Bar Mingle: Week 3

[latinumsbetter]

Every evening at dusk (unless, for some reason, Quark is indisposed,) the Eatery transforms into Quark's Bar. The table, now with a crack patched up ith dried glue on one end, becomes a bartop with chairs lined up on one side. Some of the extra chairs are placed along the wall behind the bar as a makeshift bench for ingredients, glasses, ice, and anything else. Frequent visitors might note that there's always an untouched drink made and set out every evening. There are bowls of peanuts placed on top of the bar for snacking. On one end of the bar there's a selection of pastries, fresh-baked by Lebkuchen, who might also be there.

On one end of the table, opposite from the crack, is a interesting look board game. Next to it is a plate of lebkuchen, left out for a specific bunch of fuzzy creatures that seem to like them. In another corner is a roulette-esque kind of game.

In the rafters, there's a whole swarm of Zubats now, and one or two of them might come down to say hello. If they do, Quark is shooing them away again, but they only go back up to the ceiling.


Outside the door to the Eatery is a sign, handwritten, and further inside, the menu tacked up in a couple places behind the bar:

Quark's Bar

Hand-mixed drinks
Home-made fresh pasteries
Snacks
Good Company

Come on in and take a load off!
Open Every Evening at Dusk

Tokens accepted as payment
NO RED MURDEROUS ROBOTS ALLOWED

MENU

Non-alcoholic drinks: 2 tokens
Alcoholic drinks: 4 tokens
Lebkuchen: 1 token/piece, 4 for 3 tokens
Breadroll: 1 token/piece
Lollipops: 1 token/each
Wednesday Special: Homemade Apple Strudel! 3 tokens/slice


Link to Days
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Weekly Log

Comments

[latinumsbetter]

[Quark's eyes widen as he watches the circle appear, sucking in a startled breath at that light and how it spreads, freezing up for a moment. When it fades, he blinks, shifting a bit, rolling his shoulders and straightening]

...wow, I don't think my back's felt this good since Alex used his power on me.

How'd you do that? Go from that circle on the paper to that floaty thing you did?

[markofnobility]

... oh I really am a fool. I did not even consider the most basic of basics!

[Why is he trying to teach a man to write an essay who is still learning his letters?! The cultural difference here is quite staggering he's starting to realize]

The first lesson of any magecraft is manifestation. Taking the forces around or within you and bending it into a new form. Like food brings growth, or heat makes fire and light. The forces of the world are always moving and changing- Man, as the wisest of creatures and being Blessed by the Goddess- can direct these things in small degrees.

[He arches a brow slightly]

Well, that is how the Church describes the gift of Magic at least. A fragment of the Goddess' ability to Create all Things. But I have known plenty who shun the Church who can still do magic just fine. Think of it more as a metaphor.

Anyway. Magic's natural form is a Circle. All things desire to flow and connect to each other in cycles.

[ He takes back one of his hands tracing a circle on the tabletop. Light follows the line, glowing there without burning the glass and wood, fading after a moment. The hand still on Quark's own guides him to do the same motion- all while reaching out his own magic to the energies in Quark's body to guide it that spark out. Call it life force, call it psychic power, call it plain old burning calories. In the end it was all the same thing]

[latinumsbetter]

[Quark listens to that whole explanation, and allows his hand to be guided through that motion. He startles, though, when there's that tug--he feels it somewhere in the back of his head, almost, but also curling around the outside of his ears and down through his finger. His eyes go wide as, for a moment, there's a slight flicker of light that follows the trace of his finger, before it winks out again.

His mouth might be open slightly in surprise, for a moment, then he's looking up at Ferdinand.]

Is that--was that it?

[markofnobility]

Yes! Do not fret, I also could only do little sparks for a long while when I started.

[on anyone else it might sound patronizing but this is Ferd so-]

[latinumsbetter]

Uh huh. [Quark doesn't seem worried--in fact, he seems a little distrcted, brow furrowed, looking down at his hand, finger still on the tabletop]

That bit of magic you did, it was for healing. Right?

[markofnobility]

Correct. I am a bit more proficient in it than I am combat magic.

[latinumsbetter]

Right. So my back wanted energy to straighten out some of the kinks and you had it and therefore were able to supply it. [he huffs a little, almost startled, the corner of his mouth curling up a bit]

It's just the Great Continuum.

[markofnobility]

[he starts to nod along, but pauses at the unfamiliar term]

Great Continuum?

[latinumsbetter]

[Quark finally looks up from the tabletop, then]

Right. [he straightens a little, refocusing on Ferdinand] See, the universe has millions of worlds, right? And all of these worlds have too much of one thing, and not enough of another. The Great Material Continuum flows through them all, like a river. So if one place has a shortage of one type of good, but a surplus in another, while another region had too much of that former good and a shortage of the latter, the Continuum will take the excess of one to ease the lack in another. So it goes around and around, from have to want and back to have--[he draws that circle on the tabletop again]--binding and connecting the universe together.

So, in order to get everything you want, a smart businessman has to figure out how to navigate those waters, using is own self-interest to ensure that these transactions take place, matching up wants and haves at the right time for the right price, which allows everyone to benefit.

[he leans in a little--there's a glint in his eye, something like keen interest]

This is just that, but on an energy level.

[markofnobility]

[His eyes brighten at that]

Oh, yes! Exactly!

[he laughs lightly]

I never told you that Aegir is the trade hub of the Adrestian Empire, did I? It seems rather serendipitous now!

[latinumsbetter]

[That makes Quark blink, before he barks out a laugh] No kidding!

In that case--[he'll turn to pour himself a glass of straight tea, before turning back]--here's to serendipity.

[markofnobility]

To serendipity!

[ click! He is absolutely tickled]

I think for now it would be best to practice the circle, and once that is consistent we can move onto actual spells.

[latinumsbetter]

[He'll take a sip of that tea, once they've clinked glasses. He considers that.]

Alright. So I should get it to the point where it looks like this--[he taps that drawing]--or what?

[markofnobility]

Eventually, yes! I think once the main circle is managed, the symbols will be comparatively easy.

[latinumsbetter]

[Quark nods, looking very intently at the circle drawing]

So is this kinda circle just for those healing spells or what?