Martin enters the library sporting several fierce looking scratches on his cheek and hands, the rest of him is hidden from sight under his clothes
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Glinda looked up, seeing the man. Well, more specifically, hearing the man. She made her way over.
"Not that I'm against any excitement in the mutified place, but may I be of assistance?" She asked, noticing the scratches, "Oh, dear, how did that happen?" She asked.
Martin gives her a sheepish look, somewhat embarrassed by his exclamation.
Then he notices her look and of course just being reminded of the big scratch on his cheek is enough to make it itch again so he raises his hand and rubs it.
"Ahm, I'm sorry for shouting. I just can't seem to get at the book that might help me figure out just how, or why this happened." The how is quite clear to Martin, but he's here to find out where he went wrong.
Realising that's not much of an explanation he adds, "I - I got a cat recently. And I must have angered it somehow. But I don't know what I did wrong, so I came here looking for a book on how to be a cat owner and there's this book on domestic cats but..." he points at the top shelf helplessly. He doesn't see how this petite woman might be able to help, either. Unless she knows where they keep a ladder in here.
"They make books for that? With all the books my wife loves to read, you'd have thought she told me," Glinda said, concentrating. A small bubble formed around her, and she floated up to get it. See, those magic classes were paying off. She floated down, disolving it, "I wish she had. She has a kitty, and the kitty didn't like me at first, either."
Martin stares, mouth hanging open. He's never seen magic like that before. And though he's even been teleported since he got here, the floating bubble surely is a different thing. It's visual, which has a greater impact on him somehow.
"How - how did you do that?!"
And why can so many people here fly or levitate or whatever and make a pilot feel even more obsolete than a village without planes already does?
"I apologize. I was born with Magic. I'm a good witch, and so is my wife, Elphaba, although she travels by broom. I mean, really, who would want to travel on that rickety old thing." Glinda said, with a scoff, "I'm Glinda." She said, offering him the book.
"Martin, my name is Martin," Martin says, automatically reaching for the offered book. Then he tries to shake his surprise off.
"I - I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I just - there are no witches where I come from. At least I don't think there are. No, I'm fairly certain there aren't. Uhm." He looks at the book in his hands. "Thank you for getting it down for me."
And finally his brain has processed the rest of what Glinda told him. "You mean your wife can fly on a broom? Is that... safe?" It doesn't seem safe compared to having a whole plane around you while you're in the air.
"It's OK, Martin. Even in Oz, there's only her and I," One of the reasons she loves the village, getting to observe and interact with so many other magical and other people, "No problem. If anything, I need to apologize. I've met so many with magic here, I forget that some people may not be accustomed to it," She nodded in responce to his other question, "She maintains it is, although I prefer my bubble. But I've never been harmed on her broom, despite her flying it at break neck speed." Glinda said, with a proud smile.
Now what might break neck speed be on a broom? Would that be like flying a fighter plane? Which Martin has never done, he's a commercial pilot. But it's the best simile he can come up with.
"In my world you need a plane to fly. Or a helicopter. Or a balloon. Or at least a big kite, though that's more gliding than flying." He pauses a moment before adding. "I'm a pilot back home, but here I don't get a chance to fly."
Glinda couldn't help but feel bad for him. She couldn't imagine not being allowed to practice magic here, and akined it to flying for Martin.
"I've never been in, as you say, a plane. But I would be thrilled to take you for a ride in my bubble. I can't promise it will be the same as your planes, but the offer stands whenever you'd like. I'm also certain Elphie will allow you to ride tandem with her, if the broom takes a liking to you. That broom has attidudinal issues."
Martin isn't sure what to make of that offer. His one encounter with magic had a rather unpleasant side-effect. And he's not sure he wants to be inside a bubble, either. Is there enough oxygen in there? And the broom?! It sounds terrifying, really.
"Uhm, that's... a kind offer," he says, meaning it. "But - would it be safe for... someone without magical abilities? I - I mean, no side-effects or anything?"
And he's not even going to ask how an inanimate object like a broom can have issues. Or if magical bubbles have them, too.
Sorry for the typo, just noticed on the reread.goodnesswinsOctober 19 2013, 23:14:07 UTC
"Certainly. I've flown people in my bubble before, mostly injured people to get them out of the way of the guard in Oz. It actually doesn't feel any different than being on the ground, oxygen wise. In fact, I can form it around both of us right now, and you can see for yourself, if you like." Glinda offered.
Martin still hesitates. But as long as it's on the ground, it can't be too dangerous, can it? And he is curious about this totally different form of flying.
"No one back home is ever going to believe this. Well, maybe Arthur, but that doesn't really count. Uhm, yes. Alright, let's try," he says nervously, his voice rising a little in pitch.
Glinda smiled, taking his hand. After a moment's concentration, the bubble formed around both of them. She watched Martin carefully. At the first sign of distress, she would take it down.
