voice, un: selcouth

[sulit]

[A young and animated voice rings through this audio post. For those who know Klaudia and the pace at which she rambles, it sounds like she's deep in the middle of one of her thought experiments.]

So, here's a question: Has anyone looked into why alchemy can't be used with living materials?

For instance, what's the difference between a living tree and a log? You would think nothing--it's the exact same materials. Same elements, same structure. One's connected to the ground and the other isn't, but all the right pieces are there for alchemizing, and yet... Nothing! You can't transmute with it. I tried a bunch of times, and a bunch of different ways.

There has to be something that's blocking alchemy from using those materials.

I've been thinking about this for a few days now, and I can't figure it out. I noticed that we have some new kinds of magic about. And see-- green magic and blood magic both interact with living things, so it's not a matter of living material being incompatible with magic. So what gives?

If you have any relevant information on the topic, let me know. Oh! And would anyone with green magic be willing to help me with a small experiment?

Thanks~

Comments

[sulit]

[She's probably hanging upside down off a hammock she's fashioned in the corner, answering back to these responses, her hair fanning out below her.]

Magic doesn't just break. That's like saying gravity is broken.

[arsonal]

It's not working right.

Broken.

[Simple logic.]

[sulit]

[She presses her lips together, making a grumpy face for a moment.]

Okay, fine. It might be broken. This place does seem like it's not fully... here.

[She makes a small circular gesture with her hand, kind of gesturing to everything. Stable, she means. Whole. She did just witness them "unlocking" more magic recently.]

But if it is broken, then I want to figure out how to fix it. And if it's not broken, then I need to know what I'm doing wrong. ...And so many of these people are entirely unhelpful.

[arsonal]

People can be difficult.

[...]

Should I make them talk?

[azar NO]

[sulit]

No, that'll just make them upset. Then they'll be even more unhelpful.

[Because that's the moral here.]

[She sighs, shifting to sit upright on her hammock.]

Besides, it's not that kind of unhelpful. They're talking; they're just not saying anything useful. [Well, some of them are, but she's still frustrated with all of it.]

I've got an offer to go to the Archivist's library again, though... That could be useful.

[arsonal]

Ah. Difficult and stupid.

[Gotcha.]

...Libraries are your things, right. Have fun.

[sulit]

[She snorts a little in amusement at Azar's assessment. She's not wrong by Klaudia's account...]

What, you don't want to come with me? [She's teasing... Mostly.]

It's two days of travel to the north, so I might be gone for a while. Not longer than a tenday.

[She's looking at Azar like she's unsure if that's okay. Azar just got here, after all, and Klaudia is enjoying having her around... Maybe she should put it off for a little bit. It's not like the library is going anywhere.]

[arsonal]

Burning the library would be frowned upon.

[She's not saying this would definitely happen, but. No, it would probably happen. Or at least a few of the books.

She doesn't need to get anyone banned from there.]

Mhm.

...Are you okay travelling like that?

[Alone, she means. Listen, she doesn't know how safe the roads here are. Maybe she worries.]

[sulit]

[Gods. She got in trouble for just borrowing a book. She can't imagine what might happen if Azar started burning anything in there. No, definitely can't risk that.]

[Though she does still look hesitant.]

I'm not not okay traveling like that. It's how I've been traveling. There's dangerous stuff out there, but I'm sure we can handle it.

...Are you okay being here by yourself? Do you know your way around well enough?

[She's really not sure if she wants Azar to say yes or no to that.]

[arsonal]

[...]

I've navigated stranger places. I'll be fine.

[sulit]

[If Azar says that she'll be fine, then Klaudia doesn't doubt that. But that doesn't mean she can't tease her, especially if eases her own anxiety.]

What kinds of places? Have you been skipping off to other strange worlds while we weren't looking?

[arsonal]

What if I have?

[time to play the most dangerous game: is azar joking or serious]

[sulit]

[Well, if Azar's going to call her bluff, then Klaudia's going to hop off her hammock and come over to inspect that poker face.]

Hmm... Well I like to think that we would have noticed~ But maybe you're just incredibly sneaky.

If you are sneaking off, then you have to tell me about any strange creatures you've met. Those are the rules~

[arsonal]

[She is the most sneaky. You have no idea.]

I've met many strange creatures. Where to start...

[sulit]

[For once, she's actually quiet. Like she's waiting for Azar to continue. She has her undivided attention.]

...Anywhere? You can literally start anywhere, just so long as you tell me.

[arsonal]

Hm. There were these weird creatures, once. Magical.

[She trails off. Is she building suspense...?]

[sulit]

[Klaudia fidgets, waiting for a moment... Is that all?]

And? What did they look like? What were they doing? Did you have to fight them?...

[This might be classified as some kind of torture.]

[arsonal]

Hm. Small. With horns.

And no. Not yet.

[sulit]

[Small? With horns? And magical. She thinks for a moment... Azar can probably see the gears turning in her head. What sort of creature...? And one she hasn't fought?]

[Suddenly, a flustered look comes across Klaudia's face, and she reaches out and shoves Azar.]

Don't tease me!! I was being serious!!

[arsonal]

[Azar looks SO amused right now.]

What, you're saying it doesn't count?

[sulit]

No, it doesn't!

[Klaudia crosses her arms in a huff, looking away in embarrassment. How dare Azar look so amused by that. Can't even look at that face.]

If you're going to tease me like this, then I'm sure you'll be fine. I shouldn't even be worried.

[arsonal]

[Shouldn't be worried, and yet...]

You were really worried?

[sulit]

[She pauses at the question, then looks up at the ceiling.]

Maybe.

I mean, it's different being here, isn't it? There's no ship noises, or meal times... No one walking into your room without knocking... I think I forgot doors were supposed to stop people from doing that.

[A little off-topic, but the sentiment remains.]

And--I had to hang up my own hammock, and that's a bit closer to the right feeling, but it's still...

[She makes a gesture at the hammock as her sentence trails off. She doesn't even know what she's trying to get at. Maybe it doesn't bother Azar as much as it was bothering her. Maybe she really didn't have anything to be worried about.]

[arsonal]

[For a moment, Azar almost looks a little... uncomfortable? Maybe it's nothing. But she's crossing her arms, looking at the wall for a moment.]

...It's different. But it's fine.

We're both here, after all.

[That's all she needs.]

[sulit]

[They are both here. It's good. She still misses the Captain and the rest of the crew, skeletons included; but... Seeing Azar cross her arms like that, she starts to think maybe talking about it isn't going to make either of them feel better about it right now. She should just put it behind her, right?]

[So Klaudia leans over and bumps her shoulder against Azar's, leaning against her afterwards.]

Yeah, you're right. We are. [She leans more heavily against her, trying to push Azar even a little bit.] Which means if you decide you want to go live on a raft in the bay or something, you have to tell me, okay? Not that I've thought about it. Rafts aren't nearly dignified enough.