rosavelle | Fatima January Catch-All

[ While not a bookish person, Fatima's taken a special interest in the library within the castle. The wealth of information about Rosavelle has been helpful for answering her many questions, and she's fond of the low, low admission price of "clean the place a bit." Clean, organize tomes that have tremendous value, keep an eye on the condition of the scrolls; it's not different at all from how Rev Magic Academy handled its own library.

So, during a particularly cold morning, she's enjoying the warmth of the library's interior as she looks through a list of tomes to organize. ]

...honestly, how hard is it to place them according to category and name?

[When Darin wasn't working in the forge, forced to attend additional and remedial etiquette lessons, or out exercising or taking odd jobs, the library was the most surefire place to track him down. Having never been able to study in a school, he's found himself familiarizing himself with the library on an almost daily basis.]

[When he spies Fatima, he makes his way over, a slight bounce to his step.]

Hey, Fatima. What brings you here? Searching for something?

[ Fatima looks up from her current scroll and toward him so quickly her braid whips around her back, around her waist, and smacks into the front of her skirt. ]

Oh, hey Darin. [ She rolls the scroll back up and sets it aside on the cart. ] I'm helping the library today. Figured I could poke around for some information at the same time.

Better than being out in the cold, right? Neither one of us really tends to dress for it.

Gods above what I wouldn't do for some spring weather.

[He sidles up to her and leans clear over her shoulder thanks to their disparate heights.]

Information? Anything I can help you look up?

[ She nods slowly. ]

Lapices. Gemstones infused with one's own mana. They're handy for spells. [ She holds up the garnet gemstone that always stays nestled around her neck or across her collarbone. ] We call them a Lapis when they're not powerful enough to be considered a Lapistier.

Edited 2026-01-03 02:01 (UTC)

[Darin leans in to regard the stone thoughtfully.]

So you can use this garnet to store mana? Does any gemstone work? And do certain gemstones store mana better than others? More attuned towards a certain element?

[Fatima might not have been expecting a barrage of intelligent questions from Darin but here we are.]

[ If the questions bother her, Fatima sure doesn't show it. If anything, she takes his questions with a low laugh. ]

Any gem is fine. The mana may change its shape, but its state is irrelevant. In Carnava, Lapices are used for a lot of household things. They can provide light, heat, or cooling without any biological waste. It all depends on the mana type stored within.

[ She puffs up a bit, pleased to be talking about this with a captive audience. ]

Lapistier are special, though. If a mage can create a Lapistier, it's the first step to being a full witch...or wizard.

[Darin's eyes light up. Immediately, he reaches for his pocket notebook.]

No biological waste whatsoever?? Fatima, that's incredible! That sort of application could completely revolutionize the way people in my kingdom consider the uses of mana!

[He scribbles thoughts and musings down then looks up at her, eager to hear more.]

What's the difference between a Lapistier and a Lapice? Is it how much mana it can hold? Or is it because they're used as aids in spellcasting?

Gods, it's like a natural battery! How do you make one??

[ It's bizarre to think his world is seemingly similar to hers, yet it's different in so many ways. Here she thought Lapices would be universal for any world with magic, but that's clearly not the case. ]

Like I said, you infuse a gemstone of your liking with all the mana you can manage. When it runs out, you can get another and activate it. Usually they last for decades. [ Again she holds her own between her fingers. A brilliant, wine red garnet that shines at her touch. ] If you can put all your mana into it, it becomes your Lapistier. The container for all your life force.

Edited 2026-01-03 03:41 (UTC)

...Your life force?

[Darin straightens up and thumbs at his chin thoughtfully.]

I know mana is tied to life in my world...it's like...an energy source, I guess. But it sounds like you're putting your literal soul into a Lapistier. What happens if it breaks? Or runs out of mana?

[ Her expression softens but stays grim and solemn. ]

The practice was started over four thousand years ago, if I remember correctly. It was a means of addressing concerns humans had about the seemingly endless mana supply of witches. Fragile as it may be, it's still intensely protected by the witch, and it serves as a backup storage for mana if the amount in our body runs low.

[ She still doesn't look too pleased about it. ]

Ideally, a Lapistier should never run out since it's being filled constantly by its owner's own mana. Siphoning some of it on a regular basis.

...Wait.

Wait wait wait.

"Concerns?"

[Darin's countenance completely shifts to something far more serious. He recalls almost instantly the night they had met and her fearful question about what he thought about Witches.]

What kind of "concerns?"

[ Why does she feel so tense all of a sudden? Like a child who said something she shouldn't have. It's like she should expect some kind of punishment. An old reaction she's never been able to shake. ]

I'm sure you can take a wild guess, based on what we've spoken about before. [ She breathes slowly through her nose, essentially a sigh. ] Humans can't use magic even though we're all descended from the Navilians, but...they never exactly trusted us despite that.

Edited 2026-01-04 08:10 (UTC)

So...the only way to get them to trust you was to...what...

Pour all of your living essence into a gemstone?

And I'm sure that no human ever abused that information.

[Darin crosses his arms and glances away. He doesn't need Fatima to answer.]

