Working Lunch

The trip over to Cammie’s was uneventful. Vivian engaged Kiera in some small talk, eventually focusing on the nature of her more intimate connection to Verida, but the shy bluenette was only able to give noncommittal answers, which only increased Vivian’s curiosity over the link.

“I don’t think it was simply a matter that you were the best choice Verida had to make contact with Teri’s people,” the redhead said as she pulled into a parking space near the diner’s barrier. “Teri might have been able to tap into her power; she did with that Mantle item.”

“I think you’re making a bigger deal about this than it needs to be,” Kiera softly declared.

“Maybe I am, but I think you’ve got more going on,” Vivian attested. “None of us have a long-range link to her.”

“She had to amp mine so she could keep an eye on Moira when she called back to HQ to report,” John added. “And that’s with me having the strongest connection when she manifested.”

Kiera slightly sank into herself, her hood covering most of her face, but did not offer any further arguments against Vivian’s suppositions.

“Maybe we can talk about stuff all of us can follow next,” Beth suggested, in a tone light enough to convey she wasn’t angry about there being topics she couldn’t contribute to.

“Think you’ve got any input on where I should put my points?” John asked. “Got a few pop-ups I’ve left unread too. Might be related to Evocation and Spirit Link leveling up.”

‘I have a few things to do as well,’ Senka revealed to John, who was quick to repeat it.

“Guess this’ll be a working lunch then,” Vivian remarked as she turned off her car.

“You say that like you aren’t going to doodle out arrays on the placemats,” Aeolia teased, bringing a light dusting to Vivian’s cheeks.

“Maybe I have a few ideas I want to sketch out before trying later,” the redhead admitted. “And one of them might involve that unstable residue stuff.”

“The thing that might explode when exposed to magic? That stuff?” Beth asked before eyeing Vivian’s choker. “You didn’t bring it with you, right?”

“Of course not,” Vivian denied as they exited the car. “I’m still in the idea phase. But I think with the right script, I can mitigate some of the dangers. That still means we’ll need to test it.”

“I don’t volunteer for tribute,” Beth said.

“I’m not some mad scientist!” Vivian remarked with faux outrage. “We can use whatever John can make a barrier for.”

“Maybe the golems?” John offered. “They weren’t super fast and are pretty big targets.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Vivian said. “But let’s not get into the weeds just yet. I need to see if I can even write an array that will work.”

“And for that, we need brain fuel!” Beth cheered, looping an arm around Vivian’s shoulder. “Onwards to fries!”

“I’m not sure they count as brain food,” Aeolia’s unseen voice came from John’s shoulder.

“But potatoes are good for you,” Beth contested as they transitioned into the barrier, the scent of the diner’s offerings heavy in the air.

“Not when they’re covered in mayo,” John said with a chuckle as Aeolia returned to visibility, hopped down and grew to her full height. At the same moment, Senka manifested, trading out her usual kimono-like dress for a simple pair of black jeans and a deep purple tank top.

Beth stuck her tongue out at them as they stepped into the diner proper. A small number of patrons occupied the space, most of them at the counter. The green swirling mote of a wind spirit flew out of the kitchen and circled them once before stopping in front of them.

“Hello there, my friends,” Mason’s voice boomed out of the spirit. “I’ll be out in a few to take your order. Please, sit wherever you’d like.”

“Cammie out again?” Aeolia asked as they moved towards one of the larger booths.

“We got a call about something making a mess about an hour north,” Mason explained. “Sounded like an animal spirit, so she went out to deal with it.”

“Hope we aren’t adding too much to your workload,” John said.

Mason laughed, loud enough that he could be heard from the kitchen. “Not the first time I’ve had to man things by myself. Might have a bit of a headache later, but that’ll be the worst of it. Now, I’ll be out properly in a few.”

The spirit zipped away as they slid into the booth. Kiera was the only one to pick up a menu and she buried her head in it as she took in the offerings.

