exsilium | text. not anonymous, for once.

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text. not anonymous, for once.

( you have no idea how long it took him to 1. work himself up to this post, 2. talk to Max a bout this post, 3. stop staring at his device and actually type it. This might beat dumpster diving for glass, though. )

Hi, sorry this is probably not of interest to a lot of you, but I was wondering if any of you would be willing to keep any scrap metal or broken glass and glass bottles that you have? I'm trying to collect them for some art supplies, I can come and collect them and everything.

I've been trying to work out how to change the color of glass, and metal, too, but the books I've found in the library are all pretty confusing. It looks pretty complicated, adding minerals and stuff. If anyone would be okay with going over it with me that'd be really awesome.

And if you're new then welcome to Exsilium. It's kind of weird here, but there are some good people.

Thank you very much for your time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Some p-people.

( Who knows, here? More people know what Atlas can do, there's no need to hide it when he's Atlas. The magic is part of what Atlas is, what frees him from being this. He rubs his forehead, trying to think. Who knows? Max, Morgana, Crystal, Stephanie, Cat, Barbara. Anyone else who knew only knew about Atlas. ) It's c-- c-complicated.

( Quite softly, before he nods. ) It's um, h-how-- how I d-do the g-glass.

( Why there's no equipment. A little skittish, he scoots to make room for her, as she join him with his piles of tea. He isn't even sure what he's looking for, but he's pulling them all out and setting them in types: relaxing, refreshing. Something to organise. )

Here, here - I've got it. What kind do you want? [ she says it gently, but she doesn't stop him, only to peer through the piles as she plucks one box out of the piles - a nice mint. in general, it makes for a nice reminder of her own life - or what it's normally like. because really, a home or a library isn't really complete without boxes upon boxes of tea. more than is capable to drink. so really, it's a plus.

She hesitates, fingers drumming nervously on the box before she asks her next question. ]

Um. Do you do anything else with it? Besides glass-making.

And boiling water.

( His hands fall, and it's kind of a relief to just let her take care of the tea, fingers pulling through his hair.

Nervous drumming. That's a thing he's familiar with. He draws up his knees, where he's sitting, so he can rest his chin on them. )

Yup.

( "I dress up as a vigilante and fight crime." "Once I accidentally melted a man's gun over his hand." "I can tear the earth apart." "I helped stop the hospital from collapsing." )

Uh, d-during the-- did you hear about the um, the b-bombings? I um, I p-put out fires, and-- and stuff.

( Saying too much might lead back to Atlas. ) And uh, I-- I'm t-trying to um, to learn how to m-make creme brulee.

( So he is sort of working on how to be a kitchen blowtorch. Donny how are you a person. )

I did. A little bit - just that they happened, really. [ she smiles and shrugs, taking a moment to locate a pair of cups for them to use. once she does (and inspecting them to make sure they at least appear clean), belle's quick to deposit a teabag in each of them. so hopefully he's okay with mint.

she dusts her hands off, eyes the kettle and decides not to approach it just yet. better to wait for him to take the heat off of it, maybe? ]

But that's good! You're helping people with it. You haven't - gone off track.

[ thankfully. oh god, are there even dark wizards here? there probably are, belle realizes, and it's not something she's keen on thinking about right now. ]

It's easy to let that happen sometimes. Not usually when you're using it for culinary purposes, but.

( Catching the hint, Donny take the kettle, the heat in the metal not even registering against his skin, very carefully pouring the water for each mug before he sets it back down.
And, at that, he just stares at her for a couple of seconds, before he trains his gaze on something, anything, else. There's something haggard in his expression, for a moment, in the way he looks at her that says he knows. )

D-do-- do you have m-magic at home?

( Because that seems like an observation that would come from experience with magic. Or maybe just from reading fantasy books, there's that, too. Or comic books. Or anything really, and Donny suddenly is wondering why he's always so stupid. ) D-depends um, on how b-bad the cooking is, m-maybe.

( He is also really bad at jokes. )

[ she glances at the cups, then around for the sugar. it's not like it's needed right at this moment, and so she opts to let the tea steep. she hears the question and sighs, ringing her hands. she nods, so it isn't as though it's an attempt to cook up some kind of denial. ]

I do.

[ a half-smile. so no, it's not actually something she's gotten from her books. it's a good assumption. one that she wouldn't judge him for making, could she hear his internal monologue. and she even does him a credit by chuckling at his joke before moving onward. ]

It's not something I personally use. Not unless it's dire. But - I know others who do.

Yeah.

( He's not sure exactly what he's agreeing with just... the sentiment in general. That things are sometimes generally overused. Or something? )

It's um, n-not-- not c-common at home.

( The whole magic thing. ) You c-can just-- you c-can't learn it? It's um, like you have it or you d-don't.

Is that why you wanted to keep it a secret? [ because he did want to keep it a secret, didn't he? she leans against the wall, crossing her arms, casually observing him. a beat, and a moment later, she leans over the mugs to see if they're still steeping. ]

It's complicated, where I'm from. Magic. A mess sometimes, really, when everyone's using it for their own gain.

