Magical Object

[sapphire]

So I have need of a magical object in my trilogy, and I'm undecided on what it should be.
Basically, it needs to be usable by two people at once, and also take, store, and release souls/magical energy. It will be made of glass and bone. I've considered and discarded so many things you wouldn't believe it, and I'm down to the following:

Wrist cuffs connected by a chain (kind of like handcuffs, but not locking)
Lantern
Mirror
Scales (like for weighing, not fish scales - the old fashioned kind)
Net


Thoughts? Other ideas?

[Endovia]

For being used by two people, I really like the idea of wrists cuffs with a chain because it’s a physical link between the two people. For the other objects, I’m not sure how they’d be used by two people at once. For the cuffs, you could make it more binding by instead of it being on the wrists, having it around their necks, like collars. So far the cuffs are my favorite. I can really picture it.

I like the lantern. Something about the idea of illuminating and also how it could be seen as an everyday object and therefore be hidden in plain sight.

I think the mirror is very heavily loaded. First thought is Snow White and so I think it’d be neat to use something new. But the mirror could be interesting if its appearance is different from typical mirrors. Like maybe it’s shaped as a bowl instead of being flat or has something covering it so appears like a different object.

How big or small does this object need to be? Does it need to be easily transported?

[sapphire]

Yeah, it needs to be easily transportable by one person - not necessarily small, but manageable. All that's really required for two people to use this form of magic is that they both be touching it, so really it could be any number of things.
And as much as I like the symbolism of the scales or net, logistically I don't think they'll work with what I need them to do. So those two are out.

Cuffs, mirror, lantern. The cuffs are most easily managed by two people, and it would work well with what I have planned later to have an obvious intent to be used by two people at once. The mirror would be cool, though, for the whole "eyes reflect the soul" symbolism - but you're right that it's a common symbol and already has pretty intense connotations. The lantern I like because it can both release and trap light.

[A Mask Among Many]

Would both of the users absolutely need to be touching it? Because the scales give a seeming opportunity to put an object with great significance from both parties onto the scales in order to be used, and they'd just have to be in the same room. Or you could use that as a red herring.

The cuffs would be the optimal choice because of the physical connection.

The lantern would be really interesting. Would it work with a chain connecting the lantern to either party? Like the lantern is hanging on a chain on a pole, and the people just need to be holding the pole.

[sapphire]

No, they absolutely have to both be touching it. Can't break my own story rules here.

As for the lantern, they typically have a handle, so they could both be holding it. Ditto with the mirror - it would probably be a hand mirror or other smallish mirror, so they could both grip it together.
I think I am leaning toward cuffs at this point, though, despite the lesser symbolism.

[Endovia]

So the object has to contain magic, does that mean there needs to be a bag or some kind of container for the magic to go into? I’m thinking you could combine the lantern or mirror with the cuffs. If you’re willing to stretch Mask’s idea? So the cuffs are for the two people to wear so they’re touching the object and then the lantern or mirror is the focalizer, what the magic goes into, but the whole thing is the magical object.

I’m thinking it would be like a necklace, so little lanterns and little mirror or pocket mirror that you could open and close. And the whole necklace is the magical object. So if the lantern or mirror broke off of the links it wouldn’t work anymore. It’d be neat if it could be worn as a necklace so that it could be a hidden in plain sight. Maybe the cuffs are large loops at the back that connect?
www.google.com/search?q=lantern+necklace&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVx9zEvpbOAhXL3YMKHTnuDT4Q_AUICSgC&biw=1007&bih=738
You could even have little mirrors on the lantern.

I quite like this because it’s not the typical round shape of a mirror. carlaszabo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Hanging-Mirror-Necklace-540x720.jpg

You could also go all out with multiple mirrors like this: s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/2f/eb/d8/2febd8785072a2ec20ac40704a151cb7.jpg
A net of mirrors!

Edit:
Another idea. Instead of the lantern/mirror being like a charm on a necklace, it could be made as part of the interconnecting links on the chain of the necklace. So the lantern/mirror isn't dangling off of the necklace. Does that make sense?