[With the staggering amount of Moon Coins Jade earned through his participation in the missions to slay the 'all-consuming darkness' and capture its creator, the mysterious Doctor, he was able to make the down payment for a little beach house in Solarpeak. Since he recently told Frieda how vitally important it is for merfolk to be near water in case their human transformation fails, she isn't all that surprised at his fast move anymore.
When she arrives at the address he sent her, it turns out to be in a remote bend of the artificial sea. Naturally, most of the waterfront is prime real estate among the sun-loving population, but there are some spots where there's hardly any sandy beach at all, and this is one of them. The outcropping of shore on the far side of the sea, away from the lively promenade walk with its shops and ice cream stalls, provides just enough space for the one small house which juts out into the water, partly standing on stilts. Frieda is hardly shocked to see her friend swimming in merman form as she steps onto his veranda with a basket on her arm.]
I see you're happy with your new home. Don't you regret moving so far away from me?
[He constantly teases and trolls her; he can stand a little bit from her in return!]
[After a long, busy day of moving and getting settled, it was hard to resist the cold allure of the water. More so as the sun has started to set- as he has mentioned before, fish grew more active in the dark. It was also a nice perk that his true form couldn’t sweat, he still found the sensation unsettling and yet had been suffering the leaking bodily fluids all day- had it been cooler he’d probably have enjoyed fishing with a rod instead.
So with his clothes neatly folded on the end of the dock that extended from his house, he’d slipped into the water and returned to his natural state to hunt. He darted around the lake at full speed- unlike Azul, he and his brother were fast enough that they easily outpaced those flying on brooms, so it made his hunt quick and efficient… and a much needed opportunity to let loose after being cooped up inside with his injury.
He had just returned to deposit his catch in a bucket he’d set up near his clothes when he heard the voice- a good thing too because he was just about to indulge in a snack, which he quickly returned to the bucket, before smiling innocently with his chin in his hands. She wasn’t ready to watch him demolish a live fish in one gulp yet. No human was.]
You wound me! And here I was ready with a spare set of keys for you and Historia.
[And with that he picked a pair of keys out of the pile of clothes and jingled them before tossing them her way. Of course he had some for his classmates as well. He rather likes privacy, given the isolation of his house, but he was being mindful of potential emergencies.
Besides, he’d made certain to have a room with a lock specifically for his crimes work that none would be able to enter. So the occasional surprise visitors would be no big deal.]
[Frieda registers the clothing bundle without letting her eyes rest on it. Mermaid Necklaces transform the wearer's outfit along with their body, and yet...
Jade immediately having the pair of keys for her and her sister at hand, though, brightens her smile as she catches them - not that she'll go any easier on him because of this!]
That's the least you can do for making me commute out here every day!
[She puts the keys in her skirt pocket and approaches him to offer a hand - sure, he can probably jump up onto the dock with easy, but it's the nice thing to do!]
You didn’t think I’d have a room ready for you two? I’m insulted!
[He says in a playfully feigned hurt tone- while still accepted the offered hand of course. It was true that getting his top half in the deck with ease, his tail however proved to be a bigger struggle, though one he was used to. It required that he lay on his stomach while he slithered his tail onto the dock.
That is until the sheer weight of it began to cause the dock to sink. As light and graceful as he was in water, on land his tail was little more than dead weight, so he abandons the center and lets half of it slip back in. The mermaid necklace did require one to be in the water in some capacity after all- might as well keep up the facade in that way as well.
Still there was enough of the bulk to lean back against like a comfy couch.]
I do hope you’ll forgive how sparse they are currently though. Getting everything set up was quite an effort, so I only focused on necessities.
[Frieda laughs at the banter, struggling to pull Jade on land, only to give up the effort along with him. She can't help but glance over his body as he rests on the dock, with the golden rays of the setting sun reflecting in the water running off his skin.]
You should have told me that you'd be moving today! I'd have helped you!
