Second post
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I just read Behind the Screens, so I've seen my roll. It inspired me to think of a few more things to say, but bear in mind that my suggestions from here on might be colored by out-of-character knowledge.
This isn't, though: my specific evidence for my faith being Alliance is limited to a myth wherein Eris is said to be playing poker with God (as a backdrop for their dialog), suggesting that they're friends. I can't find the story anywhere now.
This may be: I've already credited +20 for the range being "touch," but is the fact that the target must keep still enough that the holy symbol doesn't fall off his head worth anything? (As a referee I would be inclined to say "no," because the nature of the skill implies a willing target anyway, but you've disagreed with me before. Perhaps a very small sit-mod because it limits the actions of the target - but given that two percentage points make a difference in this case, I'm not an impartial judge of that anymore.
Your math is correct, you cannot botch. You're also correct that this is not an alliance world, and that I had assumed without prejudice that you adhered to an alliance faith. But let's address that point first, since if yours is actually a neutral faith (which I can easily see argued) that would change my numbers significantly. (The point is, if yours is an alliance faith and this is an anarch world, the very high roll behind the screens failed; but if you don't have a -10 against you for whatever reason, it succeeded. That, though, is not a good basis on which to decide that you're not an alliance faith.)
So let's put it in simplest terms: you see yourself as a devotee of Eris, whom you see as a friend of God, the Creator, because they were playing poker and conversing. The Book of Job portrays the devil (Satan, literally Accuser) conversing with God, who is showing off how good Job is, but the devil is pretty clearly Anarch. The cosmology assumes that God gave all the gods their positions and authorities, and He respects His own appointments and does not vent His wrath against those who are doing their appointed jobs no matter how they do them or what machinations they might have against Him. So the question is not whether Eris and God talk with each other, but whether Eris is of an opinion that God's way is at least probably right and God has the right to rule over what He made. If Eris is opposed to God's authority and is working against Him, that's anarch. If Eris is still on the fence, neither working for nor against God, that's neutral. Neutrality is not illusory, but it is considered a "temporary" condition, even if "temporary" is defined as lasting longer than all of mortal time in any universe.
So, what is Eris' position on this?
--M. J. Young
Well, I would think she is neutral. The Holy Chao shows the importance of balancing all aspects of existence, especially Order/Disorder, but also good/evil. Of course, the Holy Chao is also false and ridiculous as well as true, so....
Heh.
I disagree with Brock's argument, though not necessarily with his conclusion. Discordianism has, as far as I'm aware, absolutely nothing to say about good and evil. This is because, I get the impression, the issue is tacitly assumed to be common bloody sense. The three ways to behave are basically (1) misguided jerk, (2) ordinary person, (3) enlightened and awesome. As specific evidence against the "balance" thing, I can cite the POEE belief that although "society" has accepted order/chaos as the essential positive/negative, it would be better to place creative/destructive in that role, and strive for creative order and disorder rather than orderly creation and destruction. I'm not POEE myself, but that support of an imbalance of "creation" and "destruction" (which I don't think mean quite what they sound like they mean in this context) illustrates my point that Balance In All Things is not a central tenet of the faith.
More important to this determination is Eris's relationship with the Multiverser Creator God. Since He doesn't appear in the texts (or, particularly, in Real-Me's belief system), that's a difficult issue to untangle. Eris created the world, herself originating from Void (although the story featuring Void is somewhat . . . odd).
You know, I was thinking about all the stories of poker games with the Devil when I wrote that, but I was too tired to elaborate. You're correct that on its own, it doesn't prove anything relevant. The relevant question is: what is her political stance?
And put that way, the obvious answer to me is, "none." What on Earth does She care? If, as Multiverser myth claims, She will eventually come down on one side or the other, I am confident She will side with God (as She's a decent sort and the other side are generally a bunch of jerks), but that doesn't have much bearing on the here and now. Just like you don't have to be a Democrat to be a good guy, you really don't have to be Alliance to be groovy-awesome.
It's a little too bad. I like the Alliance. But the only way Eris is Alliance is if "I don't care, do as you please" counts as recognition of authority. (Which it might? I think that's what I was thinking when I said "Alliance" earlier; I wasn't actually basing that call on a poker game.)
Edit: If it matters, at character creation I was thinking Neutral, but I was also thinking I would wait and let it come up in play, because I was interested in your analysis and input.
Edit the second: POEE (pronounced "POEE") stands for Paratheo-Anameta-Mystickhood of Eris Esoteric, and has Mal-2 as its Episkipos (one of the authors of the Principia, now deceased.) I am my own Episkipos, heading the Furst Church of Ripley the Cat.