( Donny nods, although he evades her gaze because there's more to it. It's keeping himself separate from Atlas. Sometimes he wonders if magic is all Atlas is, if doing brave things when you have superpowers means nothing, because you're able to do more anyway. He should be braver than other people, he should try harder. Maybe Atlas is only his magic, and something painful snags at the corner of his mouth. ) Yup.

( He sighs a little, shrugs again. So much shrugging. ) They d-don't-- don't um, l-look at the b-big-- the big p-picture?

( It shouldn't be a question, it's meant to be a statement about people at home and how they focus on themselves, but he's not very good at statements. It's easier to suggest things, to ask, because then it can make the backlash easier to absorb if they think you're wrong. )

Is the big picture generally bad? [ it's not a strange concept for her, another system of magic, but the idea is still unsettling to her. she thinks of home, of rumplestiltskin, the way the power muddled with his feelings and his perception of himself. granted, it had been dark magic, but it all stemmed from the same place and belle sometimes still wonders if there's a difference.

but then again, magic doesn't manifest itself as purple smoke here, so she's probably okay.

and the way he's dodging her eyes is curious enough on its own. she narrows her eyes for a fraction of a second, pondering, and takes a look at the tea again and decides that's enough steeping. ] Um - sugar?

Um.

( God. He falls silent again, but he's really just thinking, wrestling with it in his head, frowning a little. In the midst of it, he hears her request for sugar, sort of starts - there's a quiet oh of realisation - and then he's fumbling through a cupboard, returning with spoons and sugar and also a tin of cookies. )

They're-- they're chocolate chip?

( Would she like one? Is that okay? Should he be set on fire for having cookie? There's so many questions hidden in his own uncertainty, as he pops the tin open with his thumb. )

I g-guess, um. M-my world? It has, um, there are p-people with m-magic who uh, who t-try to be heroes. And sometimes they g-get uh, so-- so c-caught up in the ego stuff? And them saving p-people and-- and all this other stuff, they k-kinda, um. Forget.

( What's important, that there's a whole world that needs help. ) There's still all those um, institutional p-problems.

( He's spent too much time with Max. ) Sorry. ( He's not really smart enough to talk about all this stuff and explain it, not the way Max can. )

[ a smile as she spoons some sugar into the cups - and an awkward pause as she realizes she forgot to ask how much he takes, but that's okay; he can add more if she didn't get it right, and she scoots his mug closer toward him before peering into the tin. ]

Oh - wonderful! I'd love one! [ donny honey no one is going to set you on fire for making cookies because that's actually a very nice gesture. that smile widens into a grin as she plucks one - then two - out of the tin and nods thank you. she picks up her cup, blows steam from it, and takes a sip, then nibbles on the edge of the cookie. excellent decision. ] And they're delicious. Thank you.

[ she continues to munch on it as she listens to the story. perhaps not terribly elaborate, but she understands enough of it. ]

No, no, I understand. It's - there are problems similar to that where I'm from. Might be universal.

You're w-welcome. ( Oh! Good. Yay. A shy smile, one that slips away almost as fast as it appears, though there's still some traces of it that linger. He's got his own little pile of cookies, and the tin is still open, though he's very content with however she's made the tea, taking a sip without pause. Heatproof, and all. )

Yeah. ( A moment, and sort of-- curiously, cautiously, ) D-do, um, do you have-- v-vigilantes, in your world, t-too? Or, uh. Superheroes, I g-guess.

( Technically speaking, he is a superhero, but he'd never call himself that. It's so presumptuous, so arrogant. Break, Phasar, Integro - they all called themselves superheroes, accepted the mantle with glee. Even Moriko did. Atlas is just a vigilante, and maybe he can do some good.

Donny just tilts his head. No one ever suspects what he might be. Donny is too pathetic to possibly be Atlas, after all. )

Superheroes? [ see, sometimes she's impolite, and when she's stricken with a sudden thought, does the very rude thing where she talks with food in her mouth. she mumbles the word surprisedly around the cookie, holding her cup over her mouth to hide any unpleasantness. ] Like - people who use magic to save the world? Or - powers? Whatever they might be capable of?

[ she tilts her head to the side, matching him. ] We have comic books with them. There were some in the library back home. Old ones. None of them really current - nobody had donated for almost thirty years. [ she shrugs. ]

But - um. I can't say I've ever met one. Maybe some people who would qualify, but none who went by that title.

( Yep, she's hit the nail on the head, and he nods cautiously. )

We um, h-have them-- have them too? I g-guess uh, when p-people started realizing what they c-could do they--

( A gesture, miming flipping through pages, looking at her sort of hopefully to see if she's following. ) Role m-models. And-- yep.

( His inner geek (hah, as if it's even inner) perks up a little at the thought of such old comics, but he doesn't comment. )

M-masks and um, c-codenames. That's their thing.

