[Nexus] Trog's Tavern CCXLIII

[McBish]

Astrid smiles and nods to the unipony.

"Yeah, I lost a job. One of the ones I really liked to."

Astrid is wearing a dress that would fit in at a dinner in the 50's. A fairly plain looking girl with pimply skin and short curly dark brown hair. She sits up with a stretch and a yawn.

[Earl of Purple]

A hobgoblin in a long trench coat with its collar pulled up and a wide-rimmed hat pulled low over his face sidles up to Astrid. "If you're sad, I may be able to help cheer you up, for a fee."

[Rebonack]

Fiftys dinner? Pimply skin? Sounds like some poor student trying to claw their way through the educational system. Certainly not the most glorious of positions.

The unipony frowns at the reply. "Oh... sorry to hear that. Finding employment in the Nexus usually isn't terribly hard though, right?"

Or at least that's what he has heard. The number of businesses is staggering. Just as incomprehensible as the monetary system.

A beat.

"Wait, one of the jobs? You have more than one?"

Though frankly that isn't too odd. Zee has more than one job too!

[McBish]

"Oh sure. This was a pretty part time gig with a catering company. I still have two more places where I am a waitress. I should be able to find something to fill in the gap."

Finding a job isn't all that hard, but it seems that there is a high turn over rate for restaurants in the city. And Astrid may not be a student but she definitely fits into them economically speaking.

[Rebonack]

An such low economic standing usually precludes the use of mind-altering substances. Unless of course one is willing to ignore the hardships that come along with it.

Sigil gives the drug-dealing hobgoblin a rather sour look, making a shooing motion with one hoof.

"Hope that works out for you... I mostly just build stuff and sell it to the merchants over on Market Street. Sometimes go hunting for rare books for the Librarian over at Philip Memorial Library," he gives a bit of a shrug. "But I guess funds aren't quite as vital when you can just eat most any plant that's growing in or around the city."

Don't have to spend as much time working for food when you can just chew on grass.

"I'm Sigil Stripe, by the way. Pleasure to meet you miss...?"

[McBish]

((Sorry Earl didn't see your post.))

She shakes her head at the Hobgoblin. "Sorry couldn't afford it if I wanted it."

She doesn't mind the offer, she gets it often enough and sometimes partakes but only on special occasions.

"You build stuff, like sculptures? Oh and I'm Astrid. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She sets the menu back on the bar without ordering anything. She may have to budget a bit smarter but she is pretty good at stretching a dollar.

[Earl of Purple]

"OK, if you're certain. I'll be over there if you change your mind. Unless you're cops, in which case I'm a shared hallucination." The hobgoblin then walks over to another part of the bar.

[Rebonack]

Shared hallucinations are very rare.

And being able to stretch one's money is a very important skill!

"Ah, well, no. Not exactly," Sigil replies with a shake of his head. "I suppose some of them might be vaguely statue-like? See, I study magic. How it functions, how it interacts. So I'm sort of equal parts physicist and engineer, so to speak. I build machines. Foci, power sources. Things of that nature. Tools mostly. I... uuhh... try to steer clear of weapons, though."

He's not terribly keen on the idea of weaponizing his work.

"It pays decently. And it gets me out to interesting places to find the reagents and materials I need for my work. Y'know what they say. Get a job doing something you love and you'll never work a day in your life."

[McBish]

((Above post edited to include her responding with her name, forgot that part.))

She grins at the hobgoblin's exit.

"Oh that is cool. I have a bit of magic in me."

She holds out her hands making a cup in front of her, and concentrating summons up a small flame in her hand. Quickly extinguishing, almost as if she was afraid of holding it to long.

"I am working at it. I really want to be a chef, eventually. I was really hoping the catering thing could help lead to that."

[Rebonack]

"I would say that everyone has a bit of magic in them, but that's getting into the more theoretical side of things," the tiny unicorn laughs.

Then watches very closely when the flames are fwooshed! Specifically he's trying to trace where and what the power source for the spell is. Is it internal to Astrid? Drawing from something outside of her? Very important things when it comes to classifying different forms of magic.

"Oh, interesting! Have you always been able to set a handful of nothing on fire? Or is this a skill that you've learned?"

