sticksandbones | Sometimes I am frightened

Who: Min-Gi Park [

outofsynth] and YOU
What: Get your free healing here!
When: The nebulous period between events.
Where: The Inn
Warnings: Will edit in later if applicable

[Min-Gi doesn't eat the star shard immediately after the chaos is finally over, but frustrating as the magic had been when it was out of control... it's hard to deny how useful healing abilities would be. The ones that manifest now are far less powerful than what he'd found himself unable to control before, which is a relief, but it does mean a lot of work for what's so far turned out to be very little payoff.

Which is why he can be found in the common areas of the inn, a couple of old books open along with a notebook that Min's using to jot down interesting excerpts he comes across and ideas. Notably, the leather-bound journal Ydalir had given him remains closed.

He fiddles with the collar of the turtleneck it's now a little too warm for as he reads, occasionally muttering a few of the lines he's written out loud to no effect. It's only when he sings almost absently under his breath that something finally happens. A faint blue mist forms nearby, subtle enough he doesn't notice, though whoever it's targeting likely will.

Is it over someone's splinter? A graze? If so, it's enough to at least noticeably start the healing process if not heal it completely. Any injury bigger, and the mist is quick to fade out without doing anything except maybe jump scaring someone.]

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[Since arriving in the Grove, Tengen has already gotten to hear the stirrings of the kinds of music he's never heard before, coming from, well, almost everyone from worlds not his own. With magic settling down, so have the chords on the air, but he still doesn't think too much of it when he overhears a song muttered under someone's breath.

Or, he wouldn't have, had that blue mist not catch his eye, as it forms around him and takes with it a bruise of his own.

Immediately his attention is on Min-Gi, and he closes the distance between them... a little too fast, sorry for any jumpscare that might cause.]

That's interesting.

[Oh hello. Min definitely wasn't expecting to find anyone in his personal space, especially so quickly. He blinks, looking a little tense as he looks up at Tengen. He'd be worried he'd been bothering him, but he doesn't look upset. Just...

Intense.]

What's interesting?

[Ain has a few very small needle pokes from his sewing that he didn't bother to heal himself, considering it wasn't worth the magic and he expects to get more when he returns to the tailor shop. He walks by with a thermos full of tea to the tune of singing and healing, and then looks down at his no longer sore fingers as though they'd answer the question for him.

The tip of his tail wags, the summoned owl on his shoulder hooting.]

Are you learning to heal?

[Min-Gi gives Ain a cautious look, reluctant to say too much when things are going the way they are. He hasn't had a huge amount of success since he started trying to learn of his own volition, and he's aware there have been times he's spoken against having magic of his own in the past.]

I don't know. Maybe. I've been thinking about it.

[He has eaten a rock. He is committed.]

[...Yeah, he's pretty intense. Sorry about it. He does kind of come down to Min's level at least - he knows he has the tendency to loom a bit (6'6" gonna do that-), and that's not... especially helpful to healers.

He is no less intense at eye level, though, whoops.]

Your Sound. Did you know it heals?

[He pauses, not wanting to get his hopes up. What else could that mean though?]

It did before. I haven't figured it out since magic stopped being so crazy.

[Not for lack of trying either.]

[He blinks as a piece falls into place - obviously the healing hadn't been on purpose, but apparently he hadn't made the connection between the song and the magic just yet.

Or, well, he assumes as much.]

It did just now, when you sang.

[...Sorry he noticed, Min.]

[This should be a good feeling, and it probably will be once he gets over the embarrassment of accidentally healing a stranger. He assumes. He should probably clarify this.]

It healed... you?

[There isn't exactly anyone else around, but he likes to have things spelled out.]

It's a good thing to know. As one healer to another, my magic is powered partly by my emotions and intent, so maybe your healing might get a boost if you put something like love or willpower behind it? Haha, I know that isn't the best advice, but it's what I have.

Yes?

[There's a glance around, because? Who else? It would be pretty cool if he could accidentally heal a whole room, though. Maybe eventually.]

You're surprised.

[He is surprised, and despite the success seems disappointed.]

I wasn't trying that time.

[Which means this is a power that is still outside his control.]

[Min-Gi pauses. That doesn't sound right, but his relationship with Ain is delicate at the best of times, and it sounds like he's trying to give sincere advice. This isn't the time to offend him. Not when he's labelling him a healer no matter how unsuccessful he actually is at it.]

I don't know. I've been trying pretty hard and it doesn't seem like that's helping.

[Okay. He can work with this, though. It's like someone... discovering their breathing style later than usual. Sure, this seems to be healing based and not offensive, but! It's also sound based! Probably! That's his whole thing!]

Want to try again?

[Min-Gi looks him over. On the one hand, Min-Gi hates being bad at things and hates failing in front of people. On the other, he's always done well with help from tutors and apart from this one mistake it's not like he's been doing a great job on his own.]

Do you know a lot about healing?

Not this kind. Field medicine, sure, but-

[He waves his hand dismissively. This is magical healing, and his experience with that is limited to... well, five minutes ago.]

What I do know about is channeling sound. I never healed with it, but I also never had a reason to try.

[And he can handle a lot more than the average person if Min needs someone to practice on, but like. That's kind of a wack thing to offer, so he doesn't just yet.]

[That sounds promising. When magic had come back to the Grove the previous month it had seemed to be his voice that had triggered his healing magic rather than any specific spell, and this is the first time since he intentionally started trying to learn he's had any luck healing.]

I guess we could try. When I didn't have control it didn't seem like anyone actually had to be hurt for me to cast it.

[He's not sure if that's still the case, but if it is then maybe it doesn't really matter who he practices with.]

Should make it easier to practice, then!

[If, of course, it could still be cast with no one needing help right now. Still, Tengen is more than willing to assume it will, and waits for Min to try casting again - with full intent to listen, sorry if that's awkward, my dude.]

[It is awkward. If he's right and it was Min-Gi's singing that had healed him, it's not like he'd read out any of the invocations he'd come across. It had just been a snippet from a song he'd had in his head.

While he's done a lot over the past couple of years to work on his stage fright, this is a whole different brand of pressure. One he's not immediately sure how to deal with, so he spends a long few seconds staring owlishly at him as he tries to pick back up the words.

When he does, his voice is stilted and awkward. Almost strangled.]

'Cause I am your lady...
And you are... my man
Whenever you... I...

[Nope. Nope. He is aborting this right now. Why didn't he pick a different part of the song? Why didn't he pick a different song completely?

Min-Gi looks away, burying his face in his hands in mortification. This could not have possibly been any more embarrassing.]

Hmm... well, maybe you need a vocal component, then. I heard you singing, so maybe it has to be fueled by song? I have a friend from back home who has to recite her spells before casting them, or they just don't work. Maybe that's how yours are?

[He knows their relationship is often sour, so he throws in:]

I'm not going to make fun of you or anything. I'm just offering some things magicians in my world do. I think my emotion-controlled magic is a bit unique anyway.

Maybe. It was all over the place when magic was going crazy, but it never happened unless I at least spoke. I couldn't sing at all without setting it off.

[He hopes that isn't going to be the consequence of deciding to try and learn healing magic properly. Music is his life's passion, something he wants to build a career in, and something he shares with Ryan. It would suck if this decision took that from him.]

Is it hard to control emotion-based magic?

Sometimes I am frightened

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