selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos hesitated to answer. “Eh…” he started, “I dunno. At
this point there isn’t any cooperation between the American and No-maj
government. And there’s still even some stiffness between the Native American
wizards and the ones descended from immigrants, so it’d be tough to even start
doing a reveal. And America is full of so many different kinds of people… I
have no idea what it’d be like if they found out about magic, but I’m honestly
a little scared of what might happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Westboro
Baptist Church decided to start a new anti-witch crusade or ‘blood atonement’ thing because we’re ‘all
going to hell’ or something like that…”

“Oh shit, I forgot all about those shitheads.” He replied softly at the mention of religious radicals, a frown tugging at his lips. “I suppose around there you’re probably quite a bit more outnumbered than we are here, maybe some big reveal wouldn’t be such a good idea just yet. What’s it like for magical tourists there? Are the restrictions pretty strict or could I do pretty much whatever I want as long as muggles don’t see if I came to visit? I’m just curious, heh. I haven’t been outside of Europe before.”

“I think you need to register your wand,” Carlos said. “So that in case you do something you are documented and can be tracked. And, yeah, I guess it’s pretty strict. But if you’re not planning on causing any trouble, then I think you’re okay. I don’t know… I haven’t traveled to America while living in a foreign country, so I haven’t experienced it.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

“It’s… it depends. When I was a kid they took our wands away for the summer while we were enrolled at Ilvermorny,” Carlos explained. “But of course there are always kids who use magic by accident or study wandless magic out of spite. I… was closer to the former, really. In my experience though, it’s almost always been in front of my family. Though I think I told you about when I accidentally enlarged my friend’s rock collection…. he was a no-maj and some aurors came to, um… clean that up. But I didn’t get in trouble – I was only twelve or so.”

“They took your wands away?” He sounded almost horrified by that, he couldn’t imagine having his wand taken–– well, he could, but not by Hogwarts or the Ministry, the only person who’d ever taken his wand did so for much more sinister reasons. “Around here, you get to keep your wand during breaks with the condition ya don’t go performing magic in front of muggles, only exception is if your life is in danger. Using magic in self-defense while underage is justifiable and sometimes it’s entirely necessary, y’know?”

Carlos nodded. “Yeah, of course,” he agreed. “It’s just that we had a big scare with the Salem Witch Trials back since even before the United States became a thing, and then there was another scare in the 1910s or so… so MACUSA tried to get a handle on everything and keep children from performing magic when they were too young. I guess… we have enough issues with accidents. Then again, the US is a big country so… maybe the government is a bit stricter because there’s more wizards to deal with?”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos just smiled and shook his head. “Nah, that wasn’t on purpose,” he said. “But I do give him jinxed pens on occasion when we’re around each other. And sometimes I’ll put a timed transfiguration spell on, like, a banana peel or something so he thinks its a video game controller before it changes back in his hands. Though… that’s getting harder now. Almost all of his game controllers are custom-made.”

“Heh, you’re a better brother than I am.” He laughed. Thinking back on it, between himself and his brother, Hancock was the better one, but that still didn’t change the fact Carlos had him beaten. “Does your country have any rules against using magic in front of muggles? How’s that work when you’re muggle-born? I can’t imagine how folks here would react to a kid pulling magical practical jokes on his muggle brother, they ain’t too forgiving about rule-breaking.”

“It’s… it depends. When I was a kid they took our wands away for the summer while we were enrolled at Ilvermorny,” Carlos explained. “But of course there are always kids who use magic by accident or study wandless magic out of spite. I… was closer to the former, really. In my experience though, it’s almost always been in front of my family. Though I think I told you about when I accidentally enlarged my friend’s rock collection…. he was a no-maj and some aurors came to, um… clean that up. But I didn’t get in trouble – I was only twelve or so.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos laughed. “Yeah, because the image of your country rests solely on your shoulders!” he countered. “Man, if I was that petty then that sandwich shop I would have done in my opinion. As for my wallet… unfortunately, I’ve been the only one bitten so far. And my brother too, when I forgot that it actually bit people and asked him to grab my driver’s license for me once. But actual pick-pockets, no. I guess it’s usually too far down in my pocket for any no-maj to reach. They don’t expect expanded pockets, after all…”

“Hey now, one bad trip somewhere can ruin a person’s opinion’a that place forever, sometimes all it takes is one bad person to ruin a trip.” He shrugged. A soft snort escaped then as Carlos went on and he laughed, thinking back to some of the magical pranks he’d pulled on his brother back when he was in school. “Did ya actually forget or were ya just messin’ with him? ‘Cause that sounds exactly like the kinda shit my brother and I would’a pulled on each other back when we were kids.”

Carlos just smiled and shook his head. “Nah, that wasn’t on purpose,” he said. “But I do give him jinxed pens on occasion when we’re around each other. And sometimes I’ll put a timed transfiguration spell on, like, a banana peel or something so he thinks its a video game controller before it changes back in his hands. Though… that’s getting harder now. Almost all of his game controllers are custom-made.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos smiled at him again. “Well, I have a specially enchanted lock on my suitcase, and my wallet was crafted by an old Native American witch with an enchantment that allows it to bite the hand of anybody who is not its owner,” he started to explain. “Granted, it was a bit of a bitch to get that thing used to me, but once it was it works like a charm.” He looked out the windshield ahead of them. “But… all in all… I don’t think you’re a bad guy. I guess I sorta find you trustworthy. Maybe because Ham looked like a sweetheart, despite my allergy to him.”

“That’s fuckin’ hilarious, have you ever seen someone get bit by that thing?” He laughed, glancing over briefly. “Of course it’s the dog that won ya over, he wins everyone over. I appreciate you sayin’ all that, can’t say I find myself all that great a person, but I do my best, y’know? I promise I won’t steal anything from you anyway, ain’t exactly my style and I’d hate to sour your opinion of our lovely country by fuckin’ you over, heh.”

Carlos laughed. “Yeah, because the image of your country rests solely on your shoulders!” he countered. “Man, if I was that petty then that sandwich shop I would have done in my opinion. As for my wallet… unfortunately, I’ve been the only one bitten so far. And my brother too, when I forgot that it actually bit people and asked him to grab my driver’s license for me once. But actual pick-pockets, no. I guess it’s usually too far down in my pocket for any no-maj to reach. They don’t expect expanded pockets, after all…”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos’ smile dropped. “You warning me because you’re planning on stealing my passport and my kidney?” he asked, scarily deadpan.

“Somethin’ like that.” He snorted, rolling his eyes, though a little smirk tugged at his lips. “You tellin’ me you’re not concerned I might do something? Not sayin’ you should be, but I’m a little surprised, I guess.”

Carlos smiled at him again. “Well, I have a specially enchanted lock on my suitcase, and my wallet was crafted by an old Native American witch with an enchantment that allows it to bite the hand of anybody who is not its owner,” he started to explain. “Granted, it was a bit of a bitch to get that thing used to me, but once it was it works like a charm.” He looked out the windshield ahead of them. “But… all in all… I don’t think you’re a bad guy. I guess I sorta find you trustworthy. Maybe because Ham looked like a sweetheart, despite my allergy to him.”