Tutorial's End

The Precipice of Design by Nuu Osvare

A Living Work

A path in which all change is made manifest is made known, directed and enforced in endless iteration upon itself. Bending, yet unbreakable.

An immutable conclusion.

Willow

Ackle's Office, Vesheen City, Shee

"Two fae… It's unlikely they're unrelated. Given we know this planet was recently sold to the summer court, it's probable they're at the very least associated with the new ruling class."

"Agreed. We should leave early. It's a shame to waste the EB since we already have the round trip for the teleport booked… But better lose some EB than find ourselves wrapped up in fae schemes."

Willow heard the voices of Luzzi and Ravavka, but didn't listen. Instead, she stared at the small pile of goop sitting on the small wooden table between herself and Slyth. It was late, the sun having set a few hours ago. Ackle had hinted that they should leave his office, but hadn't directly kicked them out, so Willow had pretended not to understand his subtle prods and the others had followed suit.

Everyone appeared more or less unfazed by their apparent soul damage. Only Slyth had seemed bothered, though after quietly chatting with Ackle for a bit his worries were apparently addressed. Luzzi and Ravavka had both had their souls damaged in the past and had simply thanked Ackle for his elixir and Willow for finding them help. When asked, Luzzi had explained that in the absolute worst case scenario they could respawn and their souls would be returned to a working state. That lead to a whole tangent of questions from Willow.

The Q and A had lasted well past sunset, resulting in them deciding to remain in Ackle's office for now rather than making their way back to Shandy's Cups. If the dark elf asked them to leave, they would, but he seemed to be grudgingly enjoying the company. He was standing halfway between the split group. Ravavka and Luzzi were discussing the fae that had apparently taken an interest in them while lounging in the small sitting room. Meanwhile, Willow and Slyth had claimed the small dining room to continue their pink-slime related experimentation. Due to the open layout, Ackle was able to stand uncertainly between the two groups without committing to either.

The office was rather home-like, in Willow's opinion. The front room by itself was as large as the rest of the building and reminding her of hospital rooms back on earth. A half dozen cots were organized with curtains separating them and various medical-looking equipment was stored in its own partition.

Ackle claimed he was a 'healer' rather than a 'doctor' and tried to explain the difference, but Willow honestly still didn't get it. Both used a mix of technology and magic, so it seemed to her that there was no real difference.

"Alright, so just channeling a lot of your 'passion or purpose' mana into the subject isn't affecting it." Slyth spoke in a distracted tone, eyes flicking as he clearly made notes in his UICI.

Nodding thoughtfully, Willow sat back with a frown. She'd channeled a bit more than half of her new mana aspect into the goop over the course of the last twenty minutes as Slyth suggested different tests and approaches. It had only been a few minutes ago that she'd finally just given up on being secretive and told him the name of her aspect.

Eyes traveling from her goopy mystery guide up to Slyth, her thoughtful frown remained set on her face. Surely just letting him know the name of the mana type can't backfire or be used against me, right? Ravavka and Luzzi had made it clear that telling people about her path in any way could end up being dangerous, but she just couldn't see how Slyth would be able to help her as effectively without at least some idea of what they were working with. She hadn't mentioned she knew the supposed purpose of their 'test subject', but that was because when she mentioned she knew what it was supposed to do he'd asked her not to tell him just yet. Something about 'preconceived notions causing biases.'

"Alright, how about your intent when channeling your mana into the subject? We've tested pattern, density, and mixing your mana types. There are a few other things which can cause mana to act in differing ways, but I think intent is the next most likely so let's test that. This time, infuse an intent into your mana as you send it into the subject."

Willow shrugged, she'd already tried infusing an order into the mana like she did with her imperative command and it hadn't done anything. She tried again just for giggles, "Talk." She said both in her mind and aloud, for Slyth's benefit.

As expected, nothing happened. Before she could complain the silver-skinned man across from her tsked, "Did you literally just try to push the word 'talk' into your mana?"