( Theirs, not his. Atlas and he aren't the same, no matter what the Bat and Max and Crystal say. )

That's fascinating.

[ the closest she gets to that back home are - well. not very close at all. ] I don't know if anyone back home's really considered something like that. We've got wizards and witches, sort of - um - high fantasy stuff? [ this is getting unbelievably meta and belle grins sheepishly. yes, she did just compare her life to a literary genre. ] Fairies of debatable morality. That sort of thing.

In your world, do they - are all their powers focused into one thing, or is it a control over magic in general? [ because that would be another difference indeed. ]

( Really? Donny's surprised, maybe - probably - visibly, that she'd say such a thing, but she sounds sincere, and it wins a bit more of a grin from him. )

P-people are um, c-complicated? Like um, I d-don't-- I don't think the "heroes" in our w-world always um, d-do what's right. And the villains aren't-- b-but uh, it's easier to b-believe.

( Not to question the heroes unless something goes really wrong, not to think that villains might be people. Sure, not everyone is blind to it, there are people who question, but the system is kind of... like a culture of celebrity. They don't necessarily care very much.

And people are complicated is hardly a great revelation, now he thinks about it, sighing at himself. Stupid.

Magic is, surprisingly, the easier thing to talk about this time around. ) Focused. Like, um. ( Biting his lip, thinking how to explain.) I have uh, f-fire? And earth. And someone else c-could do that, b-but they m-might be able to regenerate, or um, or fly, or c-control energy.

[ she lets that observation hang in the air with a nod, and she sighs, spinning her cup in her hands. ]

Sometimes it can be black and white. But - [ but - yeah. "complicated" is otherwise a good word for it. she shrugs. she's always had a strong sense of morality, and people can change, and it's more than a concept where she's from. but she hasn't had much luck expressing that to people here. ]

Really? [ and so, magic. magic that's not inherently evil or necessarily used for bad things. powers, that might be a better term for it. she perks up slightly. ] And there's no one that can have all of them?

I assume they'd probably end the world or - implode on themselves. [ a laugh. ] Something like that.

Yeah.

( He still doesn't know what to think about his sister, and there's something painful in his expression before he tries to force it down. Unfortunately, he's always had the tendency to be an open book.

Don't think about Asteria.
Rolling his shoulders, like it might make some of that tension go away, Donny shakes his head before sipping his tea. And then, well-- ) I m-mean, um. M-maybe? N-not yet.

( The concept looks a little terrifying to him, to be honest. ) There's, um. Like a b-balance? And just-- just c-cause you have p-- ( come on, idiot. His jaw tenses, frustration with himself escalating. ) P-potential, d-doesn't, uh.

( Doesn't mean you can. As he well knows. ) It's d-doesn't m-mean you're g-good enough.

Right, you have to focus it correctly. Believe in yourself. [ no, that's not exactly right, belle thinks, but it's good enough. it gets her point across fine.

but she's also good with open books. can never resist a good read, or a good chance to pry, or really both, when the opportunity presents itself, as it seems to now. and she hasn't known him long, doesn't know terribly much about him, and she already uncovered his abilities; perhaps that's enough secrets being dragged out for now?

but then there's his expression and sometimes belle just can't resist. ]

You're referring to someone specific, aren't you?

( Believe in yourself. He could almost laugh.

And his gaze drops - maybe it's telling enough. ) F-for um, for which?

( The way people can be awful with their power, or the people not being good enough?

Because the answer to both is yes, to be honest, and he's not sure which she means. )

Both.

[ she's looking at him with her head slightly tilted, almost expectant of the explanation that might come with it, but she looks away suddenly, into her cup. she's not got very much tea left, she finds, and so belle pops the last bite of a cookie into her mouth as an excuse to stay silent for a moment. ]

I - uhm. You don't have to tell me, if you don't want. I just thought -

M-my, um.

( He should warn her, he realizes. If she has magic, or knows much about it at all, and now she knows about his--

He should warn more people, but that would mean explaining so much. ) One of m-my um, sisters. She-- h-hurts p-- p-people.

( Silently, he stands, grabs the kettle back up and refills it. Maybe they need more tea. )

She -

[ well, now she's gone and done it, hasn't she. fidgeting slightly, she peers down into her cup and stays silent for a moment, apart from - ] Oh.

[ she bites her lip; shouldn't've asked, really. questions like that get her into trouble, and she swallows hard. she should really know better. finally, with a sigh, she looks up, apologetic. ] I'm sorry, I didn't think - [ didn't think what? that it would be someone so close to him? ]

It's o-okay. ( Soft, reassuring, as he returns with the kettle, steaming under his touch. )

Asteria. She, um. I d-don't think she w-was bad, before.

( He hopes she wasn't, mouth twinging a little, before he slides the cookie tin over to Belle again. ) You, um, d-didn't do anything w-wrong. It's, uh-- I should w-warn p-people, in case she c-comes here.

( She's just-- his sister )

text. not anonymous, for once.

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