[Video]

[neverfeltthatway]

Hello, everyone. [Though overwhelmed when he first returned, now Armin is calm and composed - nearly solemn, almost military in the way he goes about this. He doesn't enjoy this task, but he takes it very seriously.] I'm sorry it took longer than usual, with everything that happened. [Being sent on a different jaunt, not knowing if he'd see any of his friends ever again.] But... I have the list of people who vanished over the course of the last jaunt and haven't come back.

[He takes a deep breath, then begins the list - slowly and clearly, with a small pause between every name.]

Damian Wayne. Jason Todd. Neria Surana. Lucina. Ryuunosuke Ibuki. Sanosuke Harada. Connor Graham. Labrys. Nick Burkhardt. Phèdre nó Delaunay. Oona. Ken Amada. Junpei Iori. Yoon Yoorae. Chizuru Yukimura. Inigo. Takakage Kobayakawa. Janos Audren.

...

I'm sorry. If anyone has any questions, I'll do my best to answer.

Comments

[creativefool]

Probably will, yeah. [Kind of weird for him to think about, all the same.

Kanji pauses for a bit before he goes on-]

Hey, while we're talkin' - or, y'know - there was something I wanted to ask ya about.

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin looks a little surprised, but nods quickly enough.]

What's that?

[creativefool]

I've been lookin' into magic business for a while. And I was told you were one'f the guys to go to. Had all the books on this stuff...

[neverfeltthatway]

Oh! Just one book, and it's pretty much just the basics. A teacher would be better. What color are you interested in? I can help you with blue magic...

[creativefool]

Eh, basics are fine, as long as I can take a look. And I was mostly thinkin' about goin' for the green spells, if I can work out what's goin' on with them? I mean, I ain't great at theory, but...

[neverfeltthatway]

Oh. We don't have anyone with green magic, I'm afraid. But I might be able to help you a little anyway - with the book's help, I was able to figure out blue magic by myself. I'm still learning, but I know a little of what you'd have to do...

[creativefool]

I figured it'd be something like that. [Then again, when did he ever back away from a challenge?] So ... if you can show me how ya got started, it'd be good, yeah.

[neverfeltthatway]

All right.

Did you want to start now?

[creativefool]

Well... I ain't really doin' anythin' else at the moment...

[neverfeltthatway]

All right. I'll be there in a minute.

[Perhaps strangely, he hasn't asked Kanji where he is.]

[creativefool]

Hey, wait, I...

[...Huh.]

[Action]

[neverfeltthatway]

[And indeed, before the conversation can go farther, Armin turns up in the quiet corner Kanji has found for himself, cloak rippling in the water behind him.

He gives Kanji a small smile.] Hello.

[creativefool]

He- [Wait a second.] Dude, I didn't even tell ya where I was hangin' out - how'd you get here so fast?

[Okay, he knows how he'd find someone in a hurry, but ... Armin's no Champion of Threads.]

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin blinks, and it takes just a moment to remember that however natural it is in his life, what he can do isn't considered normal to most everyone else.]

Oh! Umm... Sorry. It's something I can do with the psychic network, if you're near enough. I... forgot it's not really normal. [He rubs the back of his neck, looking faintly embarrassed.]

[creativefool]

...Yeah, coulda used a bit of warning there.

[Okay, he'd pulled similar tricks on his Bondmates, but ... they'd expected it. He runs a hand down his face.]

Anyway... how're we doin' this?

[neverfeltthatway]

S-sorry.

[He looks around for a moment at the question, thinking.]

The first step would be to go over the basics in the book... but I'm not going to risk bringing it out here. We could go to the workshop, I suppose.

...You've learned some cantrips, right?

[creativefool]

Alright. [Kanji nods-] And yeah, I've been learnin' them for - well, since we were down in Melasurei, but I kinda wasn't myself last time out so I couldn't practice. Gettin' the hang of it, though.

[Even if there are some differences in his own spellcasting style to the more - well understood flavour.]

[neverfeltthatway]

Okay. [He nods, then starts moving slowly in the direction of the workshop, indicating Kanji should join him. He seems to be simply walking along the bottom, even though swimming would be much faster.]

Which ones have you learned so far?

[creativefool]

[Kanji's still not entirely thinking in terms of swimming, so he doesn't really mind...] Mending, light, launchin' things, and... that writing copying one. [No way is he going to try and pronounce 'amanuensis'.] Anythin' else, I'm still workin' on.

[neverfeltthatway]

Amanuensis. [The word is out of Armin's mouth before it even occurs to him it might be a little rude. But it's too late now, so he ignores it.] A variety of things, anyway. All right, good.

[creativefool]

Yeah, that's it. [Eh, he can deal with being corrected on something like that.] I've just been kinda lookin' at them when I get a chance. Seeing what I can make work.

[neverfeltthatway]

It's good to have be flexible, to have a wide base to build off of. But the way you think about color magic is going to have to be more focused. Although cantrips are shared by all, every color has a different process. Within a color, even spells that are very different share a certain feeling to them.

At least, that's my experience. That's why a blue mage can't really help a green mage with his spells - just the source. Our magic may be the same, but the way we channel it is entirely different.

Does that make sense?

[creativefool]

[Kanji thinks about it for a moment and nods.] I think I get it. It's all... goin' off in a different direction from the same startin' point.

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin nods as they reach the door to the workshop, holding it open for Kanji.] That's a good way to think of it, yes.

[He looks around the workshop for a moment, considering.] Is there anyplace in particular you'd like to study?

[creativefool]

...Over here do? [He points towards one corner table-] That's where I usually work on things. ...Hope I didn't leave anythin' there.