Joe chuckled and kept still, keeping the cups held safely while glancing at Kilniara with a bit of worry. He felt relieved when he saw that she seed as excited as Gwenvair, and simply vibrated in place in her seat. Joe let a small breath of relief free then turned his attention back to Gwenvair.
"I'm glad you are happy."
She simply leapt in place a few more tis hugging Joe before her mother cleared her throat. She imdiately froze, then walked back to her seat, all excitent gone, stiff embarrassnt in its place. Kilniara, however, felt no remorse and her giggles dropped into full laughter and Gwenvair's embarrassnt fell before her humor returned once again when she sat beside Kilniara and punched her on the shoulder. The laughter increased, as did the volu of punches, but Gwenvair's good mood returned and Joe allowed his own smile to grow, not wanting to embarrass Gwenvair.
After a bit, Joe moved the conversation along, "OK. Then, which one of these cups is the oxygen… the heavier atom we breathe?"
Gwenvair quickly nodded and confidently pointed to his right hand. Joe nodded, but left it in the water and pulled out the hydrogen one instead, keeping it upside down. How am I gonna show this… if we had a balloon, then I could show it floating up, but where am I going to get a balloon with… Gwenvair's gasp drew Joe's attention.
"What?"
"It … does not mix. It is staying in the cup! It doesn't fall out."
Joe blinked. Oooh… ok, easier than I thought! "You can see that?"
Gwenvair blinked at that and shrugged, "Not really see, but I can … feel the winds."
"Huh… OK, well. It is staying in the cup because it is the lightest elent of all, so it will float. Watch carefully and tell us where it goes when I pour it out."
Joe began to tilt it carefully and even as he began, Gwenvair gasped, staring in awe even as her eyes drifted to the ceiling. Joe smiled after he'd tilted the cup all the way around and set it carefully on the table.
"So. Where did it go?"
"Straight to the ceiling! It flew up so quickly."
"It's incredibly light."
Gwenvair stared at it a bit before looking at Joe, "Is that why I have not seen much of this air?"
Joe smiled, nodding, "This gas, if it is released, will fly all the way up and many tis escape into space… into the void between planet… planes. Only the largest of planes can hold hydrogen. So yes, that is why you have not likely seen much of this gas as most of it is," Joe pointed to the sky, "up there… way above the clouds even."
Gwenvair smiled, excited, "I can… tell."
Joe nodded then reached over and got a plate, sliding it into the water and covering the cup full of oxygen before turning it over.
"So, this particl… atom is actually heavier than air… well, uh… carbon dioxide… right… that has to be heavier… ok… Its heavier than most of the air, so, if I turn it over, it will simply sit in the cup. Please! PLEASE! Do not let any fla near it, or it will explode and shatter the Matriarch's wine glass. I would prefer not to lose her glass! If you are concerned for that, Matriarch, I can release the gas under the water and it will simply rise up from the water and mix with the air."
The Matriarch's brows actually pinched at that, concerned, but then she frowned and nodded, "For the way of my daughter, it is worth it."
Joe smiled, "Don't worry. I hope I will be able to replace this for you, if it is only the wine glass that is important to you. If it is sentintal, a family heirloom, we can transfer it… you know what, we can do that."
Joe flipped the wine glass back over, removed the plate and set it on the table before grabbing his normal cup wooden cup on the table and emptied it, drinking it quickly. He then put the cup into the water from the bottom, the water filling it imdiately. Man… that's just… why is gravity… gravity is only local… to the bubble of water itself? A separate gravity field? What is…
Joe shook his head clear and returned his thoughts to what was happening here. He swished his cup a bit then swapped heights, moving the wine glass down and the wooden cup up. Turning the wooden cup upside down, he held it over the top of the wine glass then slowly turned the wine glass over, making sure that the oxygen inside stread up into the wooden cup. He then carefully withdrew the wine cup and set it aside.
"There. We can make sure we don't do any harm to your wine cup."
She smiled, "I am grateful."
Joe smiled back with a nod and turned back to his wooden cup full of oxygen. He took the plate again, covered the cup, and then flipped the cup over carefully while lifting both out of the water as a set. Once out of the water, he slid the plate off and very carefully set the cup back down on the table. He then looked up at Gwenvair with a smile, noticing her eye's widen in shock as she stared.
"So, what is happening, Gwenvair?"
"It… it sits in the cup like water! It… But…sothing is… falling in, too… it streams out… like… it streams out!"
"It's heavier than the air around it… by just a tiny bit. If you shake it too much."
