[7rings] hm?

[shiftingwinds]

Comments

[aubins]

[ find your glass, gu yun, damn. ]

Call it an experiment, albeit one I don't think is working out. Did I explain the crest system and relics to you, or not?

[liuli]

[ i'M TRYING ]

The what?

[ picks at his ear like he's deaf ]

[aubins]

That's a no then.

[ damn, can't see, can't hear. what are we going to do with you, gu yun? ]

It's a bloodline thing. If we were back home, this would give me some perks. Faster movement, reducing damage from some weapons, or blocking attacks.

Here? It's just a weird looking bracelet. Or that's the working theory.

[shiftingwinds]

Oh - I got something like that, too...

It matches my brother's and when we're wearing it we can tell if the other's been hurt, but I don't think it does anything here. At least, I hope it doesn't.

[aubins]

[ fingerguns with the hand not being held captive by gu yun. who taught him this. ]

That means you've been indulging, and this place is rewarding you. If you haven't received something by now, it's a sign you're behind in terms of expected indulging. If you've got two things, you're a star pupil and have been excelling.

Or that's what I've heard through the grapevine.

[shiftingwinds]

[she preens]

I've got two.

[aubins]

[ he wolf whistles. ]

[shiftingwinds]

[


she realizes the implications of her bragging when he does that and blushes heavily]

Uh, wait, I didn't mean—

[aubins]

[ tooooooooooooooooooooooooooo



late ]

Did Thursday night help?

[shiftingwinds]

Stop!

[she's going to BEAT HIM WITH HER FAN]

You don't hear me demanding to know what you get up to, do you?!

[liuli]

Just get it this week, meimei?

[shiftingwinds]

No, it was a few weeks ago. I got something else today.

[liuli]

Good for you!

[ busy girl!! wehehe ]

[shiftingwinds]

...actually, I should show you guys! It's probably good if you know.

[she just

reaches into her sleeve and pulls out a magnifying glass]

[liuli]

[ he's squinting to see it. the way this would genuinely help him rn ]

What's that?

[shiftingwinds]

It's some kind of a glass - I just received it today. I can take it to any room in the base to learn more about it.

There's no time limit on when I can use it, but I can only use it once. I thought you guys might have some good ideas about where I should use it?

[aubins]

[ how do you fit all this in your sleeves, shi. ]

... and that helps with investigations how...?

[shiftingwinds]

It can be taken to any room in the base to learn more about it.

[liuli]

[ that would be terrible!! good thing he's full of shit so at least hes pretending to be deaf. ]

Interesting. Well, welcome to the land of the non-magical! Now you know what it feels like to be me.

[aubins]

Terrible.

[ very very deadpan. ]

But if this is life without a Crest, I can see why someone would covet the idea. A world fuelled by talent alone, rather than the luck of the bloodline draw.

...

Not worth a five year war, though.

[liuli]

Oh, I wouldn't say that. The pavilion closest to the water always gets the best moonlight.

[ that is to say... bloodlines are a thing no matter where you are. ]

Could certainly be worse. Five years?

[aubins]

Oh, sure. Something something, the noble and powerful houses of the Empire/Holy Kingdom/Alliance.

But the breeding that goes on to pass down Crests is brutal. The rumours of what people do it try and force a Crest on someone is just as bad.

A world with a little less emphasis on it wouldn't be a bad thing.

[ he tilts his head, and adds, a little dryly: ]

I think a war of any length is a fairly bad outcome, don't you?

[liuli]

Well - yes, and no. Depending on the number of casualties and the scale of it, really. [ spoken like a true war hawk.... ]

That does sound quite terrible. Really, the longer I spend here, the more convinced I am that I live in a much better world without any sort of magic in it.

[aubins]

A lot, and a lot. [ he shrugs. ] War's going to be devastating to someone, no matter the scale. Even if you boil it down to the practicalities, I don't like to forget that.

[ hmmmmm. ]

Maybe. Magic definitely has benefits -- like healing magic. But the Crest system? [ he pulls a face. ] It's worse if you have a Major crest, and worst again if you have a rare Crest. Couple them together and you're like someone's catnip.

[liuli]

Sounds complicated.

[ this sounds like nerd shit ]