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Post by Ayen on Sept 2, 2024 12:40:41 GMT -6
"Yes, actually. Can you explain to me what exactly "red magic" is in your world? What it entails?"
June was curious, and Gaia would be lying if she wasn't curious as well. Though Gaia lacked all the scientist terms that June knew. June was mainly curious if this was something that could be duplicated in their own world now that he was here and what good and bad effects it would have on the world at large. With all these different people coming from different worlds there was no telling what effects it would have on the natural balance and laws of nature in the long and short term.
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Post by Jadeite Athelstan on Sept 3, 2024 16:16:30 GMT -6
That term isn't quite right... so Jadeite flips a mental coin on which arcane art to elaborate on. An unusual coin to be sure given the subject matter. And besides, more information might help him find something to build off of. "Building off of what I said before... That the Red Science is a study in altering universal laws. There will be some leaps in logic here. Starting with holding Law to two definitions at once. The Red Science views facts of life like gravity or linear time as both natural phenomenon and an actual legal code defined by higher dimensional entities... and occasionally vandalized by humans. For example... making a suitcase bigger on the inside relative to it's actual size."
Coincidentally Jadeite did have a rather odd suitcase sitting in his lap at the moment. Demonstrations could wait until either of these fine young ladies showed some signs of understanding the topic. Or existential dread at the potential of such science to go horribly wrong. Both were a step in the same direction when one thinks toward the long term.
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Post by Ayen on Sept 4, 2024 15:59:29 GMT -6
Tori was completely lost on what Jadeite meant by all of that, but it seemed like June had an intrigued and curious look on her face. June was better at understanding these things about science better than Tori was. Even sciences from different dimensions. It was a skill of the Middle School student.
"And what exactly would you need from this world in order to administer some tests to help you concerning the portals?"
"Yeah, we might be able to offer some aid in that respect."
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Post by Jadeite Athelstan on Sept 6, 2024 7:58:41 GMT -6
Now it was Jadeite's turn to appear curious. There's a tilt of his head to the right, then to the left. Mulling over what non-Neathy materials would quite fit the bill. "The most pressing material is a sizable quantity of metals with a high heat tolerance. As those would be the backbone of a good seventy percent of the needed tools. Back home, lead and Bessemer-style steel could be readily modified to this purpose. I'm not sure how to replicate the inks I use with Surface materials... Though I've a device that could supply those, if a bit slowly." Jadeite idly traces a hand over the inkwell chained to his belt during that last sentence. "Otherwise... Glass, and I'll need to find a Surface solution to chemical coolant."
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Post by Ayen on Sept 6, 2024 16:53:57 GMT -6
June lit up when Jadeite mentioned he needed metals with a high heat tolerance.
"You're in luck. We have several kinds of metals with high heat tolerance. Such as tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, nickel, stainless steel, titanium, copper, and niobium. Where we can find mass quantities of these metals however I am unsure, but I'm sure with a little research I can find out."
Gaia only smiled as June listed all the heat resistant metals that this reality had to utilize. As Tori could never remember them all anyway. That was a June gift.
"Isn't she amazing?" asked Gaia.
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Post by Jadeite Athelstan on Sept 8, 2024 19:45:20 GMT -6
Jadeite listens intently, forming a mental list. Several of these metals he hadn't heard of. Perhaps a result of the Neath's limited geographical reach... All the same. "With that many choices, I may well have preliminary tests to run before the portal ones." As for obtaining them... "I suppose the greatest problem on my end for obtaining the materials is a discrepancy in currency. Luckily with a certain object being far larger on the inside." A few light taps on the suitcase in his lap are made to indicate it. "I at least have some wealth at my disposal. Yet if Home Depot is any indication, seems there's some oddities about your people considering said wealth as 'proper' money."
It's only when Gaia speaks up that Jadeite realizes he's gotten sidetracked. There's a moment of clearing his throat to softly dismiss the prior idea for the moment before he responds. "Yes, you've an excellent connection here Gaia." Excellent may be relative in current context. A compliment of odd circumstances is a compliment still.
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Post by Ayen on Sept 9, 2024 15:14:22 GMT -6
"There is one thing I need to warn you about however."
Gaia took a deep sigh as her serious expression was on. Jadeite needed to hear this as it was only a matter of time before the government caught wind of his presence in the city.
