18881/Where The Magic Happens

Where The Magic Happens
Date of Scene:	20 August 2024
Location:	Library - HHCC
Synopsis:	Rick comes into the library to some work and instead gets pulled into a random experiment involving magic candy. Nothing bad could come from this. Right?
Cast of Characters:	Michael Hannigan, Richard Stadler

---

Michael Hannigan has posed:
One would think Monday would be conducive to many students making use of the college library. Trying to get a head start of assignments and what not but there's a flaw to that thinking.

THIS IS A COLLEGE.

That's right After two (And in some cases for the scheduling geniuses of the student population: three) days off. Monday is more reflective of another coming of age tradition. HANGOVERS. Followed with their cousin PROCRASTINATION and FATIGUE.

So with those in mind it's likely not surprising that the ever so sought out comfortable seats in the lounge area are available. And who is taking advantage of this space? Well, it's none other than one Mike Hannigan. Musician, Actor, and currently - Apparently reading a rather crusty looking book.

Situated next to the reader on a nearby coffee table is an open notebook. A cup of coffee, hand sanitizer, and an unfolded napkin which contains a mound of Reese's Pieces on it. As for how many are in that pile, who knows? Judging from the resealable share bag positioned nearby, there's likely more where that came from

Richard Stadler has posed:
     What students /really/ had parties on the weekend, knowing they had class on Monday? Certainly Saturday might have some fun, but you needed to buckle down Sunday, right?

Though it might have been more that Rick had a rather different college experience than most people. Which is why he's grumbling a bit at seeing things a little bit quieter than he's hope for a Monday evening. Though it's /somewhat/ eleviated by the fact someone he didn't expect to be in the library sitting they in the lounge itself.

"Let me guess." He said, setting an attache case to the side of the chair across from the man, before seizing the chair itself and leaning forward, curving his head to catch the title. "Something magical that would drive my preconceived notions on how the world works into disarray? Or just some period piece research?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
The hardback in Mike's hands is indeed old. Even the dust jacket that was slapped on to try and protect the faded red of the book cover was in much need of replacement. But if Rick was expecting 'Enchantments Aplenty' or 'Curses... Curses.... Curses...' He was a bit off. Instead what he finds is rusty gold lettering upon smattered red backdrop. 'Lives of the Saints.' Volume 3.

Pale eyes glance up from the thick book assessing the newly approached professor. There's a pause before he pulls out a slip of paper and slides it between the pages to mark where he left off.

"Yes and no." Mike answers, "The book is more... inspiration. Wouldn't do to compose something if the details are way off."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Satisfied with knowing the title, Richard leans back in the chair, nodding slightly, and taking a brief moment to close his eyes. "Art, well. I can't argue aganist art. Coming up with something religious, then? I didn't think you were the liturgical type, I can't say I'm well educated with the saints, myself." He notes, before opening his eyes , and leaning forward again. "Other than that, how are you handling things? Because it seems like there's always something to handle these days."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike gives a half smile as Rick comes to his own conclusion from the title. The book is set aside, notable the furthest position away from the coffee, leading to him picking up the hand sanitizer.

"My mom was the religious one." Mike replies, uncapping the container before dropping a dime size dollop upon his hand. "She particularly liked saint stories."

Mike glances down to his hands as he rubs them together, coating all over while treating Rick to a slight smell of clean. "Which... might explain why although I can do spells without them, my strongest ones tend to be pretty ...saint oriented."



He glances over to the pile of Reeses, "...In a way I suppose using them gives it the structure it needs."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Oh, it seemed that the conversation /did/ eventually get to some hocus pocus. Not that Rick really should mind; the world seemed to be full of it, after all. The distance to the coffee is generally noted. "I do have to wonder if it's from a rare collection, the care you're showing it. Not that books don't deserve it, of course. I wouldn't doubt that a lot of magic might be collected to religion, though; it certainly might leave you someone to invoke, to call upon. They even have their own fiefdoms. Again, though, not that I should know much."

He leans back in the chair again. "Family's been a little wonky for at least two generation's back? Dad introduced me to the U/Us... not that we went very often. Still... it provided a valuable insight."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike shakes his head. "Nah. That one's pretty common. It's just, when you're borrowing something from someone or the library, you take good care of it."

Reaching a hand over the candy pile, he blindly grabs a few, holding some out to Rick in offering just in case.

"What are U-Us?"

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Rick holds up a hand and gives a tiny shake of his head. "Too much sugar for me today. Night's not over, and I'm trying to avoid a crash." He says, leaning over to tap the attache briefly. "And I'm glad to see you taking care of it. Book like that looks old, and I'd like to see students stumbling across it. A smudge or to, though, wouldn't hurt the history of it."