[Instead - out of gentlemanly politeness, she can only assume, to spare her the physical work - he merely told her that he'd be busy for most of the day and suggested they meet for dinner, sending his new address as a surprise just a few hours ago.
Seeing him lie there so serenely, she supposes she can go easy on him and let him have some privacy... without saying that out loud, of course. She's come to find that he likes leaving things unspoken. As such, she lifts her basket up.]
How about I go ahead and set up our dinner? Since you said you'd get us fish I made a salad, but it still needs to be dressed.
[Usually, she has dinner with Historia every evening, but given that she had advance notice of Jade's schedule today, she swapped things around a little (and it's not like Historia takes those things half as serious as she does, anyway).]
I hardly wanted to trouble you with such a dull task.
[Up until the sweating , he could have done without that. But that’s neither here nor there.
Not mentioning he technically didn’t need much in the way of help, nor did he want to be flaunting his physical strength just yet. The more he kept a secret, the better it turned it for him.]
Of course. The kitchen is fully stocked- save for the fish of course. I’ll bring those in shortly.
[When he catches her gaze linger on him, he mistakes takes out as looking behind him- he’d been rather entranced at the view earlier. Now with the stars starting to show themselves he found it even more enthralling. They were a rare thing to see growing up, but he was quite fond of just gazing upon them.]
[She lifts her eyes to the view beyond her friend... and he's right. It's dark where they are, so the stars seem to shine all the more brightly above the sunset, and the far shore, more densely settled, is full of warm distant lights too.]
It is.
[And he's part of that nice view - but far be it from her to feed his ego by saying that out loud!]
With how warm it still is, we could have dinner out here, assuming you have some portable lamps or candles... or can you make lights that stay in place with your magic?
[In hindsight, she regrets not asking the fairies for light magic when they gave her her tattoo. She really wanted the Mermaid Song ability, but why did she choose retrocognition? Sure, it's an advantageous skill that she's already familiar with, but wouldn't it have been nicer and equally valuable to share the light-making ability with Jade?]
[He did like to be prepared, and such were needed for camping as well. Definitely one of the earlier things he's acquired here.]
Though I suppose I give off enough light to eat by like this, if you want a more natural ambiance.
[He laughs, mostly jesting. Shifting back and forth wasn't difficult, but was something of a bother with managing his clothes. Not to mention he couldn't get his tail up without the portion of the dock sinking- but she also seemed to find his bioluminescence fascinating so he would indulge her if that's what she wanted.]
[She does love his bioluminescence, but eating half on land, half in the water would be troublesome on the unsteady dock... it'll be better to get him fully on dry land. So she goes back to her original plan, getting up and stepping back from him.]
Let's use the lanterns, to be on the safe side! We can rely on just your light when we're done using utensils. I'll start on the salad; you can bring in the fish when you're ready!
[And like that, she heads towards the house, giving him the privacy to change back into a human and get dressed. Internally, she determines to complain about his lack of effort in hiding his secret if and when he'll eventually admit to it, but for now she'll transparently play along. After all, she's hiding a secret too, and after talking so much about the human ability to choose, she chose to be gracious to him.]
[Fortunately, his magic let him dress in a blink, he just needed her back turned. So barely a moment after she's started towards the house, there's the sound of water sloshing around in the bucket as Jade trots to catch up with her.
Yes, she knows his secret, but she doesn't know ALL his secrets. He'll have fun puzzling her until she does.]
A shame I couldn't find any octopus, it's one of my favorites. They must be wary of me- I did catch a few crabs though.
[That was suspiciously fast... she's quietly taking stock of all the little oddities about him, much as she's sure he's doing in turn.]
I hope you don't eat octopus in front of Azul so readily!
[Then again, would she as a human mind if someone ate ape meat in front of her? Hardly. But perhaps the equivalence feels more direct and personal for merpeople.
With both her and Jade apt at food preparation, things proceed well (of course she helps him with the fish and crabs if he'll let her, given that her salad hardly needs much work). Before long, they have a fresh and tasty meal in front of them on the veranda, and while the sun is gone, the stars above shine all the more starkly while Jade's lanterns wrap their immediate surroundings into a warm and gentle glow.]
