oh, for fox's sake | Glowfic Constellation

"If you can read at the same time, it wouldn't be so boring."

"About anything gets a little boring when it's work. Even flying. But, yeah. It's not so bad."

"Such is life, that we have to do boring things to, like, eat."

"Yeah. Life's hard, you can't let up unless you're lucky enough to be born rich."

"Once your at the top, your golden, but for all the folks below that--"

Her flying companion shrugs. "I can't even say things would be better if everyone relaxed a bit, because people who care a whole fuck of a lot about something are the ones who get something done. It's just... The world's exhausting sometimes."

"Yeah. It'd be nice if things were less dog-eat-dog, and if things didn't go so well for the dog-eaters."

"Wishes and fishes, yanno. Plenty of both, and one doesn't change anything."

"Eyup."

Fly fly fly.

They fly back to Bristol. She gets paid again. No more work for today, unless she'd like to pour some mana into a shiny golden amulet for someone else to use.

What's the amulet for?

"It's for older witches who don't have much natural mana anymore - or combat witches who burn through their really fast."

She's used a lot of Essense-- but she gets it back quick, especially if she, like, actually sleeps. And money is money.

"Sure!"

"Well, here's the amulet. It's not hard to get the knack - sorta like flying for the first time."

She takes the amulet and... tries to put Essence in it. That seems like a reasonable thing for a first attempt.

Just as weirdly as flying was, it just works! Which is a bit freaky. Sluuurp goes the Essence. This thing can hold at least a couple dozen motes apparently.

Okay, that's a lot of Essensce. And also weirdly easy. Huh.

...she's going to go find somewhere to sleep, and just, like, pass out till tomorrow. Rebuild enough Essence to actually be able to do anything.

They pay her again for the mana! Not as much as making deliveries, but it's something. She could afford to stay somewhere fancy now, or just go flop in a bar inn or wayhouse again.

She's gonna go to an inn. While some place fancy would be nice, saving up is probably a better idea. Some weirdly large expense could fall on her at any time.

The city goes to sleep and wakes up again.

Something seems to be happening involving that boat company, according to the next morning's gossip. Something about patents and the war effort and special metal and a royal decree. The rumors are pretty confused, but the boat companies are big business and lots of jobs, so people are worried.

That boat company? That's... a thing.

(Special metal sounds... concerning isn't the word, but definitely something to keep an eye on.)

Do things sound like they're going well for that boat company, or bad?

Probably good?

It sounds like they're withdrawing from some kind of important competition to look at the special metal instead. Apparently it's pretty amazing stuff.

oh dear.

"What's so special about the metal?"

Everybody has heard something different about the metal. About the only consistent fact is that it's green, and from somewhere far away.