magisteriaexe | your eyes are broken bottles [ 2024 catchall ]

berry bonanza (open to both magic and tech path folks)

How was Lucy supposed to know to not eat one of the muffins left in the lobby of the apartments? Look, okay, yes, her natural skepticism probably should have warned her off as it usually does, telling her not to eat strange food that someone's just left around, but maybe the weird optimism of Magisteria has started to get to her. And they'd just... looked so good.

And now, with every move she makes, glitter scatters. They're going to be finding it in the carpet for years.

She'd gotten a very concerned call -- as have other Otherworlders, Lucy assumes -- and a plea for help, and here she is, set up at a table in the lobby, dissecting a muffin. It's a criminally good muffin, actually. It's soft and fluffy on the inside and smells amazing. But what she's mostly interested in are the two types of berries she's found inside: Hexberries, and what she's told are Neon Berries, which look a little like strawberries but in shades of color that only belong in a rave.

Lucy pokes one with the knife she's used to cut the muffin apart, frowning thoughtfully. She nudges one of the cut-up Hexberries toward the person she's studying them with.

"I'm seeing some weird energy readings from these things. It's fluctuating all over the place." Her Bursterfly, which she's kept hold of after hooking it up to an energy reader, is oscillating in different colors as it sits on the table next to her. Lucy's grown kind of fond of the critter. "Food causing magical effects is... new to me, though."

Gilgamesh probably had looser standards than Lucy for what constituted "weird shit." After all, one need only look at... well, numerous matters, such as the fact that he possessed a potion which de-aged him, or the fact that he was half-human and half-god, or the fact that his best friend/lover was an androgynous being formed from clay and dissolved by the gods after they slaughtered a giant bull together, etc., many other things, yadda yadda...

.... but, truly, even by his generous standards, this city was really starting to push it with the shenanigans. now here is this woman again, dissecting a muffin alongside her Bursterfly. of course, his Bursterfly has come to accompany him as well.

"Hmph, it would seem your effects are happily mild..." Now those fluffy colorful ball creatures (-- why had they not yet been rounded up and returned to that woman or whatever?) were burping bubbles and the fish which had previously cursed Gilgamesh were controlling heatless flames. It was all truly pushing the envelope of existential absurdity. "It would seem that they put these 'Hexberries' even in normal dishes."

Adventuresome? Though that ... did seem to be on brand.

"Well, what do you think those fluctuating energy levels might mean?"

Little did he know he was speaking to someone without much knowledge of magic. The blind leading the blind. Though was it magic, or something biological in the berries? Stranger and stranger.

"No idea. Magic isn't exactly in my wheelhouse," Lucy says dryly.

There is, she'll admit, a certain charm to magic. She doesn't ever remember being an innocent kid, but she likes to think that she would have loved the idea of magic if she was -- bedtime stories about old wizards, and fantastical daydreams about making flowers grow and the stars dance. She'd never had time for that shit as a kid. Her earliest memories are of cold metal and gloved hands.

There is... a tiny part of her that's enchanted with the magic here, though.

"At a guess? It's something to do with the different effects they're giving things. One frequency means I get dosed with glitter," a gesture sends ironic glitter wafting over the table, "another frequency means those Furby things start changing colors."

(She's kinda pleased to see a familiar face. Even if she thinks Gilgamesh is weird, he is obviously smart and friendly. He also comes off as incredibly up-front, which is nice, actually.)

"The trick," she muses, "is to find something that nullifies that energy? I think?"

"I suppose you might describe it as ironic, but magic is my wheelhouse. At least in theory. That is to say, the version of Gilgamesh you see before you is the Caster summoning. I am an ancient hero summoned in the form of a mage."

She might have some follow-up questions to that, but by now, Lucy should probably learn to take some things at face value in this world.

"However, presented with the choice..."

Magic was the obvious choice, but Gilgamesh had taken the alternative route. Well, make of that what you will.

"Though that is not pressing, at the moment." After all, the entire apartment complex was in the throes of absurdity, even by its considerable and continual standards. "Well, and am I to say what, being the one more adept in magic? In theory, I am, but I am uncertain whether the magic of this world corresponds to that with which I am familiar."

It seemed to be another system, or maybe a mesh. So he shouldn't really make assumptions. And anyway, just off the top of his head at least, Gilgamesh knew nothing about any such nonsense as this.

"Well, I suppose the obvious place to begin is researching with these devices.

--can you do so with your mind now?" --mind-hacking? He wonders if maybe that's something he is capable of learning. He had been a clairvoyant, as a special power.

And there Gilgamesh goes again, saying things that make absolutely no sense. Actually, all that summoning talk sounds a little similar to some things Musashi said. She wonders if they're from the same world. I am an ancient hero summoned in the form of a mage. Really? Who says things like that?

Although-- actually, it might make the whole Gilgamesh thing make more sense. Because the actual historical Gilgamesh would not have looked like this guy. But if he's a version of Gilgamesh, then...

Why is she trying to make sense of this.

