driftfleet | (no subject)

[Blink. Blink blink.

Okay, this is getting less strange and more cool, because he just -- created water out of no where.]

Well, I can't create water like that, for one thing. [It was unfair, really. Firebenders got to create fire, air and earth benders were hardly ever far from their element, but in a desert like this? Katara was very aware of her limitations.] I have to use what's available.

[But hey, since he just dumped a whole bunch into the atmosphere, Katara just moves one hand in a circular motion and gathers a nice, fist-sized ball of it, allowing it to hover above her hand.] And all benders need to use specific movements in order to be able to direct their element.

[She's not sure how to talk about this more without it sounding like bragging or advertising exactly how her fighting style works, and she can just see Shikamaru shaking his head at her, so she flexes her fingers and the water turns back into mist.] I'm not sure why it's like that, it's just... the way it's always worked in my world.

Edited 2018-04-17 21:57 (UTC)

Interesting... though not that different from how my world works. Many powerful artes require that we manifest specific glyphs before they're cast.

[He's mostly talking to himself, since that probably just sounds like nonsense to her. Regardless, he's definitely interested, and he slides off the rock to come closer, intentionally leaving little footprints in the sand as he goes.]

If you don't mind, could you show me?

[...what is a glyph?

...what is an 'arte'?

...is he getting closer?

Eep!]

Umm... what would you like to see? Any larger moves could be pretty dangerous to do with you being, um, invisible and all that.

[LISTEN. I just came out here to practice and have a good time and now there is a talking invisible water spirit fleet person and I am not sure if this is going to be Creepy or Okay.]

Don't worry, I'm not asking you to do anything fancy.

[They did just meet, after all, and he has no idea what sort of draw that might put upon her energy or ability, but if someone showed up out of nowhere and asked him to drain all his artes, he'd be a little miffed.]

Whatever you were doing before I interrupted, maybe? Those gestures you were making... it looked almost like a dance.

[...it is strange enough when people who she can see watch her practice.

Reminding her that he'd been there for a while...

Look. She's sure you're a very nice... walking, talking, water spirit person thing.

But she can't see you or can a read on you at all and this is Weird.]

I'm - not worried about doing something fancy as much as I'm worried about accidentally hitting you. [...and also, This Is Weird.] ...how long were you watching me?

[INVISIBLY.]

[Oooh, yeah, he's getting a feel for that, actually. Weirdness adds a definite tension to the atmosphere.]

Not long, I promise. A few minutes at most. You can only learn so much by watching, so it's better to ask questions.

[A pause, and then-]

You can say no, I won't be offended.

[Disappointed, sure, but that's not the same thing.]

[That's... a good point. It was better to ask questions, and he'd done that, he'd let her know he was there... if he was intending to be Creepy, would he have bothered informing her about his presence? Unlikely. And he was trying to set her at ease, which was a point in the non-creepy column.

And he can't very well help being invisible, and therefore Weird.

So her stance shifts a little, becoming slightly more relaxed and 'waiting.']

Well... can you tell me what a glyph is?

[Maybe an exchange of information would make her feel less like showing him more was dumb and strange.]

Ah... sounds like a fair trade.

[Knowledge for knowledge! He likes it, the sound of his voice decidedly pleased. He takes a few steps away from her, using his staff to dig a circle in the sand large enough to fit at least three people, a reasonable enough distance from her to avoid getting in her way.]

It's faster if I just show you, so... here.

[He crouches at the edge of the circle and touches the surface. There's another flash of light, and water travels from his palm around the little sand moat he'd created, but instead of soaking in, it freezes and spreads inward. Soon enough the sand circle is an ice circle instead, the surface smooth and gleaming.

Once that's done, he uses his finger to draw, in frost, a symbol vaguely remiscient of the upper half of this, pointed in towards the center. Evenly spaced, he draws it three times on the ice, explaining as he works.]

Glyphs are a sign that a seraph is channeling power- or casting what we call "seraphic artes", or spells, as some might say. It's a point of focus for our elements. Once the arte is fully cast, the glyph is absorbed into our bodies and sent out towards whatever the target is.

[ Katara watches attentively, her brow furrowing. She hadn't seen him to do that when he'd made water, but there was so much happening - the flash of light, the creation of water... ]

...but you don't have to do that every time you use it, right?

For the advanced techniques, yes, but it doesn't take nearly as long- it appears as manifested energy during the incantation. Remember the twin water spouts I made earlier? There was a glyph under my feet when I cast that. I only did it this way so it would be visible for you.

Oh, I see. [ So then it wasn't show and impractical; he'd just slowed it down so she could see it. That was cool. ] I haven't seen magic like this before. I had a friend in Luceti, Mia, who could create water like this and use it with magic as well, but she did it differently. I don't really know very much about magic, it seems like the rules are different in every world.

Magic... yeah, I guess some people call it that. It does seem to vary quite a bit from place to place- where I'm from, no human could do what you were doing earlier unless they were tied to a seraph's power.

[ Katara's gaze sharpens, though she only has the vaguest idea of where to look. ]

You wouldn't call it magic? What would you call it, then?

Well, for us it's just seraphic artes, nothing more. They're a versatile sort of power- different elements, different effects on the world and its people.

[ That... makes so much more sense than magic, really. ]

What are the different kind of elements in your world? Can a seraph be connected to more than one?

[ Clearly, she's relaxing enough to go off into a bunch of questions, so good job, invisible dude. ]

[He's noticed! And he's glad of it, because he loves sharing information.]

Seraphim are born of their elements, so they can't be connected to more than one. We can weave submissive and dominant elements into our artes, but our control is very limited.

[ ...so much of that information was: Wait, what? ]

...What do you mean, 'born of your element?' and what are submissive and dominant elements?

[ She is going to have to give him a good demonstration to make up for this. ]

[At least it sounds like he doesn't mind?]

Well, humans are born from other humans, aren't they? Typically with seraphim, we just come into being in places where the mana of our element gathers. When the world needs a new seraph, one is "born". That's just how it works.

And submissive and dominant elements just refers to the circle of power. Water is strong against fire, so fire is the submissive. Earth is stronger than water, so it's the dominant.

Edited (I FORGOT) 2018-05-06 04:33 (UTC)

[ Ginko would love this, she surprises herself by thinking, wishing intently that the mushishi was here for once not for her own sake, but for his, because he'd love to hear about this kind of ecosystem so entwined with magic and life.

And it suddenly makes her a lot more comfortable about him being invisible too - if he's so intrinsically connected to his element like this, it's almost like he's a spirit. So, that makes sense.

Also, "earth is stronger than water"? Psh, Toph wishes. ]

What's mana? And - does this mean that seraphs are part of your world's elemental balance?

[ She is clearly starting to think you're really neat. ]

[He is a spirit, so.]

I suppose you could say that mana is just magic, but that's too simple. It's energy, life, the ebb and flow of a planet. I'm still young, so I can't claim to be an expert, but it's my understanding that elemental balance is an important part of how a seraph is born, and what element that seraph is born from.

[So he wasn't just connected to his element, he was born out of it...]

So does that mean you're... almost like a part of your element? Representing it in some way?

Not almost. We're inextricably linked to our element.

[There's a quiet huff; she's lucky it's him and not Edna trying to explain this. She'd get a whole lot of insults attached to her answers.]

...that's so cool.

Sorry, what?

[Didn't expect that.]

That's just really cool! [Hands clasped together, giant nerd smile and everything.

SHE IS TALKING TO A REPRESENTATION OF WATER, EVERYONE!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAH!]

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