106th moon [audio]

[paladinlost]

To be in accordance with this world's natural laws, a whole half of my heredity should have been removed from my body. The half I inherited from my Lunarian father, to be exact. As there are only two half-Lunarians in the world, I cannot know exactly how it sets me apart from pure humans, but there is no doubt that there must have been something for this land to take away from me.

[Cecil doesn't know why he feels the need to talk about this now. His words come hesitantly, like he doesn't quite know if he wants to keep going.]

...Yet I feel no different, barring the usual loss of magic that even full humans go through. I look the same. I act the same. My skin still does not tan, no matter how much time I spend on the beach. The manner in which I age remains constant even after five years spent in this world. It's as if the absence — or presence, for that matter — of my Lunarian blood is completely meaningless, as far as my life is concerned.

[He stops for a moment, and then here it comes. The true, uncertain confession.]

I... don't know what to think of that. At all.

Comments

[paladinlost]

I don't bother wasting them, usually. But sometimes it feels as though the 'why' is the most important question in the world, even though there are no answers to be found. ...Perhaps I'm merely not keeping myself busy enough.

[blazeit]

Probably, yeah.

I mean, I feel like peoples' actions say more about their beliefs... or some pithy bullshit like that. Get a new hobby or something, idk.

[paladinlost]

The ideal hobby would be one that also brings me closer to my roots, but as neither airships nor magic can be found here I might have to go back to knitting.

[blazeit]

Well, if you're trying to find yourself or whatever, why not like yoga or meditation or some zen shit like that?

[paladinlost]

They're not the most productive activities, but they might offer some personal insight and relaxation. ...Along with some much needed patience, when my team starts acting up.

[blazeit]

Well hey you seemed all about "discovering yourself" and whatever, so I thought they might be up your alley. There's always more shit to be learned. Idk. Cooking, first aid.

[paladinlost]

First aid? I can understand studying healing spells, but how can one study the way to open a potion bottle?

[blazeit]

No, I mean like... putting bandages on stuff and what kinda medicine to use when and idk... what to do when somebody/some...Poké eats a bunch of berries they really shouldn't. That kinda thing.

[paladinlost]

...Bandages are simple enough, and between potions, antidotes and chicken soup, any upset stomach should be cured. Unless you mean setting broken bones and reviving dying comrades with a phoenix down?

[blazeit]

There was a lot of "what the fuck do you mean" in that last sentence of yours, but the first part about setting bones sounds about right

I have no idea what you mean about phoenix down, though.

[paladinlost]

A pheonix down is the down feather of a phoenix.

[Okay, maybe a longer explanation is necessary.]

It can quickly revive those who are unconscious or near death. Much like this world's revive, but for direr situations.

[blazeit]

Okay so how does that work
Like
Scientifically speaking?

[paladinlost]

...The phoenix is supposedly immortal. It could be that even a body part as small as a fallen feather still contains some of that power. But only some; phoenix downs cannot revive those who have truly died, or who have expended too much of their energy.

[blazeit]

Okay, that makes more sense than what I was imagining... I mean. I guess that sounds a lot more realistic than most things here...

How rare are phoenixes, though??

[paladinlost]

Extremely rare. I've traveled all over the world more than once, yet I've never met one.

[blazeit]

Then where the fresh hell do their feathers come from?? How would you know you have a REAL phoenix feather?

[paladinlost]

...That's an excellent point. I'll have the baron Chamber of commerce investigate their provenance the moment they return home. Those feathers might work as advertised, but that's no reason to sell just anything.

[blazeit]

Yeah, I think it'd be really fuckin unfortunate if somebody got scammed with a fake revival... feather... thing...

[paladinlost]

Considering they are often used by travellers who are not accompanied by white mages, it'd be a disaster. The death toll would reach the hundreds extremely quickly, especially among merchants.

[blazeit]

yyyyeah like
I don't even live in your mage world but that sounds kinda like the potential for things to be fuckin awful is really high to me

[paladinlost]

Yes, it certainly is. In fact, considering the number of pheonix downs we've bought over the years, I'm surprised we've never had that problem... Then again, perhaps a large sword is enough to deter most scammers.