His question makes her frown. How did he guess that she was capable of that?

"I can connect to anything electronic," she confirms, because she may as well be honest about it. "I've got something called a cyberdeck implanted in my skull. Didn't work when I got here, but it started working after that big training session where we all picked our paths. I've been mostly controlling that," she nods at her Bursterfly, "neurologically. Makes information input/output a lot faster, but... it doesn't help me understand magic any faster. Or weird chemicals. Whatever's in the berries."

She feels like she'd need different equipment. Better monitoring and measuring, maybe. Something that can really connect with Bios better.

No, Lucy, unfortunately Gilgamesh still does not make much sense. Fate/ versions of heroes certainly aren't likely to be historically reliable, but his golden appearance is actually a result of his heritage as a demi-god. Fate vs. Historical Accuracy is definitely a thing, but honestly, being a blond twink was nothing, as that goes. Gilgamesh also has a jet craft in his vault which is apparently ancient Indian in origin (the Vimana), and that's still only the surface of the issues.

Also, he didn't really guess that she personally had unique abilities there. more that it was just a cool sci-fi/cyberpunk seeming thing which would ostensibly fit in with a city like this. also, this Link device apparently had some telepathic connections, as that goes. but Gilgamesh doesn't have anything beyond a very basic understanding of such things. at least not yet. if he remains here long enough, that is certain to change, isn't it?

"I see." Lucy seemed to be describing the technology of her own world, from what Gilgamesh could discern. "So the technology of your world -- the 'cyberdeck,' is compatible with the technology here? I am wondering whether such... interfaces, are something that exist here, that others of us on this path may also be expected to learn."

Gilgamesh isn't exactly opposed to gaining some abilities with neural fuckery, provided the neural fuckery doesn't end up reversed on him. And for one who was big on autonomy, that could be a bit of a concern within a city with the potentials this one seemed to have.

"Hmm, well, we could either continue to research with the means we have, or we could perhaps try to consult someone who might have some knowledge of this world's magic."

The apartment complex had both natives and Otherworlders alike from all backgrounds, after all. And the latter might be necessary in any case; it seemed as if the situation that had occasioned this baking catastrophe was a case of ingredients being used together which did not habitually go together and thus an unpredictable outcome, which meant that research might only get them so far. Lucy did seem pretty astute as such things went, but she also seemed very out her element. And honestly, even Gilgamesh was in this particular case...

Edited 2024-06-04 22:01 (UTC)

"A city this advanced definitely has neuro-tech on offer. You could go get a chip, if you really wanted," Lucy says, an amused little drawl underlining her words.

The thing is, though, she's not sure he'd need to. It may be that this technology path they're both on will eventually offer the same functionality without the need for physical implants. That's just a guess on Lucy's part, but they've already made her compatible with the city's technology without rewiring or having to replace any of her parts, so she's thinking the tech here is on a whole new level above what she's used to.

There's something... beautiful about the technology here. Something that flirts with being organic, or magic, or both. It's far away from the grunge and the grit and the bloodied steel of Night City.

"That's probably a better idea," she admits, leaning back in her chair. Shedding glitter as she moves. She's been trying to crack this case all by herself, but she just doesn't have the knowledge of magic necessary. And Atlas probably didn't know either, or he would have solved it himself rather than ask for help. "Maybe we could go ask at a nearby cafe? They'd probably know a lot more about magic food than we do."

"Tch, I am not certain I would wish for an object to be inserted into my body, let alone my brain, if that is what you refer to..."

Look, Gilgamesh was from ancient Sumeria, and even if some of the technology in his vault might seem pretty anachronistic relative to his origins (golden armor and the flying aircraft), all this cyberpunk-esque technology was still utterly foreign to him. He was, as Lucy had observed, intelligent and adaptable enough to gather the gist of something like neuro-tech, but he would likely not feel fully comfortable with it until he had a much more holistic understanding thereof.

Thus he would certainly hope she is correct in her assumption that they may gain such abilities without the need for extraneous implants.

And as to the other point of discussion...

"Indeed, it seems we have the same idea. Very well, then." Gilgamesh turns, but looks back over his shoulder, waiting for Lucy to fall into step alongside him so that they may proceed. "I suppose it cannot hurt to familiarize myself with the establishments in this world, in any case. In my kingdom, I knew them all so well I could have sketched a map without the assistance of laborers and scribes, yet here is another matter. But even if this world is not my garden, it does not change my nature."

He was, after all, a being who was quite literally made to be the linchpin between gods and humans, a being who was made to be a King over humans, and those instincts were deeply intrinsic in his nature.

Edited 2024-06-17 21:02 (UTC)

Lucy barely restrains herself from repeating my kingdom in a little scoff.

She's officially gotten used to the ridiculous things that Gilgamesh says. What a tragedy. Although, some of the stuff she says probably sounds just a ridiculous to him. Cyberware has gotta be a horrifying concept if you're from ye olden times.

