Day 56: Mountain Antiques (Early Afternoon)

[scintillatingly]

Sora was glad that he had gotten the chance to talk to Wally, since even if he drank coffee with a ton of sugar with it, that didn't stop him from being a nice guy! Not that the two were related, but it had been kind of weird. Sora had been pleasantly surprised that the man was so friendly and optimistic even though he'd also been stuck here for a

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[bodhiandspirit]

So far, the day wasn't going too badly. Most of Rita's conversations had led to discussions of magic, energy, and blastia; subjects she held a strong interest in and was willing to talk at length about. She even had a new lead that could possibly turn out to be an actual blastia in the institute. Whether it was functional or even genuine remained to be seen, but Rita was fairly excited to examine it.

She'd also picked up a pocket-sized notebook at the bookstore, which would allow her to record information and carry it wherever she went for reference. It looked like the small allowance she had been provided with was good for something after all.

After parting ways with Ema, Rita wandered the streets once more, looking for a shop that would catch her eye. It wasn't long until she reached the antiques store. There probably wouldn't be much that she could afford with her remaining money, but there could be information to acquire there. The preserved artifacts of a civilization were likely to be a good indicator of the kind of history this place had, and how the culture and technology had developed.

When she stepped inside, Rita was nearly overwhelmed by the number and variety of items around her. There was glassware, miniature statues, clothing, tea sets, weaponry, jewelry... For a minute, she simply stood in the doorway and slowly looked over everything within view. She eventually decided to start by looking at the shop's collection of precious gems. Drawing close to the table, she found that she even recognized some of the stones - amethyst, jade, quartz...

Some part of Rita had been hoping to find blastia among the wares, but she had no such luck. For the time being, she tried to focus on just identifying what she could.

[Claude!]

[full_score]

The day had been pretty quiet up until now, which wasn't such a bad thing. Running into Natalia on the bus had been an amazing stroke of luck. Not only that, but he'd had a laid-back time with Tifa last shift, even if he'd never thought he'd actually use that Pearl's coupon in a million years. It was hard to get over how clean and trim his nails looked, especially since he was used to having worn and rough hands.

Either way, he'd gotten hungry, and managed to grab a burger. Since he'd eaten alone, it hadn't taken long to chow down. Once he was on the move again, Claude realized there were still some things he needed to do. He still hadn't spent any money on his card, and he also knew Tear wanted to meet up with him at some point.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the girl yet. Planning a meeting was a lot harder when it came to Doyleton, but hopefully he'd get again lucky today. As he walked through the snow, he decided to give the antique's shop a quick look. Even if he didn't see anyone in there, at the very least it'd be interesting to see items from Earth's distant past.

Once he stepped into building, which was considerably warmer than outside, Claude rubbed his gloved hands together and gazed around. Immediately, he noticed Rita studying a table filled with a variety of stones. They hadn't personally spoken since the day she'd asked for more details about heraldry, but he had to admit he was curious to know what she'd been up to. Maybe she'd even seen Leon...

"Hey, there," he greeted with a smile. "Looking for something?"

[bodhiandspirit]

Rita still wasn't used to strangers and acquaintances willingly approaching her, but seeing as this was the third time it happened in one day, she responded without much of a delay, lifting her chin and looking over at the person who addressed her. Though the different clothing could make it difficult to identify acquaintances, she quickly recognized him as Claude, the man who'd helped her develop a method of using heraldry.

"Oh, it's you." As was usual for her, her greeting wasn't particularly warm, though her tone wasn't all that cold, either. More than anything, her expression was that of mild surprise.

When asked if she was looking for something, she glanced back to the table, then to Claude. "Nothing specific. The bookstore was useless as far as history and development information goes, so I thought I'd try here." She gave a sweeping glance across the room, noting the variety of wares, many of which appeared to have a story behind them. "I'd say these artifacts are much more informative than the garbage they sell there."

