voice

[blahblahblah]

from: Hecate
date: June 9th

[The girl on the feed hasn't been here before... Is she new? (No, she just isn't good at social stuff. Sue her.) She doesn't seem terribly nervous, at least.]

I don't think I've been on the network since I arrived, so... I'm Rita. Rita Mordio, Zaphias Imperial Research Labratory... detached duty. Shut up, I know better, but it's habit by now. Anyway, I'm on for a reason, at least in part because certain things about modern science on both shores are pissing me off. I want to trade notes on magic systems - not shinki spells from here, but magic from home. I'm not here to steal your secrets, I just need to see if another perspective would help me figure out what I'm doing. I have some ideas but I want to see if there's a more elegant way to handle some things. Assistance will be appreciated, and also credited in any published works or designs. I'm an imperial scientist by trade, I don't steal work.

There are a few things I'm specifically looking for. I want a way to fold rending into spells. I want a way to convert between offensive magic and support magic - especially healing magic. I wanna turn spells into stuff that you can use instead, or just how to make that kinda stuff in general. And I wanna know if I'm missing something important on theory that I'm liable to explode something if I don't know.

Or I could honestly just use people to bounce ideas off of. There aren't a whole lot of others in my temple I can bother, and if I blow up too much of the landscape testing, someone's going to get mad.

Thanks in advance.

((Rita's working on a couple projects; she wants to try and replicate something like her healing gels from home, she wants to try and design a spell that includes rending from a shinki [once she has one she can work with in that way, sob], and a few less-formed ideas. Whether or not any of it will work is another matter entirely, but she's in the design phase and wants to swap notes and maybe meet people that have an idea what she's trying to do in the first place.))

Comments

from: Obi | voice

[yasei]

Is there that many worlds that have magic in them that it'd possibly be that useful to ask about it?

[blahblahblah]

I don't know. Does everyone else use aer and a formula? That's part of why I'm doing this. I need answers, and I'm not gonna get them doing research on my own. So, asking around.

[yasei]

Air and formula? I'd imagine not everyone uses air and uh... math? in their magic, Miss. There must be all sorts of other things as well.

[blahblahblah]

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping. I'm sure people use things I've never even heard of, and maybe one of them has the key to me doing something big. And even if I don't learn anything new, well, maybe I'll at least meet someone new?

[yasei]

Sooo, like carving in rocks and making dirt piles? But! You can easily meet someone new even without magic, Miss Rita.

[blahblahblah]

Hey, if it works and does magic-y things, I'm not gonna knock it. [She snorts.] And I have my doubts about meeting people! Yeah, yeah, don't know until you try, I know. But I'm just not good at it. Not without lighting someone on fire, at least.

[yasei]

Oh! No, no Miss, I'm not! I'm actually curious, it'd be fun to know how to use magic no matter if it's with little rocks or bones or potions or anything else. [ Really, Obi was just asking because he wonders about the limits. ] Is that something you did, Miss?

voice;

[reloves]

Um.. I'm not sure if it's magic, but I can do some things.

[ Which seem like magic? It's kind of hard to classify when Minako doesn't have her memories and therefore has no idea where her powers came from. ]

Like shooting huge laser beams? [ You know, a very casual subtle power. Clearly. ]

[blahblahblah]

[There's a pause.]

Huge laser beams? If that's magic, I want that formula. Fireballs are cool, but I want beams. And then if I could make that rend somehow, I could just clear a room...

[Down, girl. Try not to get too enthusiastic.]

[reloves]

[ Honestly, she doesn't get half of what the other is saying, but it makes Minako grin anyway. Because she's pretty sure that Rita is implying her power is cool, which, yes, thank you, it is! ]

I know, I know, it sounds pretty amazing, doesn't it? I blew someone through a wall one time! [ Maybe you shouldn't be that proud of that fact, Minako.. ]

[blahblahblah]

I can start fires, wash people away, drag them to places no human should ever go... I don't have sheer destructive force, though. That might round out my abilities.

Any idea how any of it works? Or is it just kinda... wave a hand, shoot a beam?

[reloves]

Yeah, that's pretty much it! I just.. say the name, do the thing.. [ This is a voice feed, but Minako seems to momentarily forget that, since she's definitely gesturing over on her end even though there's no way Rita can see it. ] .. and then it just happens! Boom! Just like that.

[blahblahblah]

That's. [Not descriptive whatsoever, and she can already imagine Minako gesturing on the other end of the line.] That's nice, but it doesn't tell me a whole lot. Does... "the thing" have to be exactly the same way every time? Does it work the same way every time? Is the laser different?

