driftfleet | Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

Mostly the latter. I was either washing dishes, chopping vegetables, or acting as a busboy. But it taught me a lot about cooking and how high society worked, and it was how I got my foot in the door for an apprenticeship.

[He rips off another piece of bread.]

I'd rather be homeless than hungry.

[Her response is a musing smile while her mouth is full; sometimes there's no choice involved. Sometimes you just suck it up and deal with both, until you muster the skills to satisfy at least one of them.

Sounds like he's had a bit of a rough life, though, and she can sympathize with that.]

Apprenticeship for magic?

[He's glad she seems to understand. He'd hinted as much to Taako, at least.]

Right. All the raw talent in the world means nothing if you don't do anything with it. And for me, it was the only feasible way I could improve my situation.

[He takes another sip of water and adds with a trace of humor:]

And all the heavy lifting hard labor jobs were taken, of course.

[That makes her laugh, though it's not meant to be cruel.]

Yeah, don't think that one's your calling, my dude. [You're like five inches tall and 12 years old. And that's coming from her who's already on the smaller side.] But the rest is a familiar story- it's more or less how I got started, too.

[It gives him some small amount of satisfaction that he can make someone laugh. It was always Sokka and Eithan who said funny stuff before. He's... learning.]

You spent time on the streets, too? That's... not the best thing to have in common, but it can't be helped I guess.

Not like it's unusual. The world loves to shit on folks who weren't born with that proverbial silver spoon. But hey, don't most heroes hail from humble beginnings? It can be a cool thing in retrospect.

[Good to know he's got a sense of humour. He comes across as awfully serious, so she'd had a little concern that they'd clash. She knows she can be awfully blunt, often without apology.

She pops her last bit of cheese in her mouth and reaches for a cookie, catching a whiff of it as she chews.]

'izzis peanut butter?

[Blunt and to the point, but it's a familiar thing for Belthazar now. He surrounds himself with people who tell the truth, and his adoptive father can be crass at times.]

That's true. It's just that the standard should be higher for elvenkind. All the elves I've met are long-lived, no matter the world. Shouldn't they have a better view of the big picture? Shouldn't they have already developed the infrastructure to keep people from falling between the cracks?

Just because Silvermoon is full of corruption doesn't mean every elf civilization is the same way, and yet...

[And here he tips his hopelessly idealistic side, at least a fraction of it, while he finishes off his own bread.]

Mm-hmm. Peanut butter and caramel.

[She grins at that. It's a far less cynical view than she's used to debating with- more like something she'd have said to Taako rather than have it be said to her. It's not a wrong ideal to believe in, at least.]

Don't read too much into it. Elves have different clans and races the same way humans do, and we just happen to come from the more snobby and selfish parts of society. If I'd been born with the moon elves things might've been different- I'm sure it'd be the same for you, somewhere in your world.

[At least, she doesn't like the idea of writing off her whole species just because they hadn't felt like taking care of two orphaned brats. Their family had stepped in to an extent, even if neglect had factored in, and they'd taken care of each other just fine for the rest. They hadn't been left to die in an alley somewhere, and that counts for a lot.

At his confirmation of the contents of the cookie, she holds it in her palm and touches it with her free hand, carefully transmuting the ingredient as she'd done hundreds of times before. A quick gesture of Prestidigitation alters the flavour back to peanut butter, so at least it won't change the intended taste. Only then does she bite in.

...Ooh, that's a tasty mix.]

Probably. Though they're a bit archaic in their thinking, I imagine the night elves have fewer orphans in their own streets.

[Though they have fewer children regardless.

He watches her work with curiosity until he realizes the reason. There's only one reason someone would want to transmute peanut butter. Panic crosses his face.]

Oh no. Are you allergic? I'm so sorry, I didn't ask-- I can conjure something else to eat if it's severe!

[She waves him off as she pops the second half in her mouth and leans back in the snow. It's cold against her skin, but she doesn't mind so much. Not like she's technically alive, anyway.]

Nah, don't worry about it- I got it covered, and anyway, I won't die or nothing. Just makes my body cranky for a while. After this long I know how to avoid it.

