Just a reminder that the commentary will be a week behind for a few weeks. Eventually, there will be a catch up, but not right away.
What's this? Jackie can catch the train in Ottawa? What gives? Well, at the time of writing, the O-Train, now Line 2, was a massive improvement in public transit to Carleton University. The fact it was an improvement says it all. Carleton tended to get service cut over and over until it was impossible to get on campus. The O-Train provided reliable access. Line 2 is not the trouble-plagued Line 1. Line 2 runs. Line 1 is in its fourth week not running with a "full" complement of trains. "Full" meaning 13 double-trains, not the 15 that's needed but still not available. Right now, it's easier to get to Carleton by light rail than to the University of Ottawa.
The question of what to do with a renegade wizard has come up. It's not an easy answer. If it was, Lance wouldn't be as interesting to me writing him. What can be done with a renegade who is capable of making making physics sit up, roll over, and play dead? Locking the wizard away just delays the problem for as long as the renegade decides to stay in jail. Termination is excessive, but Lance's Circle keeps it on hand for the more extreme problems.
Lance confirms that the time hiccup was the fallout from a massive spell. When one manipulates energy beyond the ken of humanity, something will break. At least Jackie didn't have a full Groundhog Day event. But there is something bigger happening and it is connected to the eyes watching Jackie.
The rules of magic needed to be set down, as much for me as for potential readers. Ley lines are useful; they allow for the flow of magical energy. Where ley lines cross, magical energy pools, perfect for someone to use as a source. If a pool is in an area that gets negative emotions over, such as a jail, the magical energy gets tainted. It works the other way, too; positive emotions clease the magic. The Nicholas Street Gaol was not a pleasant place. On the flip side, a holy site known for miracles that has a magical pool is going to be pure, and unable to be used to harm someone. Magic has a flavour.
Jackie's approach to spellcasting is similar to her approach to computer programming. There are good ways to program and bad ways. Spaghetti code is to be avoided. Memory should be released. Jackie is trying to set up everything the spell needs before she casts it. She's actually compiling the spell so she doesn't have to watch over the spell as it runs. She could go with an interpreted approach, but she'd have to direct the magic while the spell runs. The advantage of the latter, though, is that she can adjust the spell on the fly. There's advantages and drawbacks of both in spellcasting in the setting.
Objects having their own magical resonance was an idea I had while writing the chapter. Oranges having a natural sine wave was spur of the moment. I had no plans involving this factoid yet. I just thought it'd be neat.
Trish tries to get through to Jackie, in Digital Magic Chapter 16.
Friday, over at Psycho Drive-In, The Simpsons Movie.
Saturday, over at The Seventh Sanctum, RWBY, the manga.
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