{VOICE OTA}

[rootandbranch]

[Today you feel a few strange pulses in your signets before you hear anything over Qri's network. It's fairly pleasant, exactly as the signet communications tend to be, and fortunately doesn't at all resemble the strange fluctuations that plagued everyone back on days 103-105. It's more like someone poking at the network to be sure it's stable and not going to do any more of that before they speak. They seem to conclude it's safe after all.]

Hello? Oh, hi-- hi, everybody. It's Geir. If you don't know me, I'm the dragon.

[He's very matter of fact about it. He's the dragon. You're probably aware, his tone seems to say.]

Listen, I don't actually care if you know me, you should just help me and Nines out! He knows all kinds of technology things, so I asked him what we could find out about the Hub with them. But the question is really, what does everyone want to find out? There's been a lot of weird to chew on!

Chew...on? [9S echoes this thought quizzically, for an instant quite distracted. But right, right, the matter at hand—] Er, anyway, like Geir said we’re lacking data on our surroundings. And to know what we’re dealing with, gathering more would be best, so I was thinking I can probably scrape enough parts together to build a pod for that job, once we know what kind of information it should collect. I mean, unless we want everything...

[Geir's tone is still bright and interested. he loves hearing about this, even if part of him is still skeptical.]

Nines isn't even the only person who knows how to build... robots. I know a bunch of you build stuff. Who wants to help?

[9S clears his throat, quietly tacking a little disclaimer on:]

...Not that pods should be mistaken for machines or anything.

[When your kind’s fought machines for millennia certain lines get drawn. Thin, confusing grey lines. (Geir doesn’t know what to say to that, so he just lets it stand.)]


((both 9S and Geir may reply to your toplevels, and also feel free to jump each other! this is the start of a player plot to get a little more technology on the island. ♥ more details here!))

Comments

voice;

[antemeridian]

I could help, perhaps. I'm afraid any tasks such as programming would be beyond me, but I have some skill in assembling things given the schematics for them.

What would be powering it, though? Ambient magic? Would it be self-sustaining enough to function or keep itself in good condition even when the coven travels... off-world?

[rootandbranch]

Assembling things is better than I can do. And I bet Nines can explain... he's really good at that. Everyone says so.

[Geir has not personally had the experience of 9S teaching him how to assemble something mechanical or use a tool, because of his obvious physical difficulties with the concept. he's willing to accept 9S's skill at face value, though.]

I think if the technology things that people have gathered aren't enough to power them, we could use the Elto bones. They're from Aimintas in the last world we went to -- the people who lived there, the Palai, had magic, and their bones kept the magic in them when they died. For some reason, the living ones didn't mind us keeping a bunch.

[it's kind of grisly, and Geir was surprised they didn't want the remains back, but he isn't very squeamish and isn't complaining, either.]

[antemeridian]

[ 'Nines.' 9s, then. Their last communications had been via text, but that sounds like it must be right for the other speaker in the pitch. ]

Fair enough, if he is to be spearheading this project.

[ That, also, would probably be more morbid if she hadn't gotten the squeamishness out of her system somewhere around the time she stopped counting how many deaths she's seen. Instead. ]

... Whatever magic is kept within one's beings seems incredibly arbitrary.

[ ...is that annoyance? It's definitely vague annoyance, despite her continued even tone. ]

Was there anything special in particular about the brand of magic they had?

[rootandbranch]

Not that I could sense, except that it stayed put when they died and Genette told us Qri could use it. Aaaaand if you're trying to figure out what it is that Qri can use from that and can't from our magic, well, except that the Elto bones work on the Hub... I have no idea.

[Geir's voice has slanted towards sardonic, recognizing the annoyance in Homura's. it's never a bad time to complain about how ill-defined the parameters of their mission from Qri is, or how unsatisfying the explanation of the world's mechanics, with someone new!

he does continue more thoughtfully:]

If we can find out anything about that from using "technology" to keep an eye on the Hub, this whole thing would be worth it.

