REDE

MARS / EST
[break]HOMESTUCK, dave strider

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william h. evander


rede, billy, get-out-of-here-asshole


human witch


twenty


march 20th


st. paul, minnesota


male


demiguy

[attr="class","appcat"]dossier

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✔ ebullient, protean, aggressive, tactful, loyal, empathetic[break]
✘ willful, taciturn, reactive, ignorant, pessimistic, selfish



although billy was obvious born to two parents, all he's ever known was the one. single mother. only child. the makings of a slice-of-life sitcom, right there in the center of st. paul. although, the sitcom probably would've began and progressed with billy's ignorance of his mother and her private life. as it so happened, her son was very much in the know.

[break][break]billy's mother was a tattoo artist. everything else aside, she was pretty damned good at her job and her artwork, and that's what kept them living comfortably for a while. but billy's mother was also an enchantress. her type of magic was the kind that imbued spells into objects, and her art lied in her craft. naturally she wasn't spilling bespelled ink over every customer that walked into her parlor, but it was a practice that meant a lot to their little family. tattoo culture was a huge thing with billy and his mother, and by the time the boy was nineteen most of the tattoos he was covered in now were already done by his mother.

[break][break]as skilled as mom was with her brand of magic, none of the aptitude got passed down onto billy, unfortunately. try as he might, both with her craft and others, billy just wasn't adept at it whatsoever. the farthest he got to considerable relevance was channeling magic through his tattoos, and that wasn't even an accomplishment. it was his mother holding his hand, basically. it brought billy down, but it always spurred him on. to keep learning, to embrace the culture, to just enjoy the fact that magic was in his life at all. people with special gifts existed all over, and billy loved being a part of that. however small.

[break][break]then comes the closer. or maybe the opener, depending on how you considered it. but the timeless lesson reared its head, eventually; magic wasn't a cure-all. it didn't solve all problems and it didn't prevent all misfortunes. the police said they were looking for a quick buck, and his mother's place was successful enough to warrant a hit. they said it was an armed robbery. they said it didn't end that way. and, just like they say to everyone who experiences loss, they said sorry.

[break][break]whether it was the memories of his hometown that drove him away or whatever else, billy packed up his car and used this event as a catalyst to make his way to new jersey. he didn't know what he had in mind, but eventually, with his truck altar stuffed with magical tools and his backseat stuffed with what remained of his possessions, an idea formed. the idea of rede, a hero, one that used magic not to prevent all tragedy, but to do his part to take a sizable chunk of it out of the world. he'd lost, but if at least one person didn't have to, maybe it'd be easier for him. who knew?

[attr="class","appcat"]powers

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born in taught in the ways of magic, billy has the ability to perform acts of sorcery to whatever extent his aptitude with the craft allows him at the time. this is just a precursor to his specific uses of this ability, and a generalization of his power as a whole.



like every basic witch, billy has the ability to cast spells to varying degrees of effectiveness. unlike most basic witches, said degree usually isn't high when it comes to him. in order to cast spells like 'normal', billy needs a little assistance. basic artifices and materials are required to facilitate spellcasting (such as herbs and the like), along with a small incantation. said incantation needs to be the intention and/or effect of the spell, recited backwards. while speaking aloud might not normally be necessary for a witch, billy actually does require this literary device for his powers to function. it helps keep everything focused, and stuff. even if it is a grade school-level magic-helper. when billy casts spells like this, only acts of a small scale can be performed; conjuring a fireball, picking a lock, and summoning a basic shield are all acceptable. things like teleportation, flight, and other spells that alter the world significantly can't be performed that easily.



where billy lacks in the ability to perform faster, reliable spells on command he makes up for in performing rituals. they're usually wiccan in nature, or close. rituals performed beforehand can be used by billy later as a more powerful, prepared spell or rituals can produce an instant effect. nevertheless, they require a good deal of material, lots of pomp and circumstance, and multiple worldly factors to be in alignment if a ritual spell is to be cast. but they don't make billy a better witch. rituals are his way of performing powerful spells, but a ritual performed by billy can in no way match the power of one performed by a bona fide witch. things like teleportation and stronger healing are possible with this magic, but higher-tier magic is still beyond reach.



using the enchanted tattoos that cover his body, billy can channel his magic into them and use them for varying effects. this is probably his most reliable and powerful form of magic use, although restrictive in creativity. most effects tend to be something utility-based, such as a glamour or a physical buff. some might serve to summon an attack, or weapon. while limited in how many he has and what they can do, his mom's powerful enchantments put this facet of billy's magic on part with the average witch, if not a step below.



because billy's so shit at magic, everything he does has to be multiplied a hundred times in terms of effort. billy's had to learn complex math equations just to figure out the dimensions and physics of summoning a ball of light, for example. while this isn't a supernatural power, billy's constant learning and dissection of magic and spells has given him an immense expertise in the field, and allows him to detect and notice almost any sign of magic use or if magic is present, along with the ability to determine what the magic is and what it does. of course, this is reliable only most of the time. if someone creates magic, or uses an obscure magic, billy could only analyze it based on what it has roots in. that is to say, not a complete observation. he only knows what he's studied, and if it can't be studied how could he know it?