Ruby nodded. "I know. Keeps life interesting, to say the least." She grinned as she got out plates. "So after lunch I'll try some alkahestry for myself, and then we can go back to researching or reading."

Garnet nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," she said. Once the veggies were cut, she went and lit a burner of the gas stove. She generally liked to be the one to handle the stove; burns didn't bother her at all, and she would rather herself get burned than Ruby.

Ruby nodded and let her take over, handing over ingredients as it was time to add them. This she could do.

And as she got bored she started puzzling through the basics of alkahestry again.

Garnet cooked the stir-fry, quickly heating the veggies and noodles with some oil in the pan.

"My notebook is on the counter," she said as she added the spicy sauce and tossed it all together.

Ruby grinned rather abashedly and went to go flip through her notebook, trying to get a better conceptual understanding of everything first.

Once the food was done, Garnet divided it into bowls and set one down next to Ruby.

"Order up," she teased, sitting down with her own bowl.

Ruby snorted and took her bowl. "Smells good," she said, setting the research notes aside for the moment.

"Thanks," Garnet replied, sitting down next to her. "How are my notes?"

"Good. Looks like your sources are a bit different from mine." Ruby grinned. "I am very interested to start trying this after lunch."

"Mind terribly if I try to draw the first circle?" Garnet asked. She liked at least being able to properly draw transmutation circles, even if she couldn't use them. If she could draw them, other people could use them, and that way she knew it was done right. She trusted Ruby to do it right, of course, but still.

"Go for it," Ruby agreed with a grin. "I think we could both use some practice with the circles. Maybe that'll be first?"

"Sure, thanks," Garnet said, grinning back. "The circles they use here are interesting and I want to make sure I can get them right."

"They're definitely different from alchemy," Ruby agreed. "So we'll practice for a bit, see how that goes. I saw something about drawing two circles and using the energy flow to connect them. That might have to wait for a little while, though."

"That should definitely wait," Garnet agreed. "Let me read up a bit more on that, and then we'll see. I want to know more about it."

"Me, too." Ruby's eyes glinted. "But it'll be a really fun challenge."

"Yes it will," Garnet replied, grinning. She sent a teasing look at Ruby. "You and your challenges."

Ruby grinned unabashedly. "Finish up, and then we can start working," she said, going back to her own lunch.

Garnet grinned, and worked on finishing her lunch. Once she was finished, she took the bowls and washed them, and grabbed a container of chalk sticks.

Ruby cleared a space for them to practice, taking one of the sticks and starting to practice. She'd try out the circles later and see how they fared, hers and Garnet's.

Garnet took a stick of chalk as well, starting to draw. Her circles were neat and precise, every element exactly where it needed to be.

Ruby practiced several times before she was satisfied that her circles were as perfect as they were likely to get.

"Alright," she murmured. "Shall I test one out?"

"Go for it," Garnet replied, nodding. "See what it does." Erasing her circle, she stepped back so Ruby could work.

Ruby nodded and knelt down to start working, testing her first circle. She grinned when the bits of terracotta turned into a pot.

"Excellent," she murmured.

"How was it different than alchemy?" Garnet asked, pencil and notebook in hand.

"It felt different. It felt more fluid, more..." Ruby searched for words for a few moments. "Liquid is the best word for it, I think. Less rigid. More compromising."