Experimentation [Max]

[Cain the Scorched]

"Soo...."

The voice came from behind him. At first he didn't turn, remaining floating where he was, staring at the lab before him. At last he turned, crossing his arms with a short nod to his nephew. He'd been in these labs many times over the years, trained his replacements, even. But this was different. This was his in a way it hadn't been in decades. And he'd be replicating something he'd never wanted to see again. Max's new perspective into his powers gave Cain the final piece he needed, and so he'd requested his help. Cain's form had been shifting uncertainly, but now it shivered, settling as he steeled himself.

"This is going to be a little complicated." He started, briefly explaining how he'd be directing Max as they worked. He had everything he needed. In some ways, he was the only way they could get what they wanted accomplished. He'd researched so thoroughly, had had so many tomes and old scrolls about the Stone. The fire had breached his protective wards, burning them and the rest of his small library to a crisp. Fortunately, even in death he had an eidetic memory. "Are you ready?" Max would have to do the lion's share of the work. Cain was the brains, but Max would be his hands.

[Max Kameren]

Even after his absence, stepping foot back in the Ministry again still felt out-of-place for Max Kameren. After the solitude of Barbara Ng’s home in America the empath was extra sensitive to the Atrium’s buzzing auras, like stepping out into the sun after a long time spent in darkness. In his absence he’d gotten used to quiet, to the sound of his own thoughts. He’d heard the pulse of his own soul and took comfort in it. After visiting Barbara’s compound he understood why the other empaths distanced themselves.

But it was a comfort Max couldn’t afford, not now. They’d made a breakthrough ambushing Warghollow and Michael, and Max was needed. His abilities were getting stronger every day. He could help turn the tides; he wasn’t the soldier his father had groomed him to be, but instead a shield to protect his loved ones.

That was what called him home: his loved ones. Warghollow had surfaced near Hogwarts and Godric’s Hollow, sending a message that the Kameren’s meddling in the Shadowloved’s plans had put a target on their backs once again. It wasn’t only Max’s relationship with Rowena that put him in the line of fire now. In her absence he stood on his own.

Amid the muted shuffle of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Max stooped to try to blend in. Green eyes scanned the bullpen in search of Eden or Alex but they were both missing. He sighed under his breath and instead his eyes darted down, looking for a desk he could commandeer.

“Kid!” Max’s eyes flashed up at the bark of an oddly familiar voice and fell on the dinnerplate eyes of Auror Evans.

“Kid?” Max cocked his head: weren’t they the same age?

“How was your brain test? You a monk yet?” Max opened his mouth to talk but Briar barreled onward ahead of him, wrapping a thick-muscled arm around his thin adoptee to lead him to a desk. On the surface sat a file with his name on it. “We’ll need your bonce again soon I’m sure, closing in on Warghollow any day.”

With a light shove Max tripped backwards into the desk chair and he looked up at Briar questioningly, still somewhat blindsided by his forward friendliness. Briar smiled back in expectant confusion when no reply came his way. “Oi, they told me you were quick with the wit. Good talk, stretch.” Briar slid the file on the desk in Max’s direction and turned to leave him. “Cain needs you for something…”

.. .. .. ..

Meet me in my office. I need an extra pair of hands.

Max scoffed under his breath at the note. Were his hands really the best choice? Max’s thumb absently grazed the stump of his ring finger back-and-forth as he rounded the corner in search of the Cursebreaker offices. Since his attack months ago his was fully healed a nearly-fully back to full range of motion; the only issue he had now was with small tools and things that required a steady hand, like writing. The balance of writing without a finger still felt wrong, like writing with the opposite hand. His potions craftsmanship was back up to standard, though. He could return to Mungo’s, if Milton would let him. If the halls didn’t ring in his ears with Rowena’s missing aura he would be back already.

"Soo...." Max slid around the doorframe of Cain’s office, taking in the lab’s collection until his eyes fell upon the transparent form of his uncle. Cain turned to face him and Max held up the note left for him. “Hear you need nine-tenths of some hands?”

"This is going to be a little complicated." Max nodded. Whatever it was, he was ready. He’d known they eventually needed to revive the stone. Every day since the battle at Fort William They planned further and the Shadowloved grew stronger. Warghollow resurfacing indicated something would happen soon. There was no time to waste. "Are you ready?"

Max nodded. “Let’s go.”

[Cain the Scorched]

"Soo...." Max slid around the doorframe of Cain’s office, taking in the lab’s collection until his eyes fell upon the transparent form of his uncle. Cain turned to face him and Max held up the note left for him. “Hear you need nine-tenths of some hands?”

