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[cobbledtogetherenvy]

[No recording. Envy doesn't want to talk to any stupid humans.]

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[a_titanum]

From what I understand, death resets one to the state one came to this place in. My hair was dyed before I died and has since returned to its straw color.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

I know that's how it's supposed to work, but...

[He should probably keep this to himself, but he's not an alchemist. He can do alchemy, some of it pretty advanced, but he doesn't have the real depth of training. Never needed it. He's not good at thinking this way.]

Philosopher's stones are made with the energy from human souls. The more people you pour in, the stronger. Two or three for the ordinary stones we let out sometimes. Thousands for something like one of us.

[a_titanum]

I do not know your alchemy, but I would posit that the energy used to open the portal was ultimately captured by the Barge and or the Admiral, and thus could be reapplied to you upon your death. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, after all. Merely moved around. And from all evidence, the Barge is something of a closed system most of the time.

[ Someone's been reading a lot of science books donated by people while he's down in Zero. ]

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

That's what happened to the human batteries I tried to use. The barge grabbed them before I could use them. It's bad technique, anyway. I should have used them to build a stone and tapped that. But what I used to open the gate? It's still gone.

[a_titanum]

Interesting.

So you are permanently depleted by that action?

[ This is not the curiosity of an enemy but someone finding out something fascinating. ]

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Should be. It didn't come back when the new warden woke me up. I'm doing some basic experiments now.

[a_titanum]

I wonder, then, if the Admiral only has the means or ability to hold onto a very specific kind of soul. If other energies are incompatible with his power. Thus, when it was expended from your stone, he could not catch it in his system, but the souls of those he brought here who meet his criteria were caught as such.

What kind of experiments?

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

I've been trying simple alchemy, but it either doesn't work or it's not strong enough. I don't really want more warden attention. And I never studied the basics like a human would. I'm not an alchemist, I'm alchemy.

[a_titanum]

Are there any texts on the subject available in the library here?

Does alchemy require any inborn capability or can anyone learn?

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Anybody who wants to study, though there's talent like anything else. There are some things you need to be a human to do. Human meaning, not artificial, like one of us.

[Since he's pretty sure half the people on the barge who insist they aren't human are just humans with minor variations.]

I know plenty that no human alchemist would have time or access to in a lifetime, and I also never sat down and learned all the basics like a beginner.

[a_titanum]

Of course. I will have to look into it once I am no longer in Zero. It does not seem the sort of thing to ask someone to get for me.

[ well, maybe Max. ]

If I should have any talent for it, I would be willing to assist you with your experiments and crafting your theories.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

[A lot of alchemy is a lot easier with humans around. Father didn't just involve the government and army for convenience.]

The library's supposed to have everything. I may not have learned whatever exercises they give little humans, but I can tell you if you're looking in the right place or missing anything major.

[It should be a good field of study for someone who likes to set people on fire.]

You've already got a better version of the Flame Alchemist's little trick, but it's a versatile skill.

[a_titanum]

Yes, I have noticed that about the library. I work there, you see. Thus it will not be difficult to spend some time looking.

I will take some time to collect a few likely texts and check them with you before I begin?

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Sure. I may not have read them, but I'm sure basic texts exist for the military to train alchemists.

[a_titanum]

Certainly. The military is nothing if not excellent at the basics.

Now, unless you have anything you would care to ask or anything I can do for you, I will leave you to the rest of your day. Was there anything?

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

No-- Oh.

[This guy seems like the ambitious type.]

If you start playing with alchemy? You'll run into forbidden things. Most of them are just a squeamishness thing. But the one about bringing back a dead person really won't work, and the side effects are nasty.

[a_titanum]

[ That will earn him a very dry laugh. ]

I am not in the least bit squeamish.

And I learned that lesson many many years ago. But thank you for the warning.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

There's just no difference in the warnings between don't do this because it's icky and don't do this because you'll lose several organs and it flatly won't work. Humans wrote all those books.

[a_titanum]

Those writing the books would want to prevent both and what better way to do it?

Are there any other feats that might dismember me?

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Not that I know of, but it's entirely possible there are things no one I know has tried.

[a_titanum]

Thankfully, this place affords some greater leeway but no one likes mistakes. I will certainly keep it in mind.

Perhaps once I know the basics the reason for that particular line may make more sense.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Some of them might, but some of them are just Truth being capricious.

[a_titanum]

You speak of Truth like a being unto itself.

Is that what you meant?

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Oh, it's not a metaphor. If you're human and you go through the right hoops, you can meet something that names itself Truth. Father's a powerful, inventive place where a lot of confluences met and created something nasty. Several somethings, if you count me and my brothers and sister. Truth, I'm pretty sure, is the same, just older, bigger, and meaner.

[a_titanum]

I did not take it to be. It sounds very much like a god.

I serve a goddess. Many think her a metaphor or a fiction, but it is she who gave me Johann and she who made me what I am and gave me my purpose.