“Guess we already know what we’re getting,” John said. “Suppose while we’re waiting for Mason, I can take care of my level up.”

“Where am I falling behind, besides Charisma?” he muttered as he reviewed his numbers and went over the last few fights. Mana was a bit of a bottleneck. Being down just over a quarter between having Senka manifested and in Overlay was a slightly dangerous thing, but there was little he could do to affect the cost. Overlay was set at 16% of his max, and while Senka’s manifestation cost varied, it would likely remain close to 10% if they kept raising their mana at close to the same rate.

In terms of physical combat, he didn’t feel as if he was falling behind, though he was sure he couldn’t match pure fighters like Aeolia or Moira if magic was off the table. But did he want to be able to keep up with people like them? Not investing in his physical stats wasn’t a smart move since if he ran across something immune to magic or if he ran out of mana, he’d be dead.

“I think it’s fair to say my way of fighting is by using mana to either boost my stats or cast spells,” John said aloud, drawing everyone’s attention to him, “but it’d be a bad idea to just start dumping everything into Intelligence and Wisdom.”

“So you keep splitting things up then,” Aeolia pointed out before lightly tapping John in the head then on his arm. “Some for the brains then some for the body.”

“The million dollar question then is, what ratio do I use?” John asked. “Two to each mana affecting stat then the last to one of the physical? One in each, leaving the last two untouched and lagging behind. Some random and ever-changing mix with no rhyme or reason?”

Vivian stood up slightly and peered over the table so she could look down at his sheet. Once reviewed, she settled back down and brought a finger to her chin in thought.

“I think maybe you should put some focus on Wisdom,” she said after a moment. “Just having large numbers won’t be helpful if your regen is low. Getting that closer to one point a minute should help keep you charged up.”

“Wisdom is what a lot of my Evocations and spirit magic use for their effects or range,” John mused before nodding. “Okay, I think three to Wisdom, and one each to Intelligence and Strength to keep moving them up.”

John applied his points and gave his sheet one final review. There weren't any large changes but the small incremental ones still made him smile at his continued growth. He was closing in on one hundred and fifty mana with a point regenerated every minute. It would still take him some time to reach it, but that was a good goal to work towards.

‘Maybe after that I’ll focus on the physical stuff,’ John thought. ‘Or dump some in Charisma so we can negotiate a better deal with the Order or anyone else who wants to trade.’

Moving on from the long-term stat issue, John dismissed his character sheet and pulled up one of the notifications that had popped up during their morning training.

Evocation has reached level 5! Please choose a specialization: This will change how Evocation functions.

The Material Path: Magic seeps into the physical makeup of every object. Additional power or effects can be unleashed at the cost of sacrificing more durability upon casting.

The Ephemeral Path: Magic exists beyond the physical form. Evocations are now used without damaging the physical conduit, at the cost of only being able to channel the magic a limited number of times before a time to recover is needed.

“Wasn’t expecting that,” John said as he reread the display.

“The second one’s kind of cryptic, isn’t it?” Beth asked.

“Extremely,” John answered with a grin. “But I can guess it’ll be like spell slots from some tabletop RPGs. A certain number of uses per unit of time and a need to rest or other cost to regain them.”

“Sounds like it’s the worse of the two options,” Aeolia made her opinion known. “Getting the option for more power with no downside if you don’t use it seems the better upgrade.”

“In a way, yeah,” John muttered. “But consider what could happen if I have to use an Evocation to the point of breaking the item. For some, it’d be the loss of a trinket. It’d suck, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. But what if it was a weapon, or piece of armor? Do I risk not using the Evocation to keep it from breaking or try to win with the final use?”

“I can see the benefit of this change,” Vivian said. “But what if the number of uses are smaller than what they currently are? They’re a big part of how you fight.”

