Mirabel’s Magical Illusions and Subterfuge
Date: 2025-09-06 15:02
(Mirabel’s Magical Illusions and Subterfuge)
[Sat Sep 6 2025]
A Musty Basement Lecture Theater/span>/spanThe Plymouth Lecture Theater occupies a windowless space in the basement, its
tiered seating descending toward a worn wooden podium that bears decades of
scratches and water rings. Banks of fluorescent lights hum overhead, though
several tubes remain dark, creating pockets of shadow between the rows of
fold-down seats upholstered in faded burgundy fabric. The walls, painted
institutional beige, show signs of moisture damage near the ceiling corners
where brown stains spread like old maps. A large chalkboard dominates the
front wall, its surface permanently ghosted with the traces of countless
equations and diagrams that no amount of cleaning can fully erase. The
concrete floor slopes gently toward a drain grate near the podium, and the
air carries the persistent smell of chalk dust mixed with something earthier,
more organic. Temperature variations occur without apparent cause – the front
rows often feel noticeably colder than the back, regardless of the season.
Along the rear wall, built-in cabinets with warped doors contain outdated
audiovisual equipment, their locks long since broken, while exposed pipes
running along the ceiling occasionally release metallic sighs that interrupt
lectures at unpredictable intervals./span>/spanIt is about 65F(18C) degrees. The mist is heaviest At Plymouth and Woodcrest/span>/span“Brienne of Tarth,” Mirabel tells Kai calmly.
Nemi grins softly
Kai snorts at Mirabel and nods at Nemi, “Hey Nems, I should have known it was you,” he shakes his head a bit, “You ought to join the Conclave, you know that?” he tells her and doesn’t expand on why.
Nemi tsks softly and shakes her head. “Oh shut up- This is my armor for the ren faire.”
Kaelyn peers over at Nemi as the helmet comes off before glancing over Mirabel with a little bit of a curious expression.
Annabelle takes in the surprise on a strong delay, lips pressed together in such a way that her cheeks chipmunk out. “..WOooaaahh….”
“Do keep it on, Miss Ivorstead. We’ll use you to represent a dangerous foe at some point in the lecture,” Mirabel tells Nemi and turns to grin at Annabelle. “Confused, Miss Lee?”
Nemi nods softly.
“Good afternoon, Miss Lawson,” Mirabel says and smiles pleasantly at Teagan.
Nemi stands up after a few moments and seemingly a second of preparation.
Teagan looks tired as she arrives. And pale. She’s still recovering, clearly, from her recent… adventure in the mists. There’s even a bit of bandaging still visible here and there under the edges of her sweater. She gives a small nod to Mirabel as she finds the nearest seat, sitting down gratefully.
Mirabel says “Down here, Mercy!“
“Come on in,” Mirabel calls towards the hallway and beckons Mercy inside. “Go ahead and find a seat.”
Mercy skulks in with a winded huff, quickly locating a more secluded seat for herself to get settled into.
“Let’s start with a fun little test before we get to the smoke and mirrors of the matter. Does anyone here not know Dovie Fairchild?” Mirabel asks and looks around expectantly. “Just raise your hand if so.”
Kai shakes his head and keeps his hands down, though he does give a two-fingered salute to Mercy when he spots her, his gaze soon returns to Mirabel once more.
Mercy starts to raise her hand but then tucks it back down onto her lap.
Kai also notices Teagan and grins at her and gives her a wave as well.
Kaelyn half raises her hand, fluttering it in a so-so motion.
Teagan does lift a hand and wiggle her fingers at Kai. And actually… does not raise her hand. She does have her phone out, but sort of just idly. No texting. *Yet.*
“Mhm. If any of you have never met her, I don’t look like her to you at all,” Mirabel says, possibly confusingly, leaning against the podium a little. “Odd, isn’t it?”
Mercy notices Kai’s salute and returns it after taking a second to adjust herself into a more iconic delinquent sit, slumped far back into her seat.
“And those of you who *do* know Dovie, well, you probably thought that’s who I was. At least at first glance,” Mirabel continues and puts her phone away. “In any case, we have a guest today! Be polite to Mercy. She’s considering the possibility of contemplating the notion of weighing the decision whether or not to enroll.”
