The Wizard of Oz

        When Elliott woke, he was in a small house made primarily of branches and leaves. Seemed about right. But... it wasn't right. His hut didn't have this much light, and he didn't have anything comfortable enough to be what he was laying on. He shot up, eyes wide, and accidentally startled an odd-looking man. 

        "Oh! You're awake," the man said, scratching his head. Wow, did this man need a bath. He was short, with long brown hair, brown robes, a brown hat, and there were twigs and spiderwebs in his hair and beard. Was this... Elliott sighed. This looked like Radagast the Brown, from the movies. He couldn't be completely sure, but he was more sure than he was with Aragorn, before he'd gotten the man's name. Radagast was... kinda difficult to mistake for someone else.

        "I was afraid you wouldn't," the man commented, needing no words from Elliott. "That magic you used was powerful. It sapped almost all your strength!"

        "Magic?" he brightened, looking up at the wizard. 

        "Oh, yes," came the reply. "A strange magic I have not felt before, but magic nonetheless. Would you like some tea?" 

        Elliott blinked at the sudden change in topic, but nodded so as to not be rude. He hated tea, unless it was drowning in sugar or honey. The brown wizard bustled about the kitchen, setting on stoves and putting leaves in pots. While the wizard did so, Elliott had some time to think.

        Magic? He hadn't had that before. His mind whirled with possible explinations, before one theory clicked. The author! As was evidenced by the bowl of... what was it, chicken? No, spaghetti, that he had asked for, the author couldn't do things outside the realms of possibility. Except, they had managed to grow a tree out of nowhere. 

        Not out of nowhere, though. 'if a tree falls in a forest, and nobody is around to hear it, did it really fall?' he supposed the same could be said about a tree growing. So the author had changed things to make it so that something had happened ages ago to make an apple tree grow - and one that grew out-of-season at that. If that was the case, then it was plausible that the author had needed to give him magic - maybe he'd had it ever since he woke up, he just didn't know - to make him capable of doing what he did. 

        Well, he wasn't complaining. Having magic sounded awesome. Soon, a hot cup of tea was placed into his hands and pulled him out of his thoughts. "Here you go," the wizard said, and Elliott gave a small smile as thanks. He took a small sip and nearly spat it out. What was in that!? It tasted like the smell that emanates from seaweed that's been in the sun too long! He forced it down his throat, though, and managed to hide the grimace of disgust that threatened to overtake his features. It did make him feel better, though. His exhaustion and pain faded away.

        Thankfully, the wizard didnt ask about Elliott's parents, or where he came from. In fact, he forgot to even introduce himself. When Elliott timidly asked if he could say, though, he blinked and said, "Oh, of course! You ended up on my doorstep for a reason, after all. Maybe it is so that I can help you learn to use your magic. What was it that Gandalf said? 'Have a smoke, Radagast'. No, that wasn't it... something profound..."

       Elliott shuffled and forced the rest of the tea down his throat with one quick gulp. Then he said, "Can you... I mean, do you think... You said you'd help me learn to use my magic...?" he mumbled, twisting his hands together. 

        "Yes, yes, not now though. You still need to regain your strength," Radagast said, then walked away while talking to a bird. Elliott actually felt less anxious around Radagast, as the man was so weird that it was oddly comforting. He fidgeted restlessly, occupying his hands by fingering his bracelets. One of them was oddly warm, so he looked down.

        There sat the two bracelets, almost completely normal, on his wrist. The only thing that had changed was that one - the one with beads the colour of the aromantic flag - was warmer than the other and glowing slightly. Not enough to tell without looking for it, but it cast a slight light onto the pale skin of his wrist. He raised an eyebrow, rubbing it. That did... absolutely nothing. But he hummed and focused on the other one. Maybe his 'magic' was something to do with the bracelets? Like, he could make magical charms or something?

        Elliott focused all his will on the second bracelet, trying to charm it to make him fly. Nothing happened. Maybe that was too much of an ask. He tried again, focusing on lazervision. Still nothing. With a sigh, he thought back on all the fake charms he'd seen in stores as a kid. They said they were for luck, protection, strength, all that jazz... never superpowers. He shook his head and focused on imbuing the bracelet with protection.

        He blacked out. But when he woke again, Radagast was nearby with a scolding look and cup of tea, and both his bracelets felt warm. Yes! A quick glance to his arm confirmed that the second bracelet was glowing slightly as well. He would have done a happy jig if he wasn't so tired. This time he drank the tea without complaint, mumbled an apology when Radagast scolded him for using his magic so soon after exhausting it completely, then lay back down and went to sleep.

        Elliott ended up staying with Radagast for fifty, almost sixty, years. By the time he had the body of what looked to be a sixteen-year-old, Radagast had made a habit of sending him to Bree every other week for supplies, and to learn how to make jewellery from a family of dwarves that occasionally travelled through. It was there that exposure therapy worked its magic (pun unintended) and he grew slightly less terrified of everyone. Only enough to hold a short conversation, mind, but it was progress. It was also at Bree that he met four hobbits and a ranger.

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Offcut:

        Elliott groaned, falling to his knees in front of Radagast the Merciless. "Please, Radagast, please! Don't make me do this!"

        "You need to get used to people, Elliott. Besides, you need to talk to people other than me!"

        "But whyyyyyyyy!?"

        "Connections are important! You need friends, or at least the ability to ask for directions without having a panic attack!"

        Elliott grabbed Radagast's robes, looking up with wide, wet eyes. "I dont want to go to Breeeeeeeeee!"

        Radagast said nothing as he kicked Elliott out of the house.