[radio]

[backwordscompatible]

[A few days after this conversation took place, Zatanna chose to make a rare public appearance on the radio network.  She would have used the public consoles, if the subject wasn't too delicate for certain ears:]

Okay, so...I have an idea.

[Fair warning, at this moment, it was a fairly terrible plan.  And almost certainly won't work.  Unless it does.]

Remember that Vision we all had a couple of days ago?  [Rhetorical question.  Of course they did.]  Well, it got me thinking.  What if Tu Vishan really is still alive, only...trapped?  Buried within his own mind so deep that he wasn't able to reach out to us until we went looking for him.

So let's look.  Magically, I mean.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that...if you have any magical abilities whatsoever, would you be down to try something with me?  It's not too dangerous.  Probably.

Comments

[readytopayit]

[He's heard of worse plans. Maybe.]

Good enough.

[what could go wrong?]

I know elemental and healing spells, and some things in between. Some simple summoning methods, and a couple things that are hard to explain. [Unlocking things, etc.

And he can draw some dangerous power from the pit of negativity in his heart but that's not really necessary to mention, right?

what could possibly go wrong]

What kind of help are you looking for?

[backwordscompatible]

[Flatterer]

Specifically? The type of help that might be able to detect even the most subtle of mystical energies and influences.

The idea is to see if whatever's keeping Asti from contacting us is magical in nature. If it is, and we find it, there's a chance we might be able to do something about it.

[readytopayit]

Detection magic. [That's his (simple) term for it, anyway, although he's aware it might not be the same across all worlds.] You could say I have something of an instinct for it, but it's nothing I can amplify through casting.

[There's a short pause as he thinks it over.]

At the least, I could try to lend you some of my power to boost whatever you'll be doing. And if you're right about Tu Vishan, and he's trapped inside himself somehow...

[Another pause, a little longer and heavier than the first.]

...if it comes to that, I might be able to contribute more directly.

[There's nothing to say it's the same, or even similar, but... Terra has more experience in that area than most regardless.]

[backwordscompatible]

[She visibly perked up at that. A few others had mentioned some familiarity with vaguely similar arts, but this was the first time someone was admitting to knowing this kind of magic, specifically.]

Same. Kind of.

I can sense certain mystic energies, if they're strong enough or if I focus. The problem with that here, though, is that Keelai is filled with magic. I'm always sensing something.

[It got to be that, after a while, she let most of those senses fade into the background, least she deal with one headache after another. Until Valdis' vision hit her like a psychic tidal wave. That had hurt.]

Any suggestions on how to filter or differentiate? That was the part I always had the most trouble with.

[readytopayit]

[He considers for a moment. He normally wouldn't go into this much detail, but... good cause and all.]

My perception revolves around the light and darkness in a living being-- [ah, right, different universes. Better clarify.] Light is goodness, darkness is... negativity, you could say. When either one is concentrated enough, I can usually pick up on it. [Nine times out of ten.]

The trick is that there aren't many people, human or otherwise, who have light or darkness heavy enough to detect. But when we had that vision the other day, that figure -- Malicant? The darkness around him was almost stifling.

That said... if he's influencing Tu Vishan's current state, or causing it, I might be able to help you pinpoint his influence -- or Tu Vishan, if he's really trapped. This is just a guess, but... if you're leading the effort, and depending on how your magic works, maybe I can act as the filter for you. Just enough to get a glimpse of what's going on in there.

[backwordscompatible]

[In her defense--]

Yeah, I could kind of figure out the difference between Light and Dark from context.

[Although, admittedly, in her world, the bad guys ironically referred to themselves as The Light. Go figure.]

Would you be able to tell if it's him, specifically, or of it's just residual magic of his being used by someone else? Because that was one of the theories suggested.

[readytopayit]

[Hey, just checking!]

...Normally, I'd say I could spot the difference; but if this universe -- this world operates differently, then I can't guarantee it. Thanks to the vision, I have something to compare it to, at least.

[backwordscompatible]

Now's your chance to see how good your spotting is, I guess.

Or will be your chance. Today would be a little too soon to put together something like this.

[Even with his uncertainty, though, she was already feeling a lot better about all this.]

[readytopayit]

[He makes an affirmative sound.]

Won't know unless we try, huh? Let me know when everyone's ready.

[backwordscompatible]

[She gave a small, two-finger salute before remembering that the radio was audio-only. Oh, well. It amused her.]

Will do.