Mirabel gestures in Mercy’s direction.
Mercy manages to somehow slide even farther down in her seat, as if trying to disappear when her name is called out.
Teagan does, indeed, glance Mercy’s way, but only briefly. She knows how it is to be called out, but it is good to at least know who someone is on recognition!
“Do iiiiit,” Kai encourages Mercy, “There’s literally no downsides,” he grins over to Mercy, “Invest in your education!” he then slumps down a bit and looks back to Mirabel, his head tilted a bit, “It’s pretty bad ass that you’re able to do that,” he admits.
Kaelyn glances over at Mercy as the other woman sinks into the chair. A small apologetic look is flashed before Kaelyn refocuses on the lesson. T
“And now the academic quarter is up, so any latecomers are officially tardy. Today, we’re going to talk about illusory magic. Compared to other schools of magic, it might be called one of the newer and less famous ones. While it’s old compared to… televisions, say, or airplanes, it’s got nothing on some of the other branches of magic that deal with nature, fire and–yes, thank you, Mister Ashford,” Mirabel begins, gesturing animatedly while she speaks. Her gaze pans out over the seated students, and she continues calmly, “We might separate illusions into two categories: glamours and phantasms. Who thinks they might know the difference?”
Mercy shoots Kai her usual dead-eyed glance and gives a very quiet grunt in response, then murmurs to herself, “Fuck even is a ‘doovee’..?”
“Hands, please, if you have an answer,” Mirabel adds and glances askance at Mercy. “Language, young lady.”
Mercy clamps up, lips pursed.
Kai lifts his hand butjust speaks, “Glamour alters something that exists, phantasms are like their own thing, like holograms?” he guesses.
“Yes, as a matter of fact; a glamour polishes the truth, makes the plain seem radiant or the dangerous seem harmless. A phantasm, on the other hand, offers you something where there was nothing. Both are lies, but different flavors,” Mirabel says and nods primly to Kai. “Illusion is not the bending of reliaty. It’s the bending of you!” she claims. “It doesn’t change what *is,* only what’s *perceived.*”
Kai nods to Mirabel thoughtfully and shifts a beat in his seat, his head tilted slightly as he listens.
“If you want to hurl fireballs, take a pyromancy course,” Mirabel remarks with a lighthearted grin. “If you want to deceive, unsettle, seduce, bamboozle or mooch, you’re in the right place.”
“Now, the mind is terribly lazy. It sees a fragment and rushes to paint the rest. A shadow becomes a figure, a whisper becomes a word, and before long, people are convincing themselves of things you never had to conjure. It doesn’t even take magic for this to happen–you do it all the time,” Mirabel says, meandering back and forth a little while she speaks. “Illusionists take that neurological flaw and wield it as a weapon. Do any of you have any experience with it yourselves?”
Mercy tilts her head to one side and casts a quick visual sweep around the room for any raised hands.
Kaelyn folds her arms under her chest as if chewing on the thought for a moment. It seems like she wants to speak but holds it back with a little shake of her head. Instead she lifts her head a little and takes a deep breath.
“I only have experience in it from like being in combat during raids with other members. Obie and Cadalie are both really annoying with illusions,” Kai tells someone, nodding at her a bit, “It seems like a pretty useful discipline or whatever.”
“I only have experience in it from like being in combat during raids with other members. Obie and Cadalie are both really annoying with illusions,” Kai tells Mirabel, nodding at her a bit, “It seems like a pretty useful discipline or whatever.”
“Fair enough. Well, illusions live in the gaps of your focus. Where your attention drifts, I place the spell! That sort of thing,” Mirabel ventures and wiggles her fingers arcanely in the air. “Distraction can be a very handy tool, especially in a fight. What have you seen them do, Mister Ashford? Any effects that you were able to pick out and recognize for what they were?”
Kaelyn color burns on her cheeks as she looks around to everyone present and then down to herself in a mild panic, tapping at her clothes. Some part of her mind chiding her will the rest of her tried not to look at the rest too closely.
Belatedly, eyes looking far into another world, Annabelle holds up her hands (all both of them) and manages to get out, “I usssum somethimes…”
“Uhh like confusing me for an enemy and that kind of thing,” Kai tells someone, “You reflexively go to attack an enemy and the illusion breaks and it’s a friend. Stuff like that,” he tells her and looks over to Annabelle, grinning a little at how she’s talking.
