EVENT: A Certain Confession

[joybound]

Who: everybody!
When: Day 16, evening
Where: wherever you are

[As the sun sets and the new stars come out, there's a message on the ChainChat app. The username is new -- it's not The Construct, but it also doesn't have a profile attached, and doesn't accept private messages. It appears to be some different admin account.]

★: Hi everyone. Good news and bad news here. Good first: you should find your new train car attached as of this message! You guys wanted a garden, so hopefully you'll like this one.
★: As for the bad news: we're having a bit of a problem generating positive energy, so from now on we're adjusting the whole "sparks of light" thing. Starting tomorrow, you'll only get a payout when you consciously make a decision to increase your bonds. We're talking about increasing prices, too, but... one thing at a time.
★: Sorry for the bad timing.

[There's a pause, and then a follow-up.]

★: There are some things I ought to explain now, but I'm not sure where to start. Just be aware that things might get rougher in the future. And that Trials... I might've lied a little about those.
★: I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen. Please try to hang in there.

[It's not a cheerful message, but on the upside, there is in fact a new train car at the end! On the outside it looks like one of the communal cars, with a stylized flower symbol on the door. Inside, however, it's a huge greenhouse. There are several different "rooms", each about 50 feet square, aligned to different climates. It also comes with various basic gardening tools - trowels, gloves, etc -- and enough seedlings to get started growing flowers and veggies. There's always (artificial) sunshine coming down through the glass roof, and the soil in the beds never loses fertility. There are even benches here and there -- it's not only a practical facility, but a nice place to relax!

More seeds and seedlings, equipment, and decor, can be bought via the sparks shop. You may in the meantime assume any simple plants you want are provided -- but they won't be re-issued for free if you kill them!]

[OOC: You can use this toplevel to reply to the prince's chat message. He'll respond for a limited time, but you can use this opportunity to uncover some major plot info! You're also more than welcome to talk to eachother -- it's a chat room and the conversations are public. The changes to the sparks system are outlined in this OOC comm announcement. Thank you!]

Comments

[ewestmarch]

Mm. Alright. I'll start practicing. No straight-edges?

[bowtiedbones]

None! No protractors either.

[ewestmarch]

Why? Can they tell?

[bowtiedbones]

Of course not. If you're doing everything right, you'll never never summon anything that can read your spellwork. But as much as it affects them, it's programming for the magic we put into it.

[ewestmarch]

It's still my hand drawing the line.

[this is why you're a pain in the ass to teach things, Emilia.]

[bowtiedbones]

That's not the point. The point is the focus and intent it takes to make that line. I can make an array in chalk, sand, sharpie, or blood and they'll all work the same. But if I slack off on any of those, of any piece has any doubt or flippancy in its construction, that's where the difference will be and that's where it will break.

[ewestmarch]

Alright.

[mild. ur the boss, boss.]

[bowtiedbones]

Does your system have the concept of magic bleeds? If you lose direction of your magic or overfeed it into your working, you can end up with it going into the environment. In the worst cases, after your magic drains out, your soul starts draining out next.

[ewestmarch]

No.

[Stare.]

No one casts from their own soul where I'm from.

[it's too dangerous. Liches, maybe, but liches aren't known for their stability.]

I pull from a - a mathematical exploit in the way the universe processes life and death. There's a natural energy exchange happening constantly, it's just a matter of catching some of it to channel.

[bowtiedbones]

Anything I teach you, unless you decide you want theory-only, is going to be based on using your soul as the energy source. That's the only way any system at home works.

[ewestmarch]

[Emilia hangs her head to break eye contact, exhales slowly so her cheeks puff out.]

How much theory can I learn before we get into the practice?

[bowtiedbones]

The more theory you learn, the better really. Especially if it's something you're wanting to use at home.

[ewestmarch]

Good. Let's do that. I'll do the circles anyway.

[bowtiedbones]

Okay. I can get you a list of titles if you want to buy them from the Sparks shop, or I guess I can lecture?

[ewestmarch]

I'll buy them. Were you the one that told me about e-books?

[bowtiedbones]

I don't remember, but probably!

[ewestmarch]

[Heavy sigh.]

It's ridiculous how many sparks it takes for a book, even one without paper. But I would rather have a copy I can refer to.

[bowtiedbones]

How many is it?

[ewestmarch]

A hundred.

...

It doesn't sound so much when I say it out loud, but I tried to order thirty of them at once.

[bowtiedbones]

Um, yeah, maybe pace yourself on reading those.

[ewestmarch]

I ended up only buying five, but I've already finished them.

[Impatient toe-tapping.]

I mean, what am I supposed to do all day while I'm avoiding everyone having sex in my train car?

[bowtiedbones]

Um. The same things you would be doing if there weren't people having sex??

That's not really an issue in Thyme...

[ewestmarch]

It's still reading. I haven't been this far from a library in years. I'm in withdrawal.

[It's really making her bored, she is used to having so many books to power through.]

I don't know what's happening, but there are at least three couples and the walls are thin. Ugk.

[She stretches.]

I'll let you get back to your work and go start on circles.