meadowlarklogs

She what?

[Did he already have some magical ability, then?]

How?

Um, I'm not sure, exactly? She basically told me there was no reason I shouldn't be able to learn, and started off with some really basic stuff, and I just sort of picked it up over time.

[That actually gives him good opportunity to ask--]

Is there something called a 'focus' that you have to make, in your world? Or was that just in hers?

[She's squinting at him now, as though he's speaking another language.]

No. Where I'm from, you can only learn magic if you're born with the ability to use it. What's a focus?

[Well that's an interesting, major difference.]

It was something that was supposed to kind of store your magic, I think? Honestly I didn't know a whole lot about how exactly any of it worked, it was more like she'd explain to me things that were possible and I'd try to make them work until I got it.

[It was some very methodical, skillful learning Lance did, clearly.]

[Well that's... something.]

We don't have to "store" our magic in anything. It's just... all around us.

Weird. So you're not just from different worlds, there's some major differences in the worlds themselves.

[Which is fascinating, honestly.]

I guess so. We don't have elves where I'm from at all. What else do you think is different?

It's kind of hard to guess.

[He thinks about it another few moments, before guessing--]

Do you have a brother, and does he have a huge dog?

[Priorities here.]

[It's... weird. Weird that he knows, even though she knows why.]

Um. Yeah. Nico. And the dog's Lando.

Lando's awesome.

[And that said--]

Um, was the Kyna in Hadriel used evocation magic, mostly; is that the same?

[God, this is so weird.]

Uh... Yeah, sometimes. Wait, what does that mean to you? Evocation?

I feel like this question is a trap to make me sound even more like an idiot about magic than I already do.

[But that said--]

It was like... Conjuring energy or something? There was a lot of fire and electricity.

Sorry, I'm not trying to make you sound dumb. I'm just curious.

[Weird, though.]

I can control electricity, but evocation is like... calling forth a spirit. Usually to make it do something for you.

Huh. I think that's either a difference or I totally misunderstood something.

[Either is possible.]

Uh, maybe. Controlling electricity is just... the way my ability manifests, you know? Anyone who knows magic can communicate with spirits.

So knowing magic means you can communicate with spirits, but do the spirits have to do with magic themselves?

They're magical entities all on their own, basically, and they can be a lot more powerful than humans. We can sense them, and they can sense us. It's like a... like attracts like thing. It's the same with some monsters, too.

Huh. I think there were things like spirits in the world of the Kyna from Hadriel, but I don't remember them being mentioned very often.

[He's pretty lost on this topic in general.]

Oh. Weird.

[She picks at the bandages on her right hand absently.]

Do I look cooler with elf ears?

[That gets a quiet huff of laughter.]

I mean, I can't lie, elf ears are pretty cool. I did get used to them after awhile and they lost some of the cool factor though.

[That gets a hesitant little smile out of her. She's trying not to think of the more frightening parts of this, like that he might know things about her and her family she's not sure she's ready to share with anyone yet. Or that she must seem so useless compared to a version of herself that could still use magic.]

Okay, so what's cooler about me?

[It's a difficult question because there's nothing light, like on the subject of having elf ears, to mention. But he can offer something almost joking, even if he means it--]

Um, it's pretty cool that you're not super angry with me about this. I don't think Kyna in Hadriel would've taken something like this so well.

[Not in this early a phase of knowing her, anyway.]

[She bites her lip, going quiet again as she considers that.]

It's... kind of weird. And I guess there's still stuff I'm worried about.

It's mega weird.

[And he's not surprised she's still worried either.]

What kind of stuff?

[She wrinkles her nose, hesitating.]

Like... I don't know. I don't know how to explain it.

[There's that old Kyna deflection.]

And it's probably going to sound stupid anyway.

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