They'd set it up for him, Alex ensuring everything was just as Cain liked it, how he'd always had this potion to hand, or that stone. What little he had been able to scrounge up about the stone sat on a shelf, surrounded by so many protection spells it hurt him to look at it. Maybe it would be good for them to burn, like the others. If there was anything else written on the stone Cain hadn't found it, and doubted it existed. He turned and nodded at Max, his silvery form shivering into a more settled form as he braced himself for what he needed to do.

"This is going to be a little complicated." Max nodded. Whatever it was, he was ready. He’d known they eventually needed to revive the stone. Every day since the battle at Fort William They planned further and the Shadowloved grew stronger. Warghollow resurfacing indicated something would happen soon. There was no time to waste. "Are you ready?"

Max nodded. “Let’s go.”

"Crowley is great," Cain said, pacing the aisle along the outside counters around the island in the middle. the room was roughly square, with counters all along the sides and a large island taking up the center. Wards and protections gleamed everywhere. He traced a hand lightly along one shelf, his fingers disappearing into the vials and jars. "But for this, we need to work together. As one. And aside from your powers..." he trailed off. _{"I wish things had been different."}  "...aside from that, I know you much better than her," his face crooked in his first smile since Max had entered the room, "..nephew."

He moved over to a tall stool-chair set at the island, floating slightly about eye level if Max sat. "Lets start over here." He hummed, this time the tiny ripples in his form coming from concentration instead of concern. "We need to start with this." He floated higher, passing over the middle of the island to hover over a smooth, smooth stone. It had taken Alex and Cain weeks to find it and harvest it at the right time, they had finally hewn out a roughly rectangular block about the length of two hands, the base just wide enough to be uncomfortable held in a palm.

"It will carve itself as we go. Theoretically." he hoped, he really, really hoped he was right. He hovered a hand over a clear, tight stoppered jar. "Grab that, will you? Lay the stone in front of you and cover it with this." The black grains should be attracted to the stone, covering it completely.

[Max Kameren]

Taking in the cluttered surroundings of the lab instantly took him back to his childhood. Max hadn’t been in Cain’s office since the Demon Wars. It felt like centuries had passed since he was small and innocent standing in this same spot, but the smells were somehow the same. The clutter was similar. The only difference was that his adopted uncle was no longer flesh and blood.

"This is going to be a little complicated."

Max nodded. “Let’s go.”

"Crowley is great," Max followed Cain’s guidance and took the place directed at the counter, placing his hands palms-down on either side of instruction-filled parchment. "But for this, we need to work together. As one. And aside from your powers… I wish things had been different “ Max cocked his head at Cain’s utterance, sharp eyes narrowing as he caught the end of it. The dread in his aura spoke volumes for the mumbling he missed. “...aside from that, I know you much better than her," his face crooked in his first smile since Max had entered the room, "..nephew."

A slight smile broke through Max’s stormy exterior and he looked up from the table. “Thanks, Cain. I’m sure we can work together smoothly; I read auras and… well, you basically are an aura.” Max’s smile darkened into a mischievous smirk for a moment as he concentrated and the air around Cain’s form seemed to radiate, upsetting his form until it vibrated with Max’s force. The vibration stopped suddenly when Max cut it off and his smirk grew to a joking grin. “See? Peas in a pod, you and I.”

"Lets start over here. We need to start with this." Max’s eyes followed Cain’s gesture to the stone in the center of the table; it was smooth, like it was poured liquid and became solidified. "It will carve itself as we go. Theoretically. Grab that, will you? Lay the stone in front of you and cover it with this."

Max pulled the jar of black grain closer and opened it. It didn’t take much for the grain to be drawn to the stone; the moment he poured the grain out it coated itself to the stone, pulling the pieces together as if magnetized. “Huh,” Max arched a brow in surprise as he turned the stone gently in his hands until it was fully coated. Even as a Potions Master he hadn’t seen anything like this before. Beneath his fingers he felt the grains dig in; was the carving beginning?

Max glanced up at Cain with a silent question: what next?

[Cain the Scorched]

“Thanks, Cain. I’m sure we can work together smoothly; I read auras and… well, you basically are an aura.” Max’s smile darkened into a mischievous smirk for a moment as he concentrated and the air around Cain’s form seemed to radiate, upsetting his form until it vibrated with Max’s force. The vibration stopped suddenly when Max cut it off and his smirk grew to a joking grin. "See? Peas in a pod, you and I.”

This time the shiver his form went through came from an outside source. His eyes shot to Max's in surprise. He couldn't touch anything. Hadn't for decades. It felt like a warm, comforting touch, a hand to the shoulder, a hug. He smiled, dropping his insubstantial hand to his nephew's shoulder, leaving a cold imprint before he turned to the table and directed Max to pick up the unfinished stone.

