Video | un: dakkisigal

[castcure]

[The feed opens on a close shot of Dakki, sitting on a couch and surrounded by colorful cushions. She's leaning in the slightest bit, hands primly in her lap. Propped nearby is a odd-looking staff.]

I've had luck asking general questions before, and this one's a bit more complicated than asking about fruits and vegetables. Hopefully someone has an answer? Aah...

[She trails off for an awkward moment, then clears her throat and tries again.]

I'm in need of a place to practice my thaumaturgy. Which is, in this case, er... throwing large amounts of fire and ice about. With the occasional... large explosion.

[There's another bit of awkward hesitation, this time as she presses her lips together in a thin line. Who in their right mind is going to suggest a place where she can go and cause explosions? But it is what she's looking to do... she has to be honest.]

I know there's a 'gym' set up for Moonblesssed, but that's more oriented towards physical combat, yes? Is there anywhere appropriate for practicing powerful magic?

Comments

voice; manacookies

[spacegoat]

Be careful, apparently using magic here drains your chroma rather than anything else.

Video

[castcure]

[Oh! She recognizes that voice. Her expression brightens right up.]

I'm aware, I am! I've encountered it before. But I know a few tricks... and the exact methods that I've been taught for casting might offset it. Possibly. I... I need somewhere safe to test it.

[spacegoat]

I can understand this! I cannot tell you a good place as I am also in the search for this, but if you want to spar, I can be of assistance!

[castcure]

I'd love your assistance! Presuming I can find somewhere appropriate. There are some abandoned lots and empty places on the third level of the city, but... I'd rather somewhere where I'm sure that I'm not being a bother to anyone.

[spacegoat]

I very much understand that! It's important to not risk anything or anyone. I do not fully trust my magic here yet, so feeling it out, it will be important.

[castcure]

All the more reason to find the time and place to safely test your limits! It's mostly peaceful, here, but... not always. I wouldn't want you to be caught unprepared, if something happens.

[spacegoat]

Have you heard about any dangers?

[castcure]

I've experienced dangers. A few moons past, there were violent spirits roaming the streets. Several moons before that, there were fox cultists kidnapping Moonblesssed for some sort of sacrifice. There's that recent bad business with the terrible doll shop... And I've had friends encounter troubles in the more dangerous parts of the lower levels of the city.

[spacegoat]

Oh dear. I guess there's no world out there without some strife, but I had hoped this place was at least spared the more troubling kind.

I definitely need to measure my magic now.

[castcure]

I've certainly seen worse... but that doesn't diminish the seriousness of what can happen here. Not in the slightest.

Shall I let you know once I've worked out a proper place to practice?

[spacegoat]

Please do! That would be very kind of you!

I will be doing the same.

An update!

[castcure]

[Some time later, a new message will arrive for Minarii.]

Hello again! I hope this finds you well. I've finally found a place that I think will be suitable for spellcasting practice! I've attached a 'link', that if you use it, will bring up a map to it on your device. I'll be there tomorrow afternoon, if you've the time to come by.

Yours,

~Dakki Sigal

[The attached link does indeed lead the way, to a spot that can be found under prompt "D" on that post...]

[unhappy]

"Thaumaturgy?"

[castcure]

Yes? It's a particular school of magic, where I'm from. It has its roots in magics used when preparing the dead for burial... and even further back, to the 'Black Magic' of old.

[unhappy]

Oh. Magic is a weird thing in my world, we don't have names like that for it.

[ She's not really in a position to go into it, so she leaves it vague like that. ]

[castcure]

No? That's interesting. It's quite well-studied in my world, to the point that there are many different traditions of practice, and names for them.

What is the magic like in your world, if it's alright to ask?

[unhappy]

We have individual beyond-human abilities and there's like.. crystals you can use to create elemental reactions, but it's not something people can do within themselves. But except for the crystals, you're pretty stuck with the one thing you do. Except for a few believers, most of the world's convinced actual general magic doesn't exist.

