avalononline | Of Magic and Technology

Of Magic and Technology

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[A lovely and demure, albeit slightly impish face appears on camera]

Good day, everybody. For those who I've yet had the pleasure to meet, my name is Musse Egret, a fairly recent arrival to Avalon with a problem I hope you might all be able to assist me with.

I've found this world to be a bit... different from my own. In my world, we use elementally-infused gemstones to run much of our technology, whereas here all of my quartz is completely inert. However, using my elemental magic, my hope is to find a way to empower some of my possessions to function as they had before, but I'm having some issues with that. Does anyone possess similar technology? Has anyone found a way or practice to make them work again?

Action; closed to Robin

Musse had settled into their new home life fairly easily. The room was smaller than she was accustomed to, but with no roommate it was easily as much space as she had in her dormitory at Thors - not that she had many possessions to fill it with anyway. She was honestly quite grateful to her hosts - to have been so welcoming was not something she expected of anybody. She was also quite aware that, though they didn't quite see it as such, they were in all effects married and as such, deserved a bit of... personal time. And with that aim, she approached the other woman's door, knocking lightly on it.

Action, an hour or so later, closed to Robin, Edelgard and Byleth

Musse appeared in the shared living space with a certain white-haired tactician grasped firmly by one arm.

"Robin and I are going to spend some time out in the city today, I expect we'll be gone until well after dinner. Was there anything you needed us to attend to while we're gone?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not exactly as you're looking for but something that might be a start. Items can be infused with magic to give it an effect. Problem is, I haven't been able to get said effect to last long yet.

Even if it's only temporary, it could be used as a type of battery for sure. How large are these items?

All sorts. Definitely with stuff larger than a gemstone. Thing is, it doesn't seem to matter what the size is, it only lasts a few hours at best.

That's not really promising. I'd want something more compact, and that can last through extended combat operations.

Yeah, but I admit I've just not tried smaller objects. I'm looking to duplicate the shit back home we made with alchemy that adds effects to your attacks. Though that does remind me, a few months back we were taught about how to enchant fabrics to have effects. I do remember how, just haven't messed with it much.

I saw they had that special cloak earlier so magic woven into fabric makes sense but it's a bit impractical. How does the alchemy in your world work? From what you said it sounds similar to our Quartz, we can use the stones to enhance our weaponry and give them additional abilities.

Nah, I can get why it seems impractical. [And for him it's especially bad, but he's not going to get into that or too detailed on alchemy. Just the stuff Tito uses to make their gear and weapons.]

Alchemy in my world is a bit complicated, but it's similar to the sort here except without the potion stuff. It's just using magic or tools to create an effect on stuff. All very practical for combat since it's built into stuff we wear and the effects last. Just can't figure out how to do that here beyond a few hours, maybe a day at most.

How interesting. So it generally refers to the art of crafting enchanted items in general, as opposed to just the creation of chemicals and potions?

Yeah, something like that. At least the way it's used now. In the past they did do shit like trying to turn lead into gold, but most of the items work much like just being enchanted to have one spell in them that remains there forever. Like I got a pair of boots that makes you run faster, much like kinetic magic here.

It seems like every civilization has some kind of legend about turning lead into gold. I suppose we humans are just enamored with the idea.

It's the draw of riches with no effort. Most don't get that you don't truly appreciate something unless you work for it.

The irony of course being that the effort spent trying and failing to turn lead to gold far exceeds the effort one might expend simply locating actual gold.

Of course, but what else can one expect from the academic types who prefer to study over doing labor?

Admittedly I think you know very different academics than I do. The ones I know are very...

...

...hands on.

[Oh hello! This definitely catches Rin's full attention.]

Well, my magic and technology have nothing to do with each other, but back in my home world, my jewel magecraft is all about transferring magical energy into gemstones.

[Though if she wasn't a magus/mage, maybe she'd be much better with technology.... Because someone somewhere decided, that mages from her home world are terrible with it.]

Rin Tohsaka, I was one of the first ones, who arrived here.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tohsaka!

[ She ponders for a moment ]

Does your jewel magecraft work here in any capacity? In my own world, our Septium isn't really magical, it's just gemstones we refine from natural material that can carry properties of elements such as flame, wind or time. But I imagine if I could find a similarly sized gemstone and infuse it with mana, I might be able to get my equipment to work like it did before.

The idea that Byleth and Edelgard might need personal time without their temporary houseguests here oldly goes over the tactician's head. In fact, outside of her time working at a local bookshop, Robin hasn't had much reason to venture out, especially as the temperature starts to drop. Going clothes shopping for something more season-appropriate is somewhat lower on her list of things to take care of.

Sitting at her desk in front of an open journal, absent scribbling filling the page, she looks up. "You can come in," She answers back. This isn't anything she couldn't come back to later.

"Good morning!"

A rather cheerful looking Musse sweeps into the room almost as soon as Robin replies. "Ready to go?"

Robin closes her journal as Musse enters, looking up curiously at the question. She pauses, blinking a few times before finally answering. "Go? Go where?" Did... did she miss something? Had they made plans and she simply forgot?

"Why, out, silly! I have a whole day of activities planned and you're not allowed to refuse!"

So declared, Musse folds her arms with a sweet look on her face.

"A whole day? How long have you been planning this?" Robin asks with a start, before quickly adding. "On second thought, I might be better not knowing..."

But she's not fighting back! See, Musse, she's learning to go with the flow. Especially when that flow is being enacted by a complete force of nature, and one they both know Robin is completely unable to say no to. "Could you give me a few minutes to get ready at least? I won't take long, I promise."