"There are some people in our government pushing for what they're calling a "Otherworlder Registration Act" where they will require all otherworlders to sign a piece of paper and spill their guts about their entire backstory weather they want to or not. In return they offer a bunch of benefits that could be good if there wasn't a catch attached to it. It's a big debate in our nation right now, but if it passes you may have to sign it."
"She's right. They're also trying to figure out the cause of the portals. Multiverse Theory is a concept that is still very new in our world."
"I just thought I'd let you know. Do you have a place to stay?"
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Post by Jadeite Athelstan on Sept 11, 2024 8:50:54 GMT -6
The conversation transitions to a new track. That's well and good. Jadeite's initial reaction to this Otherworld Registration Act is a soft roll of the eyes and a thought out loud... "Let no crisis go unexploited." A little sigh. "To be fair I'd have to know more about their interpretation of how much of my 'backstory' is to be collateral for cooperation. Yet I half expect it'll be enough for this to effectively become holding potential alms for the situation hostage." The Echo Bazaar may have poisoned Jadeite's expectations here in hindsight.
Yet there's another part of it that deserved it's own answer. "Though I was planning to share the portal findings with whomever is able to comprehend them. The fallout of this issue is simply too vast not to go handing out what I'm able to verify. There might be a deal in that... But for the short term. No, I've not had the chance to make proper housing arrangements. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume the Registration Act hasn't quite reached that point in provisions either." Another half-thought, half-said comment. "Well I've camped out in far worse places anyway..." A stop-gap solution to be sure, yet it's something. This influx of new information derails Jadeite's thought process sufficiently to put him on the conversational back foot for the moment.
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Post by Ayen on Sept 11, 2024 17:47:12 GMT -6
Gaia couldn't help but agree with Jadeite's opinion on the situation. This act was just another attempt to exploit people and take advantage of a situation that was beyond people's control. Gaia also knew it wouldn't be long before they proposed acts for people like her. People with super powers who weren't like the ordinary citizen. But she would cross that bridge when she gets to it.
"Correct. It's not an actual law yet. It's just being proposed. It hasn't even reached the House or Senate yet. And the President is threatening to veto it if does reach his desk. Although I fear if a conservative President get into power that may change."
Gaia was totally a liberal. She saw nothing good at all out of the Republican party. That said she did know some good people who were Republicans. Like her friend Mary.
"Your ability to study the portals and offer intel to the science community in our world may be enough leverage to garner a better deal for yourself if the act does get written into law. I wish you luck."
"What was this about Home Depot not accepting your money?"
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Post by Jadeite Athelstan on Sept 15, 2024 21:13:41 GMT -6
Jadeite nods along to Gaia's comments... and elects not to mention just how little he understands about the terminology used to describe America's government. What with his London being a monarchy with a modest side order of plutocracy. These democratic institutions had been little but the ravings of foreigners. Just nod along like there's an inkling he knows these things and let the conversation move along. Before long there's another question on the table.
But first, June deserves a reply. "Thank you, June. I'm certainly planning on such leveraging if this act comes to pass." It'll be easier than finding a publisher on some level surely, to sell this information as part of a ticket into American society. "If nothing else, exploiting the 'opportunities' of a crisis may yet cut both ways."
While to answer Gaia... Jadeite reaches into his suitcase again. Laying several items upon the computer desk in front of him. The first is clearly a form of paper currency. A relative of British Pounds with far more bat and tower iconography. It was still recognizably and familiar as many people's mental image of money. "The London Echo, as minted by the Echo Bazaar. Apparently one snappy clerk decided this was invalid as being foreign to both country and era." More things follow. A series of small rings, the size of ring a dime might wear, made of a metal colored somewhere between copper and fresh blood. "Rostygold, worth a pence each. One of many valid barter currencies of my London." Then a handful of small, pale, pearls. Which despite being indoors and in broad daylight, showed an eerily accurate reflection of the current phase of the moon in their center. "Moon pearls. The second explanatory verse is the same as the first. I could go on with a few other examples... But I imagine suffices to show where any difficulty may arise. I get that not every country allows barter, but the pact struck with the Echo Bazaar hasn't mutated the British Pound all that much." Jadeite gestures toward the bills he'd called Echoes during that last sentence. In all their bat-studded glory.
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