Still shedding glitter as she walks, they make their way through the apartment complex lobby, and Lucy silently apologizes to the cleaning crew. If that glitter doesn't magically vanish, it'll be plaguing the carpet for weeks. If not months. If it's not magical, she just has to hope it's biodegradable, otherwise she'll become the cleaners number one enemy.

"I used to know my area of the city I lived in like the back of my hand. It was useful if I ever needed to run or hide. I've been trying to get to know this place, too, but it's... a little overwhelming."

Lucy steers them in the direction of the closest cafe she knows. High Rise Village is crowded and always busy, but it's easy enough to pick out the better places to eat. The little cafe she's got in mind is full of music holograms lining the walls and scuffed seats.

She glances over at Gilgamesh, weighing, curious. "Did magic like this exist where you're from? With... all the different kinds of people?"

[ Lucy is correct. Gilgamesh was exactly the opposite of herself in terms of what aspects of Magisteria were perplexing or alien to his own experiences and way of thinking. The sides to the city and world that she found most foreign and complex were the most akin to his backyard. But the sides of the world that he found perplexing? She seemed better equipped to deal with. So hopefully, between the two of them, there could be something of a balance. Mastery of various terrains, as it were.

In any case, Gilgamesh lets himself be led along. In much the same way Lucy is taken with the city's magic, Gilgamesh finds the manifestations of advanced technology to be enchanting -- especially the visual or aural variety, such as the holograms. He might be an ancient king, but there was something about the concept of a virtual world which spoke to a sort of societal abundance and a theory of progress that pleased him, as one who was born in ancient times and had clairvoyant visions of humanity progressing beyond his gardens and into the stars. He was a born adventurer, a supporter of treasure seeking and progress. ]

Hm... yes, when I consider it, there are many similarities between the magic of this world and my own.

However... well, as you are aware, I was a very early ruler, the first King and hero in humanity's lore. As such, as I was born in what was called the Age of Gods. It was a time when the air itself was far more saturated with magical energy, leading to the possibility of incredible feats of sorcery and interaction with legendary creatures. In my era, gods and goddesses, fantastic beasts... could still interact with humans.

[ he has to wonder whether Lucy's world had any version of his legend. was she, too, from a version of Earth in which he had been an ancient hero? overall, it was confusing as to whether the Otherworlders shared any version of his history or not. surely, some of them must. ]

But eventually, the Age of Gods gave way to the Age of Man, the decline of divine influence. Human civilization, science and reason, became prominent instead. Among humans, magic became confined to certain families with crests and circuits -- those mongrel "mage societies." [ he's not a huge fan, despite being, well, technically a mage, in this form. ] Secretive, underground societies co-existing alongside humans. To most, magic was a fiction. Fairies, Undead Apostles, phantasmal beasts... yes, they exist, especially in places with high concentrations of magic, but after the Age of Gods, many existed on the Reverse Side of the World, apart from the eyes of ordinary humans.

[ and he pauses because, well... not that he is trying to overwhelm Lucy (although all he just said was Probably a Lot, but ya grrl did ask...), but all this talk really has the wheels churning in his head now, considering how different/similar Magisteria might be. Gilgamesh shakes his head, thinking now about the two. ]

How is Magisteria different from my world -- what I just described?

As to that... I am still ascertaining. [ and he is on the tech path, so he was not among the Otherworlders who have really been asking questions of the spirits. ] From what I can gather, magic does seem to be associated with antiquity in this world, as it was in mine, whereas, likewise, technology is associated with futurism and progress.

But whether magic was once more abundant in the past, whether this world's deities were once more engaged with the goings-on of humans and then something like the "Age of Man" happened... I cannot yet say.

Without knowing more, it certainly seems that fantastic beings have continued to co-exist alongside "ordinary" humans far more so than was the case in my world, suggesting that even if Magisteria had something like an Age of the Gods and an Age of Man, the division was far less stark than in my world. Though I think it would be worth further exploring this tension between the two groups that we have been given to understand plays a role in defining life in this city. If indeed it is like my world, with technology poising itself to supersede magic... then that might go some way towards explaining that tension in the first of places.

[ but that's just conjecture. in Magisteria, at least, magic and those who practiced it did not seem nearly so inclined to step aside; the races and beings associated with it, their traditions, seemed to hold far more steadfast, but perhaps, if the worlds were at all alike, this anxiety might inform some of the attitudes of the one towards the other. ]

Edited 2024-07-06 16:31 (UTC)

[ Lucy carefully absorbs what Gilgamesh says, and finds herself making a wordless noise of assent or thoughtfulness here and there. Admittedly, she hasn't thought about things like this place's history or what mythologies they might have, if gods might exist, so they're new topics for her to consider. Topics that are pretty firmly out of her wheelhouse, so she's sure that any musing she does is uneducated at best. ]

Magic and tech seem pretty well intertwined here to me, but I'm not sure we can extrapolate a whole world's history just from one city. This might be the only city like it.

[ She kind of doubts that, because from what she can tell, Magisteria seems fantastically successful, and other cities would probably try to copy that success. Unless the rest of the world hates tech or magic. ]

But if there's a faction here that wants one to rule the other... yeah. That could definitely be a source of tension. Symphony of disruption.