[antemeridian]

They are very good at disseminating the information they need to, aren't they?

[ We've hit full deadpan sarcasm at this point. Congratulations, Geir! She completely gets where you're coming from and very much sympathizes. Her own tone turns somewhat musing with the next: ]

But that would be a good priority for this proposed... pod, I think it was, to try to investigate. What differs between our magic and the kind allowed here, as well as more typical matters.

[rootandbranch]

I want to know that more than anything else myself.

[Geir's even, friendly voice has quite a bit of suppressed passion behind it on that statement -- not understanding the limitations on his own powers makes him a little more insecure than he'd like, though he flatters himself that he's adapted well to his faded abilities. he continues more sedately.]

A few of us got together and asked Qri some questions through Genette a while back, but she's gotten no answer yet, as far as I know. Maybe if she ever answers, we should all get together and come up with some more.

[that answer won't come till a little later in the timeline.]

Speaking of which, I still have a few of the Elto bones, if you'd like to look at them yourself. Let me know if you need any?

[antemeridian]

[ Homura recognizes that there's something there in how he speaks of it, but given how his voice evens out again figures that it's not her place to pry. They all have their issues with the situation, surely. It's only understandable. Instead: ]

What were the subjects of the questions, mostly?

[ thanks, timeline! ]

And... I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I can't claim to not be curious. You said that the bones could possibly be used to power this project; [ and Brie had been trying to use them to handle the boars, if Homura recalls what had been going on just prior to the moon growing full correctly, ] do they have any effect on us?

[rootandbranch]

Oh, you know. How does us being brought here work, what's going on with our and Qri's powers, what happens to people who leave, how does any of the stuff Qri had Genette explain to us work... things like that.

[there's a brief pause, more for Geir to gather his thoughts than anything. he doesn't return to the topic of his own unease with his loss of powers, or his equal (though more pleasant) confusion at the ones he's been granted.]

The bones just seem to have a lot of energy in them. They make our magic stronger, especially our abilities from Qri... if you let me know where you're staying, I'll bring you a couple. Most of the places where people in the coven live aren't a long flight from me.

[antemeridian]

I see. All reasonable and relevant questions then.

[ his pause allows her to gather her own thoughts and mull over what he's told her, so.

'especially our abilities from Qri,' but not limited to them? his offer to bring her some takes her a little by surprise, though. ]

I, ah. I'm staying with a friend. In the huts along the beach closest to the campsite?

[rootandbranch]

Oh, sure. That's an easy flight. Which one is it?

[he doesn't mind making the trip, but he probably shouldn't rap his claws on the wrong person's door by mistake -- they could be a bit alarmed when they opened the door.]

[antemeridian]

[ she's about to say it won't matter, she'll be outside when he arrives, but something makes her pause. ]

... Do you know Madoka? I'm staying with her.

--If you don't, that's all right as well. I can come out to meet you.

[rootandbranch]

Madoka's my friend. She's got everything pink, right? I'll be there in a few minutes.

["Madoka's my friend" is said with a tone of pride. he's not used to being able to say that about people yet. it hasn't been very long at all since he'd never said it about anyone before, in his life.

there's an odd little silence while he grabs a couple of bones and takes off, too distracted to immediately talk while he starts his flight.]

[antemeridian]

... Yes, her belongings are quite pink.

[ it's almost a tinge of mildly amused fondness there, imagine that. the silence doesn't bother her, so it's not out of a sense of needing it to be filled that she next speaks: ]

Don't rush yourself unnecessarily.

[ 'there's no need to hurry. you can take your time if you need to.' ]

[deem]

I'm not sure how technical you want to get, but I don't really work in magic. At least, not unless someone more experienced with it is giving me a hand.

But for example, my power source is self-sustaining. So I can construct something similar for a pod. I doubt it'll be up to quite the same specs as pods where I'm from, since we'll have to improvise, but I've got plenty of data on their construction if you want to see.

[antemeridian]

I can't say I have much experience with getting technology and magic to work together, outside of minor temporary augmentations and enchantments... But that's very different from building something designed to be dependent on it. And I think the technology your world was capable of far outstrips what could be found in mine.

