Mari reappears in her study, and sits right back down at her computer, typing up a new post in the thread she made.

  CrimsonDusk: Okay, it took me a bit but I think I get what’s going on with this shapeshifting stuff. I just have a few questions if that’s alright.

  LadyEleanor57: Dear CrimsonDusk,

  I am overjoyed to hear you have found some measure of success in coming to understand this spell, and we are of course more than happy to help with any queries that may have arisen as a result of your efforts.

  Deepest regards,

  CrimsonDusk: Cool. Well the big one is whether it’s possible or not to use this magic on other people?

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: o yea u can use it on other witches if u want but obvs u gotta get consent and shit first

  not every1 is in2 that kinda py lol

  “...Oh, goddammit.”

  CrimsonDusk: No not like that, like can I use it on a regur person?

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: yea im just fukin with u lmao

  but nah the spell dont work like that

  only works on peeps thatve gottn as far as u hav with the witch shit cause their body has 2 hav adjusted 2 the magic

  if u wanna do that stuff 2 a normie u gotta look in2 hi lvl curse shit

  Mari slumps back in her chair. “Damn, I guess it was at least worth asking. I don’t think I like the sound of curses, either.”

  LadyEleanor57: Dear CrimsonDusk,

  It is worth noting that the solution you seek will depend on what you actually wish to do to your potential target. If complete transmogrification is your goal, then yes, your best option would likely be to seek out curses, as Mr. DollMaster has suggested.

  However, if the changes you wish to bring out in someone are of a more subtle nature, then perhaps a simple potion could do the trick. I’m sure you’ve noticed that there is a sub-forum for this topic, and you could no doubt find assistance there.

  …That might be just what she’s looking for, actually. Mari looks over to the spellbook, remembering that she still hasn’t finished looking over the section dedicated to potions and the like. That’s not something she needs to be looking into right this moment, not when she’s currently on the forum for a different reason, but it’s absolutely something she can get back into soon. For now, there are still a few questions she needs to ask.

  CrimsonDusk: I’m definitely very interested in learning more, but let’s put a pin in that for now. What is all this magic stuff actually doing to my body? Like you’ve expined to me how my body will run on magic instead of all the stuff it usually needs, but if this is what I am now I’d like to understand what’s actually going on there.

  VoidWanderer: So that one’s pretty hard to describe in scientific terms because magic doesn’t really py by those rules, but it’s kinda like your body becomes a shell for your own magic, I guess?

  Oh, that might sound a little morbid. It’s not as scary as it sounds, I promise.

  Are you one of those girls that are into robot stuff? It’s kinda like you’re turning into an organic robot that uses magic as the fuel source, except the entire inside of the robot is just a big fuel tank and the fuel knows what to do on its own.

  …I don’t know if that sounds any better, actually. Hopefully you get the idea, though!

  After several moments of staring at her screen and trying to comprehend the message that was just posted, Mari types up another reply.

  CrimsonDusk: I… think I get it? I guess I’m having trouble visualising what it actually means in practice than anything else. I guess I’m early enough in the process that my blood at least resembles blood until they start running tests on it, but sounds like it’s going to change even more?

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: short answer is yes but not just ur blood nd also it kinda wont look liek anythin eventually cause this shit gets real abstract

  or i guess u could say it looks like everythin depending on how u look @ it lol

  basically ur entire body just turns into a physical form of magic after a while n what that looks like on da inside can be whatevs but dont expect 2 find a witch thatll let u test that lmao, the form ur body takes on the outside depends on a few things but since you got that fancy new spell u can make it look like anythin u want once u get the hang of it

  u no the hit movie flubber? its kinda like ur made of flubber except u dont look or feel like flubber and it probaby also isnt like flubber on the inside either but maybe it could be if u wanted

  tha important part is that if ur committed 2 this then ur body is gonna get evn weirder until ur insides dont look human at all, no organs or nothin

  “...’No organs or nothing’… Wait, no organs?” Mari perks up before typing out another question.

  CrimsonDusk: Wait actually I need to know more about that st part. You see…

  She expins the general details of her illness, what it did to her lungs, and the enchantment pced on them as a result.

  …Would I not have to worry about any of that stuff once my body has changed enough?

  LunarHarmony: Oh hey you’ve got an organ enchantment too, huh? Unfortunately the way these things work is that they pretty much lock that one part of the body into remaining in a certain state, so it’s not going to be affected by these gradual changes as you adapt to your magic. It’s not all that uncommon for someone to have needed an enchantment like that before becoming a fully fledged witch, but it means that your body will still need that one organ to keep working as it normally does in order to keep you healthy.

