[This sure brings along an awkward mix of feelings. Yes--Rita's a genius mage! And others should recognize it! Except it's different when it comes to other worlds' magic systems. Well...Rita's not one to dismiss something like this--especially not when it's Natsuno--so she's going to consider the matter seriously. Even if it is a little annoying that the twins didn't offer any suggestions at all.]
Hmm... The "magical energy" here is based on...the soul, or something like that, isn't it? I mean, you said your world didn't have magic like this, yet it's something you can still draw on. So...maybe it's like that sigil magic stuff, where you need to have intent in your focus.
[Vampires exist there. Maybe magic does too, or an unfamiliar set of principles you can call "magic" for lack of a better term. No one seemed to figure out just what makes shiki blood change, what power preserves the soul in an undead body.
Still, Rita makes a good point. Natsuno opens an empty page and writes down "Intent - like sigil magic? How to focus intent".]
The problem here is that the sigil magic works with blood, like how Jenny did it. I don't want to injure myself every time they need energy. So the question is how to focus my "intent."
[As far as he knows...she accedes with a nod, since it's true there could always be magic, hidden somewhere. She struggled to believe what he said about vampires, after all.
She can see he's really serious about this, taking notes and everything. He's always seemed really diligent about studying, and now he's raising an important point--plus, she sure doesn't want him to have to injure himself like that, either.]
Hmm... The way casting a spell feels... It's a little hard to put into words.
[It's something she's been doing for so long and that came so easily, that it actually makes it more difficult to try and describe to someone who's never experienced it.]
Let's see...she said "magical pathways", right? Maybe you can picture it like...water flowing through a pipe, but you have to will the valve open.
Magical pathways, yes. Castor even mentioned the flow of magic, so that can be a good analogy.
[Natsuno adds "Magical pathways = imagine water through pipe" to his notes, speaking as he writes.]
I control how much energy comes through. So it's not just opening the valve, but how much I turn it to control the water pressure. [He jots it down but makes a face as he reads it over.] Still not sure what "willing it open" means. Imagine a pipe and think hard? It sounds silly.
[Rita nods in agreement as he adds more; maybe the analogy will work better than she thought...
Or maybe not? Well, she can't expect someone who's never used magic before to understand how to do it immediately--it's not like she has any idea how to use an innate magic, either. Hm. Rita taps her fingers on the table as she considers it some more.]
Hmm... You know, thinking that it sounds silly--I get it, but if you think that way, it's kind of self-defeating, you know? I know it sounds ridiculous, but you have to be able to believe it can happen. Even if it's easier said than done...
[She struggled with Ebalon's little sigil magic demonstration, too, after all. Having to pour intent into a symbol drawn on a piece of paper was weird; it wasn't the sort of magic she was used to--and Natsuno isn't used to there being any kind of magic, before this. She believes he can do it, though; they just need time, practice, and maybe a more workable analogy for him.
Hmm...]
Hey...do you feel anything different when you use your shiki powers?
You're right. You'd think being stuck here means I wouldn't get hung up on stuff like that, but guess I still need to make an effort.
[Still, believe it can happen sounds so... cheesy. He used to roll his eyes over Rita's vehement denial of the ghosts' existence, but maybe they're not so different after all. It would be easier for Natsuno to any theory or rational explanation that doesn't amount to "think it into existence."]
When I use my powers, it's like... everything is sharper. [He frowns.] It's an instinct. I barely think about it.
I mean, it'd be like suddenly asking one of us how to breathe underwater. It's not something we've ever tried to do before.
[So she gets that it's not something he can pick up immediately. And, like him, she'd much prefer having some concrete theories to go off of, but the Dioscuri didn't give them much to work with, unfortunately... Still, his shiki powers might give them a starting point if they continue down this route.]
So why not try thinking about it while using them? It's worth a try.
...Sorry, I know this isn't much to go on. Jade's magic is innate, so he might be better at figuring it out. Not that I mind helping you out, though. It'll be really interesting if you can manage it... Well, either way, it's going to take time.
[She's just not sure how useful she is for trying to teach him to use a type of magic that she has no experience with, either.]
[Natsuno may have heard bits and pieces of how magic works in different realities, but he's still clueless when it comes to practicing it. Even if Rita can't figure out the exact magic he needs to use, she opened a window to an unfamiliar way of thinking.]
