(no subject)

[onceholyknight]

Michael comes through the front door carrying a bundle in his free hand. It's made up of slashed and tattered grey wool, somewhat bloodstained, and what looks like the corners of soiled bandages poking out of it.

He heads straight for the fire and tosses it in, then sits down with a sigh.

Comments

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"What was that?" asks Ragnar, who is sitting by the fireplace with a large pitcher of water.

His eyes are bloodshot, and he looks very much the worse for wear.

[onceholyknight]

"Soiled cloth", Michael tells him, "and my son Daniel's blood. Not to be left undestroyed - are you all right?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"What happened to your son?" Ragnar asks; that seems far more important than a mere hangover.

[onceholyknight]

"He went up against a minor sorcerer with a liking for knives." His mouth twists. "He'll be fine, and he came out of it better than the sorceror."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Should I ask what happened to the sorcerer?" Ragnar asks, with a little bleary smile.

[onceholyknight]

"The last time Daniel saw him, he was being carted off in an ambulance under restraint with a lacerated arm and a seriously damaged knee, after his little gang of browbeaten kids turned their backs on him. We don't think he'll be a problem again."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"And why do the rags have to be burned, then?" Ragnar asks. "Rather than just dropping them onto the rubbish heap?"

[onceholyknight]

"Because it's never wise in my world to leave your blood lying around. Magic can be done with it."

And his family have enemies.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"What do the women do?" Ragnar asks.

[doc_evil]

"Did you place your enemies in easily escapable certain death situations?" someone asks from a few feet away. The sides of his chair are obscuring his face, but his gray-clad legs and Air Jordans are visible.

(Doctor Evil has recently developed a need for supportive running and jumping footwear.)

"Was that all that remained?" he asks, hopefully.

[onceholyknight]

Michael blinks and looks at the... feet.

"No. That was a magical counter-measure."

[doc_evil]

One foot lifts up. A hand comes forward.

The Air Jordan laces are tightened.

Just in case.

"Riiiight."

The man puts his foot back on the floor and tries to... turn his chair?

It fails.

Due to the lack of wheels and all.

Doctor Evil leans forward and eyes Michael. "An evil magical counter-measure?"

[onceholyknight]

"Not on my part." This man is very strange. "Against evil magic."

[doc_evil]

"Against evil? Oh, I see. You consider yourself a good guy. A 'hero,'" he concludes, using finger quotes. "Too 'moral' to have fun, is that it? Yeah? Very 'uptight?" Or is it 'upright?' I don't know. Both work. Yeah. Both work."

He nods.

"Tell me, was liquid hot mag-ma or a laser involved?" he asks hopefully.

[onceholyknight]

"I hope my wife and seven children would disagree on the uptight", he says mildly. "I wasn't told anything about magma or lasers."

[doc_evil]

"Pity."

Hold up.

"Seven? Riiiiight. Aren't you the over-achiever."

If only he were evil.

"Would you like mine? Regrettably, Scott inherited neither my e-vil nor my hairline."

[onceholyknight]

"...does he want to leave home?"

[forceimbalance]

In Anakin's experience, burning what looks like soiled bandages isn't really a sign of anything good. Especially with slashed up cloth. And something about Michael's attitude, that of someone for whom this is simply routine.

And, well, he has a certain amount of experience dealing with this sort of thing, so--

"Is everything all right?"

Have a concerned Jedi Knight hovering nearby.

[onceholyknight]

Michael looks up at him with a touch of gratitude for the concern.

"It will be. No wounds that won't heal."

(Not on Daniel, anyway.)

[forceimbalance]

Anakin nods. Sometimes, wounds that won't heal are the best one can do. Surviving counts for a lot.

"Can I ask what happened?"

Jedi Knight, On Duty!

[onceholyknight]

"My oldest son had an encounter with a warlock", Michael tells him. "And his knife."

[forceimbalance]

Eyes narrowing, Anakin asks, "I've gathered some worlds use different meanings for related words." For instance, 'witch' means only bad things in his. "What is a warlock?"

It sounds poor--especially as Michael does not come off as sinister.

[onceholyknight]

"It's a wizard who performs black magic." He nods at the narrow-eyed expression. "If they're caught early in their career, they can be rehabilitated. This man was not early in his career."

[forceimbalance]

Ah.

Definitely within Anakin's area of... well, he thinks it's expertise, but his track record might suggest otherwise.

"Was?" His expression relaxes slightly into a faint, not precisely amused smile. "Your son is no longer in need of assistance, then?"

[onceholyknight]

Michael mirrors the smile.

"He's still alive - though perhaps he might wish he wasn't. I'll be surprised if he walks properly again, and he's lost the support of his young followers."