"There are people who will insist we already have one, that the ancestors rest and spectate and watch over us from it, healthy and free. That sounds perfectly fine to me? It'd be nice to be young and robust again even in a different layer of existence. Some way to come back to life fully would be good, but really just preventing - ending - for everyone who does not very determinedly want that-"

"Right, I quite agree. And I'm afraid I can't comment on whether you already have one — it's just one of the questions I'm supposed to cover either way."

He makes a checkmark.

"Okay — we've covered what magic should be able to do; what shouldn't magic be able to do? What limits, if any, do you think there should be?"

"Hmmmmm. It should be quite difficult for small groups or lone actors to cause massive destruction with magic? I suppose? To a large extent, energy is energy. For example, a nuclear power plant could kill people if you threw them into the chamber or used the electricity it produces to do that. Anything can hurt people if you're creative or determined, but that's not what it's for... I should be being more creative. What sorts of things to people commonly say here?"

"Ah — that's an insightful question! Filtering out the things you've already covered ..."

He flips to the back of his notes to refresh himself.

"I've had people rule out time travel, either certain kinds or generally; some people want it to be impossible to hurt people in a way that is impossible to eventually heal from; some people want it to be impossible to do magic without explicitly intending to; some people want to rule out 'negative' effects generally, however they define that; some people list specific things they don't like, such as infectious curses or dead bodies animated by magic. One group of people really wanted it to be impossible to use magic to make your hair not be red. Another group wanted to rule out any means of remotely attaining information about a private space. There's really a lot of variety. Does that help?"

"Okay, wow. I also think time travel should probably not be a thing. That's... You could get into all sorts of weird game-theoretic negotiating positions with travel to the past to undo the present on the table. That's not good, too complicated for most people to follow and kind of... If history can be rewritten, the chain broken and remade, what are we even for? It reminds me of the simulation theory... I'd rather not be simulated by magic either actually. Pausing things seems fine, or say, perfectly retrieving information about past events, or producing a heuristics-based prophecy about likely future outcomes but not one that is completely guaranteed to happen... I have to assume that red hair is some sort of social signal. Actually on that note I don't think - hmm. Ugh, no. General biomantic powers would be able to add or remove tails. But there's a certain... Status to them. It'd be nice if our tails were, in fact, actually magical and magically important somehow, and maybe had to be earned properly instead of just happening over time. Or at the very least, could be put off if you don't want them? Yes, I think that magic should not be able to give you more tails whenever you want, or take them away once you have them. I bet that sounds just as silly as the red hair thing to an outside perspective."

"A little," Hammond admits. "As an alien, I find it somewhat strange that you wouldn't try to solve the health complications around your tails by just getting rid of them. But my opinion isn't really relevant — they're your tails."

"So we've covered what magic should and shouldn't be able to do, as well as a bit of how it should be done. You answered the destiny questions before I got to them, and we covered afterlives ... let me see ..."

"How do you think people should start knowing things about magic? The animism and special status of tails both tie into your existing mythology, but you also seemed quite enthusiastic about the process of discovering and building things by experimentation. When magic comes, what should people start off knowing, and what should be left to be discovered?"

"If resurrection or contact with an afterlife is possible I don't see any reason to rob discovery lovers of the process."

He nods.

"What kinds of activities do you imagine being part of that process of discovery? What should learning things about magic be like?"

"Hmm. I think I have question fatigue. Also, it should be like attending engineering college andor apprenticing in a workers union. Or like being a monk, all meditation and mastery of mind and body. Maybe there can be two parallel tracks."

"Ah — perfectly understandable. We've covered the important points, so we can stop here. One last question, then: do you feel your answers are complete as they stand, and I should go hand them in, or would you like a follow-up session once you've had some time to rest?"

"I don't know that I have substantially more input. I've never thought about magic before, not seriously, and don't really know the implications or tradeoffs of various ways it could be. It feels like the council polls we take sometimes, where all I can really say with certainty is how I feel about various end consequences."