[full_score]

Rita didn't seem overjoyed to see him, but she didn't act like put out, either. That was good, at least, which was why he felt okay with sticking around uninvited. Claude stuffed his hands into his pockets as he stood beside her, looking down at the gleaming gems on the stand for a moment.

"Yeah, I always thought it was weird the bookstore didn't have a lot of nonfiction," he commented. Well, outside of self-help books and things like that. "I can get that the Institute would try to keep us in the dark, but a whole town too?" Were there censorship laws in place or something? Or did Landel's ask the people of Doyleton to remove their history books on Saturdays so they wouldn't upset the patients somehow? The latter seemed less likely, but they already knew the people here were affected by the Institute.

When Rita mentioned that this store was more useful to her, Claude glanced around at the wares decorating the shelves and walls. "I get what you mean. When you think about it, stuff like this is kind of a direct window to a place's past." He looked at Rita with a curious expression. "Do you have these sorts of things back where you're from?"

[bodhiandspirit]

"Right." Claude seemed to get it. "It's easier to censor words than it is to censor a whole civilization." The institute seemed to have full control over the town, which would explain why they were willing to bring their patients - subjects - there in the first place. They had no reason to worry that they'd uncover secrets or make an escape. Everything was well within their influence. However, there were some things that couldn't be hidden, and if Rita looked in the right places, there were some things she could still learn.

Claude's question earned him a thoughtful look, and Rita folded her arms as she considered her answer. "Depends on what sort of things you mean. Shops like this? Maybe in the capital. Not in my hometown, though. It's a closed city, and a merchant's permit is hard to get." Was, she inwardly corrected herself, but it was unnecessary to go into that.

"As for antiques and artifacts, I've got a bit of a collection myself. Mostly books and blastia and various things from a lost civilization. I got most of it from excavating ruins, or making deals with knights and other mages." Come to think of it, that collection was gone too. Rita knew that was the least of her worries, but it was hard not to be a little bothered by the loss.

Her expression remained neutral, if a little distant, as that thought crossed her mind. To distract herself from it, she moved to a nearby table and began to examine those wares instead. Here, she found a collection of spoons, some with ornate designs or imprinted images on the handles. Beside them were several magnifying glasses. Rita picked up a heavy brass one, examining it closely. Now this was something that could come in handy.

[full_score]

He listened to Rita's response, trying to imagine what her planet was like. It sounded like the town she came from had restricted access, though apparently the capital was much more open. Claude had to wonder why she came from such a closed city. Were other towns like that? His first thought was that maybe it was an unfair rule imposed by the government. If she had a large collection of artifacts herself, though, then that meant she'd been allowed to travel freely herself.

Although it was tempting to ask for more details, something else piqued Claude's interest. Books and blastia? The latter word was unfamiliar to him, yet she'd used it as though he ought to know what it meant. Having been an offworlder himself, that wasn't so unusual. Quite frankly, he was surprised it didn't happen more often in Landel's. Some people might have felt put off by having to give explanations for basic things, but Claude was always interested to learn more about other civilizations. That was why it was hard to keep too many questions to himself.

"What's a blastia?" he asked with a curious expression. Claude realized it was possible she was wanting to make a purchase here, but hopefully she'd feel like answering him while she browsed.

[bodhiandspirit]

Rita continued to examine the magnifying glass as she spoke, turning it around in her fingers. "Basically, they're stones that contain magical energy. By applying formulas to them, we can harness that energy to power devices, set up barriers, or use magic." As the need to explain blastia to people foreign to her planet had come up multiple times over the past week, her explanation of it had grown more and more succinct. At first, it had been difficult to explain something that was supposed to be common knowledge, but she'd gotten used to it.

"I research blastia and magic technology," she went on to explain, glancing over at Claude. "Since we can't manufacture new blastia, most of our technological developments come in the forms of new formulas or devices to use with the existing blastia. That's what I specialize in." A thin layer of dust was preventing her from seeing a clear image when she held the glass over one of the spoons, and she used part of her scarf to wipe it clean before trying again. This time, she was able to clearly see the imprinted image enlarged.