"It's OK, as you can see, the air is normal, just as it is outside. And nothing can burst it. During the last event, I found even accidental ricochet bullets couldn't. Apparently, the only thing that can is a blast of magic, or my own will." She explained, letting him get used to being in the bubble.
Martin stands very still as the bubble forms around them, unconsciously holding his breath until Glinda mentions the air being normal.
As she says nothing can burst it, he tentatively reaches out to touch the bubble. From what Glinda tells him he's practically locked up inside this bubble. He giggles nervously at the thought of being inside a bubble he can't leave in a village he can't leave.
Finally he drops his hand again and shakes his head. "Carolyn would have me committed to a mental hospital if I told her about this," he mumbles.
But he slowly relaxes. Nothing is happening. Most importantly: Nothing bad is happening.
"Why would she have you committed? You seem perfectly sane to me. However, if you'd like, I'd be glad to give her the same demonstration." Glinda offered, "If you would like to exit, let me know. I can float us up a little bit. Truly, other than visually seeing you're off the ground, it will feel like you're standing on solid ground."
It's only now Martin realises he said that out loud. "Uhm, oh. Carolyn? She - she's my boss back home. And as I said we don't have magic there, so if I told her I was inside a magical bubble that cannot burst but fly..." It sounds strange to his own ears though he's here, he touched it, he can see it.
"How high can this bubble float? I mean outdoors. I suppose in here only up to the ceiling." That's the pilot in him, wondering about flight levels and pressure and his inner-ear problem. Well, that shouldn't be a problem this close to the ground, no matter whether the bubble is pressurised or not.
"Not that I'm against any excitement in the mutified place, but may I be of assistance?" She asked, noticing the scratches, "Oh, dear, how did that happen?" She asked.
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Then he notices her look and of course just being reminded of the big scratch on his cheek is enough to make it itch again so he raises his hand and rubs it.
"Ahm, I'm sorry for shouting. I just can't seem to get at the book that might help me figure out just how, or why this happened." The how is quite clear to Martin, but he's here to find out where he went wrong.
Realising that's not much of an explanation he adds, "I - I got a cat recently. And I must have angered it somehow. But I don't know what I did wrong, so I came here looking for a book on how to be a cat owner and there's this book on domestic cats but..." he points at the top shelf helplessly. He doesn't see how this petite woman might be able to help, either. Unless she knows where they keep a ladder in here.
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"How - how did you do that?!"
And why can so many people here fly or levitate or whatever and make a pilot feel even more obsolete than a village without planes already does?
Reply
"I apologize. I was born with Magic. I'm a good witch, and so is my wife, Elphaba, although she travels by broom. I mean, really, who would want to travel on that rickety old thing." Glinda said, with a scoff, "I'm Glinda." She said, offering him the book.
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"I - I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I just - there are no witches where I come from. At least I don't think there are. No, I'm fairly certain there aren't. Uhm." He looks at the book in his hands. "Thank you for getting it down for me."
And finally his brain has processed the rest of what Glinda told him. "You mean your wife can fly on a broom? Is that... safe?" It doesn't seem safe compared to having a whole plane around you while you're in the air.
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"In my world you need a plane to fly. Or a helicopter. Or a balloon. Or at least a big kite, though that's more gliding than flying." He pauses a moment before adding. "I'm a pilot back home, but here I don't get a chance to fly."
Reply
"I've never been in, as you say, a plane. But I would be thrilled to take you for a ride in my bubble. I can't promise it will be the same as your planes, but the offer stands whenever you'd like. I'm also certain Elphie will allow you to ride tandem with her, if the broom takes a liking to you. That broom has attidudinal issues."
Reply
"Uhm, that's... a kind offer," he says, meaning it. "But - would it be safe for... someone without magical abilities? I - I mean, no side-effects or anything?"
And he's not even going to ask how an inanimate object like a broom can have issues. Or if magical bubbles have them, too.
Reply
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"No one back home is ever going to believe this. Well, maybe Arthur, but that doesn't really count. Uhm, yes. Alright, let's try," he says nervously, his voice rising a little in pitch.
Reply
"It's OK, as you can see, the air is normal, just as it is outside. And nothing can burst it. During the last event, I found even accidental ricochet bullets couldn't. Apparently, the only thing that can is a blast of magic, or my own will." She explained, letting him get used to being in the bubble.
Reply
As she says nothing can burst it, he tentatively reaches out to touch the bubble. From what Glinda tells him he's practically locked up inside this bubble. He giggles nervously at the thought of being inside a bubble he can't leave in a village he can't leave.
Finally he drops his hand again and shakes his head. "Carolyn would have me committed to a mental hospital if I told her about this," he mumbles.
But he slowly relaxes. Nothing is happening. Most importantly: Nothing bad is happening.
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"How high can this bubble float? I mean outdoors. I suppose in here only up to the ceiling." That's the pilot in him, wondering about flight levels and pressure and his inner-ear problem. Well, that shouldn't be a problem this close to the ground, no matter whether the bubble is pressurised or not.
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