...You didn't deserve that. Your magic is beautiful. It could help so many people...and I'm sure the same can be said of a lot of other Witches...

[ There are a hundred other things she could say. She could mention the futility of the Runic Engine and how it turned its users to stone because humans aren't equipped to handle magic without sufficient aptitude and training. She could say how useless trying to be witches was when humans have always excelled in matters of martial arts and technology instead. And that was before she even delved into her own frustrations with witch society itself.

Instead of any such thoughts, she gives Darin an appreciative little smile. ]

Thank you. But...while I have you here, have you seen any documents about naturally occurring leylines?

Naturally occurring leylines?

[Darin echoes the question as he lifts his head in thought.]

Nothing that I've seen...but I think I know a few sections we could check.

Was there something specific you were looking for about them?

I'm curious to see if this world has any. In Carnava, leylines are like rivers of mana. They're places where the ambient mana is practically tangible for how abundant it is. Ideal places to cast spells if you know what you're doing.

Oh...wow, that sounds incredible!

I think I saw some geography almanacs. Those might give you the information you need. Though...if there's anything like that around here, I bet it has something to do with that giant-ass tree.

[Yoojin isn't a particularly avid reader himself, though it's not like he avoids books. What he does enjoy, though, are the warm, cozy spots the staff have set up in the library and the constant, quiet shuffle of people. He's tucked into a comfy corner nearby, working on a sunrise-colored ball of felt, when he hears Fatima speak to herself and glances up.]

Heheh. Maybe it's a case of too many cooks in the kitchen? I've seen a lot of us advisors in and out reorganizing things.

Edited 2026-01-04 17:00 (UTC)

[ Dainsleif makes an arrival himself at some point, possibly taking the time to join in on one other side, and at least by now there being two months of lingering in a place like this, has decisively become a bit more familiar with such places by now.

If he sees something out of place, naturally he will take the time to take care of it - and of course, answer Fatima's question while he is at it. ]

...Apparently difficult enough, for some.

[ Fatima's taken her time with trying to head out and find Gold Ship. The fight between her and Daring was vicious from all descriptions, so she didn't want to upset a still fresh wound if she could help it. A day or so, that's the amount of time she takes to let it sit, then she's off to find the horse girl.

Perhaps it's stereotypical to expect her to be at the stables, but she couldn't think of any other place than the gym. She'd already looked there. The witch pokes her head into the stables, lunch box in hand. If anything would keep a horse girl calm, she hopes it's the meager snack she's brought along. ]

Gold Ship?

[ Gold Ship has been Going Through It for a lot of reasons lately, but the stable's become her sanctuary... and uh, bedroom. She hasn't told anyone but she's been sleeping up in the hay loft since the start of January.

So find her Fatima does, dressed in the track suit she had made, sat down next to one of the stalls where a red coated mare is peaking her head out and looking over the uma's shoulder, watching as she scribbles inside a notebook. She glances up at Fatima and waves, cheery as usual. ]

Hey ya Tima! Sup?

[ Okay. So far, the horse girl doesn't look too out of sorts. Not that that means much when Gold Ship gives off a "friendly but distant" air even at her most sociable. She should be mindful what she says next. ]

Felt like I should come see you today. Heard you were having a rough day a little bit ago.

[ She holds up the box whose design is unmistakably from a cake shop. ]

Brought a snack too.

Didcha now?

[ Something shifts. She's still smiling but her eyes narrow as she looks from Fatima to the peace offering she's brought. Cake, sweets. Clever. Hard to make an uma made when sweets are on the line.

She shrugs, laughs, and goes back to writing in her notebook. ]

Dunno who gave ya that weird idea, but I ain't 'bout to say no to food! [ Since she can't really gesture with her hand right now she makes use of her meramancy, making a simple floating arrow pointing down at a spot next to her. ] C'mon, take a load off.

[ A practiced smile. She can recognize it easily; she's had to don such smiles too many times. Even here, she still does. She'll have to stay on thin ice for a while longer. It's worth it, though, since Gold Ship is her friend. It's been some time since she had any of those. ]

Hmm...

[ The witch takes a seat and sets the box between them. It opens easily and the flaps splay out to make an impromptu plate. Within a delicate and ornately designed plate is a large slice of carrot cake. Two, in fact! They rest over top each other on their sides so their triangle shapes make a small square. Fatima hands her a similarly small fork, keeping one for herself, and takes out a flask from her overcoat. ]

It might be a bit rich, so I brought tea to help wash it down.

[ The cake looks amazing, the presentation is on the level of what she'd see at some of the fancier shops that McQueen is fond of. That familiarity more than anything has her tail wagging, but it's the flask that has her laughing. ]

Tea in a flask, eh? Thought Vodka was the only one that did that.

[ This is so amusing, in fact, that she keeps chuckling. When she gets back home and tells everyone about this, Scarlet id going to be so mad that Vodka will be able to say someone else does it. ]

You're a pretty funny gal, Tima.

Fatima January Catch-All

Dusty Covers and Warm Nooks

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Checking in on a friend - closed to Gold Ship

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