Enlightening, that. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea before I move on to the next thing I study.
hey, thanks, I learned something more about it today.
Of course, I knew she was neutral as a sort of 'gut feeling' and was trying to find SOMEthing with which to prove it, and that's what popped into the ol' noggin.
It seems to me that "I won't bother you if you don't bother me" is not a recognition of authority. It is still within the possibilities that Eris is alliance not because she recognizes that God has authority by right of creation, but because she recognizes that God is always right about everything and if you're going to do the right thing you're going to end up doing what God wanted anyway; but I tend to agree that this sounds more like a neutral affiliation than an alliance one (also too bad, because I like alliance and prefer to have my players play it). We'll put down neutral--
--which means that the spell worked. What did it do again? Oh, yes, induce pleasure--quite effectively on the first attempt. Alice says, "Oh, yes, much! What did you do?"
--M. J. Young
Grin. "Magic."
I put the wingnuts back in my pockets and put my symbol back on, then say, "I'd have thought the chanting in Sanskrit might have tipped you off. So, on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is how you felt five minutes ago and 10 is so good you pass out, where would you rate right now?"
Edit: Those seem like the logical endpoints, seeing as she says she feels better and she's still conscious. I assume she'll assume I mean a linear scale.
She smiles impishly and says, "Oh--at least a two." She then bats you playfully with a pillow, giggling.
--M. J. Young
Impish, hm?
"Yeah, well, obviously," rolling my eyes and hamming up my exasperation. My smile probably makes it less convincing. If I have access to a second pillow (or can grab hers away) I'll toss it at her.
"I was trying to get a handle on how effective this is, 'cause I've never tried it before - " looking away with studied indifference - "but if you don't want to help, I can just go do it to Iggy and ask him."
I deliberately ignore the patent absurdity of asking my iguana to rate something on a decimal scale.
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(I had planned on quickly moving this into a discussion of how much I could get away with charging for this given a psuedo-scientific cover story, but if she wants to play around, I'm happy with that, too. After all, my primary goal with this is not actually to make money. The goal - and the reason I think Eris is doing this for me - is to help folks loosen up a little. Spread a little sunshine. Irritable people are not playful people, and the more playful the populace, the better. The money thing is my way of integrating my mission with the system; I dunno how many people would trust a free massage.
Although that might be worth thinking about. Hm.)
Second post
If at any point it appears that she's looking to start a pillow fight, bring it on; I will abort whatever posted actions are necessary. I am an accomplished pillowfighter.
Since she threw the pillow, and you saw it coming, you managed to duck--but not to catch the pillow. She's laughing and scrambling for the other, as the one she threw is bouncing on the floor behind you.
It seems appropriate for me to ask what skills you think ought to be listed in connection with this pillow fight. Are you 2@5 with a T3@1 strike with soft weapon skill?
--M. J. Young
Hm. Perhaps not quite that high, but I could see professional level in this.
On one memorable occasion at NCTC (North Carolina Theater Contest), a pillow fight started up in the hotel room between me and my three roommates. It was a free for all, but very quickly two of my compatriots were forced to drop out, unable to keep up with me and my remaining opponent (who was obviously experienced, and in better shape than I). The drop-outs eventually put themselves in the position of referees, forcing us to break the fight up into rounds out of concern for our health. I eventually forced a draw. I don't remember exactly how long the fight lasted, but the next day - and this is the only time I can remember this happening before or since - my heart was sore.
I have no more anecdotes (and I'm not sure of the relevance of that one), but far more of my relevant memories are of victory than defeat.
I would also point out that there is at least as much defensive skill as offensive; perhaps a kind of Advanced Parry, which sacrifices attacks in the usual way to block such blows as a pillow is capable?
I sort of figured that the parry/blocking was part of it, but that's true for all martial weapons, really, and the more so if there is no shield involved.
The battle rages, with lots of laughing, battering, rolling and leaping. At one point a blanket from the bed comes at you like a net, and you brush it aside only to be slapped by a pillow from the opposite direction.
It probably is less than a minute before it all comes to an abrupt halt, and you find that she has yanked you down onto the bed nearly atop her, panting. She blushes.
"I'm--I'm sorry. I just never met anyone like you."
--M. J. Young
"Well, I am one-of-a-kind." I shift a bit to get more comfortable on top of her, also catching my breath.
