sweet--teas - Tumblr blog

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Miniature porcelain by Svetlana Oreshkin

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Time for tea♡

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My new #royalsealy #teacup looks extra princess like with tea in it! I’m happy tea all by myself this morning, Ben is getting something fixed on the car and I’m hoping it gets fixed soon so we can adventure more today. I plan on stopping by an accupuncture place today to see if they can fix my knee up some, so that is exciting. #tea #teaofinstagram #gongfucha #taiwanesetea #ecochateas #princesstea #vintageteacup

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LOG 33

Asami certainly had much to hide. Ciro’s mind has been tampered with... so, I imparted upon him a remedy. Now I do have confirmation that the runes are able to alter memories. This opportunity was strangely convenient...

As the saying goes, I shall not ‘look a gift horse in the mouth’. I have provided aid to a friend and confirmed one of my hypotheses. As well, I allowed Ciro to briefly part with my most recent project. It seems it has no issue with others’ minds... this event is proving very beneficial in terms of data.

As for Asami. My suspicions remain, but I await further detail on much of everything surrounding the enigma that she is. My hope is that it is simply a grievous misunderstanding.

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PROFILE: LICENSED MONSTER RESEARCHER ID #0778

Name: Kegamin "Min" Kine Age: 19 Description: Uncombed, jaw-length and layered brown hair. Weaker-than-average build. Mild tan. Wears prescription lens.

History: Born in Ascental, his parents fled the continent while he was a child. They settled in Kentease, where he was raised. Kegamin studied monsters and their ilk, and began to travel continents as soon as he was able. In the country of Lower Quelle, he discovered Iolite, and they have been inseparable ever since. Soon after, in Upper Quelle, he met his partner Inalope "Lop" Bereaver, and they traveled together for two years. They currently maintain a long-distance relationship.

Combat ability: [Poor]

Weaknesses: Is as weak as the average civilian. First, subdue Iolite, then take him down via conventional methods.

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LOG 32

Kegamin is on his way, despite this kingdom being exactly one of the last that one would wish to visit, during these times. If I were capable, I would no doubt be sporting a migraine at this moment...

...Either way. Anima informed me of today’s events. And then afterwards, I managed to coerce the actual details from her, with only a small amount of hyperbole. It seems that the Duet Mages are deceased; may they rest in peace.

As for Asami’s wings... It’s fascinating. However, it only raises more and more questions. Perhaps a questioning is in the future.

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hello nameless,

too bad! i’m already on my way to the ferry. lop already agreed to watch the house for me, and someone has to keep you from doing things that are probably not the smartest!!!! (anima is definitely not that person)

i’ll bring tea, and research stuff, and my own notes. we can have a study party! also i’ll bring some arrows and hair product for anima since she’s probably super grumpy right now haha.

stay put!!!

with love, kegamin♥

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Dear Kegamin,

Please refrain from doing so.

Signed, “Nameless”

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dear nameless,

what! i thought the castle was safe!

that’s it!!! i’m going over there, that sounds crazy :(

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@ciro-thecopymage

Dear Ciro,

Anima has received your letter. However, she refuses to send one to you with her answer, citing her reason for not doing so as ‘being a normal person who just goes and tells people things when [she lives] in the same damn building as them’. She will likely appear at your hospital room. I suggest you seek shelter.

Best regards, Peppermint

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My sweet doll,

Why haven’t you written back? I know you’re getting these letters. The birds tell me so. So why? You’re reading every single word, right? Then you know how much I miss you. Please...

I’m so lonely here, friend. Nobody on this godforsaken island really lives. Maybe they breathe and speak and walk, but they’re all just puppets dancing from a string. Maybe even more lifeless than you were. But I just know that you’ll breathe life back into my life, you’re here with me. You... you knew that I could never leave, so why did you abandon me like that?

Won’t you come back, just for one visit? I’m dying here without you. There’s still time to come back. I’ll wait forever for you, here. Our friendship, your plans, they must have meant something.

You’re heartless.

[sweet--teas]

LOG 31

Ciro has been injured... once more. I am unsure of how he manages to prove so attractive to all forms of danger. The source of his current grievances is an assassin of unknown affliction who most definitely is not working alongside ‘Ciro’s long lost, evil cross-dressing twin’.

As a result, I find myself with the task of drawing up a rune or two in order to assist with castle security. There are of course two main issues, as there are with any rune. The first is that it requires a magical power source of some sort. Due to my personal preference towards style of rune encoding, magic from organic beings would be optimal. The second issue is, like all runes forced to handle decently sized amounts of magic on a constant basis, the encoding will wear away quickly.

For smaller enchantments such as a rune that prevents food spoilage, the degradation of the rune is more or less insignificant as the amount of magic used is small. However, a detection rune that can include an entire wing of the castle will expend magic quickly and requires a constant flow to be circulating around in order for the detection magic to work. Due to the fact that as far as my knowledge goes, I am the most skilled rune theorist currently in the castle, maintenance would fall to me and bloat my already over-cluttered research schedule. Although I am extremely reluctant, if there is a call for a situation where the runes are very urgently needed, I will have no choice but to relinquish my spare time.

The first issue could be solved by increasing the speed of the magical circulation. However, that would exacerbate the second issue. I am considering alternate sources of magic. Even though my runes are designed to run off of magic produced by living beings, different sources can be used to similar effect. The monsters contained in the dungeons and forest may possibly be viable as fuel for the runes. A wide magic drain could feasibly be placed around the castle and surrounding area.... No, that would cause far more complications than it would solve. If there were any magic-users taken prisoner in the castle, there stands the possibility of using them as resources. I shall ask the guards on the subject at a later time.

The second issue has no easily workable solution other than recruiting a fellow rune-hobbyist from someplace in the Kingdom. As well, the assistance would be greatly appreciated. Although I am the castle’s current expert on runes, compared to the society of runeweavers at large, I am nothing but a novice. More experienced enchanters could likely draw upon inspiration. For now, the closest resolution I have is to draw up another, smaller surveillance rune to monitor the larger rune, and have a volunteer check the smaller rune to see if it reports issues with the coding of the larger one. At least in that fashion I will not have to manually and near-constantly inspect the protective runes for defects.

On a more frustrating note, I now have a sizable backlog of research and projects that I simply cannot devote the needed time for. I have doubled down on my sleeping schedule so that I will not run out of magic at an inconvenient time, and with the needed surveys for the rune locations, the resulting lost time has taken a heavy toll on my schedule. Inconvenient. How utterly unnecessary.

But in the event of another attack on the castle or it’s personnel, sacrifices will have to be made. I will make moves to compact my routine even further. Some projects will need to be discarded, and others can be integrated into my most promising leads.

...I do so much wish I was on the Infinity Islands, now. Nothing of note ever does happen there.