mylittlejamjar | First Burn [Visual]

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First Burn [Visual]

[A new face looks down on the scroll, eyes screwed in a look of complete and utter disbelief at the situation he has found himself in. A dark-red unicorn, just... staring for a long moment before he scoffs and starts to speak with a flip of his blond, braided mane.]

...I'm sorry, I can't -- you actually expect me to believe --

[He gestures vaguely to himself with a hoof.]

That this is a thing that's happening right now? Haha. No thank you. If I knew that helping a Pandaren with his house chores would lead to... to... hallucinations or something... Am I in the Emerald Dream? Did I get hit with some magical incense or something? Because I would've liked some kind of warning if that was going to happen.

[Yeah, he's rambling now. But really, where else can a pony vent when he's just been thrown in a situation like this? After a long sigh, he shakes his head and turns back to the scroll.]

Okay. Sorry 'bout that. So just in case this isn't the product of me making one too many healing potions, the name's Artuan. Bracher. I... was a mage.

By the way... Anyone else from Azeroth sharin' this fever dream I'm having? If so... uh. Find me, I suppose. We can reminisce about the good ol' days when Deathwing was destroying Stormwind and everypony -- ["Everypony"? He pauses for a moment to consider the sudden and automatic change in lingo with a bewildered expression before continuing.] Was freezing up in Northrend. Or something.

...How do you end these th--

[And the message ends abruptly. Looks like he found out.]

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[A short while after a violet unicorn answers.]

Just because you are now a unicorn does not mean you are no longer a mage. It merely takes time to adapt casting methods from hands or whatever focus you use to a horn.

But to address your concerns, this is no hallucination, strange as it may seem. You are not the only one to be forcibly changed into some animal and transported here.

Oh -- so that's what the horn's for.

[He's mildly taken aback by the sight of another talking pony, but he manages to keep his expression fairly neutral-looking, especially since he's being offered actual information of some kind.]

I kind of got that. But... of all the things I've seen, this might actually be the weirdest. And I've sat next to giant wolf-men in taverns.

If werewolves classify as 'weird' in your terms of scale, then you are in for quite a surprise. Do try not to lose your head.

Wonderful. I'll try not to.

Good. I am unsure if Equestria handles mental health care.

Now, in regards to you being a 'mage'... What sort? I admit, I am curious as to how magic is practiced in other worlds.

If it does, it's still probably better than any system we've got back home.

Ah... well, short story is, there are three basic branches: arcane, frost, and fire. You can study two of the three if you want, which is what I did. I went with the first two.

[There's a beat as she writes that information down offscreen.]

That is quite a degree of specialization. Almost cripplingly so, unless each covers a broader spectrum than I usually see. I practice mainly a seven-elemental system, myself: Sun, Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth.

Makes it easier to teach us all the basics in magic academies. We learn different ways to channel the three, but that's practically it.

...Arcane can get a bit on the time-travel side, though.

[Artuan tilts his head to the side and hums.] Hm. Sun and Moon -- that's kind of what druids do, from what I understand. Shamans handle the Earth side of things, along with others. Noooot sure about Wood and Metal, though... unless that's a goblin or gnome thing.

Split among various disciplines... I see. Very good for specialization, but doing it in such a manner limits the ability to explore the relationships between each element, which may create some disparity in-

[...Yeah, she's talking to herself while writing. Give her a moment, or yell at her. Whatever works.]

[Oh, he doesn't mind. He remembers studying a good majority of this at some point himself.

Artuan busies himself with experimentally poking at the ground with his hoof while she takes notes.]

[This goes on for a few seconds before she addresses him again.]

Do you use a focus of any sort? Staves, hands, books, that sort of thing? Or are you one of those silly mages that wiggle around a wand?

Mostly, it's a thing you do through your hands, but staves help, too. Even swords or daggers, if you're good. [He can't help but smile at the mention of wands.] Wands... used to be a major part of things. Technically, there are probably a few left who still use 'em. Me, not so much.

