Feather of Fate [M] [DragonSong]

[Juno]

Penny winced at that, averting her gaze to look at the ground instead as she thought on it for a moment.

"Honestly...I'd like to remember my time with it somehow. It's clear enough to me I probably won't be able to make a career of it or anything like Kura. Maybe just do some parlor tricks. I'd like to be able to know I accomplished something good for all the time I've spent studying it. Good memories, you know? Not a failure I couldn't ever conquer or a burden I left on you."

[DragonSong]

"Penny..." Mal shook his head. "Magic- its a part of you. It always will be. It doesn't have to be flashy or pay to feed you, it just...is."

He smiled at her almost sadly. "My father couldn't separate us, and in all modesty he's one of the greatest sorcerers this century. It's no failure that you haven't found an answer yet."

[Juno]

Penny shrugged and leaned back against the wall of the house. "Of course, I just fear the worst, Mal. It would be a shame to find out I've been wasting Kura's time all these years. Maybe I'm just a late bloomer, though? She must see something in me if she hasn't sent me home yet."

She sighed heavily, slumping some at the thought of it being the other way around instead. "I just hope it'll be enough."

[DragonSong]

"Pen." The phoenix glanced at work he had left to do- not much- and leaped easily off the edge of the roof to land crouched in front of her. He straightened up, rubbing at the back of his neck and smiling a little sheepishly.

"Look, I'm not gonna pretend to have the answers. But I've seen something in you, lass."

[Juno]

She flinched some for his sudden appearance before her, eyes blowing wide for a moment before she realized he'd jumped on purpose and hadn't fallen. Relaxing some she smiled slightly for the encouragement, though she felt a little bad for venting to him.

"What do you think you've seen?" she asked, head tilted at him curiously.

[DragonSong]

He smiled slightly and reached out to cup his cheek. "Does it matter? I'm not master enchanter, Penny, but would you call me useless?"

He shrugged. "I think you're a lot like me, really. A creature of magic, not necessarily someone who manipulates it easily."

[Juno]

Penny shook her head, understanding his point but also feeling a little discouraged by it. "So... Maybe there is something there but it might not have the kind of power that we need on its own. I guess I just need to work even harder at it," she sighed dramatically, a half-teasing glint in her eye as she reached out to pat his arm.

"Are you finished already, then?" she asked, tilting her head to look up at the roof.

[DragonSong]

Mal rolled his eyes heavenward and muttered something that might have been "Gods give me strength" before snaking an arm around her waist and tugging her closer.

"I can be done for now," he murmured into her hair, his free hand playing with a few loose locks.

[Juno]

Leaning in to hug him close she thought on his wording for a moment, humming in contemplation. "It can wait if you'd rather finish up now," she pointed out, though she didn't loosen her hold on him at all. Instead she skated a hand up his shoulder to lightly pet at the nape of his neck.

[DragonSong]

Mal crooned at the touch and his eyes fluttered closed for a moment. "No, that's...alright," he mumbled. "I'll just finish up later."

[Juno]

She laughed softly and removed her hand after a few moments more, turning to take his hand and tug him towards the door instead. "This might take a while, but I'll try to remind you if you forget," she offered.

[DragonSong]

"Alright, alright." Her curled his fingers around hers and allowed her to tug him along.

[Juno]

Slipping back inside she took them straight to the study, hurrying over to the desk where she'd left her book open to the passage that had caught her attention. After reading over it again she flipped to the next page to read about the reversal of what she wanted to try and the other variations of it that existed. "I guess it kind of works as a...blessing," she thought aloud, moving slowly to pluck ingredients from the shelves and arrange them on the desk.

"'Still the winds ravaging crops and bring rains to nourish them.' Huh. Well, I think it has potential. Trade one for the other, I guess? We can weather a bit of rain to be rid of this, right?" she teased, lifting her eyes from the book for a moment to shoot him a playful smile and gesture at a chair. "Take a seat, it should only take a few minutes. Just have to let me sprinkle you with some of this when I'm done."

[DragonSong]

"Ohhhkay." Mal hesitantly took a seat as he watched her move around. "We sure this isn't gonna summon a hurricane and blow down the house? Cause if it does I'm blaming you."

[Juno]

Penny huffed, shaking her head at his jab and glaring at him briefly before she returned her attention to the book and the particular recipe for this spell. "That's impossible," she scoffed distractedly, reading each line one at a time before adding the corresponding ingredients to a small bowl.

Once she had everything together and crushed to a powder she whispered a few incantations over the bowl and took a shaky breath. "I think that's all," she murmured, smiling nervously as she pinched a few sprinkles of the powder into her hand and held it poised over him. "Ready? Not changing your mind?"

[DragonSong]

Mal glanced up, then back to her eyes. "Ready." He tilted his head at her with a small smile, waiting.

[Juno]

She hummed, nervously leaning to look at the book one last time to make sure she wasn't missing any steps. Her eyes widened at the realization of the final blessing she was missing, muttering the phrase quickly over her palm before snapping upright again and carefully sprinkling it over Mal.

She watched him curiously for a moment, wondering if there would be an immediate change at all before she cursed under her breath and rushed to perform the same short ritual on herself.

There was no physical difference she could feel at all but a moment later the sound of angry raindrops reached her ears. The sky darkened quickly and a flash of lightning out the window caused her to flinch. "Do you think it worked?" Penny asked quietly, eyes wide with hope she didn't dare voice but not realizing the spell had truly only been for weather.

[DragonSong]

"Pen..." Mal glanced toward a window and winced slightly. "I, uh, think it did work..." He nodded toward the rain.

[Juno]

"Yeah... I think so." She smiled with hope as she stepped closer to the window, though another flash of lightning and rumble of thunder drawing nearer to the cottage had her flinching again. "Go see how far you can go! See if you can leave," she urged, waving excitedly at the door.

[DragonSong]

"Penny." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "One: I can't head out in that storm. Two: I...think the storm is the spell."