It's the only way to be sure [Open]

[facepunching.livejournal.com]

So many people had recommended the Media Library to Soren that it ended up being one of the first locations on-ship that he paid a visit to. As promised, there was plenty of information to be found in convenient, electronic format.

Convenient for everyone who wasn't essentially from a medieval time period and thus had no framework for understanding computers, let along databases.

Losing patience, Soren began mashing the controls on some kind of instrument panel, and was rewarded with a moving picture featuring humans being menaced by floating tin plates, a woman singing about less-than-optimal romantic encounters, and some sort of storybook featuring a blue-skinned 'space explorer' and his evil nemesis (both with rather improbable hair).

"Infernal machine," he hissed, hitting the table with one small, bony magefist. "I'll show you a bad romance."

As far as he was concerned, the future should be destroyed. With fire.

Comments

[combustible_me]

"I can shut down a fire spell. Usually. An' a mage with fire spells can't turn into fire. I can. Been told it's like energy transformation?"

Ellyn shrugged. "I never did lots of research on m'own powers." She thunked a fist on the electronic book she carried.

"'S'what this is for. More fer that elf'n me, he seems like th' type ta act'lly 'preciate it."

[facepunching.livejournal.com]

"I see." Note to self -- use ice spells. "An unusual talent, turning into fire. Are you referring to Aibghalien? He did seem rather interested of the mechanics of what I'm capable of, rather than the ultimate effect."

[combustible_me]

"Yeah. He pro'ly wanted to ask me dozens o'questions I couldn't answer. Luckily they got books on it here." And certainly that could answer Aibghalien's questions better than Ellyn could.

"Suppose someone's gotta coordinate."

[facepunching.livejournal.com]

"Oh? I suppose I was a little better equipped than most, then. I spent some years studying magic formally, so I'm fairly familiar with the underlying theory."

"Coordinate?" he blinked. "I was under the impression that the actual department head was elsewhere."

[combustible_me]

"Nice. I mean, I went ta school fer years, but..." Ellyn hadn't really paid it much mind after she left the Collegiate behind her.

"Yeah, but you ever try to coordinate a group like that? Elementalists're headstrong an' if my mom an' siblings're any example, so're mages. Like herdin' cats. Someone's gotta coordinate. Maybe that's what he was doin'. Or handlin' things while the head was away."

That was why they didn't really have magical organization back home. Really.

[facepunching.livejournal.com]

"I was never sent to a school. But I was given the chance to study with some priests, who helped me with my studies." In fact, he didn't know many people who WERE sent to actual schools."

He nodded. "I suppose you're right, though I suspect any sort of large organization with this makeup will have problems not working at odds with each other."

Mages followed generals or other leaders, not other mages. In general.

[combustible_me]

"Well, th' one thing that strikes me as bein' helpful is th' fact we all oughtta have our eyes on th' same prize. Dunno 'bout you, but I want my world back."

Something he said gave her a thought, though. "What's a priest? Never heard of it."

[facepunching.livejournal.com]

"A priest? It's an official follower of a religion, generally male. They have some authority over other believers and their duties generally involve offering guidance to those who require it."

[combustible_me]

"Oh. Religion. Guess I kinda know what that is then. Ain't got any gods on my world, but my mom wasn't from my world, an' she worships some goddess."

Not that her mother would be pleased to hear Ellyn be so casual about that sort of thing, but...

"I heard the really religious can get a little goofy. Y'ain't like that, are ya?"

[facepunching.livejournal.com]

"No, I'm not particularly religious. There are more important things to worry about than laws of charity and compassion from above. Besides, gods and goddesses are never quite what you expect them to be."