“Uhh like confusing me for an enemy and that kind of thing,” Kai tells Mirabel, “You reflexively go to attack an enemy and the illusion breaks and it’s a friend. Stuff like that,” he tells her and looks over to Annabelle, grinning a little at how she’s talking.
“What’s the matter, Miss Miller?” Mirabel asks and raises her eyebrows expectantly at Kaelyn. Her gaze then swivels towards Annabelle with a squint. “Young lady, have you been taking marijuana?”
Teagan looks a little uncomfortable and not because of her still-healing wounds. She looks toward the door sometimes, then back to the room, then to her phone. She chews at her lower lip a bit. But she’s definitely distracted.
Annabelle shakes her head, widening her eyes which are not in fact read. Other symptoms point to a substance, but Mary has not attended class.
Mercy OOCly had a fuse blow, might happen again.
Kaelyn shakes her head again, “I, uh, believe I understand who it can be distracting.” Her gaze darts to the side, as if trying to peek at someone without looking. “What we are seeing is just something assumed and not the actual reality?”
“Th-the druiths..” Annabelle takes a deep breath, trying to power through something, hands flopping down out of lack of want to stay raised. “..S-say that-that mancy’s a mattuh of.. PERS-SPEC-TIVE.”
“That depends entirely on the illusionist,” Mirabel informs Kaelyn, smiling sedately while she steps closer to the row of seats. “They may choose to show you what is real – what the *thing* would truly look like if it was in fact there – or they may improvise, like ChatGPT.”
Annabelle says, with difficulty, “Sooh.. You.. D-distract, Swish-er-roo, and-and… Yep.“
“Miss Lee, you haven’t been stealing ketamine at work, have you?” Mirabel asks and squints suspiciously at Annabelle.
Teagan coughs suddenly, nearly dropping her phone.
Kaelyn color burns a little brighter on her cheeks, though there is something suspiciously like relief that flashes over her features.
“Goodness gracious. Saturday classes in a nutshell,” Mirabel mutters and plants her hands on her hips. “Miss Ivorstead! On your feet. Let’s see that gorgeous armor you made while you pretend to be attacking me.”
“Illusionism isn’t known for its prevalence in battle magic,” Mirabel continues and crooks a finger at Nemi. “But it has its uses. Let’s go through a few handy tricks, just so you don’t think it’s nothing but glitterdust and spooky shadows.”
Mercy eyes Annabelle through a wary squint and just the slightest wrinkling of her nose at all the stuttering and odd behavior.
“And let’s do away with this, too,” Mirabel says without specifying what. She closes her eyes briefly, takes a deep breath, and opens them again.
Annabelle shakes her head to the contrary of theft, but she does jolt at the mention. “Science.” She excuses in a word, shooing off gazes with a scrunch of her eyes.
Teagan looks at her phone for a moment, biting her lip. “Uhm. I gotta…” She grabs her backpack. “I gotta go. Something came up.”
Nemi nods softly as the fingers crooked towards here and she walks down towards being near the podium.
“Good. Now, I find that the most important tool in the admittedly small arsenal of battle-worthy illusions is the simple distraction,” Mirabel explains and puts a hand on Nemi’s steely shoulder. “Do a slow-motion swing at me with your… we’ll just pretend you’ve got a great big axe or something, sweetie.”
Nemi coughs softly and nods. “I’ve got an actual weapon if you’d prefer that?”
“It’s probably better that you leave it in the sheath,” Mirabel tells Nemi, smiling lopsidedly. “I don’t know how you might interpret ‘slow-motion.'”
“Don’hitth Dobbie.” Annabelle objects quietly, but the room isn’t so filled that she’s ‘quiet.’
Kai looks between Mirabel and Nemi and grins slightly, “If you’re able to put her on her butt, that’s a crisp twenty for you,” he informs Nemi.
“Young man, plotting violence against the faculty is a demerit,” Mirabel warns Kai and wags a finger at him.
“Sorry Miss Kane! Just joking around!” Kai assures her and wears a shit-eating grin as his gaze ticks between Nemi and Mirabel.
