sticksandbones | Time for a Break

Entry tags:

Time for a Break

Who: Odile and OPEN
What: Just chillin
When: After Suri-fight
Where: The cafe and/or inn
Warnings: Will add if needed

The consequences of Enciodes' little mission have been far-reaching, it seems. Odile herself is satisfied that she's learned a great deal (though grumpy that some of it had to be learned at all) and relatively un-traumatized from the whole ordeal, but people around town are clearly not doing well. So while she normally keeps mostly to herself, this week she's decided to get out and about.

It's still bitterly cold, and she still wants to just sit somewhere warm and read a book, so the inn and the cafe will have to do for "out and about".

She makes herself comfortable, sipping occassionally from a cup of tea as she reads, but makes a point to look up whenever someone comes by or starts talking and nod, or raise her eyebrows, or otherwise signal that she is open to having company.

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Oh, what an interesting method of spellcasting. Joshua lifts a curled finger to his chin, tapping it lightly.

"So Craft cannot create something from nothing, but it can manipulate what already exists in some fashion..." He hums thoughtfully. "Do you use aether to power your Craft? Or do you use something else? In my world, Bearers are able to use magicks on their own, but others rely on elementally-aligned crystals to be able to use magicks."

She frowns.

"I'm not familiar with the term. But Craft takes energy, and that energy comes from the user. It's something everyone is capable of, if they care enough to learn. Most have an affinity for one type or another, but it's possible to master types counter to your own."

"Yes, precisely. That's what we call aether."

Some things are similar between worlds, then, but differently named. It makes Joshua wonder what else might be the same.

"If Craft didn't call upon energy from the user, I might ask if I could learn something simple... But I've been advised not to use my spells unless absolutely necessary, so I'm afraid Craft would also apply. But I would be interested in seeing it, if you could show me?"

She hums thoughtfully. What could she demonstrate...? Ah. She picks up the Notebook that was lying on a nearby table and draws a cup of tea, three squiggly lines indicating steam. When the pen leaves the page after the final stroke the lines start to move like steam might. She turns the book to show him.

"One of the first things children learn to do."

Honestly, Joshua isn't sure what he should be expecting. It's paper and ink. But when Odile turns the notebook around and the pen marks are moving, his eyebrows lift in surprise.

"Oh. You can make pictures move with it?" He sounds genuinely impressed! It's fascinating. "Which Craft does that require?"

Her grin borders on smug.

"Creative Craft. Also known as Paper Craft." Obvious in retrospect, isn't it?

"And a good example of a Craft that can easily be learned by people of the opposing types." And it takes such a negligible amount of energy that nobody thinks twice about it.

It is obvious, now that he's hearing it. Creative Craft, of course. He presses a curled finger to his lips, watching the lines on the paper move in fascination.

"How long will it hold? Does it require a constant drain of energy to move like it does, or does it simply retain the initial energy put into casting it in the first place?"

That takes a little thought.

"It doesn't require a constant drain, no. The Craft typically lasts as long as the medium does, but there are some instances of historic artworks that have stopped moving despite their canvases being well maintained. Several hundred years, I suppose, if the Crafting is weak."

"Fascinating."

Like his feathers, then... Clive's had lingered for five years without dissipating, and it had been no draw on him. Or, at least, none that he noticed - admittedly, Ultima had been enough of a draw on him that anything else could have been attributed to it. But he doesn't see why a small feather would take much, if any at all.

"This truly is remarkable... And the other types? What are they able to do?"

"Things that are more difficult for me to demonstrate," she explains apologetically. The Craft that people tend to rely on every day is mostly passive.

"I could demonstrate combat Crafts for you if you like, but they're less widely used."

"Ah, no need, then. I understand. A large part of what I am able to do is also applicable in combat, so it isn't feasible to use it outside of the context."

Hmm... But the things he can do shouldn't be too taxing, really.

"I'd be happy to give you an example of my non-combat abilities."

"Oh?" Her eyebrows raise.

"I thought you weren't to use them unless absolutely necessary."

He smiles, maybe a tiny bit sheepishly.

"Non-combat is considerably less strain. Though, healing won't work without a wound to heal, so that limits what I can do."

[ She smiles wryly. ]

Thank you, but I think a verbal description will do. I would like to discuss your capabilities should another combat scenario arise, however.

Ah, she isn't going to let him get away with it. Oh well. Probably for the best.

"Of course. As myself, I'm capable of casting fire magicks, as well as healing. It is... fairly thorough, but unfortunately will not revive someone that has already passed. Fire can also be used exclusively for lighting an area, if need be.

"As for the Phoenix... I don't know how much you were capable of seeing, but it takes up considerable space. Priming does involve fire, though it isn't as destructive as my brother's, and my fire magicks are significantly more powerful. I try to only use this form when absolutely necessary. I can access a semi-primed form as well, though all it does is give me a boost in power and speed."

"I saw enough, I think," she says with a nod. She's already gotten a lot of answers on that end from Clive, so she has some understanding of how things work.

"How does the radius of effect compare between your 'priming' and Clive's?"

Radius... hmm. Joshua pauses to think for a moment looking aside at the floor.

"If I were standing, I would say that mine is... roughly double my height in any direction, beginning from my feet. Maybe just a slight bit more, but not by much, if any."

Her eyebrows shoot up again. Impressive! He gave her a sensible answer without resorting to dinnerware.

"I see... Much more managable."

Joshua laughs at that, settling back in his chair.

"As compared to my brother's? His is far more dangerous than mine, I believe."

"Certainly. It was your magic that protected us last time, wasn't it?" It's difficult to strategize around a power that comes with a friendly-fire hazard.

"It was. Shields are also part of my arsenal, though if my concentration is broken, it will fail. But they've withstood a good amount of firepower before."

Unfortunately, he can't shield his own priming flames, but. Such is life.

"A valuable skill. What is the cost, then, that you've been warned away from magic in general?"

Joshua pauses, lifting a hand to rub at his chest. It seems an idle motion, but...

"In our world, the more that a Bearer uses their magic, the more it advances the Curse - petrification of the body. Typically, it starts in the extremities. Fingers, toes. But it will gradually creep up the limbs until the entire body is consumed, and the Bearer dies."

That's... horrifying. Suddenly she regrets taking Clive out to show her Ifrit more than anything. How can anyone use magic in a world like that? And the hand motion doesn't go unnoticed. She would have noticed if he was unable to use a whole arm or leg. Did the petrification start in his chest? That was the worst possible scenario for a phenomenon like this. What about Clive, then? How bad were his symptoms? Of course he would hide this from her, he was probably hiding his symptoms as well. He was just that type, wasn't he?

For a second some of her shock shows on her face, then some of her anger, before she gets herself under control. Her expression is grim, but restrained.

"I see. Thank you for telling me." He could have downplayed it, or kept his answer vague. She's truly grateful that he didn't. Now she knows what she's dealing with.

Not being privy to Odile's thoughts, Joshua can only nod. He can see the flickers of emotion on her face, though. Surprise, maybe something stronger, but it's so quick he doesn't get too good a read on any of it.

"For Dominants, it doesn't seem like it progresses as quickly as it does with your average Bearer. To tell the truth, my brother hadn't even shown signs of it at all until we came here. Myself and our childhood friend, we both have signs, but... I'd thought him immune, perhaps, due to his nature. But after I-- after he died at the hands of that... thing, it's begun to appear."

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oh no, I misplaced this tag!

oh it's fine dw has just not been giving me notifs for the past month

dw pls

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