to whom it was given. That was why jewelry was often a repository. It took significant intent on the part of the giver to acquire, and represented something strongly to the one to whom it was given.
On this day, Jed wanted to use the reagents to seal an agreement between himself and a spirit, to have the spirit remain past the sunset for a agreed upon number of tasks. The spirit Jed wanted to call was commonly referred to as a spirit of man. Not a ghost of a dead meta, but a type of spirit that was closest to meta's in the way it "thought" and acted. Jed had found these to follow his requests based on intent as much as the words that formed the intent. Most importantly, Jed could call this type of spirit who would be able to cast a limited number of spells. For this, Jed needed reagents aligned with illusion. This was often the most difficult. You often found health reagents in things of comfort, like that child's stuffed animal, or that ring of grandma's. You found reagents related to war in things of war, old armored vests, knives, even guns. Jed had found reagents of war in an old well used chess set. Reagents for Detection were often in things like an old lensatic compass, an old deck of tarot cards, even those silly old magic 8 balls. Jed once found detection aspected reagents in an old photograph. Turns out the photo was from a missing person, and the man had carried the photo for years, asking people if they'd seen her. Manipulation reagents were tricky. Sometimes one found them in jewelry, perhaps given by a man to his mistress to keep her happy, but the really powerful ones were in odd things, like BDSM gear, or even an old religious text. Illusion though, that was harder to pin down.
Jed had arrived first at the antique store. He wanted powerful reagents, and often those tended to be found in something valuable. He browsed through the jewelry first. Carefully looking through rings, bracelets and necklaces he concentrated on the items before him. He was vaguely aware of Joshua getting bored and heading over to the furniture section. Jed hurriedly finished scanning the jewelry, but no luck. He followed the direction Joshua went. Not finding him, Jed started to panic. Oh no, what is he going to do now! Jed rushed through several smaller rooms and found Joshua sitting at a small desk, made of wood slowly running his hands over the surface.
Joshua, what's wrong? Jed eyes take in the sight of silent tears slowly running down his face.
Snowden's eyes stay focused in the distance. The ratios are just right. I used to sit at my desk to write in my journal. But your table has all the wrong ratios. I can't write properly with the size of the desk all wrong.
Well, the man had lost everything. There was nothing left of his former life. Maybe helping him write in his journal could be cathartic. Pulling up the AR price tag on the desk (and chair, apparently it was a set) Jed cringed at the $1,000 price tag. Maybe we can have someone build a desk this size Joshua, its....
What are you doing!!!] A light built little man with spectacles (antique no doubt, not reproductions) glares red faced and huffing at Joshua That chair has the original 20th century velvet still on it! And look what you've done to the arms!! Jed saw that Joshua had wiped the tears from his face and his now wet palms were resting on the velvet of the armrests. The salt and skin oils have ruined the upholstery!!.
Jed looked down at the arms now that Joshua had stuck his hands under his arms. There wasn't a thing wrong with them.
I'm calling Knight Errant, people like you can't come into a place like this and just vandalize things at will.
Sir, I'll purchase the desk and chair, there is no need to call the police.
No. People like you need to be taught a lesson. You should know your place. The man pulled out his comm to begin dialing. Fortunately he didn't have DNI or the police would already be on the way.
Sir, you DON"T WANT TO CALL THE POLICE. I'll buy the piece. I was already planning on buying it. Jed put a little mana it that command. The man's face tensed up for a moment before relaxing.
The price is $1,000 Nuyen. Not a penny less!
Yes, I'll pay the $1,000, no need to come down off the price. But I want you to throw in delivery for this afternoon, since I'm not haggling the amount. The man hesitated briefly, glancing at Joshua, and running his eyes around the rest of the room. That's right Jed thought. Just think about what else we might ruin. And what if we were still here when some of your other customers came in.
Nervously the man accepted and hurriedly checked them out, rushing them out the door. Jed gently took Joshua's arm and steered him towards the bus stop. Come on my friend, we've got one more stop.
Jed and Joshua sat in silence on the bus, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Jed patted Joshua's knee reassuringly. The guy was an asshole. you didn't do anything wrong. They'll deliver the desk tonight, and now you'll have a place to write in your journal. Joshua smiled a small half smile and seemed to relax.
Arriving at the thrift store, Jed led Joshua inside. His normal place to look for things here was either in children's toys or housewares. Once he had found an old iron skillet that had contained a surprising amount of mana. Jed thought of all the years that it must have cooked meals for a generations of a family. Browsing slowly through the aisles Jed kept coming up dry. Looks like I'm going home empty handed
Illusion...he wanders over to a small section of 20th century paperback novels. Nothing here. Joshua stays close to him this time, watching him as he examines several things. As he prepares to leave, he hears a woman ask the cashier at the counter I'd like to see your jewelry please Jed looked from the side as she browsed the small shadowbox of jewelry. There it is Jed watched patiently but anxiously for the woman to finish her selection. Upon taking his turn, Jed tried not to snatch the ring up from the case as he went to check out.