Versatile. That's good. Nothing would be more insulting than somepony calling themselves a mage to be reliant on something like a wand.

[She could give an entire school's worth of examples, but she refrains.]

In our defense, they were pretty good for throwing out a little damage when magic was out of the question. 'Course, that doesn't mean they still didn't look stupid as hell.

[And now for unnecessary commentary.]

The denial is always my favorite part.

I'm told I have a gift for it.

Useful gift, your parents must be proud.

[Shut your face, Arcee, what do you even know about parents.]

Yeah sure, they're lookin' down on me from whatever afterlife we might have and wiping tears from their eyes.

D'you have any actual advice or information or something?

Well gee, since you asked like that, lemme go grab my newbie guide.

[~~Oh wait that's a work in process.~~]

[Artuan just sighs.]

Nice to meet you, Snark Brigade.

Ok but see, if it were a dream you'd keep having random skips in time...unless you had quantum time leaps.

The difference between quantum time leaps and dream time leaps is quantum ones have a radiation with a distinct metal smell.

[Bringing knowledge one misinformation at a time.]

I take it you've never met the Bronze Dragonflight. They skip through time all the time.

[Hello, dragon that gets a very wary stare.]

Don't let the dragon body fool you, I've never met an actual dragon. Especially bronze ones.

Really? Ah, that's a shame. When they're not trying to eat you or destroy the entire world, they can be pretty reasonable.

That applies to a lot of Cybertronians, actually.

Anyway, I assume you palled around with a lot of dragons.

Only a few. Usually never on the good end of the relationship with them.

Uh... what's a Cybertronian?

Hey, it could be worse!

You could only be able to talk in neighs and whinnies.

...

You make a good point.

I do, sometimes!

Right... So, what's your story?

Oh, I'm pretty much trapped here, same as you. But otherwise, I'm a normal high school student with idol aspirations.

I feel like that's going to be a lot of peoples' stories.

High school, huh? [He has no idea what the "high" part is supposed to mean, but he knows what school is like all too well.] 'Least you don't have to worry about that here. Unless you do, then... well, Light be with you.

I'd learn to sit back and relax friend, this fever dream ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon.

Welcome to Equestria, land of the brightly colored talking pony's, cat's and any other animal you can think of pretty much. And don't worry about the speech impediment, you either get used to it or go mad trying to work around it.

[He's as helpful as he is unhelpful.]

That's probably one of the straightest answers I've gotten so far, thanks.

[Artuan shakes his head.]

That explains the cat that was sassing me earlier.

I try.

[Crmsn blinks at the mention of a cat...then laughs.]

You must have met Arcee, yeah, she's full of sass, but she's more bark than bi- [wait...] actually no she's equal parts vim and vinegar. She just takes a bit of warming up to usually.

The name's Crmsn by the way, like the color sans the vowels. What's your handle?

Arcee, huh? I know a few people like that.

Crmsn. [He mostly says it to get a feel for the name.] Artuan. Well met.

[And here we have a pony with teeth that are far sharper than any pony's teeth really have any right being.]

Iz no fever dream. But hyu can mebbe be forgiven for thinkink dot. Iz a verra strange sort uv place.

[It takes Artuan a moment to understand what she's saying, but he's met Draenei with thicker accents before.]

All due respect, that sounds like an understatement to me.

Iz sometimes easier dot vay.

...Yeah, I guess so. 'Specially for the ignorant new folks like me.

Or for de vuns who izn't so used to changes like haff happened here.

Again, like me. Not to sound self-centered or anything, pardon me if it sounds that way.

Iz okay. Hyu izn't any vurse den most pipple vhen dey first arrive.

Any chance I could get a name to go with the face? Just for future reference?

Ho! Vhere iz my manners. Hy iz Mamma Gkika.

Don't worry about it. Gkika.

[He sounds it out more for his own benefit until he gets it right, butchering the pronunciation the first time.]

Artuan.

Iz goot to meet hyu.

You as well. I suppose I should go off and get myself situated here -- thank you for the chat.

It vuz nottink, really.

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First Burn [Visual]

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