  Spells that change your body can get around it to some extent, like if you wanted to turn into a rabbit or something you’d end up with rabbit lungs while in that form, but your default state would still be limited to whatever your lungs are like usually.

  I have to say though, having it be the lungs of all things is really unlucky ;-;

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: yea no big bazinga bonus 4 u

  this bitch still has 2 breathe lol

  CrimsonDusk: Do… witches not need to breathe?

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: not if they dont wanna

  when all ur organs turn in2 magic goop u can kinda just do anything u want

  most witches still like eat n stuff but they dont usually have 2 its just nice :)

  CrimsonDusk: Okay I guess that’s kinda neat, bit of a bummer about the lungs but I can’t get too upset when I didn’t even know this was a thing until now.

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: well actually

  u can always like break the enchantment and let that part of ur body go through tha changes u just gotta be careful with it tho

  u could probs break it urself but honestly thats like rly hard and ud probs just want 2 ask that witch who made it in the 1st pce, also like you gotta b able 2 survive without the enchantment 4 long enough 4 ur lungs 2 do the thing

  when ur magic is stronger you can kinda speed it up but its not gonna b instant unless u practice a ton so like if ur lungs r like mega fucked its super risky

  Mari sighs.

  CrimsonDusk: Yeah we’re kinda in the mega fucked zone here.

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: damn :(

  put that shit in the “mayb in a very long time” pile then

  not having 2 breathe aint worth killing urself 4

  …i guess ud get ur wish either way tho lmao

  “...I’m just gonna ignore that st part.”

  CrimsonDusk: Okay, one st question then. What do witches normally do with this shapeshifting magic? Picking something to change was honestly the hardest part of figuring it out.

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: i mean just whateva really u dont hav 2 change anythin if u dont wanna lol but like if there is somethin u wanna change just go 4 it

  like 4 example im on that captain caveman shit

  less hairy tho lmao

  CrimsonDusk: On that what?

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: this witch is 1 small boi lol

  UrbanArcane: Yeah there really aren’t any rules for what you can do with this stuff. I used to deliver mail way back in the day, and my hometown was a bit too big to do it on foot normally, but just between us, I’d make myself run a lot faster when no one was looking to finish my rounds on time

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: yea ur on that speed buggy shit

  SeafarersBounty: Aye, some use it to reach beyond the bounds of mortal bodies, in more ways than just bein’ able to run faster, too. This former ndlubber has embraced her connection with the creatures of the deep thanks to these magics.

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: yea ur on that jabberjaw shit

  MajorMagiks: ... - .-. . -. --. - .... -..-. - --- -..-. ..-. .. --. .... -

  .... --- -. --- ..- .-. -..-. - .... . -..-. -.. . .- -..

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: yea ur on that

  u no what i should leave that 1 alone

  LadyEleanor57: Dear CrimsonDusk,

  As others have stated, there are all manner of reasons for which one would employ such a spell, ranging from the practical to the vain.

  Personally speaking, I tend towards the tter. I find great joy in possessing a physical stature that suits my title as the owner of this castle, and looking down upon the husks of those who once sought to do great harm to me.

  Regards,

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: yea ur on that harlem globetrotters shit

  LadyEleanor57: Dearest DollMaster,

  I believe we have all gotten the point already. You may refrain from listing off any more of those odd, animated theatre productions you watched as a child.

  Regards,

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: ok fair enough

  we all no the super harlem globetrotters was tha better sho anyway lmao

  LadyEleanor57: Dear CrimsonDusk,

  To continue my earlier point, you do not need to use this spell for anything other than maintaining your current body if you do not wish to. If you should happen to think of something else you would like to change, you are more than welcome to do so, but there is no need to change any more than what you initially set out for, especially if it would just be for the sake of doing so.

  Regards,

  “Yeah, I guess I’m just getting caught up in my own shit again…” Mari tilts her head back for a bit, thinking about the conversation she’s having. “When they’re not being weird as shit, these witches sure are helping me out a lot, even after I-”

  “...Right. Even after all that…” She begins typing once more.

  CrimsonDusk: Okay one st question, not reted to the shapeshifting stuff. I almost killed someone today, why does it feel like everyone here is kinda glossing over that part?

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: girl where do u think u r?

  we wouldnt give a shit even if u did kill her

  witches do whatevs they want nd honestly ur 1 of the only peeps on here without a killcount

  sounded liek she deserved it anyway lol

  SeafarersBounty: It indeed sounds like the ss had it coming, castin’ you off like that.