Thank the Light. I've heard of bad peanut allergies that can make someone stop breathing if they're in the same room, but I've never actually dealt with it.

[He had a couple friends he'd make vegetarian food for, which is the extent of his special diet experience.]

I suppose something like that wouldn't stop any mage of skill though.

[She snorts.]

A lot of spells have a verbal component to them, so even the most skillful mage might run into trouble if they suddenly couldn't breathe!

That's very true. I think a mage's best treatment of that is to make sure it doesn't happen.

[He shoves a cookie entirely in his mouth. Just one bite. And then he washes it down with some water, chewing thoughtfully. These really aren't bad, but he might swap out the peanut butter for chocolate next time. A richer cookie...

He's almost forgotten about his little project, but not quite.]

... I do feel a little better, having taken some time. Maybe it was my blood sugar all along.

[Lup smiles, genuine but also a bit sly, because that went pretty much exactly as planned. Plus she got a nice meal out of it! Win-win.]

Ready to give it another go?

[Minus the peanut allergy but aaaaay at least she asked before eating it. That would've been awful.]

I think so. [He pauses, shakes his head.] No, I know I'm ready. I've been working on this for-- for years. Before the Fleet, I was in another place, and I tried to write the spell there, too. At this point, it's... practically my life's work to create this.

And while charging these crystals with mana won't solve the underlying problem, it will make things so much more bearable for me, and for people like me, if it succeeds.

[He shoves everything in his pack again and dusts the crumbs off his robes. After arranging himself like so, he gets up. He'll even offer her a hand up if she needs it, even though he's more likely to end up on the ground again.]

You may want some distance in case this one explodes.

No denying that. Good luck, bud, I hope it works out for you.

[She doesn't need help getting up, but ignoring the offer is kind of shitty so she accepts it anyway as she pushes herself back to her feet. The distance idea ain't bad either, and as confident as she may be that she can handle a little explosion, she'd prefer not to risk it. Shatter damage is nothing to shake your head at. Plus if he gets hurt someone needs to be here to make sure he's okay.

She gives his shoulder a light tap, a twinge of magical energy passing between them- surprise! You've got Mage Armor now, Belth. She casts it on herself as well as she heads to a safe distance.]

[Belth's smile turns warm at the edges as he feels the protective spell wash over him. It feels familiar in a way, though he's never been able to cast that kind of spell on someone else.]

Thank you.

[Then it's back to business. He levitates the crystal in midair so he can give it one last inspection. Then he steps back and begins to focus.

Mana swirls around him, seen as well as felt, until he concentrates it between his hands. And then he begins to feed that energy to the levitating pyramid in front of him. At first it looks like it's going well, but something slips in Belthazar's expression and the crackling arcane lightning bounces off the crystal. The gem vibrates like it's about to explode.

The mage terminates the spell immediately, and the silence creeps in, but he isn't going to quit. Not now. Not when he's so close.

This time he takes a deep breath. He thinks of someone very, very dear to him and holds his hands out again. Once more, he begins to channel purplish-blue energy into the crystal. This time his concentration doesn't waver. The crystal gives a gentle purple glow, pulsing slightly, as it sucks in mana. It takes about a minute, but once he's transferred a satisfactory amount of mana, Belthazar stops.

The crystal continues levitating until he walks up to take it in his hand. He tosses it between his palms, feeling the warmth but no energy discharge. The actual shelf life of these crystals has yet to be determined, but he thinks they'll be fine now that he's had some guidance on the subject.

He turns to where Lup waits and gives her a thumbs up and, of course, a big grin.]

It worked!

[Well, that was fun to watch. Lup takes in every second of it, watching as both mage and scientist, her eyes following the gestures he makes, the glyphs and the glows, the way the energy feels in the air. It feels a little like infusing a spell via artificing, but it's different: simpler, but more complicated in another way, too. Channeling raw magic is a completely separate challenge from manipulating a specific spell. It's really interesting to watch, and very cool, besides.

She claps when he finishes, slow but genuine.]

Sweet-ass show! Congrats on finishing it. You said it's supposed to be like a battery?

[Belthazar cradles the gem carefully in his hands. There's a minor worry that if it's damaged it might indeed become some kind of bomb. He's pretty proud of himself though, all bright eyes and excitement.]

