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In Paraasilan, Esmaar, a pair of roommates are about to break a rule that, compared to the one about running in the corridors or even the one about unlicensed teleportation, is there for a good reason.
In unison, they complete their shared spell.
Brilliance in Elcenia
cardistry
"If this was any other world, I'd say I could get back here just fine," he says. "I have interworld transport magic. But I tried to leave that way and it didn't work, and I don't know if it's because your world is weird or because your spell is interfering."
"Oh - if you want to leave and then come back you can. We were using a random spell but there's non-random ones and somebody could summon you specifically if you asked them."
The lift changes direction.
The lift changes direction.
cardistry
"If I have the option I'd rather be going places by myself instead of having to get other people to cast spells for me whenever I want to hop worlds," he says. "Huh, this thing is way less topologically screwy than the stairs."
cardistry
"Yeah. I wandered around for a while, got bored, and teleported to the roof," he says. "You have sparkly ducks. Are all ducks sparkly in this world, or just those particular ones? They're pretty."
"It's just those ones. I think somebody decided to practice some color-change spell on them. There's practice objects and practice mice, but it gets boring."
"I'm not sure why a duck would care what color it was."
The lift door opens on the cafeteria. The cafeteria is full of people and smells like food.
The lift door opens on the cafeteria. The cafeteria is full of people and smells like food.
cardistry
Food smells are interesting sensory input. Brilliance is intrigued.
"Okay, so how does getting food work?"
"Okay, so how does getting food work?"
"Um, you get a tray, and dishes and utensils, from over here," says Korulen, demonstrating, "and then you get yourself some of whatever you want," (she scoops herself a pile of a cornmeal mash), "and then you find a seat and you eat it and when everybody at the table is done you knock on it twice to clear the dishes away."
cardistry
"Well, that's pretty simple, I guess."
He proceeds to get some of every single available thing.
He proceeds to get some of every single available thing.
This results in extremely crowded plates; there's a lot of selection. Korulen raises an eyebrow and says, "You're allowed to go back for more things if you want."
cardistry
"Yeah, but this way I'm not gonna forget anything by accident," he says cheerfully.
He ends up needing a second tray to hold all his dishes, even though he mostly doesn't take a lot of any particular item. This logistical dilemma does not faze him, however: he murmurs a word under his breath, and the pair of trays hover and follow him around, glowing with faint rainbowy halos. There! Now he can fit all of the things.
He ends up needing a second tray to hold all his dishes, even though he mostly doesn't take a lot of any particular item. This logistical dilemma does not faze him, however: he murmurs a word under his breath, and the pair of trays hover and follow him around, glowing with faint rainbowy halos. There! Now he can fit all of the things.
"What's your name, anyway?" Korulen asks, finally picking out which dessert she wants and finding an empty table.
cardistry
"Brilliance. What's yours? I heard it but then I forgot."
A table! His trays settle delicately onto it and then cease to glow. He sits down and contemplates the array of foods in front of him.
A table! His trays settle delicately onto it and then cease to glow. He sits down and contemplates the array of foods in front of him.
cardistry
Brilliance selects a thing, mostly going by what stands out colour-wise from its immediate environment, and attempts to apply utensils to it. He hasn't ever used a spoon before, but it's not that hard to figure out from observation.
Oh.
So that's what food is like.
He stares at his trays in amazement and then starts excitedly sampling more things, this time going mostly by whatever is closest.
Oh.
So that's what food is like.
He stares at his trays in amazement and then starts excitedly sampling more things, this time going mostly by whatever is closest.
cardistry
"Wow," is as much as he's willing to say given that he cannot speak and eat simultaneously.
Korulen laughs a little. She helpfully demonstrates the fork and the knife and the little tong things that are the non-spoon utensils, on those of her foods which suit each.
cardistry
Brilliance pays enough attention to mostly not fuck up the use of any of them, although he does accidentally stab himself in the face with a fork. This causes him to start giggling.
cardistry
As soon as he is no longer laughing too hard, he goes right back to experiencing foods. So many foods! And they are all so - so foods! He is seriously starting to wonder how people can bring themselves to ever do anything other than eat.