He's guessing the former.

Making fire with one's hands isn't terribly useful when it comes to cooking. Unless the spark ignition for your stove has gone out or something.

[McBish]

"I've been able to do it since I was about 13. I'm not very good at it really. Not the most useful skill."

Astrid seems to be able focus some psychic energy to create flames or heat. A internal source of power that she has somehow developed.

[Rebonack]

Sigil would identify internal power sources in three primary classes. Psionic, which is the power of intellect and reason. Mana, the strength of soul and ability to impose one's self on the world around them. And ki, the spiritual well of vision and introspection.

All quite different in their application and use.

"Would be plenty useful if you really needed to kindle a campfire in a hurry," the unipony comments with a laugh. "Have you considered developing it further? You have a decent degree of control over it for not devoting much time to its practice."

Of course that would require even more time to practice.

And probably a teacher of some kind.

[McBish]

Astrid seems to use Mana imposing her will to create the fire.

"True enough, and it has come in handy a few times. I work on it when I get the chance, but I don't really know what I am doing. It is exactly like playing with fire as well, so I have to be careful."

Her few practice sessions she squeezes in have given her a basic control enough so she doesn't start fires without meaning to. She still doesn't trust her abilities totally, and is a bit afraid of them though it would be hard to get her to admit it.

"At least I don't have to worry about hiding it here. A lot of places aren't so accepting of people with special abilities."

She already seems to be feeling better sitting up straighter.

[Rebonack]

Strictly speaking all magic is about imposing Will on the world around them. But what distinguishes one type of magic from another is precisely how that is done.

Sigil's horn glows as he levitates his journal off the counter and jots down a few notes in it. Probably cataloging the magic he's seen Astrid use. He's quite thorough about that sort of thing after all.

"That's a useful trait of the Nexus. So many people with so many unique skills. It makes my research a lot more fruitful than it would be otherwise," the unipony says as his journal snaps shut and settles down once more. "Have you ever considered finding a tutor to help you hone your abilities? Obviously it would need to be somepony who would be willing to teach you free of charge."

Hmm...

Wonder who he could be referring to?

[McBish]

Astrid probably couldn't tell you how she uses her magic, in her words everything wants to burn, she just lets it. She focuses on an object and can heat it till it bursts into flames. Though she seems to draw her strength more from her soul then anywhere else.

"I have thought about it before, it would be really nice actually. Wait, somepony? Do you think you might be able to teach me? I would work super hard at it, even though I might not have a whole lot of time."

[Rebonack]

"Ah ha, she learns quickly!" Sigil laughs, clopping his hooves together. "Yes, I could teach you. It would be well worth my time to get the chance to watch your skills develop firsthoof. As I mentioned before, I spend quite a bit of time researching magic here in the Nexus. And I'm sure this would be a very enlightening case study! My scheduled is pretty flexible, so just let me know when the best times would be for you and I'll see what I can work out."

They would also need to find somewhere to practice where lightning things on fire is less of a potential hazard.

Hmmm...

"I'm curious to see if your talent can move beyond simply heating things up or if that's the extent of the ability. Exothermal magic is one of the most common types of wild manifestation after all."

[McBish]

"Oh thank you that would be wonderful. I didn't know it was all that common."

Maybe losing that job wouldn't be such a bad thing, now she would have some extra time and should be able to get in some more practice.

[Rebonack]

"Not strictly common," the unipony replies with a wave of a hoof. "Not any more common than any other kind of wild magic, I guess. Near as I can tell you're using a magical power source known as mana. It's a store of power internal to you that's closely tied with your soul, your personality, and your emotion."

Sigil has entered magical exposition mode.

Someone had better stop him.

"Fire is volatile, bright, and generally easy to imagine. It is very easy to tie into emotion. I don't suppose when your abilities first started to manifest you ever set anything ablaze on accident when you got angry or frightened?"

Just a guess on his part. But a common issue that new fire-starters face.

[McBish]

Astrid nods, excited to run into someone who understands this.

"Yeah, you can say that again. I scared myself so much the first few times it happened. Now I am better about not using them when I am to upset."