Nemi nods softly, coughing softly she nods again after. “I’m not punching the teacher kai-” She states clearly. “Okay well I am but I’m not gonna- Just nevermind-” She says, stopping for a moment before she starts to swing with her shield, slowly to an exaggerated extent that the professor could just easily side step it.
Mercy sits up a little to watch the ‘fight’ from a slightly higher vantage point.
Though she has the look of someone who never fights at all, Mirabel manages to duck away from Nemi’s sluggish attack without falling over. She flings her arms up at the same time, wiggling her fingers. To anyone else, there isn’t much more than that going on at this moment; but to the armored student, an eagle suddenly flies out of nowhere and into her face, flailing its wings and screeching. Nobody else but Nemi sees that part.
Kaelyn’s gaze watches the fight with a curious expression, a smile still on her face.
Well, towards Nemi’s face, let’s say. “Now,” Mirabel ventures, looking around. “Mister Ashford, you like to run around fighting in the mist. What’s the most dangerous thing out there?”
Mercy cranes her neck and flits her gaze between the two pretend combatants, waiting for something to happen. An explosion, for Nemi to disappear, who knows.
“Uuuhhh probably… maybe gorgons, or the wooden women, if only because if you aren’t prepared for them they can really wreck you,” Kai supposes to Mirabel, peering between her and Nemi curiously.
“Yes, I’m sure they can. Heavy hitters, are they?” Mirabel asks, grinning.
Kaelyn shudders a little at the mention of wooden woman.
Mercy pulls out her contrastingly garish phone to tap away at yet another annoying perfume ad. “Wooden women, ayeah.” she chimes in without looking up.
“Not really, but they can spring up roots that stop you from running and it’s a real pain if you aren’t prepared,” Kai tells Mirabel, “Or if they’re hunting with other monsters like a shadow monster.”
“They are also hard to get into close range with. They move constantly.” Kaelyn chimes in.
“Alright, alright; but *often* – if not necessarily always – the greatest danger is simply the thing with the biggest teeth or the sharpest sword or the most muscles,” Mirabel decides, keeping half an eye on Nemi and the effects of her distraction while she speaks. “And if you’re going up against such an enemy with your moped gang, a well-timed distraction can mean the difference between getting bitten clean in half and dying on the spot, or simply a day or two in the hospital. So even if illusions don’t have the stopping power of a lightning bolt or the numerical advantages of a pack of skeleton minions, it can have its place in a fight.”
Nemi turns her head elsewhere towards the bird as she yells, and then falls forwards onto the ground as she fails to stop any motion in this heavy suit of armor.
“Goodness,” Mirabel ventures and hurries over to help Nemi up. “Are you alright, dear? I didn’t mean for you to fall over.”
Nemi holds up a finger. “Damn birds-” She states as she accepts the hand up. “Quite- Lots of padding….”
Kai bursts out laughing at Nemi when she falls onto her face, he throws his head back and absolutely cackles at her, “Oh man… that’s hilarious,” he rubs at one of his eyes and slouches down a little more, “I think that means I owe you twenty, Miss Kane,” he says, wearing his shit-eating grin once more.
“I’d like to see you fashion an entire suit of medieval platemail, Mister Ashford. That’s enough sniggering,” Mirabel remarks and scrunches her nose at Kai. “Anyway, let’s say that was enough combat theory for now. It’s not really my area of expertise,” she admits. “Are any of you members of these brutish gangs we’ve got here in our idyllic city? A werewolf pack or a biker gang or, I don’t know, the Hand or something.”
“Yes ma’am, I’m part of TWO brutish gangs. Plus I’m in an NH-Pop band,” Kai infoms Mirabel and turns to wink overexagerratedly at Annabelle.
“I’m jussstinna blood hippy group.” Annabelle mumbles, staring at Kai with a lethargic glaze. The currency of winks is scarce, but her blinks are plentiful.
Nemi raises a hand next to Mirabel. She is wearing the symbol for the scrolls devision of the order, its on her pauldrons, loincloth, chestplate, gauntlets, tessets. “By that he means he’s clinically insane but the city can do nothing about such.” She states and nods softly before chuckling.
