(Untitled)

[scabbersisgreat]

Er, to whoever it is living in the rooms near mine, I'm sorry about the...uh, commotion earlier today. I was looking around the stove and, well, I don't know a thing about these bloody muggle contraptions and something...er, exploded. Very sorry. So...if you heard a loud noise, well, yes, sorry.

[Private to Simon]Well, that was unpleasant, but it'

Comments

[clean_cuffs]

You speak as if magic and machinery cannot be reconciled.

[scabbersisgreat]

Why would they need to be?

[clean_cuffs]

Has it ever occurred to you, in your wildest dreams, that the two fit each other quite nicely?

[scabbersisgreat]

I haven't ever cared enough to think about it, much less dream about it.

[clean_cuffs]

Good lord, are all the magic users where you're from that backwards?

[scabbersisgreat]

First of all, I wouldn't call trying to use these sorts of devices when we've magic that does anything it can do and more, better backwards. And secondly, no, I've known of wizards fascinated with muggle technology, and presumably some muggle-borns kept in touch with their roots.

[clean_cuffs]

No, sir, I'm talking about taking apart the device and putting it back together with some magical properties added. You'd have quite the power at your fingertips if you did that.

Muggle, I assume, refers to those who do not use magic, correct? Well, magic users don't seem the only backwards lot around here. Took a look at some of the vehicle engines and none of them seemed even capable of getting off the ground. Still running off crude fossil fuels, in fact!

[scabbersisgreat]

Well, that's been done before. With radios and things. Nothing very powerful. I don't know what muggle technology could improve on magic.

Yes, and you're the first person able to figure it out. You had vehicles that flew? Without magic, I mean, not brooms or carpets or anything?

[clean_cuffs]

Radios? You're talking to me about radios when they're using digital machinery? Ye gods, the sheer capacity for information these things have!

Ah, well. I'm a clever man, and I've looked up a few of your past entries. And yes, Archadia had vehicles that flew. And good lord, who'd fly around on a broom? Pardon my crude language but I wouldn't ride a stick unless I wanted a permanent indent in my nadgers. And a carpet is about as aerodynamic as a lump of lead. No, no. We used machinery powered by magicite and sky stones. Air ships, hover bikes, floating fortresses. There are even floating landmasses. Much more comfortable, and very fast means of travel. Only thing quicker would be teleport stones.

[scabbersisgreat]

...Digital?

Ah. More snooping. Well, at least I didn't have to explain it all over again. And brooms have cushioning charms, obviously, and they're very rarely used for actual long-distance travel anymore. Generally they're just for Quidditch. If we want to get anywhere we use portkeys, which I'm assuming are like your teleport stones, or Apparation.

I'll have to agree about the carpets, just asking for trouble them. Never know where you're supposed to hang to the thing. And your air ships and hover bikes simply sound like more charmed vehicles, which have also been done. A floating fortress just sounds silly.

[clean_cuffs]

Digital, yes. Quite popular in Archadies, particularly Draklor Laboratories. Digital systems, such as this device, use discrete (discontinuous) values to represent information. In other words, real world information is converted into binary numeric form. These data signals carry an electronic or optical pulse. Everything is easily broken down into numbers. Sound, colour, etc. Now, convert magic to a numeric form and you can have something akin to absolute control over it. Make machinery compatible with it, and you have a universe of knowledge at your fingertips. And that's just one function I can think of. Much of this is still theoretical of course, but I wouldn't mind tinkering with some of these systems. In some respects, such as transport, this society is laughably backwards... in other respects, they've made some incredible advances

[scabbersisgreat]

...Uh-huh.

Portkeys like I said have the same purpose as your teleport stones, though they can be any object you wish, and Apparation is the same without needing to touch an object. Portkeys are generally used by underage wizards and to go to and from places where Apparation is not allowed. Quidditch is just a sport played on broomsticks.

Sounds like muggle technology then, I don't see what magic has to do with it, unless you think that the word "Magicite" makes it magic. I'm sure. All fortresses, lairs, headquarters, they tend to look the same, even if yours happens to be floating.

[clean_cuffs]

It's all very elementary when you think about it.

Hmm... don't know many who can do apparation. Those that can are rarely Hume. Or Baanga, Seeq, Viera or Moogle. Ye gods, you play sport on broomstick.

Magicite is a sort of stone infused with a magical elemental property. Fire, electricity, air, ice, water. You know. Magic. Such stones are often the source of power for any piece of machinery. They're also useful for amplifying the power of spellwork, or infusing objects with magical defense, elemental properties, or unique abilities.

[scabbersisgreat]

Right.

Well...all wizards and witches can do it, and we're all human. I don't know--wait, moogle? Little creatures that "synthesize" things? I've heard of those.

I didn't play, never had the talent time, but it's a good sport, fun to watch. Difficult to play, I understand. Unless you were just gifted, of course.

...That sounds like that rubbish muggles think of as magic, or some odd type of alchemy, not actual magic.

[clean_cuffs]

Moogle, yes. And they do more than synthesize things. They're famous for skill in magic as well as feats in engineering. Small, bipedal though they resemble hares or rabbits with large tufty coloured balls on their head. Are there any around here?

I imagine many a groin has been severely damaged in such a sport. Well, some are gifted at playing quidditch, some people juggle cockatrices

Hardly rubbish. I have a bit of magicite on me. Useful stuff. Can't seem to do anything with it at the moment though with my power gone...

Describe what you consider 'actual' magic.

[scabbersisgreat]

Hm. Sound like something from Care of Magical Creatures class. I haven't seen any, no, but others have mentioned them.

Well, yes, but not usually because of the brooms. Some of the bludgers can be rather vicious.

Hm. If you get your power back, I'd like to see what it can do.

You wave a wand, say the right words, magic happens. That is magic.