Joe shook it a bit, not too hard, but it still caused her to gasp as she bent her head closer, staring intently at the cup of oxygen. Joe frowned a bit and when she kept getting closer, he pressed a hand out and stopped her.
"You don't want to get too close! This can be very reactive, rember!"
She blinked and set back. The Matriarch looked up at Joe then grinned.
"May I?"
Joe cocked a head, "Uh… sure?"
She flicked a spark from her fingers at the cup of oxygen and Joe's eyes widened even as he quickly brought his hand up to his ears. The spark passed through the inside of the cup and hit the wooden interior on the other side, creating a small burnt spark which then suddenly erupted into fla. The thwump this ti was much more constrained, more of a fla thrower erupting from the cup than an explosion. Joe relaxed and sat back in his seat and shook his head.
"You guys need to be much more careful with your experints. These can … what you did could be deadly!"
Gwenvair, however, didn't notice, her eyes wide, dancing around the room as she looked at the 'winds.' Must be seeing a lot of new and different things, now. Joe smiled and looked to the Matriarch before smiling with a shrug.
"I hope that explains so things."
The Matriarch smiled, nodding her head but Gwenvair butted in, looking at Joe, "Is there no more?!"
Joe laughed, "There is so much more. This is … simple knowledge. There is so much more, but much of it is outside my grasp. It is not my expertise. This is just the basics."
"Then, more?" Gwenvair stared at him, hopeful longing on her face and Joe laughed, nodding.
"OK. So more, but I'll need to sleep soon."
That evening, Joe found himself deep in the natural sciences with an excited Gwenvair and avid Allanar and Matriarch. Kilniara, Zilnek, and Garnedell all seed as excited as well, although a bit more lost. Surprisingly, they seed to have excellent questions and a better grasp of natural reactions. That surprised Joe, considering the wealth Gwenvair had, but he focused on answering the questions as best he could and left his thoughts on this for a later ti. Around the table, dozens of staff listened as avidly, eye's following everything Joe was saying. It was a long but satisfying night. Joe found himself exhausted by the ti he was in bed, although he was still awake enough to practice all his skills he was currently practicing to rapidly increase their skill levels. He pushed himself for quite so ti, doing quite well at leveling them.
Despite that, he wasn't so exhausted that he fell asleep in the middle of it all. And so turned to his status but found nothing really new. He had no new titles, a surprise considering the fight with the giant, but let that go before looking at his status. And with that, rembered his outrageous gains. This… seems… wrong? He double checked everything to be certain and realized he was looking at his base stats, even if it seed to be way too much. He frowned, and spent the night trying to figure out how his stats had jumped so much but ended up falling asleep in the middle of the effort.
Status
Blessings
Current Job
Available Jobs
Current Skills
All Skills
Log
Joe McConnell
Status
Physical Resistances
Magical Resistances
HP
2065.95 (138)
Physical:
Wind
156.23
SP
2341.68 (283)
Piercing
219.52
Water
155.72
MP
1009.53 (100)
Crushing
251.35
Earth
148.99
Attack
1577.64 (181)
Slashing
211.24
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Fire
153.23
Defense
1607.66 (158)
Ice
155.46
Magic
1632.41 (100)
Gravity
148.99
Magic Defense
2226.83 (100)
Magnetic
148.99
Strength
1813.73 (148)
Light
148.99
Dexterity
2176.49 (112)
Shadow
121.10
Agility
1435.64 (133)
Space
459.90
Speed
1432.33 (115)
Spirit
250.94
Endurance
1570.81 (193)
ntal
244.73
IQ
2585.01 (132)
Sound
152.09
Wisdom
4541.74 (105)
Electricity
148.99
Will
3780.26
Learning
703811 - (10873)*
Luck
260.32
* (Author's Note: A change was asked for Learning - it now displays :: Learning_with_Multipliers - (Base_Learning). Both are ROUNDED for space reasons.
* * *
The Matriarch watched as the eccentric bid fair evening to them all and she sighed. He is … simply too free with the Dao. Or Gwenvair has found great favor. That… the Matriarch considered that, and quickly grew to believe it was the only option that really made sense. He wishes to gift Gwenvair and find favor with her… even as she has for him? He has offered so much to us. Gwenvair has truly touched him. She must remain by his side. The Matriarch frowned with her new thought. But the elf…
She turned to look at Gwenvair, "What happened to the elf?"
Gwenvair look up at her with a smile, "She asked for admittance."
She raised an eyebrow in surprise at that, "She did? I'm surprised she submitted herself to that."
Gwenvair smirked, "How could she not? She saw my… him take a city killer!"
