[ video ]

[anathemic]

[ When the video clicks on, a darkhaired woman with large round glasses sits front-and-center. She adjusts the camera carefully, lining up the angles, her phone evidently sitting on some sort of stand. She clears her throat and folds her hands in her lap, before asking directly: ]

Who else happens to be an occultist, or witch? It sounds like it's more common here than back home. I'm quite interested in comparing our methods, seeing if there's some common schools of thought we can group them into, and so on. Or even if one person is able to teach their own kind of magic. There's so much we could learn from each other.

[ There's a beat, before Anathema breaks into a bright smile, too-bright and cheeky, because she knows she's prodding the lion with a stick now, if there are any metaphorical lions around: ]

And if you hunt or burn witches, I'd be rather interested in knowing that, too.


[LOCKED TO INHABITANTS OF JEOPARDY #004: Ben Hargreeves, Maureen Johnson, The Outsider, Yusei Fudo]

Hello, new roommates! I'm Anathema Device, and I guess I'm living with you now. Is there anything I need to know about the house or how you prefer to keep things?

The last time I shared a living space was graduate school, so I'm rusty. Hopefully there'll be fewer all-nighters, at least.

Comments

video;

[thevulnerability]

Are you usually so comfortable with just advertising who you are?

[ The only other witch she's met was obnoxiously cagey about it. And Chloe isn't really being judgemental about it, she is kind of honestly concerned.

Lots of people don't like witches. ]

[anathemic]

Mm. Yes. It's the quickest way to get a hold of the sort of people I want to reach — what else am I going to do, put out an ad in the classifieds?

[ ...Actually, that's not the worst idea. Oh well. Next time!! ]

Besides, these imPort fans are probably going to get wind of it eventually. No use hiding it.

( video. )

[divaricate]

I am. A witch, I mean. I'm here for any note comparing needs, and I've spent three and a half years in this world on top of that.

[anathemic]

Wait, I'm going to get back to the other bit, but first: Three and a half years??

[ Anathema's been pretty good at taking everything in stride so far — cool as a cucumber, just like her mama always taught her — but that little piece of information throws a wrench in the gears. Her eyes widen; she blinks. Takes a moment to recompose herself. ]

Consecutively? Uninterrupted?

[pinetreehimself]

[You had his attention at 'occultist', and you're not likely to lose it anytime soon.]

Hey- um, not really magic user here...but I'm kind of a supernatural buff, just spent a whole summer surrounded by every magical monster you could imagine (not to brag or anything). So, uh, would it be okay if I, y'know...took some notes here? Just so I've got a record of what magic's like in other dimensions.

[anathemic]

[ And he's captured her curiosity right in return. ]

'Every magical monster'? I'd like to know some more about that, too. And yes, absolutely, feel free to copy whatever you see; this is all public. Apart from any bits that aren't.

[ Duh. ]

[thetrueeve]

[Excited waves at her NEW FRIEND Anathema.]

I'm not a witch but hi anyway!

[anathemic]

I still like you anyway.

[ BEAMS. ]

[iminthebook]

Hi. We're called wizards in my world, but it might be conflatable.

[ Have a smiling, curious Harry Dresden. ]

I'm called Harry. And I am definitely interested in exchanging notes.

[anathemic]

Even the women?

[ But there's a note of satisfaction in her voice — because yes, it's working, this is precisely why she put out the metaphorical Bat-signal to summon the magic-users to her. An occult-signal. Something. ]

Nice to meet you, Harry. I'm Anathema. How long have you been a wizard?

video;

[goodtobebad]

[ Oh hey it's book girl (again?) ]

Haven't heard of anyone calling themselves a witch hunter around here.

[anathemic]

[ Again. Though they don't know each other well, Anathema still straightens at the sight of someone from home: a bit of odd comfort, as ever. ]

Good. Although I suppose that's not exactly the thing someone goes and introduces themselves in public with...

[ Just because she's hopelessly straightforward doesn't mean everyone is. Hmmm. ]

Vid

[lootsnshoots]

Oh, the only witches I've hunted have been alien monsters, so I think we're square there. Have a friend who was raised by tech witches, point of fact. Never joined the, ah, coven? Do they call it a coven? I dunno. Point is? She can do spooky things with knives.

[anathemic]

[ Blink. There's a surprised pause, as Anathema lets that process. ]

Some can call it a coven if they like; others might like other terms for their group, or circle or clan or coterie or or congregation. It's just a matter of preference, really.

But. What are tech witches?? I'd love to do spooky things with knives.

Audio

[by_candlelight]

Not a witch, but there are a bunch of different people who do magic here. I don't know if they're all witches and wizards though.

[ A small pause. ]

Can you ride on a broom? [ There's another pause. ] Wait, is that racist? My country only really knows about witches in the western sense from popular media.

[anathemic]

[ She laughs; doesn't even try to hide that merry ring of amusement. ]

I can't, no, but I always wanted to and was very disappointed when my mother told me that that was a common misconception. At least, for us. If someone here can ride on a broom and can teach others to, I need to have words with them immediately.

video

[perfectlyhuman]

[ The face that greets her is very happy, smiling brightly, and very familiar.

Also, Dog's there. ]

Anathema?

[ He's clearly sitting on a bed, Dog sat next to him and looking curiously towards the phone in the boy's hands. ]

[anathemic]

[ Anathema almost outright fumbles her communicator in her rush to answer this particular message. She leans closer to her screen: there's really no mistaking that cherubic face, nor the (adorable) once-hellhound beside him. ]

Adam! Hi!

[ Then, as she clears her throat and her suave, worldly veneer snaps back into place: ]

Fancy meeting you here. I didn't realise the Porter had taken you, too.

Video

[bookshopped]

Ah! Another familiar face. How lovely to see you again, my dear.