Mmm. The fish we got from the market before was already so fresh, but this is even better! Or is that thanks to your recipe?
Oh all the time, the look of disgust on his face is priceless.
[And that's how you know they're great friends. He'll eat it and look Azul right int he eye- not that Azul wouldn't return the favor, but it was only Jade had an aversion to his primitive kin, Floyd would take a bite himself and not care.]
[The cooking was an adventure all its own, and while Jade did allow Frieda to help, there was one crab in particular that was ready to fight God, and made a daring escape from the bucket. Fortunately, instead of god the crab got Jade, and Jade was armed with a knife. It was swiftly dispatched (not before some on-point jests and teasing), and was now a delicious addition to their meal.]
A bit of both I think. Fish is generally better is killed right before they're cooked, but I also have quite a bit of experience cooking seafood.
Or perhaps it's the effort put into it. Our daring escapee certainly made it quite a lively experience.
[and just for that he's taking a bite of that crab with a grin on his face as he looked out over the water, and up at the stars.]
[Compassionate as Frieda is, she can and will slaughter animals to eat. Trying to survive on a vegetarian diet would be quite ill-advised in her harsh homeworld, even as a noble who doesn't have to worry about a continued food supply. She did gently berate Jade when he play-fought the crab, pointing out that the battle wasn't on equal terms, but seeing him eat it with such especial delight now makes her smile.]
Next time, you have to give the crab a knife too!
[She looks out at the dark water as she takes another bite of her meal.]
We'll be eating fresh seafood every day now, won't we? What will do with all the grocery money you'll save?
You would have me duel my meal for the right to eat it? Well, I can’t say I’m against the idea, but the crab will need to bring its own weapon.
[He’s not just going to give a crab a knife for free! At least not one of his. Otherwise he didn’t care.
His laughed, but his gaze seemed to stay skyward as they spoke for now. It was a view he had yet to tire of.]
Perhaps not every day. It’s no fun if things are too predictable.
[But at least for the time being until he could bolster his funds again, it was indeed a cost effective way to eat- especially with how much he could eat.]
Still, it will save quite a bit. I can’t think of anything I have any great desire for in particular. Perhaps some more furnishings for the house to start.
[She laughs again at that, then nods contentedly... now that he has his seaside home, there's nothing pressing on him anymore, right? While she'll keep living with Historia, determined to never leave her sister alone again, she'll gladly make the trip here every day.]
I also don't have any real needs left unaddressed. This world has been very generous to us.
[After a moment of hesitation, she continues.]
I've been looking into my seasonal powers, and I've decided to fully focus on healing magic. Between my Mermaid Song, getting better at potions, and unlocking my own healing magic, I should eventually be able to heal even otherwise fatal injuries.
[She takes out her phone and opens the spring guild's helpful ability guidelines, sitting closer to Jade to show it to him.]
See? I want to learn how to purify liquids and air, too. I heard that the air in the manor you fought the shadow monster in was poisoned; maybe I could have spared everyone that pain if I already had control of my magic. I'll be able to grow and restore plants, too!
[While she markedly leaves her offensive potential of creating cutting winds aside, it seems like after a month of struggling with her grief and inner conflict she's finally regaining some initiative and confidence, having been able to accept her and her family's fate. It's the only outcome her ideology allows, really.]
[ He leaned over to look at her pamphlet, maybe leaned in a bit too much. Personal space wasn’t his forte when he was comfortable with someone. Healing magic. He can’t say he’s surprised in the least, but she’s quite gung-ho about it. While he, personally, would advocate bring a little more well- rounded in terms of magic, he has a strong feeling she won’t accept anything overtly offensive.
But adjacent to something offensive… perhaps.]
A fine plan indeed, but might I make a recommendation? Healing spells are indeed important, but so off protecting yourself. Learning to cast a barrier of some sort would benefit you as well as others.
