#hc:garrett

[cxncordia]

Magical system for the blog:

Since all my guys have some way or another the use of magic, I decided to create a nifty magic system that encompasses most (if not all) of their universes. This is based on the Sanderson’s laws of Magical Systems (particularly, the second law) and it’s mostly a work based on The Magicians.

Ability: Use of magic to alter the reality itself. Magic is performed through the use of spells, which are unitary events represented through a medium to be altered to the will of the caster. In other words, the caster creates a representation of how the world should be according to the Magician’s will through the medium. Magic is both the skill and the fuel used to perform these alterations.

Limitations: The possibility of changing an event is limited by the skill of the caster (some changes of reality are way too difficult for the caster to perform), the amount of fuel available in the space surrounding the caster (that is, how much magic is available to perform) and finally, the circumstances, that is, all the details that encompass the reality they are trying to change: the planets positions, the amount of air, the position of the sun, the soil, the type of plants and such.

Weaknesses: Lack of skills, lack of fuel and lack of mediums/ingredients to perform.

Further constructions:

These alterations can be performed by the use of a medium, that is, a representation of the event through the use of the human body and the human skills. These mediums could be incantations (oral language), written or drawn signs (graphic language) and through gestures (fingertutting, dancing, or kinetic motions).

The larger the event that the caster wants to impact, the more mediums the spell may require.

The larger the event that the caster wants to impact, the more fuel they may require.

Magic (as a fuel) is an invisible resource that is distributed through all the universes and beyond. Some spaces are heavier in magic than others. There is a belief that ley lines or pipelines are spread all over the universe and these are the ones that distribute magic.

Magic (as a fuel) can cluster around emotions, objects or even organisms, manifesting in magical fauna and flora and magical instruments.

Parts of these manifestations can be used in spells to fuel the same or act as catalizer or preventers even.

Since magic can manifest through objects, Magicians can charm certain objects to perform specific spells when certain conditions are met.

Precisely because magic manifests organically in some beings, every magician has a Discipline, a specific set of magical skills that can be cast without the limitations or with very little affect from the weaknesses. That said though, some limitations and weaknesses (the lack of magic fuel or even the lack of fingers) trump over the Discipline.

Though it’s uncertain, we could infer then that Magic can manifest as a sentient organism, which is what we could consider a Deity. These beings are either natural (birthed from Magic itself, also known as The Old Gods) or artificial (created either by stealing the magical resources from another deity, assessing large quantities of magical fuel and then absorbing them or because the deity passed down the skill onto a human). 

The magician himself is a beacon of magic. Magical fuel is called to the Magician and then allows it to pass through, fueling the representation of how the world is supposed to be and thus, allowing the change of the circumstances that created the event.

How much magic can the Magician draw and how much magic can pass through them depends entirely on the skill level of the caster. Apprentices could only cast a few spells without tiring themselves up while Master Magicians can create amazing spells with the flick of a finger.

If too much magic passes through the caster at the same time, the caster may end up with their physical body burned and magic impregnating into their spirit, creating a new organism: a Niffin, beings that are made of absolute magic and, given they possess no body, they possess no consciousness of what is right or wrong. The only way to reverse this is for the Niffin to inhabit a new body all for themselves... which is very hard to be done, but not impossible.

Deities on the other hand have their physical bodies made of magic, thus they do not suffer the effects of the Niffin. They also do not have to make a representation for magic to be cast, they simply have to will it for it to happen, because they are made of magic. Which also means that none of the weaknesses and limitations of the system apply to them.

Universe tailoring:

Though I will be using this system for almost anything that has to do with Magic, there are a few exceptions that I need to present.

Chilling adventures of Sabrina:

Magic is a skill that is only given to witches and warlocks, who are themselves of another species (most likely born out of the interbreeding of humans and demons). Witches do not age like normal humans do.

As a skill, it’s natural and it comes almost as second nature to all witches, who then go to school to refine said skills. So, the limitation is that only those who possess the genetic disposition can perform magic.

Since the origin of magic is of demonic nature, a weaknesses is anything that is holy or blessed can diminish, hamper or even destroy the magical effects.

The skill requires no use of medium. Kinetic mediums (gestures, pointing, body language) are used mostly to direct where the effect is desired.

The more individuals perform the same spell at unison, the more control is given over the event and the more chances of success are presented.

Spells, in this case, are instructions to obtain a specific outcome. So, in order to obtain something, you need to possess the instructions. 

How these instructions are obtained in the first place is hard to say. Since the show has a large Abrahamic inspiration, it’s safe to say that many of these are either created by Lucifer or were stolen from the same instructions that God used to create the universe.

The ingredients in this case are symbolic of the event that is trying to be controlled, giving the magic a fetishizing and primitive aspect.

Through the use of the ingredients where the caster performs on them a symbolic representation of the desired outcome.

American Horror Story:

Magic is, again, a genetic concept that is passed down from generation to generation, originated from one individual, most likely a Deity, though this is also unclear.

Every generation has a witch that rises above all else, which is called The Supreme. The exact qualifications of what makes one witch above the rest and what not, is not known. However, to fully ascend to that role, one must pass the test of the Seven Wonders.