I plan to ask Jade, but thinking about my powers... not sure I like that. I usually need them the most at bad situations, so it's not like I'm up for analyzing them at the moment.
Hm, I see... [Hmm...Rita's silent a moment as she mentally chews on that. She does get where he's coming from, especially after recent events, but something about it still rubs her the wrong way.] You know... The act of using your powers isn't inherently a bad thing, either. You've used it to help me and the others, after all.
[It's veering a little off-topic, yet it's not something she wants to just sit on without saying, either.]
A lot of things are like that...science, magic, even blastia...just because some jerks use them for evil doesn't mean they're bad.
[The words are already out of her mouth before she has an odd feeling of deja vu, and--oh, yeah. Estelle. Yuri said something not so dissimilar to her, didn't he? Hm...that guy actually had a way with words sometimes.]
...I know. I've been trying to change the way I think about it for a while.
[The seeds were planted back at Camp Aion, when he talked to Lumine about what it means to be immortal, to be shiki. Natsuno's been thinking about it ever since - as hellish as the ship is, maybe he can make new choices. He doesn't have to be what Sotoba's shiki decided, but he can still be, figure out how to live instead of resigning to oblivion. Every affirmation from his friends was another step, but after October...]
But sometimes it feels like one step forward and two steps back.
[She relaxes a little, some of the tension ebbing away from her shoulders. As long as he's trying...that's what matters. It's his second comment that makes something twist painfully in her chest. Once more...that ghost had no right to use his powers like that, and make him worry and second-guess things, as if he wasn't already trying hard enough-]
--If you fall a step back, then I'll just pull you forward again. It's the same for the others. Nobody can dare blame you for last month.
[She clenches a fist on the table, making it clear this is very much also a threat towards anyone who would dare.]
And we're friends because I like you, not because of what powers you do or don't have. So...keep trying with m...with us.
[He smiles at Rita softly. She really is sweet, and a good friend. Natsuno still struggles with reaching out to others, but he knows she will pull him forward if he asks. Her passionate anger at any perceived injustice never fails to make his heart swell. He needs those reminders from her.]
Thanks, Rita. You always know what to say in these situations.
[Pink floods her cheeks, something about his sincere appreciation and soft smile together giving her a lightweight feeling.]
I--I'm just saying what I mean... You've been here for me a lot, and...I want to do the same for you.
[Not just to reciprocate, but because she wants to. Because he's important--irreplaceable.]
A-anyway... As long as you keep that in mind... So, then, we can work on a different approach for figuring out these magic circuits.
[It's enough that he's committed to trying; in the meantime, she's certainly not going to force an approach he's not comfortable with. Surely there's more than one way they can tackle this question.]
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neverleave) wrote2022-03-03 11:35 pm
no subject
[This sure brings along an awkward mix of feelings. Yes--Rita's a genius mage! And others should recognize it! Except it's different when it comes to other worlds' magic systems. Well...Rita's not one to dismiss something like this--especially not when it's Natsuno--so she's going to consider the matter seriously. Even if it is a little annoying that the twins didn't offer any suggestions at all.]
Hmm... The "magical energy" here is based on...the soul, or something like that, isn't it? I mean, you said your world didn't have magic like this, yet it's something you can still draw on. So...maybe it's like that sigil magic stuff, where you need to have intent in your focus.
no subject
[Vampires exist there. Maybe magic does too, or an unfamiliar set of principles you can call "magic" for lack of a better term. No one seemed to figure out just what makes shiki blood change, what power preserves the soul in an undead body.
Still, Rita makes a good point. Natsuno opens an empty page and writes down "Intent - like sigil magic? How to focus intent".]
The problem here is that the sigil magic works with blood, like how Jenny did it. I don't want to injure myself every time they need energy. So the question is how to focus my "intent."
no subject
[As far as he knows...she accedes with a nod, since it's true there could always be magic, hidden somewhere. She struggled to believe what he said about vampires, after all.
She can see he's really serious about this, taking notes and everything. He's always seemed really diligent about studying, and now he's raising an important point--plus, she sure doesn't want him to have to injure himself like that, either.]
Hmm... The way casting a spell feels... It's a little hard to put into words.
[It's something she's been doing for so long and that came so easily, that it actually makes it more difficult to try and describe to someone who's never experienced it.]