And I would also suggest some spells to weaken or subdue a potential threat- such as a paralysis or sleep charm. If you get cut off from your group, you need to be able to make your way to those who are injured. Just food for thought, of course.
[And he wouldn’t push the matter further, he simply knew that you could be the greatest healer the world has known. She could still run out of stamina if caught alone with no way to flee.
Not that he wouldn’t be keeping an eye on her to make certain that overly kind nature of hers didn’t get her in trouble. Someone needs to be there with an “I told you so”.]
I think that is quite a fitting role for you, though. You would make for a very good medical Mage back home I believe. You certainly had quite the endearing bedside manner when tending to me.
Edited (I got no excuses for my crimes) 2024-01-25 12:58 (UTC)
[She doesn't seem to mind his closeness, and not his input either!]
I've considered this as well. After all, I won't be much use as a healer if I get taken out first! I plan to invest in strong protective gear.
[Doesn't that conjure up an image of a fully armoured Frieda for Jade? But whether it's literal gear or rather magical shields or some other less clunky and heavy equipment, at least she has it included in her plans.]
A sleep spell would certainly be a good addition to my abilities... I may not be able to learn it innately, but perhaps I can use spell scrolls or such!
[Clearly, her imagination is active enough from all the stories she read in her childhood! Her face brightens up at Jade's praise.]
What do you want to focus on, say? I had a look at your magic too - there are some quite impressive abilities available to winter power holders.
[Oh well color him proud. This is something she’s thought out quite well. Though the way she spoke of “gear” conjured the image is her in a full suit of armor. He knew that’s not what she meant, but the image was there in his brain now.]
You know, until you manage to learn more defensive spells- I arrived here with my school uniform and dorm uniform, the fabrics of which are enchanted to repel magic. While you would be swimming in any shirt of mine, it might not be a bad thing to have on hand in case if an emergency. I will still have more than enough to protect me in either case.
[Since she really could only feasibly use the button-down dress shirt. Even if it was far too large to fit her, the fabric was light enough to wear under something without it being too much of a bother. And the enchantment also protected from extremes in temperature, so layering it up wouldn’t make things too hot either.
It would put his mind somewhat at ease until she got a stronger grasp of her powers.]
Soell scrolls are a good alternative, potions as well- though we may have to do some research and experiment. I can make some sleep potions, but they’re meant to be imbibed rather than thrown.
[The experimenting was half the fun in his opinion, and he could see them both having fun with that. Though he also could see a lot of impromptu naps in their future if that was something they wound up pursuing.]
I took a look at what’s available to the winter magic holders- much of the spells are things I’m already capable of. I seem to have been weaving between the two magics without being aware of it, so my current priority is to merely to differentiate the nuances between each, and learn to bay them accordingly. It may provide me a way to work around certain limitations from my own native magic,
Edited (There’s probably more mistakes I missed but oh well) 2024-01-25 13:47 (UTC)
[She blinks at his offer, clearly surprised by it, but then smiles warmly.]
You shouldn't give me your shirt! It'd be missing from your uniform; we can't have that! Don't worry, I'll figure out something else. I'm fairly sure that Riki's shop sells quite powerful defensive items that create a magical barrier around the user. I'll purchase enough of those that I won't run out before I find a more permanent defence mechanism. It's not like I plan on leaving the city, so nothing too bad should happen to me to begin with.
I have more back home, and I’m not being held to my school’s dress code here. Please take it until you get something else, it’s just a simple white button down. It shouldn’t be too cumbersome.
[He was prone to planning things several steps in advance, with multiple outcomes in mind. Unaware of her natural skills, Jade saw Frieda like a small cute prey animal that had no natural predators in her world. She was overly trusting and friendly to a concerning point, and he enjoyed her company so he felt it was on him to try and compensate.]
In some ways, but it’s a rather dangerous situation to be in. It’s difficult to manage my blot accumulation if I’m not generating the amount I’m expecting. [He paused for a moment.] Oh, I do not believe that I ever explained that.
