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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
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cardistry
"Cool," says Brilliance.
He gets up and goes back for another tray, this time picking slightly larger portions of a much smaller variety of things. The food experience is probably different when you concentrate on one thing at a time! And he liked this, and this, and that, and that other one, and he doesn't actually remember what that tasted like so he'd better try it again...
At least it all fits on a single tray this time around. But he still makes the tray float, because it's more convenient to fill it up that way.
He gets up and goes back for another tray, this time picking slightly larger portions of a much smaller variety of things. The food experience is probably different when you concentrate on one thing at a time! And he liked this, and this, and that, and that other one, and he doesn't actually remember what that tasted like so he'd better try it again...
At least it all fits on a single tray this time around. But he still makes the tray float, because it's more convenient to fill it up that way.
Several people notice the tray floating. One of them, a red-eyed boy who looks about sixteen, asks, "What spell is that?"
cardistry
"The incantation in this language is 'Follow me', but I bet you can't cast it," he says. "Different kind of magic."
"...What kind?" asks the boy, interest sharpening.
cardistry
"Doesn't have a name in Leraal - it's the only kind there is where I'm from, but you don't have it here."
"Where're you from?"
cardistry
"...Also doesn't have a name, for that matter," he says. "A different world. Or maybe a group of worlds. I've been to a bunch of them and they all only have the one kind of magic, so I was kind of surprised when I got randomly summoned here and there turned out to be other ones."
"...Did somebody start a practical otherworld studies program and not tell me?"
cardistry
"I don't think so."
He sits down and lets his tray settle in front of him; its glow winks out.
"It seemed like it was just some people screwing around with magic."
He sits down and lets his tray settle in front of him; its glow winks out.
"It seemed like it was just some people screwing around with magic."
"But you're still here. And out of your circle. And you have a cafeteria pass."
cardistry
"They can't send me back until somebody gets a familiar, apparently? And I don't really care, here's as good as anywhere. I like the food. Food is new and awesome."
Speaking of which: food! Food food food food food. Mmmmmm. It's so food.
Speaking of which: food! Food food food food food. Mmmmmm. It's so food.
"Why would they not be able to - did they co-cast? Co-casting is idiotic for anything you're going to need to reverse."
cardistry
Nomty nom - mm. Okay, he can take a break long enough to say, "I wouldn't know. I think that's what they did, though, yeah. Why, what's the difference?"
"Co-casting is when you split the power draw of a spell between two people to cut sting or fit a big spell in under their CCs, but it's only useful if you're not going to have to undo it."
"Casting spells more than half the size you can manage hurts."
"I would really like to hear more about your magic." The red-eyed boy sits down at Brilliance's table.
cardistry
"Okay," he says agreeably. "Like what?"
(Hopefully the red-eyed boy will not mind if Brilliance continues to eat in between saying things, and sometimes does little chair-dances when he tastes something especially nice. Food is the best.)
(Hopefully the red-eyed boy will not mind if Brilliance continues to eat in between saying things, and sometimes does little chair-dances when he tastes something especially nice. Food is the best.)
"Everything. I'm specializing in magic theory - in full generality, the fact that this is a wizard school aside."
cardistry
Happy food-related chair-dancing concludes for now. "'Everything' doesn't give me much of a starting point," says Brilliance. "Like - I know there's nobody on this planet who can do my kind of magic, because if there was I'd be able to tell, and I'm almost positive there's nobody in the universe who can, because this place is so weird and full of weird magic and none of it's a kind I can sense. Although I kind of wonder if that's just a compatibility thing, like, maybe I could design a module that would let me sense - wizardry? And whatever else? But I'm not exactly an expert in that kind of thing, I was built as a combat Device."
Kaylo has a bag on his person; he pulls a notepad out of it and starts writing things down. "What is a Device?"
cardistry
"Well, me, for one," he says. "It's like this: there's human mages, who can generate and access mana and use it to do magic. They create Devices, which help with that - make spells cheaper, store and record them, protect our wielders from damage, stuff like that. The more complicated a Device's functions, and the more powerful the Device, the more intelligent and autonomous it is. So a one-form one-spell Device that doesn't even have to turn on and off, just maintain its one spell indefinitely, will have about as much brain as a, what's something biological and not conscious, a blade of grass - but I'm complicated and powerful, so I'm a person."
And now he has done lots of talking and will have a bite of ice cream instead. Mmmm, ice cream. Ice cream is fantastic.
And now he has done lots of talking and will have a bite of ice cream instead. Mmmm, ice cream. Ice cream is fantastic.
"Would this be easier to talk about in your native language?" asks the red-eyed boy, jotting down notes.