Paths Narrow and Steep
5th of July 2006 A.D.
Breathe Molly, the crusty old wizard government is not going to change its laws because you ask them to, even if you are right. Alas Harry's eyes do not move an inch from your face when you do it, but them's the breaks. "Okay, okay, we're getting ahead of ourselves, let's step back for a moment, look at the whole thing, and figure out how we can sort this out without anyone needing to come under threat of death or damnation"
"Alright," he seems a little startled by your sudden turn, but that is way better than the condescending 'let the adults handle it' attitude. You are going to be eighteen in November and you made this mess so you are going to do everything in your power to make sure you do not drag other people down with you.
"The problem at hand is that I did Black Magic, and the White Council takes a 'Zero Tolerance' policy towards that, due to the effects said Black Magic have, the fact that the situation has changed doesn't matter, because they don't want to get in the habit of making exceptions, because Black Magic is both addictive and tends to drag people into doing more and more evil stuff. Actually making said exceptions requires someone to stick their neck out for you, and doesn't actually get you off the hook either. You
can do that, but you have enough enemies who'd take advantage of it that it would meaningfully limit your own options. Let's put a pin on that, but I don't want you to have to stick your neck out if we have another solution, right?"
"Hold on there," He rubs his temples again.
How long had it been since he had a proper night's sleep? His eyes are a lot of things, but well rested is clearly not one of them "I can practically hear Lasciel talking in that, thinking that the Council are all a bunch of schemers and most of them are out for my neck in particular. Most wizards are homebodies who stick close to their labs and their interests don't go sticking their heads in other people's affairs and I've got my own friends on the Council."
"OK, first off I did
not ask her for advice, this is all me."
If not quite the 'me' that got out of bed this morning, you admit mentally. You are pretty sure you did not have the ability to put a freak out on ice like this before, maybe because you did not have enough ice. "Secondly it's nice to know you have strong friends. Your former master I'm guessing since he was able to sway at least three quarters of them?"
"Yeah, Ebeneezer McCoy, he taught me the most important part of magic the 'why'." He gives you a distant sort of look like he is already imagining teaching you and not sure he's up for it. "He's a member of the Senior Council, that is who is in charge of the day to day stuff under the Merlin."
"Merlin is real?" You are not sure why you are surprised, you just got kidnapped by servants of Queen Mab of the Winter Fey, but does that mean there was a big round table with knights around it in post-Roman Brittan? An actual Holy Grail? Maybe you could ask dad about that last one.
"It's not a name, it's a title, but there was
a Merlin once upon a time, the original."
"And how does the present one feel about you?" you press.
The silence that follows is almost answer enough on its own, but he does eventually admit that the Merlin is one of those who don't like him."I'm not always as prompt and presentable as his idea of a wizard would be. Not enough curl to my beard see?" Harry runs his fingers through an imaginary beard
Though you do laugh a little, you do not miss that he is trying to distract you. If that is all there is to it you will
eat your sword. "And..."
"What do you mean and...?" he challenges. "Don't you think that is enough? Honor of the Council is in how we comport ourselves"
Okey so the voice is funny but... "If you don't involve yourself in the affairs of the Council much I do not see why it would be. Out of sight out of mind. The trouble would be if other people really liked your...er... improper beard." That sounds way dirtier than you meant it.
"We have been on opposite sides of an argument before."
"And you came out on top," you finish. "While being non-senior whatever, not looking proper in his eyes and presumably those of his peers and being disreputable because of having been under the Doom." You pause for the confirmation you know will come. "And onto that I say yikes"
He does not disagree.
Out of the rest of the Senior Council Harry does not even know most of them well, nevermind being able to count on them. He puts on a brave face on how wise they are, but wise does not mean 'good' or 'fair'. Evil can be wise in its own way at least when it comes to achieving its goals, not to mention the self-interested and the corrupt. He also explains what the
Red Court is, giant bat monsters with addictive spit that pretend to be human, and how the war had started. Now you know why Lasciel had said 'inciting incident' and not 'cause'. There was no way that two world wide supernatural powers were fighting over a
burned down club in Chicago. If a lot of the White Council really believe that then they aren't very wise after all.
"OK so there was peace between the Red Court and the White Council before and there
is peace between them and the Winter Court now right?" you lean forward a little the way you do when you are working your way through a hard question in class. This is like old time European politics, though hopefully without arranged marriages to any bat monsters. Even Usum is creeped out by them and does not know what they are beyond 'bad news'.
"The Council can't be everywhere Molly," Harry cuts in to your thoughts, his voice oddly gentle. "I'm sorry..."
"For what coming to my rescue?" you roll your eyes, then all faux-offended add. "Waiter, waiter, I ordered the rescue three hours ago and now it's
cold." The memory of ice piercing your wrists rises to the forefront of your moment, but only that, your smile does not waver
It gets a laugh out of Harry... and an all too familiar throat clearing sound out of your mother. You turn to see her not quite glaring at a point equidistant in the space between you and Harry. Space which had grown rather small space you now realize, snapping back. You would be alot more embarrassed if you did not have more important things on your mind. It's not every day a girl declares herself
inhuman to hopefully get out of a death sentence and trying to perform magic with your mom present is...probably not going to go well. On the other hand the standing alternative is 'Molly Carpenter, wizard's apprentice' so maybe you can convince her to let you try
How do you present things to Harry and your mother?
[] Bluntly, there is no point trying to sugarcoat this, you have changed and there is no going back. Now it is time to figure out just how (Charisma+Empathy)
-[] Write in stunt
[] Imply that if this power no longer allows you to use magic like a wizard than it might be the first step to not having magic (Charisma+Subterfuge)
-[] Write in stunt
[] Write in
OOC: You guys took nightmares which means you do have to deal with trauma, but you also took nine willpower,which means she is a hell of a lot better than she was at pushing those feelings away...at least when she is awake. 