[full_score]

So blastia were stones that needed special formulas to use. They sounded a bit different from heraldic crests, but, according to Rita's explanation, their purposes were about the same. Since they were stones, though, it sounded like they had to be found in nature. That would make them a limited resource, and if a civilization depended on them for long enough there would come a time when they'd deplete the supply, right?

Either way, that was apparently Rita's specialty. Despite her young age, she was an accomplished mage and scientist. In that sense, she was a little bit like Leon, Claude realized.

"Is that why you were interested in learning more about heraldry, then?" he asked. "Because you can't manufacture blastia?"

[bodhiandspirit]

"Partly. It's complicated," Rita began, looking now at the price tag on the magnifying glass. Fifteen dollars... That was more than she had. With a frown, she set it back on the table and began examining the others in hopes that one would be cheaper than that.

As she did, she elaborated on her answer. "It's not just that we can't make more. We recently discovered that blastia are harmful to the environment... and also that we won't be able to use them at all in the near future." An examination of the second magnifying glass revealed that it was twice as expensive as the first. She set it down, and a third was picked up.

"I've already developed an alternative form of magic, but the more options we have, the better." Perhaps she was boasting a little, but it was a discovery Rita took great pride in. If all went well, Rita's formulas could end up not only saving the world, but also defining the following eras. She had every right to be proud.

[full_score]

The story about how blastia would become obsolete soon reminded Claude of Auldrant's fonons. From what he understood, it would someday become impossible to power spells and devices unless someone developed another source of energy. That was why Guy had been interested in looking into heraldry, too, come to think of it. He wondered how many other planets were in a similar situation.

Either way, he couldn't mask his surprise when Rita mentioned that she'd actually found a suitable replacement for blastia.

"Wow!" Claude said, clearly impressed. "That's amazing." Not many people could do that on their own, but it sounded like Rita had. Still, trying to find other options didn't sound like a bad idea, either. Part of Claude knew that it was probably his responsibility to try to discourage people from taking foreign technology home with them. But when he considered Earth's own history with heraldry, and the fact that it'd be pretty impractical of him to try to censor hundreds of people, Claude figured it couldn't be helped.

"I guess this heraldry stuff must be a piece of cake for you, then," he remarked. "How's that coming along, by the way? You mentioned on the board that you'd made some progress."

[bodhiandspirit]

"You could say that," Rita replied with a self-assured grin. There was no point in acting humble and trying to deflect the compliments - Rita knew how amazing she was.

"I only had a chance to try it once. I was able to conjure an ice spell, but it failed after materializing. My guess at the moment is that a crease on the page distorted the crest just enough to cause the spell to fail. I'll get it right next time." If it was magic, then Rita was sure to succeed. It was actually sort of embarrassing that she endured any setback at all, especially over such a small detail, but she was confident that she'd be able to perfect the spell before long.

Unfortunately, Rita was now facing a new disappointment: after checking the prices on the remaining magnifying glasses, she found that none were less expensive than the first. On Terca Lumireis, a magic lens would cost less than a piece of fruit. Was this a difference between worlds, or were they simply gouging because the items were a little old? "Hmph. They sure set their prices high," she griped as she set the last one back on the table.

[full_score]

As incredible as Rita was, she had no modesty to speak of, Claude realized with an inward sigh. In that sense, she and Leon were definitely alike. Of course, even though Leon could have kind of a bratty attitude, he knew the boy well enough to understand there was more to him than that. He suspected it was the same for Rita, too.

"Yeah, sometimes those crests can be kind of tricky," Claude said. It was understandable that she wouldn't get it completely perfect on the first go, especially considering the circumstances. "But I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon."

When Rita expressed disappointment over the pricing, Claude took a closer look at one of the magnifying glasses. "Well, it is an antique store," he said after a moment. "I can't imagine them selling reading glasses for any cheaper than this, so it's probably to be expected." He gave a small frown. "It'd sure be nice if they had something you could use in battle here, though."