"Yeah? I intended it to talk, right?" It seemed obvious to her. After all, that was exactly how her other mana types worked. Her instruction mana took her command and translated it, then her discipline mana enforced it. She supposed just infusing 'Talk' into her discipline mana wouldn't really work because it didn't understand…

She blinked at the realization just as Slyth began to explain, "Intent isn't the same thing as a demand and generally can't be summed up into a word or two. Imparting intent into your mana is more like imprinting your will into it. Hm… How to explain…"

Tapping his leg, Slyth looked up from the table for the first time to find Willow's eyes fixed on him. When his liquid golden eyes locked with hers the Ozkri froze for a moment, before chuckling and quickly breaking her stare to dart his gaze around the room. His leg began bouncing as his brows drew together in thought.

Finally, he nodded to himself, "Alright, think of it like pushing a small piece of yourself into your mana. A very very specific part of yourself. Put together something like a character profile of the 'you' that you're going to imprint into your mana. I've read a lot of theory, but have no mana of my own yet so I'm afraid I'm just trying to simplify everything I've learned rather than drawing from my own experience but-"

He suddenly snapped his mouth shut and shook his head, "Does that… Make sense? Maybe try?"

"Sure, I'll give it a shot! It's just getting into character for a role playing game!" Willow's frown had faded with his explanation. While meandering and a bit unfocused, it did actually make a bit of sense. She'd been lectured a half dozen times by Vash before, during, and after the various tabletop role playing games she ran. Who knew my nerdy hobbies would be critical experiences to succeed in the afterlife?

Raising her hand to curl an unruly strand of her now too-long hair with a finger, Willow indulged in a few moments of remembering late nights full of rolling dice and sugary snacks. Thanks Vash, hope you're well!

Taking a deep breath, she focused her gaze back on the pink glob in the middle of the table and drew her passion/purpose mana to her right hand's pointer finger. maybe this'll help me figure out which to call it…

She imagined herself as a slick private investigator, complete with tweed, pipe, and mustache. Perception and intelligence would be her primary stats, and maybe wisdom as a third. She had a bone to pick with the various incompetent justice organizations, with a burning desire to dig in and find the truth behind every case. Each and every mystery was a personal affair, a story to be unveiled; every conspiracy an illusion to pierce with her superior intellect and unparalleled deductive capability. She'd be called Piper and she'd be a ginger with a ton of freckles! Should I be tall? Hmmm… No, what if I need to go through sewers? I don't want my hair rubbing up against the slimy ceiling. Especially with how frizzy it tends to get.

Character concept mostly solidified, Willow decided it should be good enough for this experiment. Concentrating hard on her character, she tried her best to push the idea of the character into the mana sitting at the tip of her finger.

Her eyes snapped open as she felt her mana accept it! There was a sense of agreement. This was the first time her new mana type had given her any kind of feedback. Excited, she pressed her mana coated finger to the pink blob and willed it into the guide. Pulling her arm back, she kept her eyes fixed on the pink figure, breath held.

Several long heartbeats passed before she noticed the slime change. The bright pink slowly dulled, going from a vibrant bubble-gum color to a washed out watermelon. As she watched, lips slowly pulling back in a bright smile, the majority of the color drained completely. The only exception was at the very top of the blob, which took on a bright-orange shade.

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"It worked!" Slyth exclaimed as he sat forward, eyes inches from the slowly changing guide. Willow heard footsteps as everyone made their way over to watch. She could feel Luzzi and Ravavka behind her and saw Ackle out of the corner of her eye.

Over the course of the next ten minutes the formless blob slowly took on a mostly humanoid shape. The red tipped head would only be described as hair by someone extremely generous. Honestly, the figure looked more or less like something a child would make out of putty or clay than anything else. Maybe a bit less lumpy, but just as ill defined and anatomically questionable.

Even so, this was clearly progress.

Ki'ai'en

Offset Housing 22-A, Farcem City, Motrendi

Striding down a corridor painted in garish colors drawn by inexpert hands, Ki'ai'en spoke brightly, "This section of the city is my favorite. Of course, one might have assumed as much given it's where I chose to call home."

Ki'ai'en didn't turn to look at his trailing guests, as he could hear their footsteps on the rubbery corridor floor less than a meter behind himself. His official conversation with Naomi and Jonah had concluded favorably less than an hour ago. It was possible the other Frazzlen administrators would take exception to him not trying to press the two into agreeing to some form of secondary ownership clause where 'Phoenix's Nest' was concerned, but he'd deal with that later.