“Can’t fight with broken weapons,” John countered. “Well, I guess I could grab something of the debris to fight with, but who’s to say items that run out of durability via my powers directly just don’t poof out of existence. Besides Gaia, but I’m sure she wouldn’t tell me and want to learn that answer on my own.”

You’ve come to know me so well. Have a head pat.

John flinched slightly as a dainty hand pressed against the top of his head.

“So yeah, no insight from the supreme being,” John continued. “But, even if there’s a lower overall use limit, I think it’s better to have that than to keep risking overuse. I’ve been lucky to avoid the problem in part thanks to my mana being too low to spam Evocations, but…”

“Best to not risk disaster,” Senka finished for him.

“Exactly,” John nodded. “Plus, it means I won’t have to worry so much about having the right material to fix them up.”

Decision made, John tapped his choice and the screen changed.

Evocation skill updated. Items with Evocations will now display the number of uses and details regarding use regeneration.

“You’re going to check those changes now, aren’t ya?” Beth asked with a grin.

“A quick peek at my ring won’t take long,” John said.

“OK, so the use counter is right on the main sheet,” John reported as he brought a finger. “As for more info…”

10 out of 10 uses remaining. Uses will recover at a rate of 1 every 6 hours.

“Not a quick recharge,” Aeolia remarked.

“This might not be the best item to use as a measuring stick,” John said. “But at least it gives us the basic idea. I’m fairly sure this cost ten durability to cast, so we have one point of evidence that uses will line up with the max number of casts I could do at one hundred percent durability.”

John dismissed the ring’s sheet and was about to pull up the other notification he had left when Mason’s somewhat familiar footfalls approached the table.

“Sounds like you lot are going to have a working lunch,” he said in an upbeat voice. “Anything that I could help with?”

“Nothing with Pruzonia or Teri’s folks,” John said. “We’re grinding today. Um, I mean…”

“I’m not so old that I don’t get what that means.” Mason laughed, putting John at ease. “I suppose that means you’ll be wanting to get on with ordering so you can get back to it.”

“Not quite,” Vivian said. “We’re going to face some low level stuff so we can try out some new moves. Moves that need some planning.”

“Ah, then you’ll be having the full course dinner then,” Mason joked as he pulled out a small flip notebook. “Are you ready to order?”

“I think we were the moment we walked in,” Vivian answered before glancing over at Kiera. “Well, most of us. Kiera?”

“O-oh, yes. Um,” Kiera sputtered, “I w-would like the pancakes, please. With bacon.”

Mason smiled softly at her. “One stack of pancakes. Drink?”

“Um, milk please,” Kiera quietly requested, her face growing red.

“Ah, the gold standard for breakfast fare,” Mason assured her as he jotted her order down. “And the rest of you lot?”

“Burger and a coke,” John said.

“Chicken tenders, ditto the drink,” Beth added a second later. “And some mayo for dipping.”

“Chicken wrap with a raspberry iced tea, please,” Vivian went third.

“I’ll take the tuna melt, with a normal iced tea,” Aeolia came fourth.

“And I don’t need to eat,” Senka cheekily remarked last, drawing a laugh from Mason.

“Don’t need, yes, but can’t? I’ve heard differently,” he said as he slipped his notebook into his pocket. “Cammie and I are looking into that sort of thing. Expand our clientele.”

“I’m sure that’s just the natural demands of the market,” Senka slyly remarked.

“Of course,” Mason smiled at the spirit. “I’ll have your drinks out in a minute.”

He turned on his heel and spryly made his way back to the kitchen, stopping by a few other patrons to inquire about their experience so far.

John turned his mind back to the final lingering notification and called up the screen.

Spirit Link has reached Level 3! Please choose a specialization.

Infuser: The power of a spirit can be bound to other material, enabling its power to be harnessed even by those without the talent.

Shaper: The form of a lesser spirit is a malleable thing, and now can be altered to suit your needs.

“Anyone else find it weird that he got this at level three when the other one was level five?” Beth asked.

