While Winchester approaches and sits, Stark finds his necessities, which in this case, aren't much. The stick of lead works to draw a double-circle on the map, which has been weighted at the corners by odds and ends from the bag to keep it from folding up again. He adds a few words and symbols here, Latin mixing with more arcane signs but, thanks to Stark's chicken-scratch scrawling, bearing not much more resemblance to any modern alphabet. He only looks up when Winchester speaks again.
Taking the photo cautiously between two fingers with a serious but sort of distracted nod, he looks it over briefly. "This'll work." At any other time, the photo's contents might garner more commentary, but for now, the blood and weapons and happy-family smiles only earn a moderately amused, "'s touching." Setting the photo to the top of the circle, Stark looks his preparations over briefly and nods to himself. Improvising a sort of dowsing pendulum from a small throwing knife with a chain looped through the pierced-work hilt, he sits forward to concentrate, holding the knife suspended over the map.
Though it could be used easily for nefarious means, there's nothing inherently hostile about a locator spell, so no words have to be spoken aloud. Instead, it's more of a focusing, narrowing will to a sharp point and directing it with mental commands. Within a few seconds, the knife begins to spin, seemingly on its own. It wavers over a few different places, first to the north of the map, then lower, and easterly. For a moment it sways pendant over the midwest in general. Stark narrows his eyes, mental concentration kicking up to a barely-audible tuneless humming. The knife shivers then, sudden as a lightning blast, veers away west sharply before the chain jerks itself from Stark's fingers. He snatches his hand back to his chest instinctively, as if his fingers were burned, while the knife buries itself a few inches deep in the table.
Recovering from the surprise easily, Stark leans over the map. Seeing that the point is embedded centered in the state of Nevada, he snorts emphatically. "Sonofabitch." This is all he has time to get out, before the knife burns literally red hot, igniting the map. With those fast reflexes of his, Stark snatches the photo before the flames can get close and offers it back to Winchester calmly, like this is all normal behavior.
no subject
Taking the photo cautiously between two fingers with a serious but sort of distracted nod, he looks it over briefly. "This'll work." At any other time, the photo's contents might garner more commentary, but for now, the blood and weapons and happy-family smiles only earn a moderately amused, "'s touching." Setting the photo to the top of the circle, Stark looks his preparations over briefly and nods to himself. Improvising a sort of dowsing pendulum from a small throwing knife with a chain looped through the pierced-work hilt, he sits forward to concentrate, holding the knife suspended over the map.
Though it could be used easily for nefarious means, there's nothing inherently hostile about a locator spell, so no words have to be spoken aloud. Instead, it's more of a focusing, narrowing will to a sharp point and directing it with mental commands. Within a few seconds, the knife begins to spin, seemingly on its own. It wavers over a few different places, first to the north of the map, then lower, and easterly. For a moment it sways pendant over the midwest in general. Stark narrows his eyes, mental concentration kicking up to a barely-audible tuneless humming. The knife shivers then, sudden as a lightning blast, veers away west sharply before the chain jerks itself from Stark's fingers. He snatches his hand back to his chest instinctively, as if his fingers were burned, while the knife buries itself a few inches deep in the table.
Recovering from the surprise easily, Stark leans over the map. Seeing that the point is embedded centered in the state of Nevada, he snorts emphatically. "Sonofabitch." This is all he has time to get out, before the knife burns literally red hot, igniting the map. With those fast reflexes of his, Stark snatches the photo before the flames can get close and offers it back to Winchester calmly, like this is all normal behavior.