[Rita pauses a beat.] Uh, you don't have to answer all those questions. But if I'm gonna use science to work things out, I need to put good stuff into the science.

[reloves]

I haven't used it that much yet, so I can't say for sure..

[ It's kind of hard to practice with when you just cause destruction whenever you do, and Minako doesn't feel like wrecking the whole Far Shore just for the sake of practice. ]

But.. I guess it's been the same way every time so far? You really need to focus when you're aiming though.

[blahblahblah]

I'd imagine, if it's a big huge laser. Probably would put a pretty big hole through something. Or any idiot that got in the way... Sorry, these are probably kinda strange questions. You probably don't even really think about it, right? Just do the thing and shoot.

[reloves]

Yeah, exactly. I mean, it's even happened instinctively before in self defense. It just feels natural to me. [ Hence why she can't even imagine any technical side that's behind it. Once Minako found out this was the sort of magic she could do, it all just felt so simple. ]

Is the magic you're used to different?

[blahblahblah]

Huh. That's kind of intriguing. I wish I could just hold my arms up in the middle of freaking out and have stuff happen.

My magic... it's all math and science. Everything according to a formula, then sketch out the formula and make the magic happen on demand. It means I can make new magic, but it takes a long time to work out the formula so I don't explode in the process.

[reloves]

[ Minako lets out a groan. ]

Seriously, having to do math to be able to do magic? That sounds terrible! [ She likes being able to avoid math now she's here and doesn't have to go to school, okay.. ] I wouldn't be able to do even the simplest of things!

voice;

[beyondtheblade]

I do not know much about magic, nor am I much of a scientist, but have you considered combining your knowledge WITH this world's technology?

It would at least widen the net of your search, if nothing else.

[blahblahblah]

Hmm... boy, that sounds an awful lot like making blastia. Which I could try, but it'd be new to me, too. And it'd give me a chance to get in on the ground floor of a new field. So I really shouldn't complain about the idea. I just have some concerns, given some things from. Before. Granted, we're the local catastrophe response team, so if something does go wrong, it's us fighting it anyway, so it's probably fine.

[No, she's not explaining. Not unprompted, at least.]

[beyondtheblade]

Hmmm... [From before, she says.]

Well. Taking proper precautions is important, as is having help.

[Don't forget, she's seen things.]

Like I said, these are not my fields, but it may be difficult to find someone in your field here. Whereas the things in this world, everyone is sort of on the same playing field.

[blahblahblah]

I'm... [-tempted, but I don't wanna have to destroy a world-ending monster here too, without my crack team of idiots, is what she's thinking, but doesn't say.] -willing to consider it. And help's already what I'm looking for, that's why I did this in the first place. So I guess what I want to say is, yeah, mixing the two is kind of in the right direction, I just don't want to go crazy and break something. Break myself, or any of you. I don't have cultists to break anymore, either. So whatever I come up with better be right the first time.

[beyondtheblade]

Well, no.

None of us want to be broken either.

[She assumes.]

Still, widening your horizons can't be too bad of a thing.

We will just have to make certain you stay in one piece.

[blahblahblah]

Of course you don't. Seriously, Tsubasa, I know that much.

But yeah. I wanna see what I can do. I'm not an imperial scientist for nothing, you know? I'll appreciate someone to watch my back, for sure. My usual help isn't exactly here on the Far Shore.

[beyondtheblade]

Well, I may not be your usual help, but I would like to do what I can.

Even if such fields are well beyond me.

[A beat.] Are any of your other friends knowledgeable like you are?

[Yes.

Rita will sure give a fair assessment of her party.

Tsubasa is certain of this.]

[blahblahblah]

Well... it's possible I don't actually need someone that knows magic. I just need ideas.

[She pauses to consider Tsubasa's question. Then she grimaces a little.] Let's see. One at a time: Not really. Kinda sorta, but she's not here. I don't speak dog. Hell no. No. He's a moron. I don't associate with people that break blastia. No. So... maybe one?

[beyondtheblade]

[DEAD silence for several seconds.]

I'm... I'm sorry, I am not sure I follow...

[Certainly not the kind of response she expected.

Also, what dog???]

[blahblahblah]

Wait. Uh. Did you mean here friends, or home friends? Because for here, it's. Not a super long list, and I don't think anyone knows what the hell I'm talking about. But for home, yeah, what I just said.

[No apology in her tone whatsoever, except for causing confusion.]