[plot: I Put A Spell On You]

[porcupineliz]

(index!)

A reading of the sweater she got from Matt doesn't give her much, but there are definitely traces of a magic around it. Something artificially imposed, and ... she's pretty sure something outwardly imposed. It doesn't have Matt's feel to it at all.

Scrying is somewhat more useful: she gets a very brief blurred image of someone who's probably the caster -- older woman, graying hair, smiling earnestly -- and a much more definite sense of the caster's magic signature. And enough sense of the spell to make her skin crawl, even though as far as she can tell it was done with the most benevolent of intentions.



When she gets back to Milliways, she finds the note. There's no good way to say this, but I'm actually under a --

Oh.

Oh, shit.

Comments

[semicharmed]

"I thought it was precognitive," Matt says with a frown.

But that's not exactly what he told Jordie, is it.

He had a hinky feeling about that lady from the get-go-- but again, who wouldn't? A total stranger addressing you by your full name and predicting romantic bliss?

"But in light of recent everything, maybe she had another reason to sound so sure."

[porcupineliz]

"Yeah." That's a touch grim. "It's always possible that she's casting causative spells and thinking they're precognitive. Someone should probably have a word with her, when this is over."

(There's something in her tone that suggests and that someone is me.)

"You said Jordie's been affected by it too?"

[semicharmed]

Matt's alarmed, and a little worried, by the possibility that this lady doesn't know what she's doing. It makes him sort of sad.

But all of that goes out the window when Liz says Jordie.


"I," he says.

"Um. Right. Yes, I mean, I did. He is."

[porcupineliz]

Eeeeeyebrow.

[semicharmed]

Matt pauses.

Tautly.




"Hethoughtwecouldbreakthespellbymakingout."

[porcupineliz]

... oh dear, says Liz's face.

"And it sounded like a good idea at the time?" That's only slightly dry.

[semicharmed]

"I followed my heart," Matt says miserably.

"And it turns out my heart was wrong."


(Of course, he can't be too miserable, given the full range of recent events.

As a wise man once said: What's the worst that can happen? Orgasms?)

[porcupineliz]

She wants to pat his shoulder.

Under the circumstances, that's probably a bad idea.

"That can happen," she says ruefully. "Next question, and I'm sorry if this is embarrassing and you can absolutely not answer if you'd rather not, but ..."

Beat.

"Does it seem to have made things any worse, or is it about the same?"

[semicharmed]

Matt's mouth opens--

Hangs there a moment--


And shuts.




"Well, there's magically worse," he says.

"And then there's circumstantially worse. And circumstances have ... definitely changed, but I'm not sure if the magic part is-- I mean other than Jordie catching this thing from me."

[porcupineliz]

"... I did mean magically worse," she says, "but if circumstances have ..."

A pause.

"Wait, you think he caught it from you? Not, like ... separately?"

[semicharmed]

"He told me I was contagious."

Matt looks a little haunted as he runs a hand through his (appallingly messy) hair.

"I mean, it-- started for him after we kissed."

[porcupineliz]

"... uh-huh." Liz chews her lower lip for a moment.

[semicharmed]

"Yyyeah."


Matt pauses.






"Sex may have been a bad plan."

[porcupineliz]

Liz presses one hand over her open mouth.






No, it's not doing any good, she's still cracking up.

[semicharmed]

Matt's misery: now acute.



Jordie said she wouldn't laugh at him!

[porcupineliz]

"I am so sorry," she manages, getting control of herself. "Oh god, seriously, it's terrible, I should not be laughing."

Of course, the awareness that she shouldn't be laughing is half of the funny to begin with -- but seeing how upset Matt is kind of kills the rest of it.

"Sorry. Really."

[semicharmed]

Part of Matt is bristling, because why is the idea of him hooking up with Jordie funny? Part of Matt is bristling because come on, magic spell to solve.

Parrrrt of Matt sort of wants to burst out laughing as well, whether this would be partly out of hysteria is unclear.

(But seriously, why is it funny?)


"I guess you wouldn't have any ideas about how to fix it."

[porcupineliz]

"No," she says, "I do. Some ideas. There's a few things we could try, actually -- I mean as a last resort we could probably find the caster and get her to take it off ..."

[semicharmed]

"I don't know if it really was that psychic," Matt frowns.

"I mean, odds seem high."

[porcupineliz]

"If it wasn't," Liz says more firmly, "then she'll be key to finding whoever it really was. But my money's on her."

[semicharmed]

He nods.

"Okay ... well, what's our first resort?"

Resorts?

He has no idea.

[porcupineliz]

"Well ... I've got a few spells that are meant to release magical bindings, and that's what I'm inclined to try first. Have you got anything similar?"

[semicharmed]

"Magical bindings," he repeats with a frown.

"Um. Yeah. I know some like that. I don't know how much use I'm gonna be in all this, though."

[porcupineliz]

"I don't know if we can properly call this a binding, but it's worth a shot."

She glances at him sidelong.

"Any particular reason?"

[semicharmed]

Matt pauses.

Briefly.

"I said in my note I couldn't work any magic, right?"