taxonomites | II: [ Accidental Voice ] Magic Hour

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II: [ Accidental Voice ] Magic Hour

[ There's a sound of pages rustling. With everything that has happened in Taxon - dangerous vampires running amok, crazy people bombing everything regardless of intentions or who they'd hurt - Piper feels as though she should do something. She consults The Book of Shadows and while she's not sure it will work, she decides to give it a try. ]

In this night and in this hour
I call upon the Ancient Power
Heed my words, I beseech thee.

In this circle that is our home
protect us from the evils that roam
And ensure our safety.

[ she waits for something to happen - but after a pathetic puff of smoke in the air, nothing did. She sighs.] Right. Of course that won't work.

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"Oh," Piper says. It hasn't really occurred to her to think about that - the aftermath of a spell once it's done its job. "And... and do you think whoever's doing this to us... we should be scared of them?"

"I don't know," Tara confesses, after a long moment. Then she asks, "Do you want me to come over, so we don't have to talk over there? Not that I want to intrude, but..."

"I'd like that," she says, smiling. After all, Piper owes her her life - and she won't ever say no to the idea of having friends in Taxon. "I'm here in my room."

Tara is there, then, a few moments later. "Hi - sorry. I just... I don't totally trust these things, you know?" She indicates her tablet. "Handy, but... Hi," she finally comes to, stopping with a small smile.

"Hey!"

She goes to meet Tara by the door, and gestures for her to come in further into the room. "I don't blame you," Piper says. "I... I wasn't really aiming for anyone to see me casting a spell, but the tablet sort of... turned itself on, without me knowing it."

"Yeah, it seems like that happens." She comes in a little more. "I've never heard that spell before - is it just general protection?"

She wishes it didn't, but well - the damage has already been done.

Piper gestures at the open Book of Shadows on her bed. "It is," she says. "I just thought, with everything going on... a safety spell might be nice and, well, necessary." Piper sighs and crosses her arms. "I'm not sure it worked, though. I think... I think I need my sisters here, for the spell to be fully cast."

The spell doesn't state exactly that it needs the Power of Three to work, but Piper is willing to bet it does.

"Oh - is it magic specific to your family, then?" Tara moves to look at the book.

She follows, takes the book, and shows it to Tara. It's not that Piper doesn't trust her; it's just that the book itself might not. "Yes," she says. "Specifically, the three of us. Spells are usually more effective if we're all here to say it."

After all, their powers stem from their blood - and their bond as sisters.

"That's interesting. I've heard of family magic before, but never met anyone who did it."

"Does that mean you're the only one in your family who is a witch?"

"My mother was," she says, quieter. She still misses her mother, but it's an older hurt now. "But I hadn't come into my powers very long, when she died."

"Oh," she says, her tone matching Tara's now. Piper understands losing a loved one, and gaining her powers afterward. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... bring that up."

"No - it's okay." Tara smiles a little. "Are your sisters here, or..."

Piper hugs the book to her and sits down on her bed. She shakes her head. "Just me," she replies, glancing at Tara with a sad smile. "I... really don't know if I should feel bad about that. On one hand, I would love for them to be here with me, but on the other hand, I wouldn't want them to... go through this."

She pushes those melancholic thoughts away. "What about you? You mentioned Buffy before, didn't you? Is she a friend of yours?"

She nods. "And Dawn, her sister. I know Mr. Giles and Xander too. So... no family, but friends."

"I still say that's better than being alone in here," Piper notes. "I haven't met them, but I'm assuming they also leave here?"

"Giles lives in the library, but the others are here." She tilts her head. "Do you mind if I ask how you came to be living here, if you haven't met Buffy?"

"Oh no, no," Piper says, smiling a bit. "I've met Buffy; it's the others that I haven't talked to yet."

"Oh... oh, of course." She smiles. "Well, you should, sometime."

She touches the triquetra on The Book of Shadows. One of the reasons she and her sisters have become wary of strangers showing an interest in them is that, more often than not these strangers turn out to be warlocks bent on killing them and stealing their powers. And on the occasions that they do make friends? The secrecy and lies are bound to destroy those friendships into pieces.

But here in Taxon, it seems like everyone knows something about magic and even practices it. It's a lot easier to form relationships with people when she won't be concerned with hiding the truth from them at all times.

"Maybe I will," Piper says.

Tara nods. "I don't know if your spell, in particular, will work without your family. But we could try and see if there's another protection spell to cast. With Angelus on the loose, it can't hurt."

"Angelus," she repeats. "Is that his name? The vampire currently running loose?"

Tara nods. "I mean, there are other vampires around. But he's the dangerous one, right now."

"You mean there are others who aren't?" she asks, her tone heavy with disbelief. "Aren't all vampires evil?"

II: [ Accidental Voice ] Magic Hour

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