*After a flashy, bright, and intense battle with the ghosts, the boys (and Shriek) stand in the scorched battlefield that once was Crowley’s office*
Crowley: (Under His Breath) Hmm…maybe initiating a fight in my office wasn’t such a great idea?
Deuce: What did you say, Headmage?
Crowley: Oh nothing, Mr. Spade.
Grim: (Angry) Hey, Headmage, what’s the deal!? What does fighting ghosts got to do with blot?!
Shriek: Besides being really fun!! 😃 🤩
Crowley: Please direct your attention to the magestone on your collar, Mr. Grim.
Grim: (Freaked Out) Myah!? My magestone looks all grimy now. MYAH!?! It won’t rub off!!
Crowley: Precisely. That only black stain is the byproduct of spell casting known as “blot”.
Deuce: (Shocked) There’s some grime on my magical pen too!?
Shriek: *Looking at her Magestone* (Excited) Yes!!! Look how cool this is!!
Grim: (Grossed Out) Eww!! This is capital-G Gross!!
Charlie: *Looking at his scuffed looking Magestone* …
Deino: *Crouching down to Charlie’s ear* (Whispering) You good, man?
Charlie: (A Little Unfocused/Whispering) Wha—? Yeah, no…I’m good. I’m fine.
Grim: (Worried) Does this go away soon!?
Grim: (Relieved) Phew! Had me worried there.
Crowley: With sufficient rest, blot will vanish from your magestone. This is why a magestone is so valuable to magic users. Not only does it aid in your casting, it also serves as a lightning rod of sorts, to prevent blot from accumulating within the caster.
Deuce: I see. So when our magestones start to get cloudy, that means it’s time for us to ease off.
Crowley: Correct. Eat well and get plenty of sleep, and most of the blot will clear away.
Charlie: (Curious/Seriously) If you knew that…*Looking up at Crowley* why was I overworked by you?
Crowley: (Awkwardly) Oh…I-Uh…you…were an…accident. I didn’t d-deliberately try to do…that.
*The room goes quiet for about 10 seconds…until Crowley coughs loudly, resetting the conversation*
Crowley: …People vary greatly in their capacity for magic. However, save for a few key exceptions, there is little tolerance for blot in most mages.
Grim: (Curious) What’s that mean?
Crowley; In essence, it means that those who possess a great capacity for magic must be meticulous in their efforts to avoid accumulating blot. *Looking over at Charlie* (A little desperately) L-Like Mr. Rosehearts and Mr. Hopps, for instance!
Ace: So folks who know their way around magic gotta lay off once in a while? Seems simple enough.
Shriek: (Proudly) Not me, I don’t accumulate blot like you humans. *Pounding her chest* I’m built different!! 😤
Deino: (Proudly) Hell Yeah, Little Cannoneer!!
Crowley: As to answer, Mr. Trappola; you are correct. That said, it isn’t anything that mages at YOUR level need to worry about. How very fortunate for you.
Ace: I guess that’s…only kind of an insult.
Charlie: What about me, Crowley?
Crowley: (Awkwardly) You are…advanced!! Yes, yes. Very advanced for your age and level of magic proficiency. 🙂↕️
Grim: Anyways, I think I get it. Use magic, get blot. Blot bad. Sleep and food good—
Shriek: I couldn’t say it any better myself.
Grim: But is that really all it took to make Riddle and Charles activate berserker mode?
Crowley: The accumulation of blot is significantly affected by the sorcerer’s mental state. Anger, fear, panic, sorrow…harboring those sorts of negative energies hastens the accumulation of blot by a significant degree. This, in turn, leads to the dreadful state known as “Overblot”
Deuce: *Looking over at Charlie* (Whispering) “Negative Energies”…interesting.
Crowley: Do you recall the giant shadow that appeared behind Mr. Rosehearts…*Looking at Charlie* (Butting In) and subsequently Mr. Hopps?!—
Charlie: (Quietly) Nice save, Headmage. 👌
Crowley: (Calmly/Dire) Such manifestations are believed to be the result of a fusion between blot and negative energies. I’m afraid that’s the extent of what current studies have revealed to us. There remain many mysteries surrounding overblot. After all, there are not many opportunities for study and observation.
Charlie: My mom says there’s a biological aspect to it too, the manifestations have flesh and organs.
Crowley: (Curious) Your mom is knowledgeable of the subject?
Shriek: (Excited) I am too, can confirm they have flesh and organs. They taste good. 😊
Crowley; Whatever the case, it is fortunate we were able to snap Mr. Rosehearts and Mr. Hopps out of it so quickly. If that had been allowed to continue…
Charlie: (Bleakly) I would’ve killed everyone in the school.
Crowley: (Quietly/Disturbed) Well…that’s certainly saying the quiet part out loud. *To the others* In summary, the use of magic is accompanied by a certain degree of risk. And I expect all of you to keep that in mind…
Crowley: (Proud of Himself) Thus concludes your special lesson from the Headmage himself!! How wonderfully kind of me. Now, back to your classrooms with you.
*Crowley’s door flies open again as a black haired girl stands in the doorway, dramatically looking down as she holds open the door, before looking up to reveal her kind looking smile*
Shriek: (Excited) YUUKA!!! 😃 🤩
Crowley: (Surprised) Oh? Ms. Hirasaka?! Why uh…why are you here? I don’t remember calling you up here?
Yuuka: Apologies for intruding, Headmage. But I must ask, have you found a way to send me home yet?
Charlie: (Curious) Wait a second…you’re that other person from another world, yes?
Ace: (Amazed) Oh no way!! We’ve met Yuuken, are you related to Yuuken?
Yuuka: No, we just have similar sounding names and both got here inexplicably.
Shriek: (Excited) There’s several Yuus inside Ramshackle and I watch em all!! 😊
Yuuka: Speaking of, have you figured out a way to send us back, Headmage?!
Crowley: (Awkwardly) Ahhhh, yes…A means to send You and the others home…yes, right. Right…
*Crowley tries to avoid eye contact with Yuuka as she follows his head around to look at him*
Crowley: (Lying) I have been diligently searching for one, of course. I have certainly not forgotten!! It is merely that I’ve been quite busy as of late.
Grim: (Not Impressed) Your eyes got all shifty all of a sudden…
Shriek: (Curious) And your heart rate spiked.
Crowley: *Waving his hands* (Lying) I’m certainly not lying! The October interdorm Spelldrive Tournament is consuming a great deal of my attention at the moment!! In fact, I’ve a meeting with the assembled Housewardens immediately after this.
Grim: What’s a “Spelldrive Tournament”.
Yuuka: Yeah, what’s a “Spelldrive”?
Crowley: *Putting his hands on his face* (Annoyed) Oh dear…Ok, let’s take it from the top.
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(Shriek belongs to @wyvernslovecake)