The Matriarch nodded at that with a smile, then pursed her lips, "You did not disturb him during his fight?"
Gwenvair quickly shook her head, "Of course not. I would never disturb him in the middle of a fight. I sought his soul, not his thoughts. If I was uncertain of his decision, I would have awaited his thoughts, but… he had been quite plain of his opinion of her. It was pleasant to see his soul and thoughts aligned."
The Matriarch smiled, "Good. That was… wise of you. I am happy… and proud of you. You have done well."
Gwenvair's answering grin swelled her heart and she glanced around the room, finding too many clan mbers there, "Everyone. The evening seems to be done. Please return to your duties… and your hos."
"Yes, Matriarch," all the various crowd around them bowed and murmured back before turning to leave. She did take a mont to turn to Allanar before he left.
"You have learned… much. Keep it for the clan."
"Yes, Matriarch," Allanar bowed, but also giddy with his new found status. She smiled to see his excitent but allowed him to go as he was much too interested in exploring his Dao. Once the room was cleared, she looked over to see the two boys still there.
"Boys. Would you be willing to allow us the room?"
Garnedell quickly bowed appropriately, a deep but well executed clan bow that had the Matriarch raising an eyebrow with so surprise. Not… a simple background, then… hmm…
Zilnek stuttered, uncertain how to respond and duplicated Ganredell's bow poorly. She allowed him his failure, his relationship with the eccentric a powerful protection. The two boys turned and left after Garnedell offered an appropriate farewell while Zilnek stumbled like the obvious commoner he was. After they left, she relaxed, allowing herself to be free of her clan duties, smiling towards the two girls. Gwenvair's smile beca a genuine one, relaxing in her presence as well.
"I wanted to speak with you simply… Just as mother."
Kilniara grew formal while Gwenvair grew less and she quickly offered a calming gesture to Kilniara, "Please. Be at peace."
Kilniara didn't grow calr, but did seem to beco slightly more relaxed, nodding to the Matriarch.
She nodded back and turned to Gwenvair, "When did Joe reject Telnia?"
Gwenvair smiled, "I did a Hearing."
She balked, fear spiking up through, "You Heard?"
Gwenvair smiled, "His Soul is very strong."
She smiled to hear of Joe's strength, but focused on her fear, "You have bound to him?"
Gwenvair shook her head, "Not yet. I am no fool. But he has asked and I have trusted him."
She cald to hear that Gwenvair had not been so impulsive, but she had still initiated her change and if Joe rejected her, "I will have to ask him, then."
Gwenvair nodded, "Please. Thank you!"
She cald her worry, not wishing to agitate her. Gwenvair was young and as her mother, she had no desire to agitate Gwenvair overly much. She smiled brightly.
"I will do my best. But… it was a bit unwise."
Gwenvair's smile fell a bit, "You believe so?"
Gwenvair's mother sighed deeply, then smiled with a soft smirk "I… believe I would have likely done the sa if I were in your position. He has been rather clear although you should always be willing to speak pointedly with him."
Gwenvair grew serious at that and bowed her head, "Yes, mother."
"Then I will ask. Enjoy your evening. I have clan business."
"Good night, mother. Good luck in your clan business, Matriarch."
The Matriarch returned, bowing slightly to her heir before heading out, "A good evening to you, First in Line for Matriarch."
She stood, and left the two, heading back to the clan seat of power where her advisors were likely preparing to et her or were likely already there. Her mind, however, was upon her impetuous daughter, so concern swelling within her. But Joe… has promised. She… has bound herself to a great fate… or to sorrow!
Her mind cleared when she walked into the eting room, finding it over half full already and dozens speaking. She took a deep breath and headed to her seat, allowing the others to continue to speak as they were discussing the topic for the evening; a city killer in Coushar, the first of its kind at the Coushar. And obviously not of the tide. She settled in her seat and turned to the others, speaking. She did not even call the eting to order.
"Any news?"
The others settled at that, then rapidly restarted their own conversations when they realized she hadn't officially began the eting, allowing them their productivity and work. One of the advisors who'd not been in conversation turned to the Matriarch and explained.
"Nothing new, Matriarch. Only it is not of the tide."
"And its core?"
The Advisor of Crafts turned to the Matriarch with that, interrupting advisor's conversation to answer the Matriarch, "We are harvesting… quite cautiously, Matriarch."
She nodded, then smiled, "That seems wise."
The Advisor of Crafts grinned, opened her mouth to explain all that they had found, but quickly closed her mouth, nodding, "I will report on our findings after."
The Matriarch smiled, hiding her sigh. It will be a very long night.
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