Who: Magnus Bane & Frodo Baggins What: A Warlock and Hobbit meet When: Backdated: Wednesday, January 15th. Afternoon Where: Out and About Rating: Family Friendly Status: Complete
Magnus had just left a meeting for a potential shoot, which he was extremely interested in and as a bonus no one had told him he should lose weight so the meeting had already gone better than his last one. He was still a little flabbergasted that they had actually suggested he lose fifteen pounds. He was already in incredible shape, so losing even that amount of weight would make him look far too skinny for his six foot frame. It was their loss though, not his for refusing them. As he left the office where the meeting had been held, he pondered going to get a coffee at a nearby coffee shop. It wasn’t cold any longer, which he was glad about, because the whole reason he’d moved to California in the first place was because it was warmer than Canada where he’d spent quite a few of his formative years between the times he lived in Taiwan then traveled for shoots.
However, despite the fact that it was no longer cold out, Magnus still had a scarf wrapped around his neck. A blue scarf, which he’d actually become quite bored with. Of course he had other scarves, but he wasn’t currently able to get one of those scarves and he was very tempted to see if he had enough control over his abilities to try and change the color. Glancing up and down the street, he didn’t see anyone close enough who might notice. Lifting one hand, blue sparks began to dance between his fingers and he pictured the scarf with a purple paisley print.
Frodo was out and about with his son, as he typically was on the days he took off from work. Merrill’s job required her to be there every day, but his time was his own. In fact, he had the option of working entirely from home, but he enjoyed the satisfaction of the office, although not as much as spending time with little Samwise, who was strapped to his chest in a rather comical-looking baby carrier.
But what he saw wrapped around this other man as he turned the corner was enough to stop him in his steps. The scarf around the man’s neck suddenly changed not only color, but print, as sparks exploded on his fingertips. Frodo stared, agape.
Just as Magnus’ scarf changed and a smirk crossed his lips, he noticed the man standing nearby, opening staring at him. In the dreams, Magnus didn’t normally care if a Mundane saw him do magic, but then again in the dreams no one seemed to notice and he did magic in public quite often. “Can I help you?” If he had a little more control over his abilities he could have attempted a memory charm on the man, but at this point he would probably completely fry his brain and that was the last thing that Magnus wanted to do.
Frodo looked over his shoulder, trying to pass the buck, but there was no one nearby. He’d been caught staring. He’d seen so many magic tricks in his dreams, but they continually impressed him in this world. Even Merrill’s, though she refused to perform them for good reason. Blood Magic was not to be trifled with.
“Er… sorry, I just… I turned the corner and… Well, I saw…” Frodo did not know what to say. There was nothing to say. He just hoped the man would not turn him into a toad.
Maybe dream!Magnus might have considered turning the man into a toad; just for fun, but he wasn’t about to turn random strangers into amphibians just for the fun of it “What exactly did you see?” Of course Magnus knew what the man had seen, but he was curious as to see what exactly the man thought he saw or would claim to have seen.
“Well, I…” Frodo swallowed and paused to collect himself. It wasn’t typical of him to be nervous around magic-wielders, but he was used to wizards like Gandalf. “I saw the bit with the scarf. It changed it’s color and there was some sparkly lightning.”
Magnus wasn’t sure what it was about the other man, maybe it was the baby strapped to his chest, but for whatever reason he felt that he could trust him, “You mean, this?” Magnus lifted one hand and blue sparks began to dance between his fingers. In the dreams he was much better at controlling his abilities at his age, but then again in the dreams they’d manifested when he was quite young and being immortal, he’d had a long time to master them. In the waking world, Magnus had just begun to manifest his abilities and was limited as to what he could do so far; changing the color of his scarf just now had practically drained his powers for the moment. He would admit that he was becoming a tad bit impatient for more dreams, because more dreams meant more abilities.
“Well… I assume you are one of the many dreamers in the area,” Frodo said, daring to take a step closer. If the man wanted to attack him, he probably would have done so by now. Though, as he neared him, he noted that the fellow had yellow eyes, and that caused him to pause again. “What do you dream about?”
And there it was. The reason why Magnus had felt that he could trust the other man. He couldn’t really explain it, but finding out he was also a member of Valarnet wasn’t much of a surprise. After all, Magnus had met many people from the network on the street, “I’m a warlock, in my dreams. And I suppose it real life now as well.” After all, he wouldn’t be able to change the color of his scarf and do some other things if he wasn’t, “And what about yourself?”
“I am a hobbit,” Frodo replied, still with some wavering hesitation as he drew out each word. Very few people seemed to have any idea of what a hobbit was. Other than being on the short side--OK, maybe more than that, as he was still shrinking--there wasn’t much difference between a hobbit and a human. “No magic powers, or anything. But some of my friend have them.”
“A hobbit? Shouldn’t you be shorter?” Magnus was one of those people who did know what a hobbit was, having read the books, but he hadn’t put it together with the man’s name right away. “Magic powers are nice, but when you’re still getting used to them, accidents will happen.” At least twice Magnus had accidentally blown something up.
"A year ago I was five-six," Frodo replied with a hint of a shrug. He had always been short for a man. As long as his wife didn't mind, neither did he. "Wait, you have heard of hobbits?"
Most people were short to Magnus, considering he was just over six feet tall, but he hadn’t thought that the dreams would actually change a person’s height, “And how tall are you now?” He asked, glancing down at the baby in the carrier Frodo was wearing then back at the man, “There are books that feature hobbits.”
“Hm…” A splotchy paleness crossed Frodo’s face, as it tended to do whenever he thought about books that featured hobbits. The idea made him sick; he did not know why, but there was no controlling the reaction.
He swallowed and looked down at his feet, which were covered in shoes, since the stores along his walk had a no shoes, no service policy. But he had recently needed to purchase larger shoes, the same way he had to hem all his clothing. “I am about… 5’1’’. Maybe.”
Well that explained why he seemed exceptionally short for a grown man, now that Magnus took a moment to really notice, “Hopefully you don’t mind up getting any shorter or you may not be able to carry that baby around for much longer.” It was strange, the things the dreams could do to a person. None of it should have been possible yet somehow it was.
“Maybe he will shrink, too,” said Frodo off the cuff. The baby was part hobbit, after all; and even though Merrill was an elf, she was from a world where elves were considerably shorter themselves.
Frodo shifted his weight from heel to heel. Perhaps it was time to continue on his way. Even if this man was not about to turn him into a mouse, he still had eyes like a cat, sharp and intense. “Well.. you do not have to worry. I will not tell anyone what I saw.”
Magnus smiled at the joke and nodded, “Hopefully not too much smaller.” That would just be bizarre after all, “I appreciate it and even if you did, I doubt anyone else would believe you. Most people just think my eyes are contacts, so hardly anyone questions it.”
Frodo was not so sure about the part where no one would believe him. It seemed as it Orange County was crawling with fantasy characters these days, like they all had a part to play in some ongoing story. But he nodded anyway and continued to bounce anxiously on his heels.
“Well… ….. Have a nice day.” Frodo had run out of things to say.
“You as well. It was nice to meet you,” Still smiling, Magnus gave a small wave to the other man then started walking again. He enjoyed meeting the various people who frequented Valarnet, especially when they had become some sort of supernatural creature and part of him hoped that he ran into Frodo once again.