trustfelled | Week 2.

Week 2.

WEEK 2
With the deaths of Sayaka Maizono and Mallick Scott the first week draws to a close. While you all have varying opinions on what happened and who was to blame, one thing's for sure: the Adjudicator isn't messing around.

Saturday is given to regrouping and sleep; on Sunday morning the clock chimes as it always has, but at least there are no bodies to find today. It seems you're safe for now. The night before wasn't necessarily a peaceful one, however; you'll probably feel a bit groggy when you wake up, and it seems you've regained something that you didn't realize you'd lost...

However, those weird dreams aren't the only new thing around here; those massive double doors on the southern wall of the foyer have opened up, leading down another hallway and ending in what looks like another corridor to the west. Go ahead and explore as much as you like; consider it your reward for a job well done.

Or perhaps for just playing the game.

COMPETITORS REMAINING: 28

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[OOC: Welcome to week two of Trustfell! Don't forget to save your threads for coins and the activity check, and don't forget to submit this week's activity check and memory regains!

If you'd like to get in contact with the Adjudicator, you can do so here!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That small? But that's not nearly large enough to expand your borders-

[Right, he's supposed to be getting information, not giving it out.]

Er, let's back up a bit. How does alchemy work, exactly, and what purpose does the circle serve?

Borders...?

[His first thought is country borders and boy does he hope that's not what Luca meant. He lets it go through, because alchemy is always fun to explain!!]

The circle's important because it acts as a conduit - it focuses the power of the transmutation and can force a manipulation. All parts of the array are important, but you wouldn't accomplish anything without the circle.

As for alchemy... it's basically manipulating or altering matter by using an array to channel natural energy. You can't create something from nothing, but you can rearrange what you have into something else. Turning lead into gold is something we could do, for example, but obviously that sort of thing is illegal.

My array focuses on water and manipulating it. I focus on freezing mostly, though my array is capable of boiling water as well.

...you know, that sounds almost exactly like the magic from my world. Well, the end result does, at least. If I may?

[He will hold out his hand, as if he expects Isaac to hand over the chalk.]

Alchemy isn't magic. It's science.

[He got into an argument with Mallick about this and it wasn't pretty. He hands the chalk over without complaint though.]

It's funny you should say that. I've been calling it magic, but this is considered a science in my world as well.

[He will go over to the alchemy circle Isaac drew on the wall and modify it slightly, adding a 'P' right in the middle of it, and then two little dots in the middle of the other small circles. In addition, he will draw two more small circles on it, so there are four evenly-spaced circles in total.]

This is what it would look like, in my world. The dots in the middle of the circles are where the fasteners would go, and the P is where the person would stand. They have to be quite large in my world, as the person who is doing it has to be at the very center of their sfeer.

Wow, that's incredible! It really is very close to alchemy... Though we don't need arrays that large. The array on my gauntlet's about the same size as the tattoo, and most of them tend to be on the smaller side if you're not drawing them out.

[Obviously it's easier to make mistakes if you're working with such a tiny space and even one mistake could screw everything up.]

I haven't met anyone here who's come from a world with something similar. This is incredible! You guys call your arrays "sfeers" though?

[TELL HIM MORE, LUCA]

Yes, and the practice of using a sfeer is called 'sfeer theory'.

[oh look who else is really interested in this discussion.]

I'm surprised at how small they are for you, though. The larger they are, the more influence your sfeer has. Do alchemists in your world go for more subtle changes then, rather than trying to affect a large area? And how do you manipulate your influence like that without it being centered on you?

Well, it depends on the type of alchemy. I can force an explosion with water, but in general I have an easier time working with smaller areas. One of my... [friends?] fellow State Alchemists creates explosions that can destroy large areas, but for the most part we work on smaller scales.

How do you use sfeers? It sounds a bit different than alchemy. Do you always have to stay in the middle of them while they're active?

Well, yes. The sfeer map- the circles that are drawn in chalk- is what lets a Cyclist extend their borders, which lets them exert their willpower and cause the changes to the world around them. Since it takes an incredible amount of willpower to extend one's borders in the first place, the sfeer map is necessary to give those borders shape and stability.

[As he is talking, he draws a second diagram. This one is a side-view of a stick figure standing on a circle. Then Luca flips the chalk longways to shade the area around the stick figure, in roughly a half-sphere shape, up to the edges of the circle drawn on the ground.]

A Cyclist certainly could use a small sfeer map on their hand to focus their willpower, but that sort of control and direction is very complex, and only the most talented of Cyclists can do it. Most people who can even do sfeer theory can barely manage to extend their borders at all, let alone extend them in a specific direction.

Huh, that sounds fascinating. It's a bit different from alchemy, but I'd definitely be interested in learning more about it!

