Group Precipitation

by FanOfMostEverything

Stoking the Firemind, by SaintAbsol

Author's Note:

I strongly recommend reading Pest Control before reading this one.

There were often times that Jace found himself wondering how Niv-Mizzet managed to get anything done in his perpetually dark office.

While Jace's ego would have been quick to claim that he was the one that got things done, and he was only still the Vice Principal out of his own humility, the rational part of his mind reminded him that Niv-Mizzet did still have final say on quite a lot of matters pertaining to the school board, as well as holding enough sway with certain members that even Abacus Cinch's legendary 'Reputation' would be hard pressed to counter him.

Which, of course, just made denying him his occasional obsessions all the harder to do.

Jace made sure to keep his face impassive as the principal continued to stare at the television, watching shaky videos of young 'Saint' Applejack as she did battle with an insectoid abomination. Vines, wood, and even an actual tree at one point all seeming to spring out of nowhere as she fought with it, her eyes visibly flashing green each time. And through it all, Niv-Mizzet barely seemed to blink as he watched in silence.

Finally, after the report cut back to the news room, he muted the device with a gesture. "Her skill with pentachromatic mana is growing," Niv-Mizzet said at last, his gaze shifting to Jace. "One could almost say she has a gift for it."

"She has skill with it," Jace diplomatically responded. "That doesn't make her a prodigy."

"It still makes her interesting." Niv-Mizzet's hand fingered a coin of some sort, the markings on it long since rubbed away by the man's subconscious habit. "It also makes her a perfect candidate for our collection."

"We had an agreement, Niv-Mizzet." Jace knew better than to make his tone accusatory, but even he couldn't hold in the entirety of his nerves at the moment.

Thankfully, the principal was engrossed in the television display once more, now displaying the gigantic girl as she jogged alongside a highway. "I have not forgotten my word, Vice Principal Beleren. You will still have the time you requested; however, I do suggest you try to be very... persuasive with Canterlot High's vice principal, as well as its principal should it come to that." Jace's throat suddenly felt dry and the room quite a bit warmer as Niv-Mizzet glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "I do not have much patience for needless delays."

The sensation was gone just as it came, and Jace gulped, feeling some sweat running from his brow and down his face. "Of course, Sir."

"Good." Niv-Mizzet turned back to the television and waved one of his hands. "You are dismissed."

Jace had to concentrate to keep his steps slow and measured as he exited the office, releasing a breath he'd only been half aware he was holding as soon as he'd closed the door. "...may all the gods damn this job," he muttered. "And damn me for accepting it." With a final shake of his head, Jace headed toward his office, already organizing his thoughts for what he'd have to do tomorrow evening.
He was going to need a lot of protective spells for the coming conversation.

Comments

[Blue_Paladin42]

I wonder how Niv-Mizzet will respond when/if Luna and/or Applejack "politely decline."

[SaintAbsol]

8052606

Probably not very well; but I know very little about the character he's meant to be based on.

[Neece]

8052635
"Not very well" might not be very healthy, considering who he's dealing with.

[Speven Dillberg]

8052635
For reference, Niv-Mizzet is a dragon with an ego that makes Trixie look like Fluttershy, and smart enough to make Twilight look like someone who just got lobotomised.
While I'm sure this human counterpart is not gonna start eating everyone in his vicinity, I wouldn't be surprised if a copious amount of fire is involved.

[SaintAbsol]

8053467

I know those aspects of him, and I think I've got a decent grasp of how such a character would work to write the Overstaturated World's version of him, I only say that I know very little about him since I didn't get really into Magic until very recently, well after both of the Ravnica blocks had passed. So, I have to have a good amount of doubt in my ability to accurately portray him, even if it's an explicitly alternate universe version of him.

[Firemind]

This will be ... interesting.

[Rikmach]

8053514

Some suggestions: Niv-Mizzet, while fantastically powerful both physically and magically, isn't one to get personally involved in much. He prefers to send others (or literally created new beings) to do his bidding for him while he contemplates, researches, and invents. The only time we see him actually fight anything is when something completely unexpected occurs: the Nephelim attack Ravinca. And it's worth noting that he defeats two of them in personal combat, a feat not matched by any other individual. However, when a third wounds him, he retreats, saying he is 'bored' of the fight, just to give you some idea of his personality.

As noted, he's quite the inventor, having created the nearly-indestructible metal, Mizzium, and a psychic network that boosts the genius of those connected to it- The Firemind. He also seems dedicated to order, or at least structure, being the one to start the chain of events to recreate the guild pact- though he may have been more motivated in understanding how the implicit mace functioned.

How you translate that into human form is up to you.

[Dark Feather]

8055765 It's ok, Tats storys are like that after the big timei wimy wibliy wobly stuff happend and Oversaturation is susceptible to suchthings.

[Joural]

8060114

Not if the fae know how to use formations. I think you're massively underestimating how important this stuff is. They might- MIGHT- be able to pull off some guerilla warfare stuff with this kind of experience. But even that's doubtful. The difference between ten guys fighting as a unit and ten guys fighting individually is massive. the ten fighting as a unit can seamlessly cover one another's weaknesses and hit the enemy when they're vulnerable, the ten fighting individually will get cut off and surrounded.

This kind of combat only works in action movies, because there ten-on-one odds means that you're fighting mooks, and they go down with barely a tap.

[DanaO]

8060159
Actually, I'd normally expect that not only do the fae not use formation combat, but that they, as a combat opponent, render the concept worthless. To a fae, getting past a shield wall is exactly as hard as getting past the single shield of the least effective user anywhere in that formations regardless of their relative positions - and every person wielding a shield in that wall is just a bit less personally effective using a shield because they're hemmed in and have to ensure their shield is personally contributing to protect others. Likewise, dodging a storm of arrows - or the fire of mounted machine gun emplacements - is exactly as difficult for a fae as avoiding the single worst aimed shot.

The preceding was a slight exaggeration, but the point is that fae, as they appear within our universe, aren't so much real beings as outsiders rolling up character sheets to roleplay characters in our story, and their greatest weakness outside of the stuff which works on their entry point and connection to their real selves is that the only rules they can't break (in the little kid "no you didn't do that" kind of way) are based on their own concept of "fairness"... which is also a lot like a little kid's way of playing combat. A fae being challenged (not necessarily in combat) by six individuals instinctively has to allow each one some way and some small chance to win, and that leaves a lot of openings to keep track of. A fae being challenged by a squad has the same constraints, but only a single "individual" opponent, and that gives them way more leeway to break all the rules we take from granted from our perspective.

I see where you're coming from, and this didn't apply to the LARPers anyway (who break into duels because it tends to be a more fun way to go through a battle whose only point was for the participants to have fun, and personal heroics and defeats make for better stories at the pub later anyway). And there are probably versions of the Fair Folk in continuities which don't work the way I described. But I've seen that version too often to discount it, and have seen nothing here which really goes against the possibility.