"So graffiti is allowed in this part of the city?" Jonah asked.

Glancing over his shoulder, Ki'ai'en saw the young man carefully examining the left wall as he walked. Interestingly, he seemed able to perfectly navigate despite his distraction. Even with his familiarity with the corridor, Ki'ai'en himself would stumble if he didn't glance forward every now and then. After all, the children who claimed the walls as their canvas rarely cared to clean up after themselves.

Naomi's attention was more split, as he might have expected. She looked forward and around in turns, rather than focusing on anything in particular. Feeling his foot crush a fan, Ki'ai'en returned his own attention to the front. As he did, he glanced down to note he'd trod on and crushed a can of paint. The bright red liquid now coat his shoe and a bit of the hem of his left trouser leg.

Lips twitching upward, Ki'ai'en noted the irony of the situation and quickly added a note in his UICI to bring the stained garment to the cleaners tomorrow. His purifier room would likely see the paint as an intended enhancement, rather than detritus to remove.

"Not at all, should the law-breakers who committed this heinous act be caught, they'd likely be punished harshly. Such a shame no one seems to be able to find them." He chucked softly, thinking of many times enforcer teams had come knocking on his and his neighbors' doors asking if they had any idea who kept 'defacing' the corridor wall. In fact, he was due such an appointment soon… It'd been almost two months since the last time the wall had been repainted back to the uninspired beige the landlord of this quadrant preferred.

"True criminal masterminds must be behind this." Naomi noted in that strangely deadpan tone she now favored. He'd been surprised to find her following the path of The Empty Nothing, after all he recalled her fretful state and tear stained face hours after she first arrived. The difference between her then and her now was quite stark.

A reminder that, while harsh, Madrick's 'training' methods were effective. Stopping in front of his apartment's door, Ki'ai'en tapped the door's frame. It registered his presence and opened with a soft click. Entering, he called, "Mav, I brought guests!"

"Good! I've made too much dinner again, we need the extra mouths!" Came the familiar good-natured and boisterous voice of his partner of five hundred some years. Of course, he'd sent her a message to let her know he was bringing Jonah and Naomi but she enjoyed putting on the show of the surprised, yet still prepared, host.

As soon as he stepped across the threshold into his apartment Ki'ai'en felt the day's stresses fall from his shoulders. His body and mind felt the cool rush of Mav's mana wash away his worries and draw him into its welcoming embrace.

Kicking off his impractical dress shoes, Ki'ai'en turned to his guests with a broad smile, "Welcome to my home, please make yourselves comfortable! I'm going to check if Mav needs help with anything. The purifier room is down the hall and to the left, there. If you just go straight down this hallway, you'll find the apartment's main space. We'll be there, but feel free to explore. I'm sure you're curious, as you haven't had a chance to see any homes since your arrival. They're quite different from the cramped ships quarters or untamed wilderness you've experienced so far."

He winked at Naomi, amused to see the dumbstruck expression on her previously blank face. Mav's magic tended to have that affect on people with paths which altered their emotional states.

Naomi

Ki'ai'en and Mav's Home, Farcem City, Motrendi

Slowly making her way to the kitchen, Naomi felt like she was dreaming. Her soul had grown suddenly full and bright, a warm comfort blanketed her entire being. It wasn't smothering, or nefarious. She could feel the mana permeating the entirety of Ki'ai'en's home, it clung to her tightly like a mother's embrace. It sunk into her skin and relaxed her muscles. But most incredibly, it filled her with the feeling of peace and comfort.

The glow of bright gold and sparkling turquoise within her soul was so complete that she experienced it deeply, rather than just noticing it. It was the strongest emotion she'd felt since first arriving and suffering the rush of fear, despair, terror, and whatever else had brought her to near-constant tears.

Each of her steps felt oddly distant, like her body was further away than it normally was. At the same time, she was more comfortable in her own skin than she could remember being. The powerful impact of the mana filling the house was intoxicating and she wondered how long Ki'ai'en would allow her to stay.

When she reached the end of the hallway, a large room opened up around her. On the left was a cozy sitting area with six cushions that looked almost like bean-bags sitting around a short table surrounded by a connected quilt. She thought she remembered seeing tables that looked like that on Earth and hoped this one functioned similarly, with the area under the blanket being heated.