You're a Cyclist, right? That's how you know so much about this?

[You could just be a student or one of those unfortunate people who can't extend their borders, but since you know so much about it you can probably do it!!]

Ah...

[He smiles, but it is definitely an awkward smile. Like he's trying to be nice, even if the subject is uncomfortable.]

Not quite. See, everything related to sfeer theory requires some innate skill. It's like...a limitation on how much you can do. The more innate skill you have, the better you can become. But everyone hits that ceiling eventually, and they can't go farther than that.

Some people, they can study the methods as much as they like. But because they are born without that innate skill, they cannot extend their borders, even with the use of a sfeer map. No amount of knowledge can make up for a lack of birthright.

Oh.

[Well that sounds awkward! He could ask for clarification but he's pretty sure Luca wouldn't be telling him this unless that's exactly what's going on here.]

It's not exactly the same thing with alchemy, but I kinda get it. There are some alchemists that will never be good enough to become State Alchemists and there are some people who just can't use alchemy to begin with.

I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like it's something you're really interested in.

[Pretty much. It's not like Luca is purposefully misrepresenting his skill level with sfeer theory because he is an illegal, unlicensed Cyclist who is trying to cover his ass in case anyone happens to be from his world and starts asking questions. Nope. Not at all. No guilt here.]

Ah, well, that's how life is unfortunately. Not everyone is blessed with the chance to fulfill their dreams.

But sfeer theory is quite an interesting topic, even for those who cannot practice it. I imagine alchemy is the same in your world?

[That's really depressing and he actually feels sort of bad right now. Wow. If we get out of this and he can figure out what happened to prevent him from using alchemy, maybe he'll try to teach Luca alchemy!!!!]

Yeah, it is. It's kind of complicated and there are some people who genuinely aren't interested in it or don't get it, but I'm a State Alchemist so I'm surrounded by a lot of others who share the same interests.

[It was kind of hell in his headcanon hometown full of non-alchemists!]

[Isaac will be in for quite the surprise, if that day ever arrives.]

Is a State Alchemist someone who is state-licensed? Or is that more of a military-type of arrangement?

The latter. State Alchemists are employed by the military and given a grant for their research. You have to show the results of your work every year in order to stay a State Alchemist and receive that grant. If the alchemy you're using can be weaponized, you're required to fight should you be called to.

[It's a great way to fuck up a bunch of perfectly good nerds!!]

[Luca instantly sees why the military would agree to something like that: if the military controls the alchemists, then no alchemists will mess up their plans. In theory. Luca can only hope that Isaac's country is the good guys. In the wrong hands, that kind of power can be dangerous.]

That certainly seems like a fair deal. Are there alchemists who don't work for the state?

[hahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA]

There are, yeah. I don't really know any of them, but I've heard that most of them aren't fond of State Alchemists.

[He can guess at a lot of reasons and now that he's seen Ishval up close he's pretty damn sure the other alchemists aren't wrong. State Alchemists are weapons first and foremost.]

I can guess why. Military invites politics and violence. I'm not a military man, but even I can see that.

Exactly. I haven't had it as bad as some of the other State Alchemists, but a lot of them are ridiculed by the general population as well.

[He has no idea why though. Is it because we're a bunch of nerds??]

I don't blame anyone for being upset with us. I guess it's sort of like selling ourselves to the military and being willing to do whatever they tell us.

[It's not exactly wrong either, but some alchemists were just idealists who thought they could help.]

Fear, most likely. If you have someone who can freeze water just by thinking about it, then the people who can't do that and don't understand how it works grow fearful of it. How can one protect themselves from something they do not understand?

And it doesn't help that the military is made of men and women as well, who are just as human as everyone else. And who fear the unknown threat as well. Put jumpy men with lots of firepower in a situation where there are many unknown factors, and that is how wars start.

Yeah. I know.

[Hell, he's seen how terrified the soldiers get. He's been right there with them. Isaac shakes his head.]

It's not something I'm proud of. Being a soldier. It took awhile for me to become a State Alchemist and I am proud of that, but... I don't know. I guess I thought I'd be able to do more than I've been able to.

...

[Uh oh, did he stumble upon something important?]

Have you been in war, Isaac?

[For a moment he considers lying, but his expressions have always been very open and he's pretty sure he's making a face right now (he is) so ultimately he decides to tell the truth.]

...Yeah. I was stationed out in the desert before I arrived here.

...I see.

[That look right there tells him quite a bit.]

In my world, being a Cyclist isn't directly tied to the military. But If it were, then I could see myself making the same choice you did.

[A pause.]

If I had the ability, that is.

[...]

My point is, I don't blame you for it.

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