He pauses. "You know, I'm still suprised when people ask that... I shouldn't be. Unitarian/Universalists? Based in Christianity, but not that way any more. Pretty open place, has the right values. It's a good place for an exploration of one's faith, I find. Not, again, that I go often. It's just harder and harder to find time to head up to Fourth Universalist these days."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
To the refusal Mike nods before popping the handful into his mouth. Chewing them up quickly, Not quite taking the time to savor before swallowing. As he hears the explanation he nods. "...the problem with acronyms and abbreviations are that so many share the same ones."

He reaches over to collect his notebook. He flips a page. "Catholic myself..." He admits, looking to the pile of candy but not grabbing for more.

Eyes glance down to a page of jotted down lines, some scribbles and notes. "...Are you familiar with some of the more common stories of St. Nicholas?"

Richard Stadler has posed:
     "Oh, I feel like we've got a lock on U/U. Unless you're counting sheep, perhaps." He said, a little bit of humor present today, it looks like. "That being said, I can understand; lord knows I've seen a lot of odd acroyms in my time." He says, before motioning to the book. "I would have guessed, given your reading material and mention of your mother." Before frowning.

"Beyond it being a little too early to be bringing up Christmas... I'm afraid it's all scattered osmosis and breadth of education." He notes, frowning. "I... he was... what, earlier on? Not medievil, I think? Wasn't there something about saving some kids from a butcher?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike looks over to Rick for a few long moments. as for the reason why it doesn't become apparent until he speaks up again.

"Undetectible Untransmissable."

There's a pause. "...glad it wasn't that."

There's a bit more of a pause to let whatever thoughts needing to be thought to be thought out before the musician sighs. "Okay. Well most people know about the one involving the dowries. Another notable one would be bringing children back to life. Quite a few interesting stories so, in a similar vein as the charity aspect, he's also considered a patron saint of the anti-hunger movement."

"So basically there was a famine. A time of great hunger. And in the port there was a ship loaded down with food for the emperor. So Nicholas goes waltzing up to the sailors asking for some of the food to feed the hungry."

Mike takes another piece of candy from the pile, popping it into his mouth, somewhat cheeking it so he can continue to talk.

"So of course the sailors say 'no' because it wasn't theirs. And Nicholas promises them that they will not get in trouble for sharing. They relent. Food is shared. And when they get to port. Much to their surprise, the weight of the shipment has not changed one bit. To add to that, the wheat taken for the town was enough to supply them for two years and some for planting."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Rick is silent for a moment, before taking off glasses in silence, and taking a deep breath. "I know someone who worked for UNAIDS. I /also/ like to /think/ I have a handle on a few of these terms. Call it a reason to be humble." He notes, before placing the glasses back on and listening to the speech on Saint Nicholas.

"Granted, though, I'm not sure about the other stories. Dowries? Again, it's been some time since I've sat in the right discussions for it."

"But it is an interesting story. Something you've taking inspiration on specifically? Spells , or otherwise?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"The Dowries one has a bit more of a connection to the St. Nick Christmas connection. The children one is...kind of messed up honestly. But yes. The wheat story is the main inspiration."

Mike takes a moment to chew the piece of candy and swallow before responding with a nod. Reaching over to the pile of candy, he obscures the view with his cupped hand hovering over it.

Eyes shift over to the notebook, skimming through the lines. Eyes close as his free hand lifts, fingers curling inward as the formed fist rest upon the heart.

    "When they satiate the hunger,
    with the taking of few.
    With the consumption,
    have the supply renew. "

As small as it may be, there is a slight glow escaping from the hand cupped over the food which soon fades.

Eyes opening, Mike brings his hands back to the notebook to flip over to a page containing several tallies. The pile, seems...maybe the same. Maybe more.

Mike starts counting the pieces on the napkin.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Stadler leans forward, a bit curious with the obstructed view of the candies. "There are worse stories to draw inspiration from." He says, as there's a reading of lines, concentration, and then that short glow to show... something happened. At the very least, generation of light where no light source existed... but the way the candies were placed down... "I'm guessing the light was a... byproduct of the process then."

He looks to the pile that had been taken from, folding his arms. "I'm always looking for the trap door on these things... So what you're trying to do is take from a source, and then cast a spell indicating that the amount taken from the source should be replenished? If you're using that apocrypha as a basis... wouldn't you need to consume the items first before the supply renewed?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike, holds the notebook over to Stadler, the final total indicated on the bottom with a circle for emphasis.

"Not necessarily me." Mike replies, matter of factly, "But...Right now I'm determining at what POINT the consumption can be made. It stands to reason it applies to after the casting. But is there a room for undoing the recent past?"

The candy count is methodical, sliding the pieces into groups of five before combining the groups into groups of ten.

"But yes. There's still a bit of a transaction being made. Mostly expending energy to make it happen."

Mike considers the verses. "The usage of 'they' allows for it to reference others doing the consuming. Not specifically the caster. But... There is room for improvement. I'm only testing the chorus which is the core of things. The more verses I add to the song, the stronger and more flexible it can get."