[Rebonack]

"Ah, I suspected as much!" the unipony says as he lifts his journal again and makes a few more notes in it. "Because of how emotionally charged mana is it can cause mishaps like that when one isn't use to controlling it. You're fortunate to have managed to reign it in without hurting yourself too much."

Eg, without immolating herself.

"When we meet for your first lesson I'll bring along a tool that might help you direct your abilities more easily. Focusing magic through mental effort alone works, but it is much more difficult to control than some kind of external focus. There are quite a few different kinds of focus that work well with mana. I'll bring a nice selection with me and we'll figure out which one works best for you."

Hazzah!

[McBish]

Lucky indeed, though there were a few less trees and maybe one less building in her home town once her powers came to her. Another good reason not to return home for her.

"That sounds great. I can't thank you enough.

[Rebonack]

Nod nod goes the unipony!

"Excellent. Well, then! What would be the best time for us to meet? There's an old skateboard park here Inside that doesn't get much use. And all that concrete means there won't be much to set on fire in case something goes wrong."

Except of course if there are any skate boarders there.

Wouldn't want to set them on fire.

That would be pretty terrible.

"I think that would be an ideal environment for you to begin experimenting with your abilities in earnest."

[McBish]

"Well I can meet you in between my jobs. How about Sunday late in the afternoon. Do you need me to bring anything?"

While she might be a bit nervous to use her powers, learning to control them is something she looks forward to.

[ThirdEmperor]

((My apologies for the delayed posting ThirdEmperor))
So, Samantha did drop the shield at the wizard's command, and proceeds to glare at her brother from across the room "You moron! I swear, for someone with so much intelligence, sometimes you can be incredibly stupid! I mean, what did you think that little speech was gonna do, strike fear into the hearts of the wicked?! " She rolls her eyes while delivering this speech.

The shield falls, but too late it seems, the villains having already bid a hasty retreat. Glaring angrily at the space where they were the Wizard sinks back into his seat with a long sigh, the tendrils of light fading away. "Who were those scoundrels?" He asks, of no-one in particular.

-----

"Mmm. Well, you're still wiser than most. You'd have to b a madman to walk into a tavern like this without armor."

[Rebonack]

Sigil is already jotting down a few notes to help him remember the details...

"Sunday... right... Yeah, I can do that," the unipony says with a nod. "And you shouldn't need to bring anything apart from a willingness to learn. Some of the exercises I suggest might seem kind of odd, but believe me when I say they work well!"

After all, why would the tiny magical talking horse lie?

Hmm...

Seems all his food is gone at this point.

What a shame.

Maybe he should order something else?

[Lex-Kat]

Vincent and Caroline should arrive right about this time!

Caroline is indeed here.

Caroline looks like a young adult fey of some kind, with a very curvaceous figure. She has slightly pointy ears, almost elf-like, and long brunette hair down her backside. She's wearing a light green sundress, with darker green edging, as well as images of yellow, blue and green wave patterns and fishes.

She scans the room, looking for someone they could talk to.

[Rebonack]

Belated reply to the Wizard!

"Just some hooligans. The Nexus has no shortage of them. Probably best to just forget all about them and go on with your day," the unipony replies with a shrug.

He looks rather silly sitting there on that stool. Y'know, sitting upright like that. But there aren't any proper equine reclining seats at the bar (or at least none at the moment) and so Sigil will have to make do with sitting like a human.

The sacrifices he makes in the name of SCIENCE!

"Ah! And I think it's worth pointing out that your power source there," he nods at the Wizard. "Is rather akin to Astrid's. However yours is external. Hers is not. Both forms of magic strongly tied to emotions. Veeeery interesting."

[Murkus]

Bellan Vraal shakes off a fair glob of deadtime ooze. He has another beleaguered look around, checking if Zee is anywhere to be found. After not seeing her for so long, he'd been concerned about her 'death' and subsequent resurrection.

[Rebonack]

Zee...

Doesn't appear to be here at the moment.

Though word is that she has been showing up at Trog's and serving food as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired. Though... it would seem her ability to be all over the place at once has been markedly reduced.

Probably because she only has one starspawn puppet to play with.

Such a shame, really.

There's a good chance someone might know about her if the vaguely bug-like being wants to ask around.

Couldn't hurt, right?

[Ashen Lilies]

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