A
Storyby Saless
Chapter 1 — Guidance
"I don't understand why I have to get a job! Isn't being your apprentice enough?" Tina griped as she unpacked her bags.
"Believe it or not, owning an occult shop does not make me rich." Charlotte, Tina's grandmother, replied. "You need to be able to pay your own way. Part of my agreement with your mother was that you would pay rent while you stay with me. Just like you would if you moved out to go to school. She wants you to get that experience at least, since you refuse to go to college."
"But if I'm working all day I won't have any time to study!" Tina complained.
"You will have time enough." she said. "Now help me with this spell."
"Should I be insulted that you're casting a spell to help me find a job?" Tina asked as she stepped closer to the ritual circle inscribed on the floor. This room had been used for years for Charlotte's magical work before she had the attic converted into her workroom. The circle took up most of the floor that wasn't covered by the bed, dresser, and desk.
Charlotte laughed, "I just want to get you settled quickly so we can get to work...and not listen to your whining if you have trouble finding a job!"
"Grandma!" Tina whined, and then laughed when she heard how she sounded. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"
Charlotte handed Tina a box of candles and instructed her to place them around the outside of the inner circle every six inches. As she did that, Charlotte set various objects down in the outer circle spaced evenly, except for one spot she left empty. When Tina had finished setting up the candles she took the half-full box and directed Tina to the empty spot in the outer circle. "Sit there and light the candles around the inner circle when I tell you to." she said, handing Tina a lighter.
"Don't you want me to help you finish setting up the spell?" Tina asked curiously.
"No, because you're part of the spell. Once I've set up the outer ring of candles I need you to light them, and then, when I tell you, to light the inner ring. You do remember how to light them properly, don't you?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, grandmother." Tina replied, rolling her eyes. "That was one of the first things you taught me. It's easy!"
Charlotte shook her head in wonder, "It still amazes me that you can say that. I worked hard for months before I was able to light the candles properly, and then it took me weeks to do it again. I wasn't able to do it reliably for almost a year." As she spoke she placed the last candle and stepped outside the circle entirely with a nod towards Tina. Tina nodded back and reached out to light the candle nearest her on the outer ring of the circle. Once the lighter was lit she closed her eyes in concentration and carefully moved it to the wick of the candle. As soon as the wick caught all the other candles in the outer ring ignited simultaneously.
"Now what?" Tina asked.
"Now you sit there and clear your mind and light the inner ring when I tell you to." Charlotte replied. She knelt down carefully just outside the circle and closed her eyes. After several minutes Tina felt a light breeze stir the air in the circle. "Light the candles." Charlotte said. Tina did and watched in fascination as the spell took shape inside the inner ward. To the untrained eye there would have been nothing to watch except the occasional bit of light that would easily be dismissed as an odd reflection or optical illusion. To Tina's eyes there were many colored lights stirred by unseen breezes that did not extend beyond the inner circle. These were accompanied by sounds; a bell tinkling, an odd scraping sound, water running, and many others.
Finally, after nearly thirty minutes of this, the spell solidified into a stable form and Tina knew it was ready. At a nod from her grandmother she extinguished the nearest candle of the inner ring, thus extinguishing them all and bringing down the inner ward containing the spell. Immediately she could feel the pressure from the spell and the effort it was taking her grandmother to keep it intact. Slowly it moved around the outer circle, settling on each object in turn. Each time it changed slightly before moving on. Lastly it settled above Tina's head.
With a shaking hand Charlotte motioned for Tina to extinguish the outer ward and she did. The spell settled into Tina's body for a moment and then shot away, leaving a piece of itself within her. Charlotte sighed in relief. "That was more difficult than I anticipated." she said breathlessly.
Tina was about to ask why when she felt a pull from...somewhere...and found herself lying face down on the floor. "Ow. What was that?" Tina asked as she pulled herself up.
"What happened?" Charlotte asked. "Why did you fall?"
"Something pulled me off balance." Tina replied.
Charlotte frowned, "That sounds like it was the spell, but it's never caused a physical pull before. It's supposed to lead you where you need to be, not pull you there."
To Be Continued…
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Comments
Venus Cursed!
I don't know about Tina but I certain feel 'drawn' to this story! :)
Hugs!
Grover
PS: Just how does that job hunting spell go again?
A looking for work spell,
A looking for work spell, hummm, can this spell be marketed for all those here in the US, Canada, and in GB/Europe who are out of work through no fault of their own? Jan
Looking for Work Spell
Now WHY be so selective? Why exclude anyone out of work who at least partly have themselves to blame? Let's be generous here !
Briar
Briar
Toil & Trouble - 1 - Guidance
Very interesting. Will this spell lead her into joining the gang? And does she have magical powers? Could she hurt any of the gang with her spells?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Intriguing start Saless
I've always had a soft spot for a Magic stories and in your hands the journey should prove to be very interesting...
Wonder what force's Tina has unleashed now, You do hope it's nothing nasty, But then without some bad guys it just would'nt be a Saless story would it?
Kirri
Silly me
I really should read stories when i'm properly awake......Then i might have seen the Venus Cursed logo and then things would have seemed a little more clearer to this tired sleepy-head.
Kirri
Tsk tsk tsk.
Now what do we have here? Insertion of a valuable backstory for a long ago introduced character? Someone decided to be sneaky, huh? ^_^
Oh, for the readers' benefit, those who are following the story through the archive binge and did not follow it from the very beginning - some of the issues related to reveals in further chapters will be spoiler'ed.
Apparently, both Charlotte and Tina are magic users. But, I have to ask a lot of questions now:
1)If Tina is Charlotte's apprentice, then what about Tina's mother? Is she also a magic user?
2)The spell has changed its apparent effect. What can be the cause? {Return of Magic?}
3)I distinctly remember {Mana telling the gang they will have to find native magic users to be taught the proper way to use this world's magic. I reckon Tina will fit the bill, won't she?}
4)Will we meet other magic users Charlotte is bound to know about?
Faraway
P.S.I think a link at the end of the chapter should be added to this story.
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Sneaky, moi?!
Um, what kind of link are you looking for? There's a link to the corresponding chapter of Venus Cursed! at the bottom, or were you thinking of something else?
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Yes, you! ^_^
Yeah, the link to the chapter is there. But there is no link in the chapter to this story.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Oops!
You're right, I forgot! Thanks for pointing that out, I'll get right on it!
Saless
EDIT: All done!
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
89 Chapters Later...
...we can see that Tina's about to become a co-worker with Tiffany and Sarah (filling one of the vacancies caused by the attack on Sarah), that she'll soon be up to speed on at least the more public events of Sarah's recent existence, which Tina could have picked up from other employees, and that she'll come out on the side of magic existing in the discussion when Mana's fire elemental makes the scene.
It doesn't appear, though, that her abilities in sorcery were powerful enough to catch the eye of either Vash or Mana, as of VC112. So it's hard for me to guess just where this is going, or how likely Tina is to potentially pair off with Tiffany as a third couple in the new company.
Eric
You have
A dirty mind, Eric! ;) Just kidding!
I beg to differ - how does one, really, identify a power in these circumstances? From what I remember, Vash always had a preliminary results of what a person could do before examining one closely. I don't think that mastery over eldritch energies is that easily identified, especially if the user is not experienced and avoids using it even discretely. Now, if Tina had done something to warrant attention...
Which may easily be the reason she will soon be drafted into the gang!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
?????
So are we going to be getting more of this character later on ????
on the other story, I like the way they were resting and that they were trying to save as many as possible
jo ann
Jo Ann D