trans_9 | Magic and Mystical: Interviews

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Magic and Mystical: Interviews

Nothing felt quite so good as to have a project on its way. If this one features slightly less graphical and arbitrary annihilation of all sense and reason to the universe so that his will and desires may stand paramount in all creation, it's no less important or relevant for all that.

Aibghalien has set aside a few of what appear to be practice areas for interviews and assessments, hoping these are large enough to use for any demonstrations necessary. If not, the courtyard outside allows plenty of space for particularly pyrotechnical displays.

[OOC: Those willing to help interview may start their own threads for people to comment on (but Abby would like to get your own lists!) If your character would have come, but you aren't able to thread it out for any reason, just put the information in the Handwaved thread for later compilation.]

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"That's a minor trick," he said, brushing it away with his gesture. "Luckily I've only ever had cause to fully exert myself once since I came on the ship."

"That's very lucky," Aqua said. "It feels like it's been a long time since I was able to do any small magic. I've had to focus on battle magic for so long."

"You ought to take the time. There is a tendency, at least on my world, for wizards and sorcerers to focus exclusively on ways to neutralize a foe, of individual or regimental scale, and though that is an important use of power, those who forget it isn't the only use tend to lead tragic lives. What are you doing with yourself on the ship?" he asked, curious.

"It's certainly something I should remember," Aqua sympathized. She'd been at war too long.

"I've found a family of sorts here," she admitted. "And I'm also teaching a student in sword skills and magic. It seems like she got her powers only a couple of years ago, and she's had to learn as she went."

"Then I don't think you've been doing too badly for yourself," he said. "If you're making connections here, then you can't be too far gone to a war mentality. That sort of thinking would have you treating everyone as just another soldier on the field."

"I can't afford to think that way," she confessed, holding her Wayfinder tight. It had been a little while since she'd last been clutching it for comfort. "I've come too close to losing everyone I care about to the battle." Terra fighting against himself, Ven wanting them to finish him if he became a threat, and even here, Sasami putting herself at risk so many times.

Well. Unrelated as it was to this meeting's purpose on the surface, Aibghalien made a mental note to find some opportunity for Aqua to do... something that wasn't fighting. He could read enough of the trouble in her voice to want to help with it.

"I'd been hoping for demonstrations of techniques, so at least this will give you a chance to stretch your magical aptitude in all directions, I hope?"

"Anything you'd like me to start with first?" Aqua asked.

"The basics; how your magic is cast," he said, as the quill hovering over the book snapped to attention. "What components you use in your casting, what focus if anything, the general range and ability of effects?"

"The power is all from within me," Aqua explained. "I can cast without a focus, but I've been trained to use this." And she summoned the Keyblade. "It's tied directly to my heart, so it can't be taken from me. As for the range and effects, it's mostly medium range and elemental effects: fire, blizzard, thunder, cure, gravity, time..."

"It sounds primarily like it is combat magic." The quill scratched out notes as he stepped forward to observe the Keyblade curiously. "But I take it you're able to generalize it for other purposes? What limitations exist on your casting? Do you have access to all your magic at any time or do you need to prepare it? Is the power for his magic inherent or acquired?"

"That's mostly what I've been trained in," Aqua admitted. "But I can do small charms too--luck, protection, things like that."

She dispelled the Keyblade and answered, "It's hard to cast the same spell over and over--I need time to recover between them. When I do use too much of my magic, it will recover, but it takes some time--anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two depending on the strength of the spell. The power itself is inherent, especially strong because I bear a Keyblade, but in my world, just about anyone can be taught at least low-level elemental spells."

"So the power is inborn, but everyone has enough of it to use if taught how to?" That was an odd statement quite out of keeping with what he knew of magic even here on the ship. And it was nice to hear of a world where magic actually required some effort to learn.

"Exactly," Aqua said. "It's a little hard to explain, much less understand sometimes, but it has to do with the light and darkness in everyone's heart. And you can put that power behind even physical attacks, even if you haven't learned much in the way of spells."

"I think I understand." Even on his own world he had studied spells that required a fundamental commitment to that which was good and right to cast. "How long would those minor spells of which you spoke take to learn, if you were to find an appropriate student? On that note, what would make an appropriate student?"

"Not very long," Aqua said. "A few weeks to a couple of months, maybe? That's assuming they know how to control the flow of their power."

The last question made her pause for a moment to think. She'd been used to thinking of magic as existing in everything--as long as you had the mind and heart for it, that made you an appropriate student.

"Well," she said, "we were all trained young, so I guess someone who's still innocent--eager to learn and not looking for power. A quick mind--easy to adapt."

"Might I suggest you consider taking on a student of magic or two?" Here, he thought, would be a good opportunity to give her a chance to step back from combat applications and feel useful and needed more in general. "I think the ship could do with a little bit more luck and protection, after all."

"That may be a good idea," she admitted. She was already planning to teach Will, after all. "The girl I mentioned before could use some more creative uses of magic. And there's another who might benefit too." Sasami had Tsunami's vast powers at her disposal. It would be a very good thing for her to learn how to use them gradually and outside of a battlefield.

"Whatever resources I have to give are yours, if you need anything." Aibghalien smiled. "Not that I have any sort of literal official power to distribute supplies or assign support, but I haven't let that stop me yet."

"That's all right, thank you," Aqua replied.

After a moment, she murmured, "Oh, right," and pulled out her Wayfinder. "One of the charms I'm good at is this. It's called a Wayfinder--it's used to allow friends to borrow each other's abilities. I've managed to get it to work on the ship too, with two of my surrogate family. I thought it might help if we ever need more healers or anything."

"That... is interesting. The magic I am familiar with does have the capability to imbue others with a limited number of spells, but what you describe sounds interesting. What are its restrictions?"

Be careful, Aqua. He's starting to speak just a little faster. The wizard's curiosity has been piquesd.

"It's slow to build up to higher level abilities, though at least when someone borrows from my powers, healing is always available," she pointed out. "The effects will wear out after some time, though when you've recovered your strength enough to try again, you can re-establish the link. It makes a big difference if you need a healer in a hurry."

"Do you retain access to your own abilities when they are being called upon by others?" If not, they were in a sense only trading the location of the powers, not the ability to use them. Handy in an emergency when only one of the pair was in trouble, but in the midst of pitched combat, it would be inadvisable to strip Aqua of her own magic, for example.

"Yes, I do," Aqua explained. "It's only a small thread of magic that connects us--just enough for a few abilities to be borrowed temporarily. The magic in the Wayfinder just...boosts the connection, I guess would be the best term for it."

"Even for a limited number of temporary abilities, that is powerful from my perspective." It offered a great number of possibilities, which he swiftly sorted in his head and set aside for the moment. "Proficiency comes with powers, I take it? What are the limitations on its creation and use?"

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