(no subject)

[notanoptimist]

Who: Leonard McCoy
Broadcast: Yes! Fleetwide
Action: Caprine/Solace
When: Friday

[There are days when McCoy would gladly turn in his lab augment for an engineering one. After practically picking apart the Caprine and then putting her back together bolt by bolt (with a lot of help from actual engineers out there, thanks) he's about ready to airlock himself.

He's a doctor, not a goddamn mechanic. It's like learning anatomy all over again, except this time he doesn't understand a single thing. Glory be, at least, they've finally graduated to trying fix the many issues in non-essential systems.

Like the kitchen, where McCoy is now making sure it all works again, after having spent hours trying to put it all back together. Spoiler: it doesn't go well. That's why he's waving away wisps of smoke and coughing a bit when he addresses the Fleet.]

I need an engineer. Again. [Sigh.] I'll pay you the going rate. Come on over to the Caprine. It's the ship in the most pieces over here. [There goes more credits. Everything exploded again. Someone just... put him out of his misery.]

[private comm to Beverly Crusher]
[So he's starting to regret thinking that someone should put him out of his misery. Really coming to regret that.] Hey. We need to talk. Let's meet somewhere.

Comments

[notanoptimist]

Right. Okay. [That's somehow a bunch of words that have meanings attached to them that McCoy doesn't quite get.] You're gonna have to go into a little more detail.

[touchallthebooks]

Ah... I can chuck fireballs, freeze limbs, arcane magic is basically magic that warps time, space, and controls the flow of mana. Our magic.

[notanoptimist]

I can see where some of that would come in pretty handy. [What he wouldn't give to chuck fireballs at some people's faces.

... There are days when "do no harm" is actually a little difficult, you know.]

[touchallthebooks]

It's definitely saved my life a few times. [Khadgar is glad he doesn't have that kind of oath stopping him.

He's not supposed to throw fireballs at people.]

[notanoptimist]

I can only imagine. What else do you do? Some of that went right over my head.

[touchallthebooks]

That's about the extent of my skills, really. I could use another type of magic but it thrives off of death, I can't in good conscious use it. I renounced my vows so my training is mostly on my own now.

[notanoptimist]

I ain't askin' about it. Hell, that sounds... nasty. [He doesn't want to know. Really does not want to know.] Color me curious but... I don't quite understand how any of this you're talking about works. [The not-thriving-off-death stuff, he'll ask about.]

[touchallthebooks]

It is. [That's the most he'll really say about fel unless pressed.]

As mages we... we have a different kind of energy we ca draw on, mana. We can store it inside ourselves and draw on it for our magic. It's not the easiest to explain, I've had magic for as long as I can remember.

[notanoptimist]

You store it inside yourselves? [His scientist's mind is already working on possibilities here. This is, to borrow a phrase, fascinating.] Some people cannot, you're implying?

[Sorry, kid. You are a walking science experiment now.]

[touchallthebooks]

That's the best explanation I can give, yeah. It's why mages can get exhausted from casting too much. And yeah, mages can. Warlocks can and some paladins.

[As someone who loves learning, he'd both be interested and concerned.]

[notanoptimist]

Huh. That's interestin'. [He's taking notes. He's also not sorry for it.] Do you know why some can and some can't?

[touchallthebooks]

[Actually, Khadgar can admire that. He's never without his quill and notebook.]

Not really. Some people are born to be mages and some aren't, I guess. As far as I can tell, I was the only mage in my family.

[notanoptimist]

I wonder what makes you different then.

[touchallthebooks]

I couldn't answer that if I wanted to. I just... am.

[notanoptimist]

You just are. [That's a completely unsatisfying answer, you know.] Would you mind if I took a scan of you? I'm curious now.

[touchallthebooks]

A scan? [what?] Sure, why not. I've got plenty of time most days.

[notanoptimist]

Nothing invasive. I just want to build a baseline, in case I have to treat you, or someone like you, in the future.

[That's a good excuse, right?]

[touchallthebooks]

That's fine. Mana shouldn't affect anything but it can't hurt.

[Excellent excuse. At least Khadgar is human, it makes it a little easier.]

[notanoptimist]

Good. Drop on by the Caprine whenever you have a minute and I'll do it.

[touchallthebooks]

I can come by now if you want. I just need to see the space around you so I can get over there.

[notanoptimist]

[That's an odd turn of phrase.] The space around? Whaddya mean by that?

[touchallthebooks]

I can teleport over but it's easier if I see the area, I can try to contain it a bit. Sometimes things get shoved away when someone teleports.

[notanoptimist]

That sounds fun. [And risky.] You sure you don't want to use a shuttle?

[touchallthebooks]

It's alright, it's faster this way. And I've done it a couple times here already. [Don't worry, he's been doing this for years.]

[notanoptimist]

All right. [Pause] Do I just... I don't know, swing this thing around so you can see what's around? Will that work?