[ She leads them around a corner, and into the cafe she uses sometimes. It's half punk and half music nerd, holos of music posters covering the walls and tables, and an eclectic crowd. Lucy snags them a spot in the queue, judiciously ignoring the amused glances she's getting at the glitter coming off her in waves at every movement. ]

Whatever it is, we've come at what looks like a turbulent time. [ Lucy rolls her eyes. ] Good for us.

[ Actually, now that Lucy mentions it, that's a good point. Thus far, Magisteria has been the singular city-state that they and fellow Otherworlders have encountered within Medeas. Could it be singular in its organization and priorities? Were other cities within the world similar, or perhaps very different? ]

Hmph... perhaps multiple factions. Rogues or extremists as well, one would suppose.

[ The magic/tech division was one broad area where some members of the citizenry found themselves in opposing camps, but with so many different people of different backgrounds, with different priorities, there were bound to be others.

It was not a leap to suppose there was likely a certain degree of internecine conflict as well. After all, even among the two broad groups of tech and magic, clearly there was quite a bit of diversity on each side, to say nothing of other potential flash points.

Anyway, Gilgamesh behaves as if he is quite at home in the cafe, no matter how unusual or anachronistic his appearance is. then again, by now, he has probably customized his wardrobe more in light with local customs, including Bios-infused jewelry baubles or accordingly bright and flashy clothing. in any era, the man had his own idea of trendy.

but this cafe suits him just fine. as they wait in line, Gilgamesh taps one of the holo walls with his finger, prompting the revelation of a digital menu. ]

Turbulence does not trouble me. Ah, but [ he is still looking at the menu, as if transfixed by the sprawl of words appearing in glow. ] I suppose we mustn't forget the reason of our coming here.

[ it was to seek assistance for the ...berry muffin issue, however they might begin with that. though now that they are here, the prospect of consuming/drinking something or enjoying the cafe for a bit unto its own rights... did not seem too unappealing. ]

[ For Emet-Selch's part, the muffins seem to have given him the rather disconcerting effects of his hair and eyes cycling through an array of colours, from white to black and all colours in-between. It's not the worst thing that could happen but it also looks extremely out of place on a grumpy old man such as him. ]

Magic often goes awry. 'Tis almost a given. If I'd known this would happen then I never would have eaten one.

[ He hadn't even thought to examine the muffins with his soulsight. ]

Jesus. His hair and eyes are actually kind of hard to look at. It does look pretty funny paired with the grumpy expression underneath, though.

"Same," Lucy agrees wryly. "I'm never getting all of this glitter out of my clothes."

She eyes her Bursterfly again, oscillating with color as it picks up on the energy being put off by the berries. Lucy extracts one of the berries with a pair of tweezers, eyeing it.

"You sound like you're a lot more familiar with magic than I am, though. What do you make of these?"

[ He glances at the berry. It doesn't really reveal much more than it did the first time he looked at one. ]

'Tis overflowing with aether - or I suppose Bios, as they call it here. Whether 'tis an innate property or a side effect, I don't know. I imagine if something could be made to counteract it then it may remove these effects from us.

[ Maybe a sort of 'wavelength' of bios that cancels the hexberry out. Or a cure to neutralise this particular, volatile bios. ]

"That's what I've been thinking," Lucy agrees, turning the berry from side to side. The color is kind of eye-rending, but it's not... like, glowing or anything. Whatever magic it's putting off, she can't see it. "I can measure the frequency these things are putting out, but it's changing all the time, and I wouldn't even know how to broadcast the opposite frequency to try cancel it out."

Maybe it all comes down to Bios.

[ He shrugs and offers airily: ]

If only one could Synthesise with a berry.

[ --But since that's obviously not possible(?), Emet-Selch waves off his own suggestion and gives the matter some deeper thought. ]

It may be ever-changing but is the change itself regular?

"I'm... not sure I'd want to, even if it was possible," Lucy says dubiously. "Sounds like a great way to explode your brain via non-compatibility or something."

His question makes her frown thoughtfully, and flick her gaze over to her Bursterfly. Its lights are changing colors with every new frequency, and...

"Looks like it is, yeah." The color change is steady, like a pulse. "I don't know which of those frequencies is making me shed glitter-- or which of them is making you change color." She pauses, and an amused little smirk touches her expression, casting a glance at Emet-Selch. "You up for eating another one in the name of science?"

"Why would I do something as foolish as that?" he asks in exasperation. "That would add another factor and make it even more difficult to cure. Or worse: extend the effects."

Also, he doesn't want to shed glitter. No thanks! That would be a nightmare to clean.

Edited 2024-06-13 17:50 (UTC)

[ Yeah, Lucy didn't think he'd go for that. Lucy's not sure she wants to go for that either, since really, it would only identify one frequency. ]

Okay, 'scrolling through all possible frequencies picked up so far' it is, then.