[Aziraphale, as is his wont, is all genuinely pleased smiles to see a familiar face. They may not have had much time to speak given everything going on, but still, they did face down Armageddon together, and that creates a bond all its own.]

I think you'll likely find a lot of those exact groups. The ah, occult sort I mean. Not the hunting or burning type. That seems dreadful, and I do hope people who've been brought here are better than that.

[anathemic]

[ Anathema perks up at the sight of him; not as much as when she recognised Adam, but she's still glad to see the angel. It's a little piece of home, a sympathetic face, a kindred spirit. Also, fellow members of the 'We Averted the Apocalypse' club. ]

'Hope for the best, prepare for the worst'. It's practically a family motto by this point. I'm prepared if one ever does show their face, at least, and I'm getting a few responses from the occult sort.

It's great to see you, too. Aziraphale, right? [ They'd never even gotten a chance to introduce themselves to each other, in all the rush; he'd been on the verge of trying to fill her in on six thousand years of history when Crowley had cut him off. ]

locked, video

[femalething]

[ Maureen gives a little waggle of her fingers in hello. ]

Hey babe, welcome. I'm still pretty new myself, like only been here a few weeks. I'm not picky about the house- and to be real honest, I haven't even noticed if the others are particular.

[ A pause and she raises her eyebrows. ]

How's that witch hunter question going? I haven't heard of any, but that's also not a question I ever had to ask.

locked, video

[anathemic]

No bites on that particular question yet, but to be honest I wasn't expecting many. If there are any, they're probably not going to introduce themselves to me in the open. Just figured I'd poke the beehive and see if anything came buzzing out. Plenty of occultists, though, it seems!

[ Anathema sounds pleased as punch about it, like it's a personal gift to her from the universe. Then, shifting topics slightly since Maureen's the first roommate to respond: ]

This city, Jeopardy— It's pretty strange, right? It's not just me?

video;

[bifroster]

I'm not a witch, but apparently magic and science, once you get to one level or another, is the same in my world. Or at least for those who can use what they call magic.

[Aliens. And mutants. And possibly ordinary people like her? So much has happened and has yet to happen.]

I'm a theoretical astrophysicist, so I'd love to hear how another reality works.

[anathemic]

Oh, wow. An astrophysicist— That's way beyond my paygrade. My PhD's in history. [ Anathema sounds impressed; and a little pleased, actually, that the scientist on the other end is another approachable brunette a rather than a condescending man. She'd met too many of the latter in academia. ]

So, all of the magic in your world seemed like it might come from advanced technology? I don't think it's like that in mine. It's more... a part of you, in your gut, or your heart and soul. It's instinctive. Even before my family taught me what it was, I could see out-of-the-ordinary things.

[ rueful: ] They literally called it an art and not a science.

( video )

[sathan]

( it would be wrong if she didn't check in. also considering she never did this she's curious for the answer )

And what have you learned?

[anathemic]

[ There's the fleeting consideration to make it private, maybe — but in the end, she doesn't yet. ]

Not much as of yet, but that there's definitely more of us than I knew coming in. I'm glad to see it. It's almost like being home — except they're not all my mother and nosy aunts, which might(?) be an improvement(?)

[ She misses them desperately, but joking about the henpecking Devices is easier. Turns out Agnes might actually have been right about Anathema never seeing her family again, even if the apocalypse was averted. ]

video;

[cantgetanyworse]

[She has one question, really.

Well, she'll come back to the actual 'witch' thing later, but it fazes her far less know she knows actual demons and angels and all manner of things that she's had to get used to.]

Do people still hunt witches?

[anathemic]

[ 'Still' is an interesting choice of words, a curiosity; but Anathema tables that thought in order to mull over her response first. Shadwell didn't exactly cut the most threatening picture— ]

At least one person does. Or tried. Wasn't very good at it. [ She flashes a smile, all flippancy to offset Jane's concerned look. ] He seemed like a pretty harmless relic, though, so I wasn't all that worried.

Did they, where you come from?

Jeopardy 004 filter; video

[crypdick]

[ He responds with the housemates filter, meaning he saw it, but he ignores her questions about the place and instead focuses on the first part of her post.]

I've known quite a few few witches. And I've known those who burn them, though less personally. They don't tend to like me.

perma-filter

[anathemic]

Good, because I don't tend to like them much either.

What did they have against you? Are you a... [ Anathema picks through her words, trying to find the right way to describe the face of the housemate that had cropped up on her communicator. Hm. ] —Warlock? Sorcerer?

unsent message.

[thecacophony]

[sometime after this!]

[Technology is, in her not-remotely-humble opinion, mostly a pain in the ass. Automobiles are loud and smelly, skyscrapers are annoying to fly around, and this communicator thing? Who really bothers to read all of these comments? She had decided on day one she hated the thought of videos, would absolutely not participate in such a birdshit idea.

Of course, fate always likes to have a good, hearty laugh on her account. It's evening. She can't sleep, but that's what Sal expects after getting into old stories. So, the best thing to do, otherwise, is fly. High up and far away, until all of life's problems seem so tiny and pointless in comparison.

It's up there, somewhere, tresspassing on the very top of one of these ugly skyscrapers, where she's going through the communicator. Turns out, it takes a long fucking time to get this far back. People have a lot of crap to say, she supposes. But with a small flick of the screen, the video plays back for her...But the wind is rough, so high up, and it's probably alright to play it again, in case she missed something the first time.]

Found it! Ha ha

[She almost sends it, to be fair. But it turns out, like a lot of other small and precious things, silence works fine too. Technology is, after all, still very overrated, and nobody is high enough to see her expression. Or watch her put the small device carefully back in her pocket. Or stay up at the top of this ugly skyscraper for just a little while longer.]