two, two, two posts in one; 4/6

[wearingguess]

[ hey, it's a prismagram post from 1stQadrMargaFan! you know, that one c-plus/b-minus-list influencer who's always posting magic tutorials, fashion selfies, food pics, and random animal encounters. (well, not so much recently, but... yeah.) ]

Hello, First Qadr!!
Thank you all so much for your comments and messages over the past couple of weeks. I can't believe I went three entire days without responding to anything! 😳 But I always read everything you send me, and I will try to answer you all as soon as I can. 🧡🧡🧡

But now I must make an important announcement!
✨ Starting today, this account will be going on indefinite hiatus ✨
I will keep comments open, but I won't be posting any more pictures or videos. This is just a personal issue and there's no need for anyone to worry! 🦋😸🍇
I want to say thank you again. Your support over the past several months has meant more than I can possibly express!! You're all breathtaking, with and without your Moonheld and Moonblessed traits! Let's all keep doing the very best we can to look out for one another! 👋🥰

[ a few minutes later, there's another post, from another account: laurea. this one's video. long antennae and parts of the colorful underside of a pair of butterfly wings are visible on the subject (who doesn't appear particularly jazzed about them). ]

Hello.
Ah... this message is primarily for my fellow Moonblessed. For those who don't know me, I am Titus Alexius.
I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately, and... I think that we ought to, if possible... that is, to the extent that it is possible...

[ deep breath! ]

I think we should stop moonlacing.

[ and now the hurried qualifiers. ]

We need to do a little, of course, to survive. Obviously we should all feel free to do that amount. But beyond that minimum, we should most likely refrain.

[ he hunches his shoulders and looks down!! ]

This will certainly be a great sacrifice... and terribly difficult, especially during the moon cycles... and no doubt quite unpleasant in many ways as well. For some of us more than others. But while the effects of chroma generation initially seemed exclusively beneficial, with the very worst of them still being harmless, it is now more than clear that there are others that are neither predictable nor safe.

[ now he shuts his eyes. ]
...All of Port Sylvel paid the price for that. And many perished in the subsequent battle as well. We cannot bring them back, but we owe it to them not to let it happen again.

[ another deep breath. then he opens his eyes and looks back into the camera. ]

At least that is what I think.
I would like to know what all of you think.


[ there's a slightly awkward pause!! ]

...On that note, I am also looking for work.
I am willing to do anything, though... physically demanding work is probably best avoided, unless you don't mind its being accomplished poorly and only after a likely unreasonable length of time.
Nothing that requires moonlacing, either, though I suppose that much is obvious.

...
And that is all. Thank you!

Comments

[wearingguess]

A "cultivator"?
What do you cultivate? I am guessing it is not farmland... is it the wind itself?

I practice all sorts of magic. In the past I relied on it quite a bit, but of course from here on I shall be trying to get along without it.

[winepouring]

That's close, but not quite it. Rather than farmland, it's my own spiritual energy that I cultivate. The idea isn't too different, though. To be honest with you, there are countless cultivation methods, and laboring away through farm work is part of some people's practices. (It's not part of mine, however. (￣▽￣)ゞ )

[ And writing all that is very easy, but when it comes to magical power and defending oneself... Shi Qingxuan is more than aware of the limitations put in place here because of chroma, and that leads back to Titus's earlier comments. He was hoping to give him a break from that topic, but they ended up here anyway... ]

Not using magic will be something to adjust to if you're determined to limit the amount of chroma you generate... But many people go without ever using magic, so there's certain to be some workarounds. What did you usually use your magic for before?

[wearingguess]

I wonder if it has anything in common with my world's magoi manipulation, or with magic.

Ah, well
Various things. Raising or lowering the temperature around me to make it more comfortable, making a light to see by when it was dark, creating water if I got thirsty. And I usually flew in and out of the window instead of using the front door in my apartment, so... even now I am not all that familiar with the building's interior layout. I would also fly between the levels of the city instead of using the elevators. And I also used levitation magic to move furniture or other heavy objects... or to carry things.

[winepouring]

[ ........Titus is truly a man after Shi Qingxuan's own heart.

At least he doesn't need to see how bashful Shi Qingxuan looks when he reads all of that. Shi Qingxuan does that! He's the one that flies out the window and between the different levels, who brightens and darkens rooms with magic! Another person who's actually mortal would be a much better help with this kind of brainstorming...

But Shi Qingxuan is adaptable, and he's not backing down now! ]

I see, so you use it for many everyday needs.

Well, in the apartments, there are actually various things you can use. There should be a panel to let you change the temperature when you're at home, and there are bottles of water and little lanterns you can buy at different stores and take those around with you.

