Magic without a magic

[sturdycoldsteel]

Steel wakes up. This is not where she went to sleep. She has a peek at the stream -

- And lets out a surprised yelp at the nonsensical cacophony.

"What in the blue hells is this place?" No answer is immediately apparent, so she climbs to the top of the ravine, carefully avoiding the various inexplicable things in the area. The snake-goat hybrid was particularly grotesque.

The top of the ravine has a road. She tries to fly, but can't. Again, very strange. This is a pretty nice road, physically, but magically it's completely undeveloped. She walks towards the city, peeking at the stream once in a while only to see fog, and seeking an explanation.

Comments

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Would the room with one bed be fine with you? I can sleep anywhere. Literally."

[namesthesky]

"It's your money and better than the accommodations I'm coming from."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"I'll take that as a yes." She rents the room for fifteen days. Once inside, she gets the paper and ink out and starts writing.

It's in Esevi, musings on how skin and ink work and how to separate the two things. It also talks about magic, but not much of that part makes any sense.

[namesthesky]

Ayabel is curious, but none of it makes sense to her and she isn't clear on whether she's invited to look, so: "Can I take one of these coins to get us some groceries?"

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Huh? Oh, sure, take 20 seo for groceries and anything else you want. Those clothes don't look very comfortable, for example. I like fruit, by the way."

[namesthesky]

"I could replace your clothes too, with that much money."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Sure, why not. Flying leathers probably aren't a good long-term outfit when I can't fly any significant distance. Light colors and good coverage, please. Say, are there libraries around here? Doctors? I'll want to visit at least one of the two before deciding how to remove tattoos. Oh, and get a nice big pot if you don't mind."

[namesthesky]

"Some people keep libraries and there are medics of various sorts. And understood."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"I'll walk with you, can you point out when we pass one? Oh, here, take the room key. I can do primitive locks like this one without them." And they walk out the room, out of the boarding house, down the street.

[namesthesky]

Aya takes the key and walks. Eventually: "There's a surgeon there on the right with the red sign. I don't know if she's exactly what you're looking for."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"She'll probably help. See you later." Steel goes in and asks if she might discuss medicine with the surgeon.

[alicornucopia]

The surgeon is apparently busy sawing a screaming patient's leg off.

[sturdycoldsteel]

This is alarming! And worth using magic. "Excuse me! My embroidery can handle this a whole lot more cleanly!" And she looks at the leg - what's wrong with it, injury, infection?

[alicornucopia]

The patient is a little too busy screaming to consider alternative medical providers at this moment. The surgeon's assistant says, "Excuse me, please stand back while she's working."

The leg has a necrotic ulceration on the calf.

[sturdycoldsteel]

"I can make such a cut in an instant, and cauterize it too! I won't even charge! He's suffering and I can help, please let me!"

[alicornucopia]

"We don't barge into your place of work and steal your customers," says the assistant. "Set up your own shop."

[sturdycoldsteel]

Screw it. Magic. Steel leans around the assistant to get a good view, and safely out of the way goes the bonesaw, off goes the leg, closed go the blood vessels. "You're welcome, goodbye." She storms out, a bit wobbly, and runs after Aya.

[namesthesky]

"HEY!" yells the surgeon, and the assistant chases after her.

Aya is a bit down the street by this time.

[sturdycoldsteel]

That was a terrible idea. Exactly the same as if she'd snapped all the manacles back at the slave market. Apologize, or bolt?

She stops cold and turns around when she sees the assistant coming after. If the assistant tries to touch her, he'll get a telekinetic shove. "I'm sorry. My emotions got the better of me. Would 5 seo convince you to drop this?"

[alicornucopia]

"...Twenty," says the assistant, glowering at her.

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Fifteen."

[alicornucopia]

"Twenty, you knitbrained little thief!"

[sturdycoldsteel]

"How did I steal anything from you? I didn't touch a thing in that-" Stop. Breathe in. Breathe out. Two gold coins come out of the pouch. "Only because I don't know if I actually broke a law. I hope we never meet again."

[alicornucopia]

The assistant snatches the gold from her hand and stalks back to the surgeon's office.

[sturdycoldsteel]

Steel paces and fumes. They've already made a scene, so it'd probably be a bad idea to set something on fire. No painkillers, and no magic to mend injuries with. That answers the medicine question pretty clearly.

Eventually she sets back for Sunset Row, getting into her room by magicking the lock.