Still smiling, "So, have you just now realized I'm awesome, or do you only say these things when I've zapped you with my powers?"
(I suppose a feel-good spell is less insidious than mind control, but I still feel like I might have compromised her decision-making. I'm open to being convinced otherwise, but right now the evidence doesn't look too good.)
"Um--well, I knew you were someone unusual when we met in the diner; and I knew you were someone special pretty soon after that. But really, anyone who can make a girl feel that good with only his fingers when fully clothed is much more than pretty special."
--M. J. Young
"Heh! Well, it wasn't really me doing it, so I can't take all the credit. What I mean is, this wasn't like my usual magic - 'communicate with the beyond,' 'channel the energy,' yadda yadda - this was more of, what would you call it, asking a favor. My other magic deals with going outside the rules, cheating the universe; very do-it-yourself stuff. This time, I wanted something to happen, and I though Eris might want to do it for me, so I kind of . . . asked Her to. It was a funny way of asking, but I had to get her attention somehow. She's a busy girl."
If that doesn't provoke at least one question, I will be somewhat surprised.
"So, it wasn't really you who made me feel that good, but some mythical supergirl in another dimension?
"Not that it makes that much difference, really, because if she did it at your request, it only proves that you've got more influence with the ladies than any man I've known--and it's difficult to be jealous of a girl who has no body and is willing to help a guy give pleasure to another girl, even if I've never really thought about a threesome before."
She blushes again.
"I mean, I've never--well, I've never been married or anything, and that's really how these things are done around here, if you know what I mean. The police don't like things they can't regulate."
--M. J. Young
I'm tempted to quibble with the theology, but really, she's so close to "close enough" that I'll chuckle and let it slide.
"I mean, I've never--well, I've never been married or anything, and that's really how these things are done around here, if you know what I mean. The police don't like things they can't regulate."
"I do know what you mean. I've never been married, either, but nineteen was considered a little young to be married where I came from. But seriously, they regulate that here? How is that kind of thing even enforced?"
"What do you mean, how is it enforced? It's against the law to, um, to live as husband and wife, if you don't have a license to have children. If they have reason to suspect that you're doing that, they can read your mind to find out. I think there's like a three year sentence for violations, and there's a three year statute of limitations, I think they call it, that if you did it three years ago but not since they can't convict you. Obviously if an unmarried girl is, well, they call it caught in the very act, they know that she's guilty, and they read her mind to find out who the guilty guy is and go after him. So people who are doing that are really careful, but they still get caught. You can't trust motels, and you can't be sure that your home isn't being watched. Actually, they might be watching us already. I'm not that much older than you, and it might be enough that someone would think you're my younger brother or a boarder I've taken in or something, it's not impossible that we could be--well, you know."
The entire subject seems to embarrass her.
"Unless we got married, of course. Get a license and all that. Then they wouldn't care what we did, as long as it was just, like, with each other." She rushes into the next. "Not that I'm saying, I don't want to look like I'm pushy or something. I think it's terrible when a girl throws herself at a guy. Although my mom says that's why I'm not married yet." This last is followed by a somewhat sardonic smile, and then a sigh.
--M. J. Young
"And I suppose any protections against mind-reading are 'obstruction of justice,' right?"
That sapped the fun right out of the evening . . .
"Well, I practically am a boarder you've taken in, aren't I? As for getting married - well first off I think the whole system you have here is horrible, makes me wonder what the divorce rate is - but, I don't think I'll be getting a license to do anything any time soon. I'm not a real person, remember?
"I was never born, I'm not a citizen of anywhere, I've never gotten a license to drive or do anything else - hell, I don't even have any dental records. Why do you think I'm working for cash under the table at a no-name bar by the docks? The night shift, no less. Everything I do has to be under the radar, and until I rig up a document-supported identity or your entire system of law enforcement changes, it's going to have to stay that way."
"Protections against mind reading?" she says, wide-eyed. "You can do that?"
She accepts your comments about having to stay under the radar. After all, it suggests that you might marry her if you could, but at the moment it's just too dangerous.
--M. J. Young
"Protections against mind reading?" she says, wide-eyed. "You can do that?"
"Anything's possible, right? I don't have any training at it, like the police probably do, but I'm a fair hand at inventing the techniques I really need. Thought-to-thought stuff is the simplest kind of psionic skill, anyway. Problem is, I know it's possible to detect psionic activity psionically - I've done something similar, but more complicated, myself - so I can't be sure that any experimentation I do won't be picked up on a routine scan.