[ Luckily, she's been keeping a log of the frequencies the berry has been putting off so far, and it's relatively easy to have her Bursterfly start outputting the opposite, a sonorous hum that raises and falls in pitch, changing tone every ten seconds or so. ]

Now we wait and see which of these makes your hair stop looking like a nightclub.

[ It surprises him how quickly her little insect manages to reflect the berry's output. How long had she been recording? Would it be enough to counter his ever-changing hair?

He can do little but wait. At first, there's no change. But at some point one of the wavelengths matches a pattern emitted when his hair is about to change its colour again and it abruptly turns back to its proper white. Not ten seconds later, it shifts to another neon colour.

Emet-Selch, having created a small, handheld mirror to observe his own hair in this time, let's out an 'Aha!'. ]

It worked! Briefly, but the theory seems to be sound.

[ Lucy briefly looks victorious, and changes the audio channel back to the one that canceled out the effect on Emet-Selch's hair and eyes. There; he's back to normal now. At least for now. ]

The problem is, I can't follow you around with this until the berry effect wears off. Maybe if I just do this for long enough, it'll... work like an antibiotic.

More's the pity. Since it was a food, I would imagine the effect will fade after it has passed through completely.

[ It doesn't really solve the problem but it's a step towards it. Maybe? ]

What of yourself? [ A vague gesture at her glittery state. ] That cannot be comfortable.

Mmm, you've got a point. Unless the food triggers some kind of permanent magical effect, but that's... hopefully not the case? I don't know.

[ She tinkers with the Bursterfly's settings until it puts out two different frequencies at once, an overlaid hum. The next time she moves her hand, it's decidedly glitter free. Thank fuck. ]

Now I just have to hope the glitter fades too, otherwise the carpet cleaners here are going to kill me.

I'm sure they've developed ways to efficiently clean this...glitter.

[ He watches the Bursterfly for a short while, frowning thoughtfully. ]

That thing is more useful than I first thought. I wonder if he'll be able to make full use of it...

[ Probably not at first. But then, Rhea'li always manages to surprise him somehow. ]

guardians of the glow (open to both magic and tech path folks)

Lucy's never exactly been the sort to help for the sake of helping. In Night City, that was a great way to get yourself killed or scammed, and she'd been too wary of people ever since she was a child to extend trust like that.

The reason she's helping collect Nightglow flowers is because payment was promised, and as far as she's concerned, she wants to do everything she can to get ahead in this city. New city, new life. New, fresh start. And though Lucy has already procured herself a job, extra cash never hurts.

In the Agrarian Enclave, Nightglows are plentiful, and Lucy can see other Otherworlders just like her collecting them. Seems like she's not the only one that decided to be helpful.

Crouched to pick from a low-laying bush, movement catches at the corner of Lucy's eye. She'd been told the wildlife have been eating the blooms, but-- there's a raccoon staring at her. Except it's just a black shadow, with big luminous eyes, and Lucy can't decide whether it's creepy or cute. If it's alone and harmless, it's probably cute. But if it's just the forward guard of other shadow creatures, then it might be creepy.

"Hey," she calls to the nearest Otherworlder, voice pitched low, "there might be more shadow creatures around here. Keep your eyes open."

These two really keep encountering each other, huh? It's really probably because Gilgamesh is just a very adventure-seeking man and not one to be outdone with these challenges and, for that matter, he too is one for the money.

"Ah... again, I encounter you..." Though he still does not quite address her by name. This is Gilgamesh, though, so even "you" and not "mongrel" is a step up. And by now, no doubt they probably have exchanged names at some point. But he is still inclined to be a little more distant. "Not to worry. This sort of arena is my specialty."

He was after all the one who had journeyed through all the world and conquered various challenges.

"I have invented a simplistic mechanism by which we can generate Bios."

It's sort of... a move unto itself, but one that will require another person. He wonders if they have all been developing something like this. Knowing these acts of cooperation seemed to be necessary for various activities in this world, well, surely other Otherworlders were crafting ideas for what they would do in moments of need.

Lucy guesses it shouldn't really be surprised when she keeps running into Otherworlders in this big city -- there's so few of them, and so many people in this city, but they're all after the same things. Money, answers. Mostly answers, in her case.

Gilgamesh, at the very least, she thinks she can tentatively trust. He's strange, and has an ego on him, but he's also helpful and generous when he doesn't need to be. He's smart enough to power his way through most challenges, Lucy's guessing, but here he is, offering to help her with Bios, something she still hasn't quite figured out how to generate herself.

For a quick, hidden moment, Lucy allows herself to feel grateful. It's not an emotion she permits herself often.

"Really?" she asks, curious but guarded. She can see her own Bios in the white-purple lines of her EMP Threading, but the use of it is still eluding her. She thinks Synthesis with another person might be necessary, but... that requires another person. Still, it's worth hearing him out. "You think these shadow things are after the Bios in the flowers?"

"Let us take matters one at a time. To begin with, the topics of Bios and Synthesis..."

Gilgamesh casts a glance at the raccoon which was still furtively watching them.