It’s unclear why, but silver bullets are a definite weakness for witches and warlocks alike, as well as fire. While witches can be killed by any other mean, these two methods seem to be the most effective to keep a regular dead. 

The Seven Wonders are seven specific skills that push the boundaries of magic skill in the caster. These skills are available to all witches and warlocks, but only a few can master most of them and only one can master all of them.

Magic is closely linked to the genetic history of the individual, meaning that there are particular spells or skills that are unreachable depending on the caster ancestry.

Magic is also linked to the sex of the individual, which means that witches will be always superior in magic skills than warlocks, because the testosterone in the blood blocks the magic. So far, it’s not known if a FTM or MTF have a change in their skills after their gender reassignment. (Considering the very transphobic/homophobic views of Ryan Murphy, it seems unlikely).

Since it’s biological, magic can appear in organic ways in some individuals, giving them specific powers or skills. This manifestation can be one of the Seven Wonders or can be a different supernatural skill entirely. For easier plotting matters, all the manifestations of my characters are related to the few Wonders they dominate.

Spells can be then divided in two: ritualistic and improvised.

Ritualistic spells require specific circumstances: incantations in a specific language, specific ingredients, specific environmental circumstances or even specific graphical representations and should follow very precise instructions. Where these instructions come from or who created them, is unknown.

Improvised spells are mostly manifestations of magic through the will of the caster. Normally, these manifestations require the use of a kinetic medium (pointing, moving eyes, waving hands, touching or interacting with the universe) from the caster to will events into happening.

This is as much information I will gather on the topic. If there is another universe to be exploring, consider this post to be updated.

Now, who uses what? Here goes the list:

Virgil: The Magicians

Valerian: The Magicians / CAOS

Enzo: The Magicians

Julio: CAOS

Andrew: AHS

Vico: The Magicians / AHS / CAOS

Garrett: The Magicians

Harper: The Magicians / AHS

[cxncordia]

The Box:

In most Kunihiko Ikuhara directed anime we can see tons of icons being reused in similar fashion, this is called a motif. One of the constant motifs that he uses is boxes. Boxes to Ikuhara represent a sort of repression or rejection. In particular, Sarazanmai uses boxes to represent repression of shame, of things that we either enjoy/desire/want but that we have to repress or keep hidden in order to connect with others (which is actually the counterpoint to the anime’s premise, because the basis of the show is that you can’t connect without being fully honest).

Taking that into consideration I wonder what’s in the box each of my characters carry around? So here’s the response:

Enzo carries a box filled with magical girl merchandise. Even though he’s this suave and well-groomed guy who will sweet talk you into anything, he truly enjoys and adores magical girl anime. Mainly because it reminds him of his mother (both used to watch show together), mainly because it reminds him of a time where he thought magic was flashier and gentler. Truth is, magic is addictive, aggressive and requires too much pain to work, a reality that he tries to dissociate through watching pretty girls in frills.

Valerian carries a box filled with photos of himself taken by an older uncle when he was a kid. While Valerian wasn’t necessarily abused by an older man, there was an erotic component to the way this older uncle of his saw him and the way it made him feel. It makes him feel dirty to even accept that one of his first erections came when he was in front of the camera, partially naked, exposed for an older man.

Virgil carries the Rosary bead given to him by his aunt Rosario. When he was a young boy, aunt Rosario was the one who took care of him after being abandoned by his parents. His father tried to cross to the states and his mother went to work the fields almost every month, so he was left to the care of aunt Rosario. Though Rosario never neglected Virgil, her religious view did instill in him, constantly mentioning that he could become the next Pope or even be the first Mexican Pope, an idea that got so ingrained in him that he tries heavily to follow after it, even if he himself doesn’t believe in God after finding the dinosaur hatchlings.

Julio carries in the box a broken mirror shard.  When he was a young boy and was enjoying his time with his family one Christmas, the younger cousins got together to play around a large mirror that once belonged to Abuelita. The mirror itself dated back to times before the Mexican Revolution and it was a family heirloom. While they were playing in the attic with all these memories, Julio found a small doll that he picked and, for picking the doll, another cousin began taunting him. The taunt didn’t sit well with Julio, who already carried the internalized shame of being gay, and began fighting with the boy. They ended up tipping the mirror in their fight and breaking it. One of the shards entered his cousin’s eye, leaving him blind from one eye, while Julio remained unscathed (because of his latent mutant power). Ashamed for what he did to his cousin, he keeps one of the mirror shards to remind him of the problem.

Andrew carries an unhatched egg. Before his Mother was killed by his Father’s family for being a witch, she told Andrew about how Phoenixes still exist in our everyday life and how they can, sometimes, lay eggs in people’s heart. A person of strong and noble heart can carry an egg and the day of it’s death, the egg will hatch and leave in a magnificent Phoenix, carrying with it the soul of the deceased. However, if the person is killed before it’s time, the Phoenix egg will rot and never hatch. When Andrew survived the pyre that killed his mother and him, among the ashes of his mother’s corpse, laid a single pristine golden egg, which he carries with him and has been trying to hatch desperately... if only he knew that the egg will only hatch when he has learned how to forgive those who killed his mother.