"If I could be sure it wouldn't be detected, though . . . I tell you what, I would be training like mad. I'd spend a few years turning my mind into an iron-clad fortress, and then I'd start in on the fun stuff. I've been working on some magic spells to shield my activities from discovery, but like I've said, I don't think magic's very dependable here. Maybe a psionic shield that wouldn't look like a shield to the detector's eye . . ."
If Alice doesn't have anything in response to this, I'll probably remember why I came here in the first place and bring the conversation back around to the original (pre-pillowfight) 'point', but I imagine she'll weigh in with something.
What she asks is, "Can you teach me that? I mean, if we can hide our thoughts from the police, we're a lot safer, no matter what we did. They say you can't learn that if you're not a latent psychic, but I wonder if they really know that. I mean, simply telling people we can't learn it might be enough to keep most people from even trying, and I don't think anyone's ever heard of being able to hide your thoughts from the police."
--M. J. Young
"Huh. Well, that's either a lie, or it's just coincidence that I and everyone I met in Columbus could do it once we were taught. Or maybe it's true here . . . or maybe it's just that some people learn more easily than others. That's true of everything.
"The only way to find out's to try it, right? I already said I haven't worked out a psychic defense yet, but I wouldn't want to start with that anyway; do you speak a foreign language? Any Spanish, say?"
I want to start her off with mind-reading, as I was, but I don't want to start with reading minds; that leaves the language-center tap as the best candidate. If she doesn't speak any Spanish, I'll open up with my 1@3 Deflect Notice M5@1*, check it with my 1@2 Detect Active Magical Power P3@10, and (regardless of either's success) proceed to teach Alice Read Language Center P1@1 to the best of my ability - that is, employing my 1@1 Teaching P0@1 and my 1@2 example (imparted by use of my 1@1 Project Psionic Skill Pattern P1@2).
If she does speak Spanish already, I'll think of something else. If she's unwilling to learn things my way - insistent on learning a defense first, for instance - I'll deal with that according to the particulars of her objection. The idea is that once she has the pattern, I'll recite the words from one of my incantations (the Deflect Notice again, say) and she, tapping my language centers, will be able to follow the meanings.
Edit: Going through the mechanics thread to update my records, I rediscovered the Enhanced Ritual version of that Deflect Notice skill. If my detection comes up empty, I will attempt the Enhanced Ritual before moving on to the lesson (but I will not reattempt the detection).
She does not know any Spanish, so that will work. You cast the simpler detect notice skill, and then attempt to detect the active magical power and very certainly detect nothing there. You attempt the more complicated ritual, but again even more clearly determine that it did not work.
You fail to transfer the pattern to her, but still describe in clear detail how it is done. Nervously she closes her eyes and then says--in Spanish--va.
It appears to have worked. She's startled by it, and starts jumping up and down, squealing excitedly.
--M. J. Young
"H-hey, now, don't get too excited. This is great, and all, you made a huge breakthrough, but there're people living underneath us, y'know?"
I'm nervous, now, and not nearly so excited as she is. I'm immensely pleased at her success and the things that it implies about the nature of reality and possibility here, but I'm also just now realizing that this is a path I wasn't at all prepared to walk down - at least not yet. She's going to want to learn more, right away, and I'm going to want at least a day or two to think before I do anything rash. Anything else rash.
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Hope to post again, may not before you open the threads.
Indeed she does want to know what else she can or should learn, and when you're going to teach her to protect her mind from the mind reading abilities of the psi police.
But I'll let you post again....
--M. J. Young
"All right, very well done, I'm proud of you, that was an excellent proof of concept, however. There are two good reasons that I'm not going to teach you anything else today, and probably not tomorrow, either. First and most important: the last time I saw I bunch of neophytes getting taught brand-new psionic abilities willy-nilly, the city of Columbus exploded. I mean that literally; concussive force radiating outward killing everyone. Second: even if were to teach you everything I know right now, I don't actually have any method for preventing someone from reading my mind - or, y'know, controlling it, which I'm certain is possible. I'll need to come up with something, and I'll want to be sure it's reliable and safe before I pass it on to you. Probably I'll come up with several somethings, and once I know which is best I'll start you off with that one.
"In the meantime . . . this is a major change to my game plan. I'll need time to restrategize. You know, think about my approach to . . . living in this world. Changing it. Like that."
Smile:
"Not that I blame you for being excited or for wanting to steam on, full speed ahead. That ritual is meant for fairly long-term use, so you should be feeling effects for at least a day or two. You're my first little test subject, so be sure to let me know how that goes, all right?"
