ninetieskid | Deerington Inbox

Jubilee doesn't, if only because it'd be harder to track. Her own movements aren't like Claudia's either. She runs, her feet a blur, a quick moving and effortless stride that covers ground at an unearthly speed. She is not Pietro or Jean-Paul or any of the other speedsters from her world, but she is able to hang in that weight-class in this arena.

When they do get through the forest, Jubilee pulls up short near the mouth of a large sinkhole.

"Down we go."

And she heads into the hole, taking her time with the descent this time. The smell of brine and salt fills the air, as well as a low hum.

"Ever been much of one for witchcraft, Claudia?"

"Not myself," Claudia answers, simply. "We lived in New Orleans, however."

Mystics and voodoo practitioners, slaves and free, and Claudia learned enough from watching to understand most of it was nothing but lies and sleight-of-hand and luck. She looks around at the glowing stones with interest, reaching out to touch some of them as she follows Jubilee readily. "What is this place?"

"It's a sinkhole. I think it's a crack in the dreamworld."

Jubilee can't say for certain, but she'll do her best to sound authoritative as they head inside. The glowing stones are strange, odd, and she leads the way to the summoning stones without any hesitation.

The air is calm, peaceful...almost pleasant even with the brine.

"And it's also a ritual site. I don't really deal with magic, much. But I do know a little. Sodder can grant us things, if we ask her. But we have to offer a sacrifice."

"What manner of sacrifice?" Claudia tone is intrigued. Now this is interesting, and she pauses briefly to peer at strange plant, before skipping a few careless steps to catch back up to Jubilee, both childlike and not.

"In New Orleans they would use black chickens, or hearts of pigs, or locks of hair."

"Hair's a good one. I'm fresh out of pig hearts and chicken, but I was actually going to do something simple."

Fishing in her pocket, she pulls out a small incense burner, two strips of paper covered in writing, and a pack of matches.

"A prayer offering with a bit of the hair of my most important friend. In essence, a bit of her."

"Your friend, but not yours? Is that a part of the requirements?"

If she is to do this frequently, she needs to know the particulars. She wants to get it right, that she may have some kind of guarantee of survival. Besides, it's interesting, amusing. The very idea, that something so preposterous as a magic spell might even exist...

"No. It's just got to be tied to something that is important to you. And Laura is important to me. But it could also be like, a chicken or something. This magic is kind of fluid. You just have to make an offering, and I don't like butchering animals."

Not if she can avoid it, anyway.

"I see." Claudia does not. Animals hold no special reverence for her. Perhaps why Jubilee seems to prefer the cold blood, then.

The briny smell is sharp, clean and stinging, and Claudia peers after the water. "Does it ever flood in here?" she wants to know.

"No. The sea-salt smell is coming from the other passage. That way leads down into an underground sea."

Jubilee walks to the center of the stones and kneels down.

"It's safe here. Can't you feel it? That kind of positive resonance?"

Claudia does not, and looks around at the stones, the mist. She presumes it is more of a reflection of her nature than it is of Jubilee's truthfulness. She paces along beside Jubilee, and after a moment, kneels beside her so that she can see what the girl does, neatly tucking her skirt and flicking her cloak around her in nearly the same gesture.

The movements are slow and precise. A circle of chalk drawn out around the hair, a match struck, and the burn beginning in short order.

Something in the air seems to grow...darker. Like all the light gathers in on itself. But that only lasts a moment. The hair burns away and from the ether slides a bag of red liquid.

"No magic words or anything. Just fervently wish, as you are doing the summoning, and it will work."

"Far more simple than stories make it out to be," Claudia muses, and reaches out to pick up one of the bags, to examine it. "How long does it keep?"

Before it clots or spoils, because that is a very important detail, certainly.

"If you keep it refrigerated, it should keep for a month. It's pretty much identical to what I gave you earlier."

She doesn't want to know where it comes from or anything, though. Not at all.

"Ah, yes. The thing in place of the icebox." Claudia nods. It is not a cheerful prospect. The cold blood is very unappetizing. However, it is blood, and she need not starve, though there remains the question: "How many can you get? And how often? In this way."

"I've never asked for a ton. I'll be honest, Claudia, I've only experimented with it a few times. So you should try and see what it'll give you."

She is the one that has the regular supply, after all. Plenty of willing donors.

"It should be enough to get you by though. Sodder doesn't want us to starve."

Claudia nods. "Thank you for showing me."

She's not sure she trusts Jubilee enough yet to offer anything in return - mainly because she has very little to actually offer. She is not skilled at a trade, and she has no money, and what vampiric feats she can accomplish, likely so can Jubilee.

"Of course. It's no big deal."

Shrugging her shoulders, Jubilee straightens up and offers Claudia a genial smile.

"If you need more help, just ask, alright? Sleepers stick together."

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