Still, if you think it would help to have another set of hands for this project, I'm willing to learn what I can.

[deem]

I'd always welcome the help. And I've been teaching Alphonse some, and Riku before he disappeared, so I've got a little experience with sharing information now. Maybe it'll even come in handy in more ways than just this project.

[antemeridian]

Perhaps. I can't see any downside to having the knowledge on hand, in any case. ... Especially if more of us disappear without warning?

[ Just imagine if all the coven's mechanics and builders and actual survival experts vanished suddenly...

Oh, hm. ]

Alphonse... he is here with his brother, correct? Both of them have agreed to lend their aid as well?

[deem]

Yeah, they're both nice guys and scientifically inclined. I think where they're from doesn't have the kind of technology I'm used to, so they might get some use out of it.

[That's the hope, anyway. If he can help them out in return then he's pleased to do so]

And you're right, the more information's shared the less of a chance we'll be left without somebody who has it.

[antemeridian]

I had an interesting discussion with his elder brother on the semantics of calling things 'magic' around the time we arrived, though I didn't catch his name then.

Regardless of how few of us might be familiar with your level of technology, they might have an interesting perspective on hybridizing technology and magic, I think. [ From their brief discussion, it'd seemed that their science and 'magic' systems, even if Edward had refused the term, were more closely interrelated than other worlds' might be. ]

[deem]

That's Edward. Or, well, he said I could call him Ed.

[And he's pleased with this small honor, of course]

Their alchemy does seem like magic, from my perspective, but I know they get pretty offended by the suggestion... And somebody told me what I am is so out of the realm of possibility for them that it might as well be magic too. So I guess it's a little flexible how we define it all.

[antemeridian]

Edward, then. I wouldn't want to be presumptuous.

[ she hums a little, thoughtful. ]

I believe in his own words, any science or technology advanced enough to those not familiar with it would appear to be like magic. I cannot say he's entirely wrong. The line between the two, if any, seems hard to define, especially here. If any given 'magic' followed a certain set of rules, even if esoteric, would it then be considered science?

[deem]

According to Waver, magic has its own set of rules, so I'm not sure even that'd be a solid enough differentiating factor. I guess I tend to see technology as something more constructed, and so, more concrete. Like the parts I'm built with and why they work the way they do is all pretty grounded, seems to me.

At the same time, Waver's magic and Edward and Alphonse's alchemy both rely on exchanging something for the end product...

[antemeridian]

If you can believe it, the basis of the magic system belonging to my world is exchanging emotion to affect an end result. Harnessing emotions as energy, simply put, with all the typical trappings of equivalent exchange and conservation of... emotional energy, I suppose.

[ For each hope, blessing, or wish, an equivalent despair or curse. She doesn't like the Incubator, but that doesn't mean she hasn't paid attention to the explanations it's given. ]

From what you say, though, my magic seems even further distanced from technology than theirs. I might not be the best person to be discussing this.

[ but it is a question that she lowkey wonders about every now and then, given the Incubator's claim of being an alien bent on combating entropy. ]

[deem]

Considering the way we're left to deal with magic now, the more information I have, the better. It's not something I was ever designed to combat, much less deal with on any basis.

[So even if it's far departed from what he's familiar with, it may be beneficial for him to even have passing familiarity with it.

After all, they're in the magic business now, whatever it entails]

Seems like exchanges are the one consistent factor.

[antemeridian]

Conversion of energy, I think, if in a way a normal understanding of physics isn't applicable to.

[ Exchanges, though. Magic and exchanges. It certainly feels like it's rooted in something concrete, and... alchemy? Well, given that Edward had been insistent on not calling it magic: ]

For them at least, I imagine the concept isn't too different from burning something for light and heat. Though I couldn't presume to say for sure. As for myself, I'm afraid the main purveyor of it wasn't particularly forthright with the details.

[ Its main target demographic is middle school girls, after all. ]