the end of the universe | Glowfic Constellation

Evra frowns. "A planet. It's a spherical rock, probably the size of one of your biggest alucines." He traces a finger in the air, and wonders if he could cast a projection in the bar. He doesn't want to risk it, though--the essence in the air feels too... strange.

affodell

"...And everybody balances on top of the sphere of rock? Or is it caves?"

"There's a force that pulls everything on the surface towards the planet's center."

affodell

"...That sounds uncomfortable."

"We're... used to it." Evra peers into his wine glass, now empty. "Bar, will I have to pay for another drink?"

affodell

Yes, further purchases will cost reasonable currency-dependent prices.

"Did you just talk to the bar? ...Did a napkin just appear out of nothing?"

"Yes and yes." Evra reaches into his inner jacket pocket, extracts his old woven pouch, and peers inside it. Either its enchantments have faded, or his head is too muddled to request items properly. He's going to have to do this the long way.

From the bag, Evra pulls out a sheaf of blank paper, his casting kit, his notebook, and finally his coin pouch. "How much? Two coppers?"

affodell

For another glass of wine like that one, six coppers. There are other vintages available, of course.

"Why did a napkin just appear out of nothing?" asks Cayra, approaching. A napkin appears at her too: I'm the bar. This is how I communicate.

Evra plunks six coppers onto the counter and starts to put his things away, but pauses at his casting kit.

He really shouldn't.

He blames the wine as he pulls a sheet of paper away from the rest and fills his casting pen with ink. On the paper, he writes two runes: one null, and the other levitation.

affodell

"What're you doing?" Cayra asks him.

"Experimenting," he says. He activates the null rune, which lights up in a faint scarlet glow, but otherwise does nothing. He writes that down in the back of his notebook.

Then, he pushes at the levitation rune warily. The paper floats up three inches, and then drops back down again. He notes that down, too.

It seems that runic magic here is weaker than usual, but otherwise what he's used to.

affodell

"...How did you do that? I've never heard of anyone who could do that."

Evra glances at Cayra. "You don't have magic in your world?" It's nothing unexpected--nothing can top the alucine business, he thinks.

His wine glass is still empty. "Bar," he says, tapping the countertop.

affodell

"We have magic. It just doesn't work like that, or do that."

Wine appears.

"How does your magic work, then?"

It's probably not the best idea to keep drinking; he'll end up doing something stupid. He sips at the wine anyway.

affodell

"Mine in particular? I haven't learned much yet but I can do this." Her hair abruptly changes color; now it is pink.

Evra blinks. "Is that all you can do?"

affodell

"No." Her hair goes black again. "I have total control over all the colors on my person, and I've also fixed a clumsiness problem I had. But I'm a beginner automancer. Later I'll be immortal and able to fly and so on."

"Immortality," Evra mutters. He scribbles automancy in his notes, and asks, "Do you just think, and it happens?"

affodell

"The colors or the immortality? I mean, I have to know what I'm doing."

"Both."

affodell

"I have to know what I'm doing, but I've got colors down now so I can do it really fast." Her eyes turn solid black, then gold, then back to normal. "Automancy is the art of changing oneself. When you know an aspect of it's sort of like moving a limb - you could still be better or worse at playing the flute but that's not because some of your fingers are paralyzed or anything."