books are the best

[touchallthebooks]

Who: Khadgar
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: For Twin Roses
When: Several days after the water temple

[Someone got a set of books when he was dragged along, completely against his will, through a temple exploration adventure. And promptly started studying them the instant he got back to Twin Roses and free time. Which lead to a couple sleepless nights and now this.

Khadgar has three books spread evenly around him, a notebook under one of those, and one book in front of him. Or rather, it's under his face. His sleeping face. Learning new magic is fun!

No really, he loves it.]

Comments

[touchallthebooks]

No, just some of us are born with the ability to draw on mana inside ourselves. There's no telling who will have it though. I was the only mage in my family then.

[passingthrough]

Then? But now now?

[touchallthebooks]

No idea. I haven't seen then since I was six. So maybe.

[No one ever recognized 'trust' though.]

[passingthrough]

Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize. [She reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder.] I lost mine when I was young too. [Though over double his age. And definitely assuming they all died.]

[touchallthebooks]

It's alright. [He gives her a little smile.] They probably couldn't handle me. And giving me to the Kirin Tor brought them honor. My brothers and sister probably grew up better, after that.

[passingthrough]

[Her eyes widen. They didn't die. They abandoned him.] Khadgar...

[touchallthebooks]

[He gives her a smile. So much of his childhood had been spent feeling abandoned but he'd gotten over it.] Child mages are hard. I understand.

[passingthrough]

[She reaches out—hand on his shoulder.] We're with you at any age and any difficulty level.

[touchallthebooks]

"We?" [He places a hand lightly over hers for a moment before letting it fall to his side.]

I could have hurt someone. My brothers or sisters. The Archmages could protect themselves from a child with no concept of his own ability. I grew up... happier, I guess, once I realized that,

[passingthrough]

I can't be a we? [She smiles softly.] The crew. [Back at home after she lost her family "team" became family. Here? It's crew.]

Powers can be hard especially when they manifest young. There are a lot of tragic coming of age mutant stories. Wouldn't have been hard for me to accidentally kill someone. I never did. [Not on accident.] But it was more luck than anything.

[touchallthebooks]

Right. [He nods and smiles faintly.]

I guess we're a lot closer than previously thought. I guess we both got lucky, growing up and into our skills.

[passingthrough]

[She nods.] The details are different. Maybe the results, but there's more similarity between worlds than differences I think.

[touchallthebooks]

Yeah. Still kind of kindred souls. Don't worry, it doesn't weigh on me and it won't. I'm not alone anymore. Here or at home.

[passingthrough]

It's good you made peace with it. I'm not sure I would have. [She's still working on accepting her parents' deaths and that happened many years ago.]

[touchallthebooks]

The Archmages raised me well, and I was never alone. There were other apprentices, it helped.

[passingthrough]

Well, I'm glad. Not here to make you feel worse about things you've already dealt with. [Reminding herself of this too.]

[touchallthebooks]

So am I. Don't worry, it'd be hard to really make me feel awful about it again.

[passingthrough]

I should definitely not take that as a challenge.

[touchallthebooks]

I'd definitely appreciate it.

[passingthrough]

[She gives his shoulder a squeeze. She wouldn't. Just trying to keep things lightish-adjacent.] I probably shouldn't keep you. Seems like maybe you need some sleep? [What with the sleeping at a table and all.]

[touchallthebooks]

Ah- probably. I was hoping to get through a bit more of one of these before sleeping but it looks like I won't have much choice.

[passingthrough]

Just imagine how much you could get done if you were fully awake. I'll hold the fort down.

[touchallthebooks]

[She's got him there.

Khadgar gives a soft laugh and then a sigh before he nods.]

Captain's orders?

[passingthrough]

Yep. I can forge Vash's name to them too if it helps. [She's pretty sure being captain doesn't really give her this authority.]

[touchallthebooks]

I suppose that will work.

[Probably not but she's right and he is kind of tired. To tired to try to argue. So he'll just clean up his books and notes quick.]