“Mhm. Yes, yes,” Mirabel remarks and nods to Kai and Nemi in turn. “You know, then, that you’re sometimes at odds with the other gangs. Fighting for control of the vegan deli or the best hairdresser in the city or whatever it is. And sometimes you might go quite far in your efforts to mess with each other, right?”
“I don’t think.. I don’t think thas’true, clinically.” Annabelle mumbles forward, sitting up in her seat to wrestle with her tongue. “..S’supernatural. Can’t. Have any mental-disdorders.. Unless they’re still undergoing activation.”
Kaelyn watches Nemi as they get themselves situated. When the question is asked she simply shakes her head, though. Leaning back in her seat and then leaning forward to listen.
Mercy does not offer up more information regarding her personal life at the question, content to listen quietly and keep a certain social distance.
Nemi tilts her head and nods softly to Annabelle. “I did not know that- That’s good to know actually….”
“Izza curse or- or.. Could bea.. some other spell.” Annabelle nods off, deep breaths in, deep breaths out.
“Miss Lee, you really have to be careful with your medication. Have you taken a double dose?” Mirabel asks and paces closer to Annabelle, squinting suspiciously. “I’ll take you home after class so you can recover your senses, but try not to be sick all over anyone.”
“Anyway, where was I?” Mirabel continues and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Oh! Right. Sometimes you’ll be spying on your rivals, and they’ll be spying on you. Infiltrating your ranks, trying to get into your base, all that sort of stuff,” she goes on, gesturing aimlessly. “And they might be using illusory magic to do it. Who thinks they know how they might foil an attempt like that?”
“Y e s m a ‘a m.” Annabelle enunciates carefully, and just a little delighted when she gets all the words right. “Yo-you squint reallly hardth.”
“That’s nice, dear,” Mirabel says and leans against Annabelle’s desk, looking around. “Hands up, if anyone has suggestions for how one might see through a clever illusion.”
Mercy throws another judgmental sidelong glance over to Annabelle and feels that much more thankful she didn’t seat herself nearby.
Kaelyn raises a hand a bit cautiously.
“Yes, dear?” Mirabel says and nods to Kaelyn.
Nemi walks over back to the seat and then-
Nemi raises her hand softly.
Kaelyn chew her lip a bit uncertain of her answer, “In movies and such sometimes they will ask questions or have phrases that an outsider would not know. But, maybe scent as well could be something often overlooked.”
“Yes! All valid, but scent in particular. A skilled illusionist can easily fool your eyes, but it’s much harder to fool your nose, provided that your sense of smell is sufficiently well-honed,” Mirabel says and gives Kaelyn a sharp nod of approval. “Miss Ivorstead, what suggestions do you have?”
Kaelyn beams a little, pleased to have given the right answer.
“Ma’am I’ve noticed sometimes I can will my imagination into others’ minds, and I’ve had them do the same to me. That’s not illusion is it?” Kai asks, tilting his head as he peers at Mirabel curiously, lifting his gaze from his phone.
Nemi nods softly. “Patterns- Some mass illusions have recognizable patterns- I know of one currently that constantly displays adverts on phones for a product. Non of which I’ll name specifically- Or habits- stuff off like how you were’nt able to mimic Miss Fairchild in mannerisms.” She states.
Mercy occasionally can’t help but glance over to Kai for his obsessive levels of texting.
Nemi nods softly. “Both patterns. Repeating factors that normally would’nt an odd amount of times, or the lack of normal patterns like someones mannerisms.”
Kai glances to Mercy and waggles his brows at her, he drops his backpack across his knees to try to hide his excessive levels of texting.
“That’s more within the territory of psychic persuasion and mind control,” Mirabel informs Kai and turns her attention to Nemi. “Yes, that’s true–patterns can be a tell, although it does depend on the type of illusion. Your suggestion is most relevant for persistent, fixed visual illusions meant to deceive the eye, like a fake wall in a house that conceals the entrance to the secret parlor.”
Mercy exhales an almost inaudible laugh through her nose, lips tugged into a faint and fleeting smirk before her attention returns to Mirabel.
“Mister Ashford,” Mirabel says and plants her hands on her hips, peering pointedly at Kai. “Hand me your phone for a moment. If I find your inbox empty, you’ll be very sorry.”