"If I am understanding correctly, Synthesis is merely a matter of Otherworlders engaging in some manner of cooperation. However, specifically, it seems to refer to acts which embody duality of some kind."

It was built into the name: Otherworlders essentially ... coming together, as it were, to solve problems, but manifested through some physical/symbolic act. Was that not, essentially, Synthesis?

"I have heard that all manner of touch can be a conduit of this ability, yet I think it more practical for each person to devise for themselves an act which, in any or most situations, including one such as that which we now find ourselves in, we can use to generate Bios."

That made sense, right? Because at any given moment in this world, they may -- in a pinch -- need to generate Bios. That was just The Way here. And therefore, it made sense for each of them to have an almost kneejerk, instinctive method that they honed for doing so.

"The method I have been honing has been to have an object on hand that both of us may grasp simultaneously, channeling our Bios and generating new." It was a simple and flexible method. Plus, he could summon shiny cool shit from his vault and do a lot of Dramatic Hero Pose stuff while grasping whatever object with the other person -- say, grasping the hilt his axe, or his tablet, or even the aXess Link, or another weapon. But, again, he looks at that creature...

"To the matter of your other question... well, I am no expert on such matters." He, too, was a new arrival, just like her. "But that seems both sensible and also what the natives have given us to understand as their own speculation. The question, to my mind, would be: Why? Why is it that these creatures are behaving as though they are starving for Bios? And just what exactly are these 'shadow creatures'? Are there merely nocturnal animals, or a manifestation of something more complex and perhaps more sinister? If Bios is light and life energy, and they are blackened... could it be that something has happened to the Bios within these animals' bodies?"

That was simply a guess on his part, but the combination of their hunger -- an apparent lack -- and their black, shadowy bodies: had the Bios within them been ... altered? Voided, somehow? Was that even possible?

Edited 2024-06-17 21:42 (UTC)

[ There's something about the way that Gilgamesh explains it that... just makes it a lot easier to understand. Just makes the knowledge sort of click.

So, she needs to figure out how to generate her own Bios, and she needs to figure out some kind of cooperative shorthand, something she can do with another person to symbolize partnership and synchronicity in order to generate Synthesis. If she understands things correctly, then Bios is now being used to fuel her pre-existing cybergear, but Synthesis grants her the ability to do things she's not currently capable of.

And to do that, she needs to cooperate with someone. It's something of a foreign idea for Lucy, who's used to acting alone even while running with a group. ]

Maybe something did happen to the Bios inside them. Maybe it got... corrupted somehow, with a disease. Or they got exposed to a kind of magic that twisted them around.

[ She crouches down on the edge of the path, where she can see little shadows underneath the bushes. Her mouth takes on an uneasy slant. ]

And if that's true-- could it happen to people, too?

[ Lucy might have faced some challenges in grasping concepts such as magic or Synthesis, but she does, Gilgamesh thinks, have a talent for asking probing questions and arriving at useful insights. ]

Mm... [ he folds his arms, raising a hand to idly touch his fingers to his chin in thought. ] ... the thought had occurred to me. In my world, heroic spirits -- called "Servants" -- such as myself, are sustained by something known as mana. From what I have gathered, the mana that sustains a being such as myself is comparable in many ways to Bios.

In fact, it is apparently Bios itself that sustains me in place of mana, now. An equivalence, as it were.

[ honestly, that might be why he seemed to struggle a little less with the concepts, despite being from the ancient past. like Musashi, Gilgamesh was a "ghost" sustained by the mystical energies of magecraft. mana. and like Bios, the glow of mana could come in many different colors. yet there were also differences: as just one example, the people of his world did not, overall, incorporate mana into everyday life, in lights and electricity and the makeup of cities themselves. perhaps nearer to his own era, the Age of the Gods, but certainly not in more modern times. the Bios of this world was a source of magic and perhaps mystery, but it was also ubiquitous as a power for everything else. so that was... different.

still, there was much similarity. ]

There were indeed methods of darkening mana. Corruption. The madness enhancement of the Berserker class was a form thereof, and a corrupted form of the Holy Grail could also affect Servants... ... well, it would have no effect on me, as I am exceptional, but certainly, there were Servants who would blacken, their demeanors changing under such circumstances. We referred to them as "Alters."

[ Gilgamesh follows her gaze at the shadows ~~giving Lucy a probably much-needed break from Fate/-jargon explanations lbr~~. ]

Well, in any case, I suppose there are no Grails nearby, nor any reason to suppose this darkening of Bios, if it is indeed some similar form of corruption, derives from a similar source. Yet it may be interesting to uncover what source it does originate from.

... though, I suppose more immediately, we had ought to find some means of supplying them food.

[ y'know, before they start acting like Raccoon/Bunny/Chipmunk/Etc. Alters and going all rabid on them. so far, they seemed more skittish, but if it really was That kind of corruption, one could never be too careful. ]

Edited 2024-07-04 19:59 (UTC)

[ Just when she thinks she's got Gilgamesh reasonably figured out, he goes and... says all that. Lucy narrowly resists the urge to slap her palm to her forehead.

