Not Again | Catch All for Ash

[applechemist]

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[voidbreaker]

...

[ excuse me ] Seriously? What happened? [ like there’s. there’s a ton of water all over zemuria he can’t relate ]

I’m not gonna pry. The basics are the same, yeah? People die, even if you don’t want them to.

[applechemist]

Researching that is part of my job. We think that a lot of it was caused by alchemists in the past, but all we have to go off of is the ruins they left behind.

[ She lets out a small sigh of relief. She doesn't need to recount sex boat adventures, honestly. ]

[voidbreaker]

[ the greatest tale never told.... escha’s vibe check.... ]

Huh. So, they did something that fucked with the future, but didn’t leave a record of it?

[applechemist]

[ listen,,,, ]

I think they only wanted to help. Like... Making tools to invigorate the land for farming. At first it seems like a huge blessing, but if you keep pushing the soil like that and never give it time to recover... Eventually it won't yield crops ever again.

Well - that's just an example from a picture book, but... [ she's pretty sure it still holds true. ]

[voidbreaker]

[ sad... ]

... Well, yeah. If you overwork anything it gets run down. That's ... basic anything 101.

[applechemist]

Right. But alchemy was seen as a solution to that problem to begin with.

[voidbreaker]

[ well. ]

That's a concept that aged poorly.

[applechemist]

... M-maybe.

But we just need to be careful and keep moderation in mind.

[voidbreaker]

And maybe reverse the damage, if that's doable.

[applechemist]

I'd like it if we could find a way.

[voidbreaker]

[ what ash stops himself from saying: and i’d like a pony.

what ash actually says: ]

Maybe if you let nature take a little break it’ll rebuild itself.

[applechemist]

No, that's definitely not the case.

[ alchemists are still relatively rare, despite the technology in Central. the land has had a lot of time to recover and it. won't. ]

... But it would be nice.

[voidbreaker]

You can't ... put nutrients back in the ground or something?

[applechemist]

It's too far-gone.

We can make strong fertilizer for the land that isn't completely lost, but...

[voidbreaker]

...

So you're just watching the slow decline of the world and trying to make it even slower?

[applechemist]

... I... I guess so.

[ Hrm. ]

But I would like to think that there's something we can do.

[voidbreaker]

Maybe.

[ he's no expert. ]

Giving up's not really an option is it.

[applechemist]

Right!

I'll just keep trying, no matter what...! [ even if. hm. she's been pretty open that it's debatable if she's going home after this or not. ]

[voidbreaker]

[ hm. we won't talk about that. it'll be sad. ]

You don't really have another option though, do you?

[applechemist]

No. Because I have the talent to be an alchemist.

I can't waste it.

[voidbreaker]

It’s not something anyone can just decide to learn?

[applechemist]

Well... They can, over in Central. They have technology there that really opens it up to people without the innate talent... From what I hear.

[voidbreaker]

But they still need to be able to use alchemy to use that technology. Apparently.

[applechemist]

Yeah...

[voidbreaker]

So, basically... alchemy's a limited resource, then.