Text ♫ Combat Links PSA

[fiddlestick]

Hey guys!

So a lot of you know me from my enchanted food (still on sale by the way), but that's not only thing I can do. In my other life, I was part of a test program with some other military students for this technology (or magic-technology, I guess) called combat linking. Basically, it allows two people to sync up during battle and be aware of their partner's status and intent at all times during a fight.

Last April, that tech showed up in Retrospec. It's part of a free downloadable app called CLS. I've spent the past month doing test runs on it (thanks to everyone who helped!), and it seems to be pretty close to the real thing, though I did notice it gave a boost in power that my other self didn't seem to get. Which since this city and the other regions can get pretty dangerous sometimes, I think it could really be a useful tool to give people an edge in a fight.

That said, the tech isn't perfect. It only has a range of a 100 yards, and it won't work if your phone isn't on, or if you're not training or fighting for some reason. The link doesn't work so well if you don't know someone or don't get along with them. It can also be pretty distracting the first couple times you use it, since you're picking on someone else's emotions and stuff, so I really recommend practicing before doing it in a real fight. And I could've sworn that on the phone version (I have a different device from Retrospec), I picked up on a few stray thoughts like those partner links in February -- but maybe I was imagining it. But at least unlike February, you can turn these links off at anytime and choose your partner, thank goodness.

Anyway, I just wanted to bring it up since I think it could be useful for people, and John expressed interest in utilizing it in the coalition group. If you have any questions, I can try to answer them? I'll also be practicing with it this month if anyone wants to join me...once I find a good location that can handle magic spells being thrown around, anyway.

Thanks everyone!

[OOC: More info on combat links can be found here!]

Comments

[fiddlestick]

Big stadium...?

[When does Elliot ever notice something used for sports or physical activity]

What part don't you get? Maybe I didn't explain it well enough.

[nachetanya]

That strange one with the big platform over the pool of water? I'm not sure what it's for.

Boost in power...? So it's something that makes people stronger, or more physically capable?

[fiddlestick]

Oh, I haven't seen a place like that before!

Um just stronger I think? I noticed there was a boost in my magic power, and it felt like it easier to react to things quickly.

[nachetanya]

Things feel more like video games every day! 🤷

But okay! That makes more sense. So normally it would just allow you to read minds with the people you link to?

[fiddlestick]

Haha, can't deny that.

Oh, not exactly. I can't read someone's thoughts when we're linked- but I'll pick up on their emotions? And intents at that moment, like I'll know they're planning to jump up and down, even if I don't hear that thought specifically.

[nachetanya]

Okay!

I downloaded it back when I saw it, but I've not really done that yet!

[fiddlestick]

Really? Great!

We should practice sometime.

[nachetanya]

Working with this app? Doing what?

[fiddlestick]

Well...we could practice magic! We're both mages, after all.

[nachetanya]

Oh!

I'm actually a Saint. 😇

[fiddlestick]

[....]

Um...am I supposed to take that seriously with that emoji?

I mean, you're a really nice person, but... [Sainthood? NAH SON]

[nachetanya]

Saints are people who gain their magic because of the blessing of a particular god in that world. So I guess I'm blessed by a god of blades.

[fiddlestick]

Oh wow....
Haha, my magic's definitely not that special sounding.
Actually from what I understand, everything I can do is pretty common.

[nachetanya]

That must be a really exceptional world...

From what I understand, I think the Braves [ Which Elliot did hear in her babbling she was a fake but she's not public with that lalala ] might be some of the strongest people in the world, so I guess I'm really special.

[fiddlestick]

Eheh, you could say that.

[YEAH HE DID HEAR which okay, not going to throw his cousin under the bus]

Yeah. But that's not a surprise. You've always been special.

[nachetanya]

Flattering me!

Seriously though, I have been trying to work with it more... I guess working together wouldn't be bad.

[fiddlestick]

Hehe, it's still the truth!

Yeah! We could compare notes and tricks.

[nachetanya]

Your magic is more like spells, right? Saying or singing the thing to do... a thing?

PRIVATE

[fiddlestick]

[There's a pause, before he switches it to a direct message]

Sorry. I just feel a little uncomfortable at the idea of people reading about how my magic works.

And not..exactly?

It's more about mentally channeling energy and manipulating it to do what you want versus what it wants to do.

Though I have memories of someone using an incantation to hypnotize a couple guards, and they mentioned someone else using lullabys to do the same thing but more effectively. I get the feeling there were lots of different kinds of magic in that world.

PRIVATE

[nachetanya]

No, I suppose I should have DMed you first. Sorry!

But huh... 🤔 Honestly what I was getting at is that it seems like you can do a lot of different things, but I can only really do one thing, just in a lot of different ways. But if it's just energy, then maybe yours is the same?

PRIVATE

[fiddlestick]

No, it's okay! I don't mind.

[...]

I can do a lot of different things only because I'm tapping into different energy sources. I have these quartz that are full of magic energy. So if I have an earth-element quartz with me, I can draw on its energy to cast earth magic. That's why I can do so many different elements.

But if you took those away from me...I'd be able to do a lot less. I think there's actually a couple spells I can do without quartz helping me. Like the cooking enchantments and the healing songs ... so you might be onto something there, about it just being energy.

PRIVATE

[nachetanya]

[ Oh... she didn't know that at all. She hums a little and then taps on her phone before, ]

Do you use up those quartz when you use the spells, or is it more like there's energy inside of them and they recharge? Because that would be really bad if you only had so much of it.

Like I said, as far as I know my powers are a gift from a god, but I think it's intrinsic to my body too? It feels very natural to me, when I can calm down and focus on the blades.

PRIVATE

[fiddlestick]

Oh yeah, that would be bad. Luckily, they recharge over time. Apparently whatever they're made of, it's used as an energy source back in that world because they recharge.

That's incredible...I feel a little with my healing, but at the same time, it doesn't feel very refined either. Honestly, next to the other people doing magic in my memories, I feel pretty...amateurish.

PRIVATE

[nachetanya]

If that's the case then the people in your memories must be really amazing! You've shown a lot of incredible talents before now!

But wow . . . is that really a perpetual energy source?

PRIVATE

[fiddlestick]

Haha, yeah they are! Sometimes I wonder why they didn't pick them for this instead of me...

I think so. The device I use for my magic and links is powered by a big quartz. 8 months and it's still going strong, no external charging needed. It's pretty incredible when you think about it.