Thank you for your help. And yes. I can store the gems and use them for a spell that requires a great deal of power, but there's a more practical use for them too. If I need to restore mana and there isn't another option, I can use these.

One of my other ongoing projects is making a gem that can both store mana and process sunlight into mana, like a plant. I'm closer now than I've ever been.

I didn't help that much, it was all you. Whatever I did, the light show more than paid for it.

[She does offer up a two-fingered salute in his direction, though, acknowledging his thanks, lips curving into a grin.]

The other project sounds a lot more ambitious, but that'll just make it fun. If you ever want somebody to bounce ideas off of, feel free to hit me up.

Glad to provide, then.

[He's beaming in a way that's almost literal. When she gives him the lazy salute, he reaches up and grins with two fingers near his head similarly.]

I'll probably take you up on that. It's a level of artificing that I was never taught, but experimentation and a little nudge in the right direction may be all I need.

I'm going to shape some of these other rocks and repeat the process, though I think that purple hematite and the teal agate are beyond saving. I guess we can blow them up?

[A grin immediately crosses her lips, shamelessly pleased at the suggestion.]

Hell yeah! Turn that shit into fireworks, that's my jam. Better not to waste it, right?

[Oh hell yes. It's been so long since he was allowed to wantonly destroy stuff in peace. It's normally too dangerous to do that sort of thing on the ship, so he has to wait weeks, sometimes a month, to do it.]

Right. And it's important to be able to fight, too, if the situation arises. Not that it has for a long time, but I have to keep my spells sharp.

[He gathers up the gems that still need some work into a bag. The tables and everything else disappear with a snap. With his findings and belongings safely tucked away, he can now use this clearing to continue his explosive reign of terror.

The teal stone and the purple stone sit innocently perched on small rocks.]

Okay, so... I think they both have about the same arcane sensitivity, which is about medium. The purple one is heavier. Which one do you want, or would you rather I showed off for you?

Oof... well, I'm of the opinion that bigger explosions mean better explosions, so I'll go with that one.

[She lifts the purple stone, tossing it from hand to hand as she considers its weight, then draws her wooden spoon focus from her belt and casts Levitate on it, tossing it away from herself as hard as she can. She could probably have thrown it well enough on her own, but she doesn't have Magnus's raw strength, so this is the best way to get some distance between herself and her target. Once it's far enough away she drops the spell, and as it plummets she takes aim and fires off seven bolts of arcane energy, juggling it back and forth in the air, little sparks and shards of crystal bouncing off and exploding like the most glittery of firecrackers. Suffice to say it looks awesome, and she's pleased as pink when what little remains of it finally flutters down into the snow.]

Nice!

[Belthazar watches her work with rapt attention, while he quickly scribbles down notes in his journal without looking. Her spell is elegant and destructive both, a good combination, and that glittery finish is perfect. He could chef's kiss over that.]

That was incredible! You aimed all of those bolts with enviable precision, not to mention the sheer force... Even at this distance, I could still feel the energy of the spell. Amazing, absolutely amazing. I don't think I can surpass that as I am, but...

At the very least, I shouldn't bore you.

[He works with his hands. Like Lup, he picks up the teal stone and inscribes some glyph on it. It shimmers slightly as he chucks it in a perfect arc. At the very top of the arc he freezes it with a motion of his hands.

Then the real exercise begins. Fire crawls from his palms, licks at his fingertips, until he's wreathed in enough red-gold-blue flame to match his gold eyes. He draws on this flame as he throws one volley after another, fire bolts that sing like phoenixes and hit once, twice, three times in an explosion of flames and red feathers. The stone is glowing and visibly burning despite not being flammable, yet the heat is so intense that the flames turn blue-white as they continue to lick at the stone.

Still focused, he conjures two massive globs of searing-hot magma in the air around the stone. Both slam into it simultaneously and explode with such heat and force that the snow melts off the nearby treetops.

And then it's gone. Nothing left, and no glitter to show for it, just a few lingering sparks and ashes drifting back down to earth.]

Oh, [Belthazar says as the flames die and he lowers his arms.] That felt surprisingly good.

Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

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