"Yes, that's a good comparison," Hammond agrees. "Alright then. I'll take your feedback to my bosses. It will take them a few days to compile everyone's feedback into a unified recommendation for the Will of Magic. Bringing magic into the world takes an unpredictable amount of time, usually between a few days and a few weeks, although occasionally it takes longer. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions."

When it seems like Yan Shim la Nar has nothing more to add, Hammond hops down from his chair and makes his polite goodbyes. His next stop is quite a large distance away — or it would be, for a less magical walrus. He finds his way there in a matter of minutes. He stops on the threshold of the building listed on his schedule, and straightens his tie.

This one is a cozy three story wooden house in some woods. There's a garden. It seems less developed and carefully optimized for cultivation than the other area. A one-tail is practicing martial arts in the front yard with a wooden staff. Music spills out of the open door.

"Excuse me," Hammond asks the martial artist. "But I'm looking for Osal Shan la Luo — do you know where I should go?"

He startles upon seeing the walrus approaching, but finishes the kata, another twenty seconds or so, then brings the staff to a rest position and does a lazy slouch.

"...Huh, okay."

Yep, alien. How'd they manage to sneak onto the surface of the planet without those army types screaming like mad? Maybe they got invited down for some reason, since the whole establishment has gone mad lately. 

What's the right response here? Stall?

"...Mhm. Why? And who're you?"

"I'm Hammond Burns. Pleased to meet you. And I've been sent as an emissary — well, technically a subcontractor" he coughs. "—of the Will of Magic to ask people some survey questions about how they think magic ought to work. Osal Shan la Luo is next on my list. I can come back later, if now isn't a good time, though."

"And you knew to come here by... Presumably magic?"

He takes out a tablet computer and browses news feeds; Strike solidarity, gifts for essential services still operating, investigation in Unity is still continuing... Oh, there's some people reporting various alien sightings.

"...Huh. Huh. Hmm."

Suspicious glare.

"I'm a little concerned about, like. Microbes."

Anyway he should be fine himself. The weapons are well hidden and he doesn't talk with the cell except on "hikes".

"By magic, yes," Hammond agrees. "Or, well, I have a list, at least. I assume the bosses generated it with magic, but they might have just consulted census records or something. And it's reasonable of you to worry about microbes, but ever since I did a stint as a janitor in a hospital, I've been immune to disease. My bosses checked everyone who was sent to make sure we wouldn't disrupt things."

"That's so reassuring. I am reassured."

Sigh.

"I'll go-"

"ALIEN!! HI! HELLO!!" Someone else calls from a second story window.

"Oh cripes. Fei! He's here to talk to Osal! Specifically Osal!"

Hammond adjusts his tie nervously.

"Yes, I'm sorry. The bosses gave me a list, and I'm supposed to follow it to reduce sampling bias, you see," he explains. "But if Osal wants to take your opinions into account while answering, that's not actually against the rules."

"I'll go get her-!"

"Fei, do not- You'll leave her alone, so help me, you know she'd hate having everyone weighing in on this."

"Awwwwwwww fine..."

The glaring kitsune with the staff goes back to his katas.

Eventually, a black-furred kitsune who is not especially distinguishable from most of the others comes out. If anything her posture and mannerisms are the most telling, very tentative, quiet, and seeking-to-be-small despite her above average height.

"Um... Magic questions? I think the garage is... The best balance between quiet and comfy right now. There's a music competition on..."

"I'm sure the garage will be fine," Hammond reassures her. "I'm Hammond Burns; you're Osal Shan la Luo?" he checks.

"Yes. I'm Osal... Umm... Is this magic more like old folk stories or...?"

"It's like whatever you think it should be like," Hammond tells her in a gentle voice. "The way this works is that you give me your opinions on how magic should work — any kind of opinion, no matter how strange or improbable seeming. And then I send your feedback to my bosses, along with the responses from everyone else, and put it together into a single recommendation for how magic should work."

"So if you want to use old folk stories as a reference or a starting point, that's totally fine. But if you have some other kind of magic in mind, that's fine too."