Still, it's not hard to get what he's saying. She's familiar with the idea of mana -- she's played video games, obviously -- and in his world, there were methods of corrupting the magic within. If it's possible in one world, it's possible here, too. The source could be anything. Someone could have deliberately corrupted their Bios, magically or technologically. If Lucy gets really wild with her theories and go full fiction, it could even be something like negative emotion or bad thoughts. It's probably not that, because if that was the case, her Bios would be wildly corrupted, but still. She's got to think of all the possibilities.

But Gilgamesh is right. They should probably calm the critters before they get too hungry. ]

I don't have any way of manifesting Bios on my own.

[ She bets other people probably do. The people with magic. But for her, Bios only fuels what she could already do with her cyberware, and she can't... produce globs of digital stuff for them to eat. Or.

Wait. Can she?? Could she somehow project a digital frequency at them and feed them with Bios that way? They don't have any way of receiving digital frequencies, though, and she's hardly telepathic. She might have to experiment with that, though. ]

Wanna see if we can come up with something with Synthesis?

[ Gilgamesh would certainly not be supposing bad thoughts/emotions to be the source of the corruption. after all, that could potentially extend to him and others among them in some ways, as well. but he definitely finds himself wondering whether there's any sort of deliberation to these circumstances -- whether someone or something has actively created this outcome.

if so, that would be quite the thing to explore and delve more into.

but, as they have both observed, better to focus for now on the more immediate conundrum at hand. ]

Hmph... well, it does seem an opportunity for experimentation and ingenuity. [ a small smirk touches his lips. Gilgamesh was not much for cooperation per se, but he was a bit intrigued at seeing what they might be able to accomplish with Bios and their native powers. ] Do you wish to utilize my method, or do you have another idea in mind?

[ cooperation could take many forms, after all. ]

V found himself out here picking flowers for more or less the same reason: there was pay promised, and it never hurt to build a reputation as someone that was willing to help. He was good at playing all sides of the equation back at home, and he hoped he could do that here as well.

He was already crouched before some small critter and seemed to be talking to it when Lucy spoke out, his attention diverting to glance her way as he fished something out of the pocket of his jacket and offered it to the creature.

"Yeah, seems like. Haven't seen nothing big though. Yet." Which is how he hoped it would stay. "You good?"

"I'm good. It's nothing scary -- not yet."

Unless raccoon-shaped shadows could be scary? Lucy's pretty sure the answer to that is no. With her tech working again, she's got access to the whip-thin cords in her palms, and those can slice through bone in a moment. Can it slice through shadow things? She's... not sure.

Just in case, Lucy finishes picking a bush, and makes her way a little closer to V. No harm in safety in numbers.

"This city is so weird," she sighs. She plucks a Nightglow flower, studying it's faint shine in the dark. Magic, Bios, Synthesis, it all still seems to strange to her. She's not acclimating very fast. "At least Night City used to be predictable."

While the critter was distracted, V started to pick the flowers before him. When he noticed that it was looking back at him he gave it another of whatever he was holding, then returned back to picking the flowers. It was habit how he glanced back when he heard Lucy's movement closer but his attention turned back to the flowers once he realized what she was doing, listening to her speak.

"Gotta admit I'm not to keen to be here. Don't really acclimate to new places that well," he replied as he thought of his relatively short stint in Atlanta. He couldn't run back to Night City this time, though, no matter how much he may want it.

"Miss the rhythm of Night City. Like you said: made it predictable. And I knew what I was walkin' into wherever I went, knew the risks that came with each neighborhood. Here?" He shakes his head a little with a frustrated little sigh. "Just waiting for the cracks to show 'n this pretty facade to fall off. Don't like this feeling of eggshells under my feet."

Not to even touch on the topics of magic and synthesis, which he still wasn't entirely sure he was fully sold on. Those were things he was still turning over in his head because they just didn't make sense to him.

[ Despite herself, Lucy cracks a smile. ]

Think there's a term for that? Night City induced CPTSD or something?

[ Because, taking a step back, they both sound like war veterans expecting a minefield, but maybe that's not too far off from the truth. Night City was just like that. Full of all sorts of ways, big and small, to worm under your skin and make you shake. She had catalogued her walk from her apartment to the train station by a series of dangers: the cyberpsycho junkie that hung out next to the corner shop, the gang that loitered three streets down, the Arasaka execs that waited at the station.

She knows V has got to be the same. He looks like he can defend himself -- she doesn't know what cyberware he's packing, but she'd guess it's something useful -- but still. Even the biggest baddest edgerunners were cautious 24/7.

As she picks some more flowers, the rich Bios in them staining her fingertips, some more shadows slink up in the corner of her vision. Like animals hungrily eyeing a juicy treat. ]

Cracks'll show eventually. Maybe something like that symphony of disruption message we got back in the garden during the tech challenge. Maybe something else. A city like this has got to have corruption somewhere.