Let's see...she said "magical pathways", right? Maybe you can picture it like...water flowing through a pipe, but you have to will the valve open.
no subject
[Natsuno adds "Magical pathways = imagine water through pipe" to his notes, speaking as he writes.]
I control how much energy comes through. So it's not just opening the valve, but how much I turn it to control the water pressure. [He jots it down but makes a face as he reads it over.] Still not sure what "willing it open" means. Imagine a pipe and think hard? It sounds silly.
no subject
Or maybe not? Well, she can't expect someone who's never used magic before to understand how to do it immediately--it's not like she has any idea how to use an innate magic, either. Hm. Rita taps her fingers on the table as she considers it some more.]
Hmm... You know, thinking that it sounds silly--I get it, but if you think that way, it's kind of self-defeating, you know? I know it sounds ridiculous, but you have to be able to believe it can happen. Even if it's easier said than done...
[She struggled with Ebalon's little sigil magic demonstration, too, after all. Having to pour intent into a symbol drawn on a piece of paper was weird; it wasn't the sort of magic she was used to--and Natsuno isn't used to there being any kind of magic, before this. She believes he can do it, though; they just need time, practice, and maybe a more workable analogy for him.
Hmm...]
Hey...do you feel anything different when you use your shiki powers?
no subject
[Still, believe it can happen sounds so... cheesy. He used to roll his eyes over Rita's vehement denial of the ghosts' existence, but maybe they're not so different after all. It would be easier for Natsuno to any theory or rational explanation that doesn't amount to "think it into existence."]
When I use my powers, it's like... everything is sharper. [He frowns.] It's an instinct. I barely think about it.
no subject
[So she gets that it's not something he can pick up immediately. And, like him, she'd much prefer having some concrete theories to go off of, but the Dioscuri didn't give them much to work with, unfortunately... Still, his shiki powers might give them a starting point if they continue down this route.]
So why not try thinking about it while using them? It's worth a try.
...Sorry, I know this isn't much to go on. Jade's magic is innate, so he might be better at figuring it out. Not that I mind helping you out, though. It'll be really interesting if you can manage it... Well, either way, it's going to take time.
[She's just not sure how useful she is for trying to teach him to use a type of magic that she has no experience with, either.]
no subject
[Natsuno may have heard bits and pieces of how magic works in different realities, but he's still clueless when it comes to practicing it. Even if Rita can't figure out the exact magic he needs to use, she opened a window to an unfamiliar way of thinking.]
I plan to ask Jade, but thinking about my powers... not sure I like that. I usually need them the most at bad situations, so it's not like I'm up for analyzing them at the moment.
no subject
[It's veering a little off-topic, yet it's not something she wants to just sit on without saying, either.]
A lot of things are like that...science, magic, even blastia...just because some jerks use them for evil doesn't mean they're bad.
[The words are already out of her mouth before she has an odd feeling of deja vu, and--oh, yeah. Estelle. Yuri said something not so dissimilar to her, didn't he? Hm...that guy actually had a way with words sometimes.]
no subject
[The seeds were planted back at Camp Aion, when he talked to Lumine about what it means to be immortal, to be shiki. Natsuno's been thinking about it ever since - as hellish as the ship is, maybe he can make new choices. He doesn't have to be what Sotoba's shiki decided, but he can still be, figure out how to live instead of resigning to oblivion. Every affirmation from his friends was another step, but after October...]
But sometimes it feels like one step forward and two steps back.
no subject
--If you fall a step back, then I'll just pull you forward again. It's the same for the others. Nobody can dare blame you for last month.
[She clenches a fist on the table, making it clear this is very much also a threat towards anyone who would dare.]
And we're friends because I like you, not because of what powers you do or don't have. So...keep trying with m...with us.
no subject
[He smiles at Rita softly. She really is sweet, and a good friend. Natsuno still struggles with reaching out to others, but he knows she will pull him forward if he asks. Her passionate anger at any perceived injustice never fails to make his heart swell. He needs those reminders from her.]
Thanks, Rita. You always know what to say in these situations.
no subject
I--I'm just saying what I mean... You've been here for me a lot, and...I want to do the same for you.
[Not just to reciprocate, but because she wants to. Because he's important--irreplaceable.]
A-anyway... As long as you keep that in mind... So, then, we can work on a different approach for figuring out these magic circuits.
[It's enough that he's committed to trying; in the meantime, she's certainly not going to force an approach he's not comfortable with. Surely there's more than one way they can tackle this question.]