The old Vico carries a box filled with failed exams. The reality is that, despite how good he is at taking care of others, at noticing diseases on plants, at taking care of animals, Vico carries an immense guilt at not being good enough academically speaking, because it was the way his family measured their worth: being the son of two intense and bright individuals comes with a heavy burden. The thing is that Vico never needed the exams or tests to prove his worth, but he doesn’t know it and it breaks his heart. Also, I say “old” Vico because this is a character that may also face a rework soon.

Kaeus carries with himself an old Cameo from his Mother. One of the ways the Emperor betrayed Kaeus was by using his family against him. Not only did he convinced his Mother that he should conquer one of the poorest planets in the sector (that had not a single mean to defend against the Jovian invasion or technology), but he also made sure to spouse his Mother after his father’s passing (or more like, killing him, though he doesn’t know that). The only thing missing here to make Kaeus a Hamlet figure is the Emperor being his uncle. When pressed, the cameo projects a video of the time the three of them were a happy family, one of Kaeus biggest memories, and also, one of biggest shame because it’s the day he pledged loyalty to the Emperor and enrolled in the Jovian Army.

Victor carries with himself his Father’s old typewriter. (That shit is heavy, but Victor’s got the muscles, so it’s okay). Before Victor enrolled in the Army, he had the desire to follow on his Father’s footsteps on being a reporter, working for the school’s paper and even taking on photography. However, his true hit was taking an elective class on writing and discovering his desire to write poetry. From there on, he decided to be a writer, to which his father supported and he pursued for his last year of High School until his Father was sent to cover an armed conflict in a foreign country and was reported as MIA. With debts piling up and the desire to obtain money quickly, he changed the writing for the war, a shameful act for him because it’s the very same thing that killed his Father.

Garrett carries nothing in his box. And that’s the problem that troubles him: there should be something there. But he can’t remember it all. In all reality is a gift that he can’t remember what was once there, the used underwear of a young crush. When Garrett became involved with magic, and arrogance got the best of him, he summoned an old God of Pleasure, who gave him power unlimited so long he accepted to be his lover. And how could he deny himself that when he looked like everything he had wanted? And the first thing he did with that power was to bend the will of an old “straight” guy who rejected him. At first, he took his used underwear as a kink or a fetish, but the more his downfall continued, the more it became apparent that the underwear was a shameful act and that he had coerced a man the same way the deity had coerced him. How the box became empty, it’s another story itself.

Harper carries his expulsion notice from Brakebills. Though possibly one of the smartest and greatest magicians who ever set foot on Brakebills, his expulsion was quite the scandal. When a series of spells were impossible to be understood or followed, he decided to pursue a Sphynx to request for their help. There should be a better method to memorize it all, right? And there is, but it requires committing a great crime and that is scalping a Sphynx and using it’s mane as a talisman. So he went and did that, but killed not an old Sphynx, but a young recent born. This was a serious crime given that Sphynxes take centuries to be gestated and born, and a crime that was taken to the God themselves, who requested his expulsion and with it, Harper’s memory removal... a thing that would have happened if the boy would not have taken countermeasures. Now banned from using magic, he has come with clever ways to still use magic (like remove his own organs and substitute them with those of magical fauna). However, the expulsion notice pursues him everywhere and will keep on pursuing him, being always within his view as punishment for his deeds.

Alvaro carries the first knife he used to take a life. Though he still does it and he is paid for it, the reality is that Alvaro doesn’t take pleasure from it and the knife marks the exact moment of his change, where he went from this Latino boy and was turned into a ruthless killing machine. He hates it and deep down, he wishes he had never turned this way but what else can you do when poverty strikes you hard?

[cxncordia]

Character Iconography:

Basically, the term iconography refers to a collection of images, symbols or signs used in a work of art to present a message and the same collection is used by those who study the artwork in order to understand the message.

When applying this concept to the characters, I do have a set of icons, that is, figures, archetypes and images that make up for who the character is. In a way, this is something I took from manga: long standing series for young kids set their characters within an universe where all of them share some theme, but also, are unique in their own way. Sailor Moon uses planet reference, Chinese lore and Greco-Roman mythology for their character creation, giving each girl a specific element, power, look and feel and even emotion. The same can be said of Saint Seiya, which uses Greco-Roman mythology and constellations to craft each character and their powers. I could go on with examples, but I think this sets up where I want to go.

And if that’s not enough, think of this as a crude aesthetic post, similar to the ones some other bloggers do for their characters.

So here it goes:

Enzo: Gentleman / Playing cards / Luxury

Valerian: Fashionista / Hot Colors / Vogue

Virgil: Bookworm / Catholic Imagery / Preppy

Julio: Jock / Sportleisure / Hip Hop Urban

Andrew: Cowboy / Viking / Biker

Vico: Tree Hugger / Hippie meets Boho / Comfort of Nature

Kaeus: Roman Legionnaire / Leather and Metal / Futuristic

Victor: Soldier / Plain colors / Practicality above all

Garrett: Lab rat / Nonmatching Colors / Baker

Harper: Boho revival / Wrinkle free clothes / Musicals