“It’s a little annoying, but not all games have all possible abilities mapped out to have upgrades happen at the same point,” John explained. “Plus, these upgrades aren’t really the same type as Evocation’s were. Those changed how the skill could be used. These are more additional powers.”

“Plus, there are a lot more items that can have an Evocation than there are spirits, in all likelihood,” Senka added. “So by providing a new tool to use, it keeps one engaging with the skill.”

“Not like I don’t have incentives to keep using it,” John said with a laugh. “But yeah, that’s another reason why I’m getting this ‘earlier’ than other skills. Carrot and stick sort of thing. Use this, get more goodies.”

“So what are you thinking of getting?” Vivian inquired. “Both sound like they have uses.”

“I think I’m going to go with the ‘Infuse’ option,” John replied after a few moments of thought. “While being able to turn my wind spirit into a sword or whip sounds cool, that still only helps me. ‘Infuse’ might not be the same thing Mason did to those thugs that tried to shake him down last week but it does lean in that direction.”

“Well, that’s a story you guys didn’t tell me,” Beth remarked.

“Two wanna-be gangsters tried to pull the protection racket scheme,” Aeolia recalled. “Mason threw a fire spirit into each of them which caused them to feel like they were burning. Ran away pretty quickly after that.”

“I get the feeling this won’t let me do that,” John admitted. “From the sound of it, I’ll be able to put spirits into objects. Like a mix of Overlay and how you work, Senka.”

“I can’t say I’m not curious as to how this would work,” the spirit murmured, a finger tapping her chin in thought. “It sounds like it would allow you to put a trigger onto a spirit’s ability. Like letting anyone use the wind manipulation power of the wind spirit.”

“We also have to consider if the item’s existing abilities could affect what sort of magic can happen,” Vivian added. “Like how when you mix spells together.”

“Won’t know unless we go with this,” John said. “But let’s just do the same kind of mental workshopping to guess what ‘Shaper’ could do.”

“Weapons obviously,” Beth was quick to repeat John’s earlier thought.

“Could also be useful in creating something like a blockade or shield,” Vivian added. “Or even something like a bridge to cross some hole.”

“That sounds like it’d be a high-level application,” Aeolia remarked.

“Still something that the description doesn’t make an impossibility,” Vivian said back.

“Um, you could make armor,” Kiera offered in a timid voice.

“I suppose that would be a good fallback option.” John nodded. He watched as a small amount of tension vanished from the bluenette’s frame and he felt a bit of kinship with her. He knew all too well the feeling of being too scared and nervous to throw out an opinion.

“Any other ideas?” John asked. When no one offered any more, he hummed, “While those are nice sounding possibilities, I don’t think they outweigh what I hope ‘Infuse’ gives me. I’d like to be able to provide more help to people than just being there to blast and slash.”

None of the girls raised any objections to his decision and John tapped his choice.

Spirit Link skill upgraded! Spirits can now be bound to objects, melding their abilities together when applicable.

John was quick to call up the wind spirit’s sheet, finding the new effect added to its ‘Attribute’ line.

Infuse: Bind this spirit to an object, adding its power to the vessel. Only one spirit can be infused at a time. Cost: 25 MP, .5MP/hour. Can be charged upfront and once infused can be powered by others. Time spent infused counts towards Spirit Heightening Rank increases.

“Okay, not a free lunch but that makes sense,” John said. “I wonder if an item that builds up mana on its own can have that count towards the cost.”

“We can give it a quick test with your glove,” Vivian suggested. “The only other piece of gear that fits those requirements are the healing staff and that’s a bit big.”

“Sounds like that’s a good idea,” John said as he equipped his glove. Before he could use his newest power, however, a loud clatter rang out from the back of the establishment, followed by some indistinct shouting that sounded like Cammie.

Then a wispy burnt red and orange mass shot out from the kitchen and bolted right at John.