text. not anonymous, for once.

[bumbles]

( 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.

Comments

[bumbles]

( 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.

[lucency]

[ 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.

[bumbles]

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.

[lucency]

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?

[bumbles]

( 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. )

[lucency]

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 -

[bumbles]

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. )

[lucency]

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? ]

[bumbles]

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 )

[lucency]

It sort of - grabbed her? The power? [ the evil, she doesn't say, because that sounds like a disease and if she's learned anything, it's that it's less of an affliction as it was - as it is - in her world. she reaches into the tin and takes another cookie, looking up at him apologetically. ] Sometimes, things like that happen.

[bumbles]

Um, she-- I d-don't know.

( Taking a cookie for himself, before he points to her mug, just silently asking more? )

She-- I m-mean she w-was um, always really k-kind.

( Kinder than Phoebe and Selene, until it turned out that she really wasn't. ) I d-don't know when it um, when it started.

[lucency]

[ she hesitates briefly, but nods several times at his offer. more tea? always more tea. in the meantime, she nibbles on her cookie and listens to him. ]

Sometimes, things - things happen, Donny, and you don't know until it's too late.

[ which sounds rather pessimistic, honestly. and not at all like her. she sighs. ]

That's not - it doesn't mean your sister was weak. I'm sure she wasn't. But things take hold.

[ a sigh. ]

I'm sorry. That it happened.

[bumbles]

That's n-not-- I m-mean. Our m-magic is uh, is p-part of us. I don't-- I d-don't know if it takes hold. Or, um. I mean, there are b-balances? And scales and stuff. It's n-not all just um, p-power.

( He's so bad at explaining, and he hangs his head, although he tries valiantly - painfully - to smile, to reassure. )

M-me too. ( Asteria had been the one he believed in. ) S-sorry for um, for b-being so--

( So depressing to be around. His hand drops into his lap, and he busies himself with making them more tea. )

[lucency]

Right.

[ she smiles hesitantly, a nearly half-hearted attempt to brush it all off. even though she knows it's not something that can be brushed off, not really - not the situation. the technical details of it, perhaps, but the rest - ]

It's different, where I'm from. It's - I'm not really sure of the specifics, myself. It's not something I researched in depth, but.

[ but it's different. hopefully that explains the confusion. ]

[bumbles]

It uh, k-kinda-- kinda confusing t-trying to um, to work out how everything fit t-- t-together, here.

( All these different ways magic and powers and everything else work, worlds which have no powers, people who have no powers gaining them.

There's a little frown, and hesitantly-- ) L-like it's b-breaking-- breaking the n-natural order?

( Softly, nervously, because he isn't an expert and it seems so arrogant to say, chewing the skin at the side of his thumb. )

[lucency]

What is the "true" natural order, in that case?

[ it's not an admonishment, as belle comes to sit down, holding the tea in both hands as she perches on a chair. ]

All these different methods and types of magic, each with their own set of rules, from places that we can only dream of. Maybe this world doesn't quite know how to handle them, so they're improvising.

[bumbles]

I-- I d-dunno. D-depends on um, our home w-worlds? I m-mean, um. Trying to-- p-push together--

( Like fitting a square piece in a round hole, like forcing the wrong puzzle pieces together.

But yeah, she's right. He nods, a little defeated, and slides the fresh cup of tea to Belle. )

Sorry. ( He's saying stupid stuff again. )

[lucency]

No, no. You don't have to apologize. [ she says it with a slight laugh and a shake of her head, smiling and accepting the teacup. honestly, this is what she gets for discussing a topic that she has distinct opinions about, but not terribly much in the way of solid knowledge. ]

To be fair, you know more about it than I do.