The shops on Expel and Energy Nede were much better equipped than the ones on Earth, but that wasn't so surprising, either.

[bodhiandspirit]

Tricky? Perhaps. The one that Rita tried was probably one of the simpler ones, too. It was possible that advanced spells would prove more challenging. It was difficult to say whether her diminished power would even allow her to cast them in the first place, though.

Claude's comments caused Rita to sigh, an irritated look crossing her face. "Things like this are usually dirt cheap where I'm from," she grumbled, looking them over once more. She spotted a curious object next to the magnifying glasses, which she soon identified as a magnifying lens without a frame. It was wide and rectangular, and a bit unwieldy, but it appeared to work. "I might have to settle for this." Careful not to get any fingerprints on it, she slipped it back into the small, clear plastic bag it came in, one with an affordable price sticker slapped onto it.

"I doubt they'd sell us any useful equipment, even if we could afford it. Research tools are about the only things I can find that are worth buying." Taking the lens in hand, she finally stepped away from the table to look at something else. "I heard that someone in the institute managed to get their hands on a stone with magical properties. I'm going to investigate it tonight." Which was precisely why a magnifying glass would be useful.

[full_score]

Claude wondered how magnifying glasses could exactly be dirt cheap, although he guessed the magical lenses on Expel and Nede were pretty inexpensive, come to think of it. There was no use in comparing wares on Earth to places like that, though. They were like apples and oranges, since Earth's needs were pretty different from planets like that.

He was pretty interested to know someone got their hands on something with magical properties, though. "A stone, huh," Claude said. "I wonder if they managed to find it back when people got flung to their home worlds for awhile." That was ultimately how he'd found a phase gun, after all. Of course, it was impossible to think of that without remembering the horrible circumstances involving his "sleep study" and Dad, though, and he promptly shoved that aside.

"Good luck in investigating it," he offered instead.

Pausing for a moment, he realized Leon hadn't really come up in their conversation yet. He was sure that if Rita had been borrowing the boy's notes, then they were staying in contact with one another. "By the way," he added, "have you spoken with Leon recently? He didn't answer my note to him yesterday."

[bodhiandspirit]

People flung back to their home worlds...? Rita's gaze sharpened at those words, and she turned her attention back to Claude. She'd heard similar rumors on the bulletin board, but this was the first time someone had mentioned it to her directly. Could it really be true, or was it all just an illusion...?

The topic quickly shifted to Leon, however, and Rita left her questions for later as she answered Claude's inquiry about the boy. There wasn't much to be said, though. "Not since the last time I talked to you. I left him a note too, but he didn't answer." Rita hadn't had much time to think about the implications of that, but she supposed it could mean that he had been released... or worse.

The possible loss of a friend was something Rita could sympathize with, as she was facing the possibility that all of hers would be dead before she could even return to Terca Lumireis, but unfortunately she wasn't any good at offering words of comfort. Instead, after an uncomfortable pause, she crossed her arms and added, "I still have his heraldry notes. If you want them, they're yours." Leon had said as much to her when she borrowed them, so it was only right to offer them to Claude.

[full_score]

That answer wasn't what he was hoping to hear. He could get Leon accidentally overlooking his note, but it wasn't like him to ignore something related to heraldry, especially considering how much pride he took in his expertise. Claude's heart sank, but he tried not to let it show too much. He barely knew Rita, so it wasn't right to dump his problems onto her.

But still...Leon. Was he all right? The thought of not knowing made Claude ache in the worst possible way.

Rita's question brought him back to the conversation at hand, though, and he swallowed hard. "O-oh, right, his notes..." Claude scratched the side of his head as he considered what to do. "Well, if you're not using them anymore, I wouldn't mind holding onto them."

Not that he distrusted Rita or anything, but he liked keeping things safe for his friends.