To her right was a small kitchen, which is where Ki'ai'en had gone. He and a large green orc seemed to be dancing around each other as they seamlessly worked together to finish the meal. The orc was nearly a head taller than Ki'ai'en and though padded with soft fat, exuded strength and confidence with every one of her movements.

Whatever Mav, which is what she assumed was the orc woman's name was from what Ki'ai'en had said earlier, had started smelled heavenly. She wondered whether her body would float up and follow the scent like in old cartoons, she felt light, and good, enough that it wasn't a possibility to dismiss out of hand.

She let the smile which had been pressing at her lips to form fully as she stepped over to the bar separating the kitchen from the rest of the room.

"Mav," she asked, feeling somehow that she should be casual with the woman, "are you a professional chef? That smells incredible!"

Naomi could hardly believe the excitement lacing her own voice.

Mav's laugh was booming. Her entire body rocked as she threw her head back to guffaw, "Absolutely not! I am barely adequate, my little Aī here is the real cook." So saying, her hand whipped out to slap Ki'ai'en's butt as he twisted past her.

Naomi found her face aching as she smiled as she contained her laughter seeing the elf she'd previously seen as so uptight and controlled yelping and ineffectually slapping at Mav's already retracted hand.

She heard more laughter join Mav's chuckling. Jonah had appeared to her right, somehow approaching without her noticing. That wasn't the laugh that surprised her though. The shocking noise came from her own throat.

Naomi couldn't remember a more pleasant and comfortable evening. The food had been wonderful, the company and conversation stimulating and fulfilling. Ki'ai'en and Mav bickered good-naturedly throughout and by the end even Jonah and herself were in on the teasing and snickering at jokes they only half understood.

As the night drew to a close Naomi only regretted that it was ending. She had half a mind to beg them to let her stay.

"Child…" Mav's voice cut through the haze of pleasant emotions and thoughts swirling through Naomi's head.

She smiled at her host, "Yes?"

"Little Aī told me earlier that you are following the path of the Empty Nothing?"

"Mhm, that's what people tell me. I don't know though. My path isn't to be empty forever. Actually, I'm not empty anymore at all. My cosmos as so much in it now, Mav! Way more than before! I-"

She stopped, seeing a large green hand held in front of her eyes, "Child, child. Take care, do not overshare too much."

As she lowered her hand, Naomi saw that Mav was smiling and her eyes sparkled. "I appreciate the trust, but you must know that my mana is helping that trust along. Be careful who you share your path's particulars with. Especially if you plan to make enemies."

Apparently seeing something in Naomi's eyes, Mav barked a laugh, "Don't worry child, I won't think less of you for keeping your secrets. Trust doesn't require transparency. Those you trust need not tell you all their secrets, nor must you tell them yours. If the trust is true, knowledge is not required as you will be certain their intentions are to your benefit - or at least not to your detriment."

Mav only continued after giving Naomi a few moments to think. "I ask about your path to warn you. I've known several who have determined to walk the Path of The Empty Nothing. It brings power and rationality, but will strip you of humanity and compassion. Now… You mentioned you aren't empty 'anymore' so I think perhaps you are on a different path, as the end goal of The Empty Nothing is to become a truly empty void."

Smiling warmly Mav took Naomi's hands in her own and leaned forward, "Remember tonight, child. Remember the warmth of love and compassion. There are no false paths, but there are cold and lonely ones. Follow your heart, but don't forget the paths of others may intersect with your own. No path is truly trod alone, despite what the 'wise masters' will tell you. Every one of us is on our own path, but we all travel within the same world and affect each other."

Staring into the orc's soft green eyes, Naomi could hardly understand her words. The warmth was too much, the emotions too overwhelming. So she just nodded her agreement and smiled when Mav threw her head back and laughed.

"Child, your mind is gone. You've let too much of my mana in, I say! Come, let us play some games before it's time to rest for the night."

The night blurred into a tapestry of colors and light as good-natured shouting, jokes, and laughter beat a steady score. Eventually, the lights faded, the laughter turned to soft murmurs, and Naomi fell asleep with a smile on her lips.