As Mike finishes the count, should Rick compare the piles to the written count, there is one less candy than to the written count.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Rick peers owlishly through glasses over at the notebook, looking through the count, and then the total. No shame in checking over work, of course. "Certainly a point there.." He notes, frowning, as the count is done. "And you know more about the magic then... I would, admittedly. Simply a lot of factors to control over. I suppose one of them would be seeing if you're replicating those pieces at the exact state they were taken away from the pile, or at what point the record is made. At taking? At consumption? What point constitutes taking or consumption, exactly? Or is it simply the recreation of an idealized form of the item itself to replace what you've taken without replication being involved?"
Hisnother frown, as the count is completed. "Certainly the activation mechanism becoming more complex may make it a bit more difficult... but it's something to be controlled for as well. In terms of energy, however, you're doing a bit of something direct in there; The amount you take away represents calories, after all. Though it'd be an interesting question as to weather the amount of energy scales with caloric density, or mass, or the complexity of the chemical chains and the raw potential energy in them..."

He gives a minuate shake of his head. "But... whatever the questions, success is what we're looking at here. According to your count, you're certainly replenishing the stock..."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike glances over to the sorted rows that make it easy to monitor the count. Reaching a hand over, he takes another piece and pops it into his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully as he watches the grouping.

Nothing appears.

He hrmms, pushing the candies back together in a pile to once again count them out to the same number.

"...And in the nature of the inspiration it seems to work better when you can't visibly observe the replenishment."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Stadler's face screws a bit when he hears that. "There's only so much magic I can take, you know. Times like this where things refuse to make sense is one of them. The way you describe it seems to indicate there's some... force that happens to understand the words and lesson of the story itself. Somewhere. And while I don't begrudge God having a plan, I wouldn't think he'd make it so obvious..." He says, before rubbing the bridge of his nose again, glasses up slightly. "I feel like I need to center myself with some journals."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Just because we haven't found the words to describe what's going on, doesn't mean a reasonable explanation doesn't exist. Maybe making it blatantly obvious takes more energy than just piling it up. Or maybe the spell is dispersed over each part and the replenished part has to appear where the majority of the other pieces are."

Mike smiles before reaching over to take up a candy and offer it to Rick. "If you don't mind... could you consume that one?"

Richard Stadler has posed:
     The expression on Rick's face reduces slightly, conceding that Michael had a point. "In that case, there should be some things we can do to figure out what's going on. Laws of thermodynamics are a bit bedrock, you know."

When a candy is offered, Rick eyes it briefly, then looks to Mike. "It's important to note I've got people that'll handle certain affairs if I die." He says, giving a few beats for Mike to reconsider and rash acts, before shruging and taking it. A quick feel on the fingertips, waiting for any reaction, before placing it carefully on the tongue. Holding, then chewing once. Then twice, before swallowing.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike waits until Rick swallows before he replies to the comment. "Well, unless they think giving you peanut butter is a viable way of taking you out, I think I'll remain blameless in their pending investigation."

The musician's glance shifts over to the candy count. Like before, nothing immediately shows in the ordered rows. But, once the pieces are combined and counted back out. The count proves to be the same.

"Alright." Mike glances over to the notepad. "So, it works even if the person doing the consuming is not the castor. Annnd the very first candy I took didn't get replenished. So. I got a general time window to test out to see how long after the taking we can apply this. Also there's a matter of seeing how long the replenishment lasts. But...That might have to wait until after I get some real food."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Well, he wasn't dead, obviously. "A little sweet." He says, before the rows are counted again. "And one can hope. I just like to keep that healthy sense of paranoia." He notes. "And that assumes there's some sort of activation mode for it. What if you consumed all but one before you attempted to combine them again? Or does it only work when the resulting process can't be observed." He's thoughtful there, before Mike indicates he hasn't gotten anything. "Oh, well. This is fun but it certainly doesn't make a meal... to be honest, the cafe doesn't, as well. Oh, it's got a sandwich, but you can't live on sandwiches alone."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Well if it's any consolation, if there was any backlash from eating enchanted candy. I ate a piece before you so it'd hit me first. So, if your people had reason to act, I probably would not be in a position to care anyways."

The performer closes up the notebook, glancing over to the little cafe he got the coffee from. "I think I'm going to have to take a break from this and go elsewhere. But... that is a good test to consider. If it got to that point...there probably wouldn't be any replenishment. Could be an interesting way to cancel out something if it turns out something got miscast. Like on a wasp's nest."

Heaven help us all.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Stadler peers, his own attache gotten out now that the talk seems to be winding down, a few journals and a laptop retrieved as he happens to set up for a long night. "Oh, you might need more paranoia in your life. Edibility tests are good in general for these sorts of things. As are weapon safeties... on.. magic. God, I'm going to get a headache again. In any case, have a good meal with whatever you're getting."

And to work, trying not to think on wasps that simply remained the same no matter how many you killed. And they said science required restraint.