  CrimsonDusk: Wait so like you all actually just don’t care?

  LadyEleanor57: Dear CrimsonDusk,

  I can understand your confusion. You are rather new to all of this, after all.

  It was not long ago that we spoke about what may have driven me to do some of the things I have done to my former oppressors, but perhaps it is time to delve into the underlying topic of morality, and how it retes to us all as witches. It is critical to understand that the world you grew up in, the world we all grew up in, to varying extents, is not the world in which a witch can exist.

  While many of us still look the part, and several even act the part, we are not human anymore, and the world at rge is simply not built for people like us. As a result, it’s not uncommon for a witch to decide they no longer wish to py by those rules anymore, the rules that made many of us into the beings we now are. If someone was to make an enemy of us, most of the witches here would not hesitate to make an example of them, be it a swift death or an eternal punishment, much like I referred to having done to my own adversaries just a few posts ago.

  That is not to say that you must abandon your morals if you still wish to hold on to them. Should you so choose, you may continue to live your life much as you have up to this point, barring whatever changes have to be made as a result of your magical pursuits. But, if you did wish to push against those boundaries, so to speak, there’s not a single user on this message board who would take issue with such a thing so long as it does not interfere with their own goings-on. In fact, I’m certain that many of us would revel in seeing someone new to witchcraft take such a turn.

  Just remember, it may not have been completely of your own volition, and it has seemingly occurred much faster than anyone could have anticipated, but this is the world you now live in, and you can never entirely go back to how things were. There are no good witches, and no bad witches, we are all just doing what we deem appropriate with the power we have been given.

  This may come across as somewhat frightening at first, I understand, but I hope you realise in time just how exhirating it can be, this unique form of freedom that only we get to experience. I’m also aware that you are still hesitant to call yourself a witch, but regardless of your title you clearly belong among this group, so know that you are more than welcome to partake in these freedoms if and when you decide to do so. All we ask is that you do not cast judgement upon us, and we will allow you the same leniency in turn.

  Regards,

  “...What exactly have I gotten myself into?”

  Mari sighs at her screen after reading the message. That certainly expins a lot, but she can’t entirely say it was the answer she was expecting either. These people really have done some pretty dark stuff, and are practically inviting her to do the same thing. Sure, not having to care what other people think is definitely an appealing concept, but taking it to such extremes as to completely cast aside her morals is a big ask.

  Is that something she wants to do? Is it even something she could do? She definitely didn’t intend to almost hurt the doctor earlier, and she’s very gd she was able to stop herself before it was too te. Could that visit have ended very differently had it happened even just a few months ter, at a time where this conversation had already happened and the lesson had started to sink in, meaning she’d be more willing to do whatever she wants as a result?

  “...Nah, I don’t see it. Yeah, she’s a shitty fucking doctor, but I don’t think I could go that far.”

  She slouches in her chair, holding her hands together. No, she wouldn’t do something so drastic in order to get revenge on that doctor. Honestly, the scare Mari gave her was probably more than enough already. But there’s something else in a dark corner of her mind, that odd thing Cassandra said just earlier today causing unpleasant memories to linger as she considers how things could have been.

  …If things had pyed out differently, if Mari had started learning magic at a much earlier age, if the powers we now have access to were avaible to her on that fateful day that ended with her running away from home… What would’ve happened then? Would her emotions have led to a simir incident to the doctors office, but in her own home? Could she actually have gone through with it in that situation?

  …Would she even feel bad about it if she did?

  She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

  CrimsonDusk: Yeah, I guess I get it.

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: o

  wow

  kinda thought ud take a bit to come around lol, most peeps need @ least a couple days

  CrimsonDusk: Not saying I’m on board with doing anything like that myself but I’ve definitely been through some shit, and if nothing else I can see where you’re all coming from here.

  Anyway, there’s more stuff I could ask about, but there’s something else I gotta take care of tonight so I’ll save it for another time. Thanks for all the help though, I can’t say I’m entirely sure how I feel right now after that st thing, but I definitely feel a lot better about everything else going on than I did when I first got home.

  xX_TheDollMaster_Xx: all g enjoy whatevs ur doin lmao

  With that, Mari shuts down her PC and gets out of her chair with an uneasy feeling still lingering in her heart. She’s kept one of her promises to Cassandra, she’s made sure she has a pn for how to deal with her HRT being taken away, now it’s time to take care of the other.

  SyntaxSpeedway