“Absolutely not,” Kai replies to Mirabel and tucks his phone into his hoodie pocket.
“I said give it here,” Mirabel insists and holds her hand out.
Kai heads down to the podium and hands his phone over to Mirabel.
Kaelyn watches Kai or more specifically the phone in this case as it passes hands. Her eyes dart to her own and back.
“Let’s see what’s so interesting,” Mirabel remarks and swipes a thumb down the screen, squinting nosily at Kai’s messages. “Goodness gracious. She doesn’t mince words, does she?”
“No ma’am,” Kai grins at Mirabel a little, glancing off to the tiered seating, “Please let me have it back and I’ll stop texting until class ends?”
“Very well. Do tell Miss Hollow to rinse her mouth out afterwards,” Mirabel tells Kai and hands the phone back before shooing him away. “Some of you might be going to that jousting tournament, so let’s say that was it for today’s class. While I’ve got you all, I hope you’ll consider joining Rain’s book club! It’ll do you a world of good.”
“And some of you could do with the extra credit,” Mirabel notes, smiling.
Kai heads back to his seat and plops down, laughing a little as he slouches down, he nods at Mirabel, “I’ll give her something to do that with,” he assures her.
Annabelle shifts uncomfortably, staring at the phone like a target. But with some effort jams her hands under her legs for safekeeping.
Mercy wrinkles her nose at Kai’s statement, hearing enough to piece some of the scenario on his phone together.
Nemi nods softly.
“Oh, and one final piece of advice for defeating illusions. Sometimes the trick is simply to look more closely,” Mirabel mentions, grinning lightheartedly.
Nemi turns to Kai. “Think you can take me to fetch my horse real quick? It is’nt in the mist but it’d be quite the walk-” She asks curiously, before stopping and turning back to face someone.
Nemi turns to Kai. “Think you can take me to fetch my horse real quick? It is’nt in the mist but it’d be quite the walk-” She asks curiously, before stopping and turning back to face Mirabel.
Mercy stretches her arms up over her head, commenting offhandedly, “People ain’ always good ’bout usin’ the senses they got.”
Kaelyn bobs her head a little, remaining quiet as she rubs the case of her phone.
“That’s very true,” Mirabel says and nods sharply to Mercy. “I can walk out of here looking like you if I wish, but it won’t hold up to close scrutiny, so make sure you take the time to look someone over if it’s important that they are who they seem to be.”
Kai stands up and nods to Nemi, “Sure, wait. We’re done?” he asks Mirabel, tilting his head a bit.
“Yes, or else you’ll miss out that medieval party or whatever it is Miss Ivorstead is dressed for,” Mirabel tells Kai and goes over to take Annabelle by the arm. “Miss Lee, you’ll fall asleep here if I let you.”
Mercy finds Mirabel’s gaze and holds it long enough to give her a firm nod of acknowledgement, a terminal introvert’s way of conveying appreciation for the lecture and that she intends for the lesson to stick.
Nemi coughs softly. And then nods.
Kaelyn slips out as class is dismissed, pausing only to say, “Thank you for the class, ma’am.”
“I can fall asleep anywheeere..” Annabelle coos menacingly, curling her legs under the folded seat and then flopping them down. “..But ‘kay. I dunno, I need tuh.. I needth to eat som-something.”
Nemi says “thats fourty three…. wait-“
Nemi nods softly. “Okay that isnt in the mist by a longshot- Thornberry and lake-” She states again to Kai.
Mercy waves to Mirabel and pauses to consider Kai more pointedly before flicking out a two-fingered salute.
“I’m sure you can, but you know what I think of you defenseless youngsters sleeping in random places,” Mirabel tells Annabelle and does her best to help the nurse up. “Good to see you, Mercy! If you decide to enroll, you can come and talk to me.
“S’just a lil’ meeea.” Annabelle comments to the bitch’s passing. “I.. Shoulda given her a Snic-ckers.”
Kai nods at Nemi and waves at Mirabel, “Fun class, do more,” he tells her and waves to Annabelle, “Don’t drive… in fact, need a ride?”
“Okay come on,” Kai tells Nemi and leads her out.