maskormenace | [Video]

[Camera on means Shaun is on, all easygoing smiles and comfortable confidence. This is the usual thing, except this time? No zombies. No monsters. No weapons in hand. It's sort of a very different vlog post for him.

But it can't be mayhem and bloodshed all the time. I mean, usually it can, but here he is anyway.]

So. Valentine's Day is a thing back where I'm from too, but you know... little different. Less moonlit strolls on the beach or fancy restaurants and more staying home not getting eaten by zombies together. Not-dying-and-un-dying is basically the most romantic thing anyone can do.

What's romance look like for everyone else? Let's hear it. Anyone have a particularly romantic V-Day? I know you're not supposed to kiss and tell, but anyone want to kiss and tell?

[He's curious, after all. However.]

Wait, that wasn't actually my point. My point is, the best part about Valentine's Day in any world is the day after Valentine's Day because there is so much chocolate heart bullshit on sale. Discount sugar rush for everyone! RIP to out collective blood glucose levels.

[Here he holds up a bag that is basically stuffed full with various boxes of candy, chocolate roses, something that has a teddy bear attached to it.]

Given my assigned profession as restaurant critic, I feel like it is my solemn vocational duty to remind folks of this fact.

[And here he is, performing that valuable service.]

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Magic ninja, got it. That's pretty bad ass.

[Shaun is picturing Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon style stuff, so he's vaguely close...ish. Maybe.]

That's right. Frugal is good since it means I got scolded less by George. We were trying to really launch our site, so had to keep stuff like that in mind.

No ninja.

[Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon really wasn't so far off, it was mostly that but also with spells.]

I must confess that I have never really checked my finance or thought about the cost of things before.... It never seemed worth considering.

Got it.

[But oh now that's interesting.]

Oh yeah? Rich, huh?

[One of his friends and employees comes from that sort of money, even if Maggie doesn't exactly advertise that she is.]

I guess, I never really thought about it before.

[Though no matter what he had been an idle second son with no worries or responsibilities. Even in his second life he was... pretty pampered in a wealthy sect where the leader gave him whatever he wanted.

Suddenly he felt a bit self concious.]

There is also a logistics division of our sect that handles expenses generally. As long as things are within budget, it's not a concern.

Sure yeah, makes sense. Not your department. I get it.

[Though that does have him curious.]

So what was your department? You said magic and martial arts, so like... were you heroes? Or a school? Or performers?

Not heroes, but, we were a reputable and good sect. The peak I am master of specializes in scholarly pursuits so, is more about education, art, literature and so forth.

I suppose you could think of it like a school. Those who enter the sect will receive an education, and the general age for entry is fourteen and below and I am generally referred to as teacher.

Huh. Sounds cerebral.

[And therefore the sort of thing that Shaun makes a habit of pretending is well above his head and his pay grade.]

But yeah, sounds like a school all right. I guess. School's... different back home.

There's a military division, and they're more about fighting.

[And were muscle heads, but that seemed wrong to say out loud.]

There is also a proper school, a cultivation sect is a lot different since the goal is to cultivate to immortality and practice martial arts.

Fighting is probably closer to my speed, but probably not the sort of fighting you're talking about. Hand to hand and close quarter weapons are a bad idea in my world.

[Super bad idea where zombies are involved.]

So you've got a whole system. Guess there's nothing like that here.

I am not particularly strong so I would rather not get into hand to hand combat either.

[He was a scholar after all.]

But, a spiritual sword when properly raised is a ranged weapon, and talismans and other spiritual skills can fill in for more ranged based attacks.

[Thinking about a "System" made him frown a bit, but the only part of the frown that could be seen were his eyes. He quickly shook it off however.]

There are those who are not cultivators, and then those who are. Sects are a bit like their own domain with their own rules, culture and methods.

Right yeah, the magic stuff. Magic is definitely not a thing in my world. Which is probably for the best since we basically took science and used it to destroy civilization as the world knew it.

[Yay progress!]

So... all these sects get along?

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

[Though, and it too could destroy civilization if the wrong people tried.]

More or less. At least, most of us are diplomatic with one another. There's a lot of bureaucracy involved in relations though.

So... your stuff is tech in disguise?

[Shaun pulls a face at the last bit.]

Not a fan of bureaucracy. I'm done with politics.

Not the way you're thinking.

[Though, considering the rules of the world and using items the world provides, cultivation in a spiritual world is definitely more like a science than magic.]

I don't have much to do with any of it. As long as I'm polite when people have to gather, there's no issue.

Though sometimes things do heat up, and then fights break out.

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