Musse's tone is overly magnamonious.

"I suppose I shall allow it."

She does not, however, make any movement to leave Robin to do this in private.

It takes Robin a moment to realize that she has no intention on leaving. Ah, that could be a problem. "I will need to change as well before we leave." So if you don't mind, Musse...

"Well please, by all means then~"

Is she not getting the hint? Or is she just trolling. Honestly, almost certainly the latter.

Is this a show of dominance, she really isn't sure. Either way, Robin feels very exposed right now. "You're welcome to wait outside, I shouldn't be long."

Translation: Please wait outside, she can't handle Musse sizing her up again.

"No worries, I'm fine right here~"

Gonna have to be WAY more direct than that, Robin.

Of course she is. With a long, somewhat tired sigh, Robin walks over before placing both hands on Musse's shoulders. Firmly, definitively. Sizing her up like she would any other troop on the battlefield, she holds her position for a moment--

Before, just as firmly, turning Musse around toward the nearest wall.

"You're taking an awful lot of fun out of this you know."

Musse's tone is playful, with the barely-put-on veneer of a pout.

"Am I really," She answers back as she heads toward her dresser. "You could have fooled me. It seems like you're having enough fun for the both of us."

Robin could say that she reminds her of someone... but no, even her very forward advances wouldn't hold a candle to Tharja. Thankfully. Pulling out a pair of simple slacks and a loose-fitting shirt, she glances back over her shoulder. "I don't know what you would find so amusing about another person undressing... unless..."

WELL. Now she feels even more self-conscious. Time to tank her own self-image, apparently.

"To be honest, I'm a bit jealous. If I had a figure like yours I'd be showing it off all the time."

Interestingly there's not a hint of playfulness or deception in this statement, Musse is being completely honest in this moment.

Robin sits there in silence for a moment, taken aback by that genuine statement. How is she supposed to respond to that? "I think you're lovely as you are." Equally honest, even if she might not realize how forward that might be.

"And I've never been one to flaunt or to think much of my looks. I know that I'm a bit plain. I might be more willing to do that sort of thing if I wasn't--if I looked more like you."

Musse is suddenly very thankful for having her back to Robin, so as to conceal the blush rising in her cheeks.

"You are many things, but 'plain' is not one of them. Your hair is gorgeous and you have an incredible figure. I'm honestly really slender, I don't have the muscles and definition you do. My figure is of course popular with nobles looking for an empty-headed wife to look pretty on their arm, but you have the figure of a woman equal in power and beauty. And today, we're going to show you how to add it to your arsenal of weapons~"

See, space is good! Robin is just as thankful for it herself, as she mentally squirms at the flurry of compliments. "Equal in power and beauty"... she really feels that way? "Ah..." She was going to say something here, but she completely lost it. Frustrating.

(And that comment about being considered a bit of arm candy for some nobleman doesn't sit right with Robin at all, but now isn't the time to bring that up.)

Instead, she taps Musse's shoulder, a rosy-cheeked, sheepish smile on her face. "You really don't have to do that, but I doubt I'll convince you otherwise, will I?" See, she's learning.

Musse has fortunately regained her composure as she turns and faces Robin head on, inches from her face. Her tone is strangely passionate.

"When I'm done with you, nobody in Avalon will be able to take their eyes off you."

Well, that was short-lived. She doesn't lean back this time, although her smile becomes a bit more unsure. "How about settling on 'passible'?"

Given the fact that her outfit looks to be either secondhand or from the department store bargain bin, they have nowhere to go but up.

Musse doesn't back off an inch, instead pressing her index finger to Robin's lips.

"Denied. You can be so much more, and I'll prove it to you."

I'm afraid not, but such technology does sound interesting.

[Well, only a half truth. He was curious more than anything, and Akechi was good with being nice publicly when it suited him.]

Disappointing, but not surprising. I suppose I shall have to take the initiative.

True, but also think of it this way; now you can learn a different type of technology. In my case a few things would be considered outdated, but magic does not exist in my world.

[Except for chosen few who can go into people's mind palaces but he's not going to share that.]

You are correct of course, although I am hardly an engineer. Still, if it is workable, being able to return it to my homeworld would be welcome. We too lack any sort of "magic".

[Apparently elementally-infused gemstones are not magic. And we don't talk about the Witches with new acquaintances]

[Weirdly enough it makes sense to him.]

I suppose, then, that magic is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. After all, in my world, one could argue that a series of metals and electrical links working like a computer could be 'magic' to some.

That's a way to look at it I suppose, but the metals and electrical links are constructed from replicable science and engineering are they not? While they might seem "magical" to some, they're in truth anything but.

Exactly. But for those who do not understand the engineering behind it, it may as well be magic. Therein it becomes a question that begs the question if magic is simply technology we have not understood completely yet or if science is magic that was given specific rules to function.

[Akechi you are a goddamn nerd.]

I would think that "Magic" is defined more because it lets you defy and reshape the laws that science has identified. The idea is that it is extraordinary, after all.

[ It's OK Akechi we're all nerds here ]

True...in a way, magic could be an equasion that claims 1+1=3.

[Big nerds.]

But back to your situation at hand. How did these operate exactly?

It's a bit of a process, but in essence, we refine raw, elementally-infused material into gemstones or quartz. Those quartz can then be set within machinery to serve as a power source, or for any number of other applications.

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Of Magic and Technology

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robin: haha i'm in danger

yeah you are

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text: sapphir

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