Maybe just NCPTSD. Have to ask my ripper if we somehow get sent back.

[ There was a moment where V had a genuine, unfiltered smile quirked on his lips, a playful gleam in his eye. It was quickly pulled under control and hidden by that cool mask that all edgerunners seemed to hide behind, a habit hard learned from his childhood. He picked another flower and looked down at it, considering the glow and its source: something he was not particularly contributing to, given his standoffish nature.

A nature well-earned over his life. He couldn't honestly say that he'd ever known what security felt like, even in a Night City sense. Even when he thought perhaps he could have it, the issue of the worm eating through his brian still persisted. Now that he was somewhere safe, he couldn't believe it, and he still found himself glancing over his shoulder or keeping his back to a wall like he did when he was a little girl. ]

Yeah, sure it'll either rear its head here soon, or one'f us Otherworlders will sniff it out 'fore too long.

[ V didn't mention that he'd probably be the one to look for it. He put the flower in his basket and reached for another, momentarily glancing to the side as he saw something in the corner of his eye. His gaze lingered as he tried to figure out what it was. V finally gave up and turned his attention back to the flowers as he spoke again. His voice was a little softer, the edges of him a little sanded down. ]

Gotta admit that I hope there's some part'f this place that's as fucked as Night City. Feels real shitty that we come from a place so close to this, but... [ He paused as he looked for the word. ] So thoroughly corrupt. [ V didn't say it, but he hated how unfair it felt. Every time he turned it felt like the universe was spitting in his face, and being here was just another slap in the fucking face. He'd been brought back to life just to see how different his life could have been, how much better it might be if he'd been born just one little dimension over. ]

I'm not sure what I hope.

[ It's unexpectedly honest, and Lucy says it with a sigh. She knows what V means. It's like... if a city with this much technology baked into it can be good and clean and safe, why'd they have to get stuck with the one that turned into a dystopia? What means the people here deserve better than they did? What are the leaders doing here that they didn't do in Night City? Why did greed and lust for power have to take central stage in their city, but not here?

On the other hand, if this placed is just as fucked up as Night City underneath its clean veneer... well. That sucks too. It sucks that they can't escape the urban nightmare. Sucks that they might think they're getting a second chance only to have it blow up in their faces.

It's a pessimistic way to think, sure. But that's what nighttime is for, right?

She tosses a flower to the little gathering shadows, and they descend on it in a way that makes her grimace. ]

I'm slowly starting to understand this Bios thing, at least. Still trying to figure out a way to easily engage Synthesis if I need it.

( continued from here )

Used to a big city, yeah. Looks just like home, except for all the magic shit.

[ The tiniest hint of amusement enters Lucy's voice. Koujaku looks like he's picking a place a lot less neon than everywhere else, which says a lot about him. Lucy will indulge him rather than dragging him to a club with a name like AMORE or TRIP or FLASHBANG with rainbow flashing lights and naked people of questionable genders in cages. However tempting it is.

The bar is less well-traveled, only a few people inside, and quieter than most other places. Lucy picks a table near the window so she can watch outside. The bartender looks to be AI, their face a cacophony of glowing eyes. ]

If you're into stimulants, a lot of the places here offer drinks with them. It's called Verve.

( it's obvious he's out of place. This is more Noiz's style for sure — neon lights and AI servers. It makes him feel like he's in a game of Rhyme and he fucking hates it.

But there's a cute girl here, showing him the ropes, helping him ease into this new reality. Koujaku might not be a tech savvy guy, but he'd still take this over trying to figure out the weird magic shit.

He sits down. Pulls Beni, the little red robot bird, and perches him on his shoulder. He doesn't wake up yet, but that's probably for the best, he just doesn't want him falling out and getting lost in this madness, and orders a whiskey neat. )

I'm good, I think. I don't need to get amped up. ( It would be... bad for everyone. ) Some dumbass I know would love this place. Should have dragged him here instead of me.

[ Lucy thinks she's had a similar thought, actually. About other members of Maine's crew seeming more suited to being here than her. Maybe Kiwi would have figured everything out by now. Maybe Dorio would have no-bullshitted her way to solving shit. Maybe David--

Maybe David would be watching all the magic here with stars in his eyes. He'd be friends with everybody already. He'd love it here; this softer landing, this more supportive society.

Ruthlessly, Lucy shoves those thoughts away, and says: ]

Whiskey, right? BRB.

[ It takes the work of thirty seconds to order at the bar and get their drinks, because AI bartenders are ruthlessly efficient. Lucy returns with Koujaku's whiskey, and a cocktail in a tall glass for her. ]

Cute bird. [ Lucy's cool tone doesn't reveal whether she's being genuine or poking fun. ] Don't know anybody else that's brought a pet with them all the way through the portal.

your eyes are broken bottles [ 2024 catchall ]

open quest⸻

this is not the kind of thing he expected to be signed up to help with

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i apologize in advance for all the... fate/-isms but loool, She Did Ask

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apologies for wait ;;

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open quest⸻

2fer

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for koujaku⸻

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