She agrees.
With that, things will return to business as usual over the next few days, as you return to work. Do you have other irons in the fire I should have remembered?
--M. J. Young
For reference, that was Tuesday, September 4th, the day after my most recent excursion to Round Valley State Park.
Do you have other irons in the fire I should have remembered?
No, but I have several I'm about to put in. In order of term (short- to long-):
* Discuss with Alice potential business plans for leveraging Eris's apparent willingness to grant feel-good blessings into positive cash-flow; consider her input as I devise such a plan; implement the plan in hopes of eventually replacing my current night-labor dependent income
* Devise an array of mental defenses, psionic wards, and misdetections capable of keeping me safe and appropriate (to some limited degree) for passing on to Alice. Easier to accomplish if I'm no longer working 42-hour weeks.
* Continue to guide Alice's (pre-)magical education. Reliable magical shielding from detection would help with almost everything, but I think it's a long way off - especially with her interest in psionics presenting competition.
Actually, I suppose that last counts as in the fire, but I don't recall the latest development on that front.
I believe that you were having an extended discussion with Alice about faith and magic, about believing the myths, as it were. I think you had reached the place where she was accepting the notion that there were gods and there was thus supernatural energy. (I'd say your holy backrub was also rather persuasive in that regard.)
I think, then, that we should be looking at how you expect to market your new-found talent for making people feel good.
--M. J. Young
I'll wait until I have more data on the pleasure/comfort effect before moving into marketing, actually (taken via self-report from the subject, naturally). Beyond monitoring Alice until we're sure she's no longer, er, "under the influence," the only move I'll make on this front is an idle inquiry (directed at Alice) as to where and how people get pamphlets and playbills and the like printed up. Possible agents of such activity: local bands of musicians (not likely), social groups attempting to recruit members (book clubs? bowling leagues?), people with lost pets. Also, do I see any such things posted while I'm out of doors, or are the lampposts and other public spaces bereft of fliers and posters?
On Wednesday, I make a list (from memory) of psionic defenses:
* Mind Blank
* Tower of Iron Will
* Intellect Fortress
* Thought Shield
* Mental Barrier
That last added after a long moment of thought. Buggered if I can remember the difference between Mental Barrier and Intellect Fortress. I think Intellect Fortress was stronger, in general, but there were nuances I just can't recall.
I do remember, though, that of all them only Mind Blank could be maintained indefinitely and without cost, and I seem to remember it provided some measure of concealment against telepathic detection. It's the defense every psionicist starts with for free, so it should be relatively simple*, and it's exactly what I want. When I'm rested, refreshed, and ready on Thursday afternoon, I will shut myself up in Alice's bedroom and attempt to develop this.
This will be a state of mind perhaps difficult to slip into, but indefinitely sustainable once achieved, wherein the surface mind vanishes entirely, its functions and activities entirely subsumed by the deep mind. While in this state, for the purposes of any attempt to detect, send, manipulate, or interpret thought or consciousness (and perhaps intelligence), I would not exist; the surface mind on which these effects depend would be as emptiness, unaffected and unaffecting. To those powers which access or target deep structure - Probe comes to mind, as does Psychic Crush - I would remain vulnerable (perhaps even be more vulnerable, due to the shifting of surface mind functionality into these areas), but insofar as these efforts required my mind to be located or targeted, I might be afforded some measure of protection via "concealment," as it were.
Even if I don't get anywhere after a couple of hours, I still go to the local park for my routine as usual, and I want to talk with Alice about magic for a bit between dinner and work.
All skill design notes composed without reference to rules materials. Additional clarification about my version of Mind Blank, mechanical or otherwise, available upon request.
Oh, and I seem to recall the Mystic Massage skill check was a successful 98, so at RS/20 days, we're looking at Sunday night before the effect wears off (barring the unforeseen), and my skill learning attempt and conversation rest unresolved on Thursday evening, so I expect my data will consist mainly of "yup, still going" until after next post.
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* Pretending that AD&D rules supplements have pan-universal validity comforts me.
You succeed in clearing your mind in a way that seems to provide the kind of protection you seek.
Because of the nature of the skill, it is "required" that your character activate it when he awakens (it will not function while he sleeps, at least in its current form), but it will be rolled in response to need. If someone attempts to read your mind, detect psionics in use within it, or attack the upper layers, any successful roll will give absolute protection; for deeper skills, it will make targeting more difficult, giving a penalty against success.
Alice is available at dinner time.