Do you live on your own? There's nothing wrong in asking people for help moving heavy objects or showing you the way around your building. You don't need to rely on only yourself. Surely, your friends would rather you asked them than to know you were struggling on your own?

[wearingguess]

I suppose... that is probably true...
But I feel nervous when I think about asking for help now.
Nothing feels the same as before...

[winepouring]

Even if things have changed, aren't your friends still your friends? But if there are things you think need to be said, then it might be best to say those things first.

Has something in particular happened that's made you nervous now?

[wearingguess]

Well
I have only just returned from going back to my world
And things were very intense
And of course things here have been very intense as well
Everything feels very fraught

And I have become, you know
A "downer"

[winepouring]

When things are hard, being a downer is normal, isn't it? More than anything, isn't what you need time? If you're not happy or you're hurt, you should say so. True friends won't care that you're a downer for a while.

[ Shi Qingxuan knows all about true friends because he had one whole true friend back home. ]

I can't say we know each other well, but you can be a downer with me! There's no need to act any other way.

[wearingguess]

Time
Yes.
I suppose that is what I need.
At least, it's what I want.

Thank you.
I am truly, deeply grateful for your kindness.



By the way
May I ask whether the job at your shop entails the wearing of "fetishy costumes"?
(I do not personally care about that at all. I am asking on behalf of a friend)

[winepouring]

[ w

what?!

That's one way to change the mood, but Shi Qingxuan will still answer the first part first! ]

There's no need to thank me! There's always time, even if it isn't very much time. You should let yourself rest and get your thoughts in order. That's one of the most important things right now.

As for Wind and Flowers, there are no such costumes. Normal clothing is fine as long as it looks nice.

Is your friend looking for such a shop? Those places usually advertise themselves very aggressively, so they're certain to find one if they wander around a little.

[wearingguess]

You are
probably right.
In retrospect, I think I have been in too much of a hurry since I came back
Things are not quite so immediate here
But I have never been very good at resting and ordering my thoughts by myself.
I wish I had gotten my friend Sphintus to teach me how to cast his restorative sleep spell when I had the chance.
Though, as long as I am wishing anyway, I would rather he were simply here

Ah, no
As for my friend, I think she is specifically not looking for it.
She seems to have complicated personal circumstances that result in not eating very frequently, and she does not want free money but is interested in discounts, and is tentatively interested in jobs

[winepouring]

It's hard to be away from friends. [ Is all Shi Qingxuan can say to that. He can hear the loneliness and unease even through his text, but there's no easy fix for what he's experiencing, particularly when some of his anxieties are far away. ] You know, it's not the same, but writing your thoughts is surprisingly effective at helping you organize them. It's a little like having a conversation with yourself.

Oh, and I've seen sleeping medicine at the stores, too! I haven't tried them, but they may help you rest properly if you can't sleep otherwise.

[ Shi Qingxuan can just knock people out with spiritual energy, but that's not restorative so much as it's like blowing out a candle. Simply blacking out. ]

Anyway, Wind and Flowers is primarily a wineshop; the food menu we have is very small and changes regularly. I can't say if the food will always be to her tastes, but if she works hard, she's absolutely welcome to have some!

Though, does she have difficulty getting food for herself? I won't pry, but if the problem is that she can't find food, it's better to fix that problem directly.

[wearingguess]

You are probably not wrong...
I have never really written just to myself, but I used to post things like that on Prismagram. Though there was always much about which I was not honest... or at least, not forthcoming

To be honest
The more I talk to her, the less I think I understand.
Apparently she is not human, and may or may not be a living being, and she prefers not having a home and thinks it is fine that she can eat only every few days because that is as much as she "needs"
But she also admitted she feels hunger more frequently than that
In the end it is all up to her, but I feel as though she is being stubborn about things. I really think it is unacceptable for anyone to go hungry in a world where food is plentiful. There is just no reason for it

[winepouring]

That's the good thing about writing to just yourself. You can be honest and write whatever comes to mind. It's just between you and yourself. If you're annoyed or upset, you can just write it out! And if you don't want to keep it afterwards, just burn it!
There's no replacing talking to a good friend, but writing to yourself isn't a bad alternative. It puts things into perspective.

It's true. There's plenty of food here, so if she's hungry, there's no reason not to eat.
[ Hmmm... ] Say, if you're worried, why not invite her to eat with you? That way, it's not about eating or not eating: It's a get-together between friends. ( ˘⌣˘)人(˘⌣˘ ) Maybe that will help her feel more comfortable?