[ And like 6 people have actual magic where you can do whatever you want with no external materials, she guesses, but that's more need-to-know information. ]

[castcure]

[She takes in that answer with a curious 'hmm', expression alert. Crystals and elemental reactions?]

Working with crystals sounds like a familiar enough thing to me. The ones of my world are essentially condensed aether. Not unlike the demichroma that powers so much of this place. Are yours like that, or do they involve, um... different principles?

[unhappy]

We call ours dust. They're just different forms of energy, they grow naturally in the world and have to be mined, usually. They're really volatile raw, but they can process them into different forms. I don't know about aether or anything.

[ She doesn't really know what aether is... ]

[castcure]

The crystals from my world are generally mined, too. Though sometimes they'll condense in and around plants, if they're in an area with a lot of aetheric density.

How volatile is 'really volatile'? Do they dissipate? Explode?

[unhappy]

Explode, yeah. There are a lot of mine accidents because of it.

[ Emerald is glad she never ended up in a mine. Though really, Schnee Company would send faunus to go because they're racist pricks, so even when she was homeless it's not like it was a big risk. So Emerald isn't super passionate about this topic, at least. ]

[Video] un: copycat

[plagiarisms]

I'm not sure of where it would be, but this world has magic of its own. Surely there must be something.

[castcure]

Mm, that's a thought! The Moon Knights might have something suitable... but I don't think they'd share that with the public, would they?

[plagiarisms]

From what I understand, the Moon Knights and Lunar Scientia both call upon the Moonblessed for help now and then. I don't think there's any harm in asking the Moon Knights if such a facility exists.

[castcure]

I suppose there's no harm in asking. In actually using... that's the sort of thing that creates an obligation, doesn't it? We might find ourselves called on for more than just the occasional helping hand.

[plagiarisms]

They don't seem like the sort to try to force people into doing anything that they really don't want to do. Granted, turning them down too many times could involve revoking of privileges like borrowing their facility.

[castcure]

A lot of organizations seem like that, right up until the moment when they actually do so.

...I might be letting some bad experiences color my thoughts on this. I'm sorry.

[plagiarisms]

That's quite all right. It's wise to not put absolute trust in strangers. I suppose I just have some faith in law enforcement because I'm a pro-hero in training.

[hoasen]

This is some kind of magic, no? [She taps her lip, in thought. It's not like she was good at magic in order to know how much space is needed, but.] I wonder, if a firing range might work.

[castcure]

A firing range? [She brings a hand up to thoughtfully tap it against her cheek, considering.] Possibly. Depending on what kind of fire it's set up to be able to withstand... Though I was hoping for somewhere that allowed for some mobility, not just rote casting practice.

[hoasen]

Ah, yes, some could have space. Although...

[Mobility? Hmmm...]

So you would like to run around as well? Moving targets?

[castcure]

Yes! It's one thing to be able to fling spells about while holding still in a nice safe spot. The true mastery is in holding you focus while avoiding an opponent!

...I'm... I'm still not terribly good at that.

[hoasen]

[Ohhhhhhh...]

How are you with martial arts? Have you ever tried it?

[castcure]

Martial arts? I'm quite practiced in the sword style of the Hingan samurai, if that's the sort of thing you mean. My footwork's just fine with a blade in my hand! But it's much more difficult to do the same thing while casting!

[hoasen]

[Hingan? She's guessing it's a school (not completely wrong) because at least she recognises "samurai".]

Mmm, I see. So you are quick to react and observe. How long does it take to cast a spell?

[castcure]

I need about two seconds of unbroken concentration for most spells. Longer for some. And I need to keep my feet planted! It helps to channel aether properly.

[hoasen]

Two seconds. [She ponders this some more.]

And you have to do this alone?

[AETHER, WHAT'S AN AETHER.]

[castcure]

Preferably not! If I've someone to fight alongside, they can usually distract our opponent long enough for everything to turn out fine!

