Chapter Text
Oh Fortune,
Variable as the moon,
Always dost thou wax and wane.
Detestable life,
First dost thou mistreat us,
And then whimsically,
Thou heedest our desires.
As the sun melts the ice,
So dost thou dissolve
Both poverty and power.
~
Magick is real.
A reality considered both a blessing, and a curse.
People – humans and humanoid cousins, ie; Warlocks, Mages and Enchanters, alike - have pondered the existence of a world without it. Would life be easier? Or made more difficult due to the lack of it? Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. This is the world as it is, and those are questions we will never have answers to.
Magick is such an intrinsic part of who we are that imagining a world without it is to imagine oneself not needing oxygen to breathe. Even those who do not possess Magickal ability themselves reap the benefits vicariously as a natural part of the world’s culture; through medicine, entertainment and day to day life, to name a few. There are few things more diverse in ability and expression than that of Magick.
However, one thing has always been clear; no matter how much further our knowledge of Magick progresses, though years go by and the information grows, it is obvious we will never reach a limit of understanding. There will always be a mysterious element to Magick and how it works with both the physical and metaphysical.
Particularly when it comes to Magick without control; learning to control one’s Magick, whether it presents at birth or puberty, is a natural part of growing – until the individual reaches physical maturity, by which point both Magick and control is fully matured along with the body and for the most part, safe – depending on how one chooses to use their gifts. Once control is achieved, it is exceedingly difficult to lose it. There are many theories as to why loss of control happens, some are primarily psychology based and others hypothesize more physical reasons. All have sufficient evidence to support them. I put more stock in the metaphysical school of thought, in conjunction with the psychology of the brain. Ultimately, because Magick is DNA level unique to the individual; generalized, universal knowledge on the subject is limited and varies in accuracy.
However, what has been gleaned is that deeply traumatic events must occur in order for Magick control to be lost, something that damages both the body and psyche, be it mental or emotional. The trigger for it is typically easy enough to figure out, and even predicting how an individual’s Magick will present in its uncontrolled state – this will be based on their species, abilities and level of power - is not particularly difficult, the true mystery is why recovering from loss of control is so arduous, and often inconsistent regardless of severity.
If there is one thing Magick isn’t, is black and white.
-DR. A. C. Doyle. EN. PHD, MD; Preeminent Psychiatrist, Medical Doctor and Author. (Introduction to VR 1.‘Magickal Minds’ 2010)
~
John Watson could never have predicted how drastically his life would change in the course of a year.
It is a quiet evening for him; his love of an adventure-filled life doesn’t lessen his enjoyment of the smaller moments. In all honesty, there is no doubt in his mind he would go completely mad without the occasional minute to read, enjoy a cup of tea and get a spot of writing done.
John casts a gaze over the room before closing his eyes, much of it is in darkness and only aglow with the light of the fire; cozy, comforting…home. John rests his hands on the arms of his chair and takes a deep breath.
He is tired, and it isn’t long before he dozes off.
His nap is short, John wakes and noticing the darkness of the chill in the room glances over at the fireplace. His jumper, deep burgundy in colour, is barely warm enough in the cold December weather of London.
Bugger. Where is my favourite blanket when I need it? John sighs with a faint smile on his face, unconsciously rubbing his leg.
Enough time has passed for the fire to die down significantly. And so, with barely a movement, John casually reaches out a hand in the direction of the dwindling flames. The tingle along his arm is as familiar to him as the famed Watson nose. Were someone to see John now, there would be no outward sign that anything was happening, yet in a near instant the fire is instantly restored, flames reaching high, cradled in the fireplace arch.
Warmth floods the room. There are times John is exceedingly grateful to be an Augment.
“Much better.” John mutters happily to himself and lifts the book he had previously been reading.
‘Magickal Minds’
John frowns a bit. Why is he reading up on a subject he already knows a lot about? And much of that is from personal experience. Maybe he is reading on the subject for that very reason, not just because Doyle is an Author he enjoys indulging in (both fiction and nonfiction alike), but because he is curious on what someone he admires has to say about a subject he is so painfully, intimately, familiar with.
John is grateful to note that the same memories, once filled with despair, shame, and purposelessness, no longer have the same bite to his mind that they used to. There will always be a sense of bitter sweetness there, but given what happened that seems inevitable. There is perhaps one, very important reason why the sharp turns and changes his life has taken recently have ultimately been for the better.
And it is the reason why John is even alive.
No matter the bittersweet, regardless of what happens, John will always, always be grateful for him.
A small, miniature purple stone on the mantle shines in the light of the fire.