"Ok... " Cain floated around the lab until he found what he was looking for, a  small cauldron set over a small gas burner. "Light it..." He said absently as he marked the necessary ingredients with icy handprints. "This is a Vinculum Potion." he touched a knife, leaving a frosted fingerprint on the blade, focusing on a sense of concern, of caution. "It is the first step." He directed Max in how to chop, dice and mix ingredients before adding them to the small cauldron. "It will have to bubble for--" He started as his nephew added writhing moonslugs to the brew, but as soon as the slug touched the potion, it flashed blue and flared, wafting Cain backwards and turning Max's eyebrows, facial hair and the locks hanging over his forehead a bright green.

[Max Kameren]

Max handled the stone gingerly, unsure of its fortitude or complexity. Being ten years old at the time Max wasn’t allowed to handle it during the war, and once it was destroyed the sore subject of his ghostly uncle was rarely raised in conversation. He could tell the philosophy of this process was bothering Cain deep in his aura; he’d dedicated his life to destroying the stone only to have to bring it back. It wasn’t fair to him, but the Shadowloved weren’t fair to anyone.

"Ok... Light it..." Max’s eyes followed Cain across the lab, perking up at the sight of a cauldron. Finally, something in his wheelhouse! "This is a - “

“Vinculum Potion." Max finished the sentence with his uncle, scanning shrewdly over the ingredients. It was a potion he’d only read about in his Potions Master’s studies, never attempted. It was an incredibly strong but very particular bonding potion. In his line of work as a Healer it had never come up. “Yes, I’ve heard of it.”

"It is the first step." Max followed along as Cain instructed him on preparation. "It will have to bubble for--"

As Max added the last ingredient Cain had called for the potion soured with a flash of blue. He reeled back coughing, cutting the burner off to prevent the smoke from filling the lab. “Alright, slight misfire there.” With a wave of his hands the smoke cleared and Max hunched back over the cauldron to inspect his mistake, “luckily I’ve got most of the ingredients we used in my personal stash, we can remake it in no - “

Max’s worked stalled at the look on Cain’s face when he glanced up at him. What made him suddenly so jovial? “What?”

[Cain the Scorched]

The flash was sudden, and when Cain finally righted himself and flew back to check on Max, he was met with a very odd sight. Wibble. Cain studiously tried to keep his face straight, looking away from his nephew. Wobble.  He snuck a glance in Max's direction, but his ectoplasm shivered dangerously again and he had to look away, bringing a hand to his mouth.

“Alright, slight misfire there.” With a wave of his hands the smoke cleared and Max hunched back over the cauldron to inspect his mistake, “luckily I’ve got most of the ingredients we used in my personal stash, we can remake it in no -" Max’s worked stalled at the look on Cain’s face when he glanced up at him. What made him suddenly so jovial? “What?”

Cain had been sneaking looks, but finally he burst out laughing, his entire form shaking as he clenched one arm around his waist and waved at Max with the other. "No-n-no... N-nothing!! Ahahaha!" He rose as he laughed, til he was floating partially through the ceiling, rolling in laughter. "Nothing! AHAHAHAHA" After a long time, he rolled onto his belly and peered down at his nephew through tears. "I-i --Ha! hope--hehe! green's your--ahaha, favorite! Ahaha!"

[Max Kameren]

“What?” Cain’s aura was practically overflowing with amusement and the ghost himself wasn’t hiding it well. He seemed ready to burst. What was possibly so funny about a mucked-up potion?

"No-n-no... N-nothing!! Ahahaha! Nothing! AHAHAHAHA" He finally broke and Max rolled his eyes, still missing the joke. But with the motion he caught a fleck of electric green in his peripheral and froze. "I-i --Ha! hope--hehe! green's your--ahaha, favorite! Ahaha!"

Max reached up and pulled down a few unruly tendrils of lime green hair, grimacing at the sight. His dread lasted only a moment before he too broke into an amused grin. “Shit! How bad is it?” Max turned to the office’s trinkets until he found a foe-glass hanging in the far corner to look into. He jumped back, grimacing with a barked laugh of surprise. The lime-colored curse spread across his entire beard, covered his eyebrows, and speckled the front of his hairline like a leprechaun’s curse. “Ah! The eyebrows too?”

The Potions Master shook his head and laughed along with his uncle; in his line of work involuntary makeovers were a hazard that came with the territory. “Shit. I’ll have to cut it off. My mum will thank you.” He turned back to the foe-glass, biting his lip as he inspected his brows. “Dunno what I’ll do there, though…”