--M. J. Young
Beautiful. Absolutely stunning. If my mind is still Blank just before I fall asleep at dawn, I will consider this a success. Experiments on additional defenses can wait until I'm sure this one is as reliable as I intend.
I hope to diplomatically steer Alice's interest away from psionic instruction for the time being and back toward exploration of magical mysteries. But I let this post sit for several hours, and now I don't want to write that conversation yet, so I'll leave that for next post and do this instead:
In the dual interests of sharing the wealth and sating my whimsical curiosity, I will endeavor to get Iggy to sit still - well, still enough - for two minutes with my holy symbol on his head while I try out my Mystic Massage on his august person. If I succeed in finishing the attempt, I'll do my best to discern whether or not it had any effect.
It'll be fun, anyway, whatever happens.
I see no reason why the spell would not work on an iguana. I am mostly wondering how you get said iguana to stay still while you place a ring of wingnuts on its head and gently poke it all over its body. I can imagine that it might happen to happen that way, but before I see how it happens to happen I thought I'd let you suggest any ideas you have on how to make that happening more probable.
--M. J. Young
Maybe try when he's asleep. That could work if I was careful.
Don't think that's likely, though, so I'll just ask him to sit still and be patient for a minute, and to trust me. That will be with Project Thought, of course, so . . .
wait, why isn't Project Thought on my sheet? I could swear I've used it on Iggy before, and maybe on Mr. Tea before that. The Behind the Screens thread is little help:
Apparently my being derailed caused me to overlook Scott's attempt to contact Iggy. The roll is a successful 16. He's also got a 20 GE on bringing an iguana into the diner.
-dig dig dig-
Ah, nevermind, I have 1@3 Telepathy to Animals (learned it in Columbus), which never made it onto my copy of the sheet either. I'll have to look into Project Thought later, though. Back to the post . . .
. . . I mean, that'll be Telepathy to Animals, of course, so of course I'll use my Deflect Notice (the Enhance Ritual version with the wingnuts and the singing) beforehand to guard against psi-K9 units catching a whiff of telepathy. (I will not bother with detection to see if it worked; either it worked or it didn't, and so the detection is either a waste of time or an ironic error in judgment.)
To be clear:
* Deflect Notice (Enhanced Ritual): intended to mask my activities in preparation for and execution of this experiment with Iggy
* Telepathy to Animals: let Iggy know that I'll be putting something on his head and ask him to stay still for a bit (reason: trust me)
If he cooperates, move on to the Induce Pleasure/Comfort; if he's skeptical or restless, assure him that it won't hurt him and suggest that he "try sitting still until I say so, just to see what happens," and use Great Scott to convince him that's a good idea.
If he still doesn't want to, I won't force it. There's always later.
I do have 1@2 Project Thought P1@2 listed on my copy of your sheet, between 1@3 Visual Tap P1@1 and 1@1 Project Psionic Skill Pattern P1@2. I would note that because Iggy has an animal mind, it is easier to contact him with Telepathy to animals (quite apart from the 1@3 SAL) because project thought would take the animal minds penalty and telepathy to animals would not.
You cast the protection shield comfortably, but fail to connect with Iggy using Animal Telepathy. What then?
--M. J. Young
Try the project thought instead, and if that fails, just hope he cooperates (and if he doesn't, as I said before, don't force it). I have a little experience with cat wrangling, but nothing that I'd suppose would be recorded as a skill.
Iggy seems to hear and understand your thought communications.
He also seems to become remarkably relaxed and happy when you complete your casting.
--M. J. Young
Brilliant. That means I've hit on something at least apparently replicable, like the Turkey Curse*, rather than a one-time whim of the Goddess. My plan isn't ruined yet, and that's almost always good news.
I always post too much when I come back after more than a couple weeks, and I think this bit got lost in the chaos (even I forgot):
I'll wait until I have more data on the pleasure/comfort effect before moving into marketing, actually (taken via self-report from the subject, naturally). Beyond monitoring Alice until we're sure she's no longer, er, "under the influence," the only move I'll make on this front is an idle inquiry (directed at Alice) as to where and how people get pamphlets and playbills and the like printed up. Possible agents of such activity: local bands of musicians (not likely), social groups attempting to recruit members (book clubs? bowling leagues?), people with lost pets. Also, do I see any such things posted while I'm out of doors, or are the lampposts and other public spaces bereft of fliers and posters?
I've got some ideas brewing about finding Alice a fetish, to help with her magical debut, but I think I'll let them for the time being.
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*You are not expected to know what this is.