[hoasen]

Oh! I could always provide you with back up. I use a gun to fight, but I also know martial arts myself. I can draw their attention.

[castcure]

Could you? If we've ever reason to be fighting together, I'd be grateful for your help!

[hoasen]

Of course! We are comrades here, no? I would be honoured to fight along side you. Or in front of you.

voice, un: completionist

[sassian]

You and your ilk haven't set aside an official space for that sort of thing yet? Well, that seems a bit of an oversight. Still, better late than never.

You might consider that stretch of wasteland we were all piloting those inconvenient warmachina over some months ago. So long as you don't mind stirring up a few of those worms, that is.

[There is moment or two of silence.]

My thanks for the sweets, by the way. They were... rather decent.

Video > Voice

[castcure]

[Her look becomes one of considerable surprise, the moment she hears Emet-Selch provide a response. Shouldn't a question like this be beneath him? Perhaps it's not really about that.]

It... seems overdue, yes.

[And then there is a moment of her reaching forward, her expression one of concentration, before the video is cut and she switches to audio, herself.]

Fun a challenge as that might be, I think there might be enough casters here to make it worth setting up something a bit... lower stakes? Mmn, it's still worth keeping in mind.

[She, too, hesitates a moment at that last bit. It wouldn't be hard to imagine another look of surprise upon her face.]

...you're welcome. That feels like high praise, coming from you.

[sassian]

Well, don't flatter yourself too much. I do have better manners than to criticize a gift freely given.

[Well... Enough manners to know it would be rude, at least. Not that it would have stopped him from voicing any complaint if the chocolates hadn't actually been rather good. Still, he hardly needed to be giving any Warrior of Light cause get cocky about anything.]

Now, frivolities aside, just how many might you be expecting to gather, and are they all... [he paused meaningfully] the same sort as you?

[He supposed he should have been keeping track of how many of them there were the whole time, but it really did seem such a chore to do so without causing a ruckus.]

[castcure]

[Something about his protest makes her smile... and in spite of her no longer being visible to him, she still presses her lips together to try and stifle it. It does mean he can hear a small hum of acceptance of his claim to good manners, though.]

At this point? One or two others. [Ah, that is a very meaningful pause.] And... not the same sort as I. Not... not that they're unwelcome! But I'm not even certain that all of those that I know of would be interested.

[I'ziva might appreciate a proper space for casting, given that she seems to be a Red Mage. Felih, perhaps, too. Kaelas and Shar and Rhus seemed far more comfortable with bladed weapons, though, to her knowledge... Gods, and what would Allumette even care to do?

...hmm.]

Do you know of any that I ought to invite?

[sassian]

No, I have no suggestions. I'm afraid I haven't found the society enough to my liking to do a great deal socializing.

[Well, with one exception, at least, but he was not about to point any of Hydaelyn's heroes at the closest thing he had to a companion, however indestructible the man professed to be.]

Should I presume the invitation to be open should I run into a likely candidate?

[castcure]

Ah. I'm sorry to hear that.

[It's said softly, in a way that comes out surprisingly neutral. Some part of her wanted to be sarcastic, but her heart couldn't quite make it there. How sad, to still be closed-off and lonely even when spirited away to somewhere strange and new.]

...yes! Certainly. You can... you can have them send me a message.

You're welcome to come, too. Even if it's not likely to be terribly interesting.

[sassian]

Are you really? Well, that is something.

[He sighs and shakes his head. He supposes she may even mean it, considering who she is.]

You are right that it is not likely to be interesting... But, I suppose I might as well be bored one place as another. Perhaps I will turn up, some time.

[castcure]

I am.

[In spite of her best efforts, she does mean it at least a little. Whether that's an innate trait that those of her ilk have or her own personal quality, she herself has begun to wonder...]

It might be a different sort of boredom, at least.

[A pause.]

I'll likely be bringing snacks, too.