Edited (It’s just edits day ig) 2024-01-25 20:26 (UTC)
[He really wants her to have his shirt..! (If only she knew about the concept of a boyfriend shirt - but, well, it looks like she's about to find out its merit, even moreso than girls who only get a regular one). Jade's casual mention of his blot accumulation, though, naturally draws her focus.]
You haven't, no. What do you need to generate?
[And what's going to happen if he can't manage..?]
[Amusingly, Jade also lacks the understanding of the boyfriend shirt, most of his life was spent without clothes, only to get foisted to an all-boys school. Aside form genuinely worrying for her wellfare, he also thinks it'll look funny given the size. They're both about to find out.
He's not getting that shirt back.]
No, no, no, it's not something I seed to generate. Blot is a toxic byproduct of casting magic.
[He takes out his wand and shows holds it out for her to see. The white gem on top almost looks faintly dirty, with a few foggy black spots.]
See the gem here? It acts like a filter, absorbing the blot while I cast. See those inky black spots? That's blot, it'll fade and leave the magestone pristine again shortly, it's just something I have to be careful of.
[He pockets the wand again, and goes back to his meal, he’s about to rattle off a whole terrible thing over dinner like it’s bugging. It’s fine! It’s important for her to know at least- he wasn’t the only one from his world here, and he knew that at least two individuals had overblotted once already, making them a risk.]
No, it’s just without my wand nearby, the blot will accumulate directly in me. I could likely cast a few smaller spells and still be alright, but more than that and I would overblot.
[He paused to take a few more bites of his meal, mulling over how to explain it. He could give an example, he’d seen two firsthand… but even he had some moral standards. He wouldn’t sit out Azul’s trauma like that.
Jamil, he had far less hesitation, however the situation that caused it was too convoluted to share without giving too much background.
He’d have to use a theoretical example then.]
When a mage overblots, the blot poisons the mind and becomes parasitic. Hmm, perhaps it would be easier to give an example than to explain it in its entirety. Let’s say I overblotted, you know my outlook on the world fairly well, I am prone to getting bored… and I get lonely rather easily. Were I to overblot, I would likely behave like a beast, I would be driven to mindlessly hunt others, to kill for sport, or keep them in my grasp to keep me company or amuse me.
The blot feeds off of a mage’s magic and negative emotions. The poison exacerbates their vulnerabilities, weaponizing then and forcing the mage turn violent and overuse their magic. A creature called a phantom takes form after a time, and if the mage is not be rescued in time, they will die and the phantom take a permanent form.
I know it sounds very concerning, but it’s actually a very rare occurrence. It takes a great overuse of magic and emotional turmoil to happen. In the past century, my school full of young rookie mages only had two overblot cases.
[He could leave it there. Keep her from worrying too much over something that was incredibly unlikely to happen. However he is a victim of his whims, and his whims seem to love sharing terrible information.]
…well, until this year. Then it had six in roughly as many months.
[Okay, that's a lot worse than just his wand breaking! Frieda, at first continuing to eat her own meal as she listens, chews more and more slowly and eventually stops picking up more bites. Regardless of her rising concern, she stays composed.]
In other words, an overblot brings out the worst in people?
[Even accepting that, she can't imagine that Jade would turn into a wanton murderer and tormentor! That's the kind of behaviour that ran rampant in the Eldian Empire, where Eldians would look down upon their lessers and indulge in all sorts of cruelties with no repercussions.]
And that happened six times in just half a year? What in the world was going on at your school?
[And, more importantly--]
I know you'll take good care of yourself, but if that were to happen to you, how could I save you from it?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
First House Visit
When she arrives at the address he sent her, it turns out to be in a remote bend of the artificial sea. Naturally, most of the waterfront is prime real estate among the sun-loving population, but there are some spots where there's hardly any sandy beach at all, and this is one of them. The outcropping of shore on the far side of the sea, away from the lively promenade walk with its shops and ice cream stalls, provides just enough space for the one small house which juts out into the water, partly standing on stilts. Frieda is hardly shocked to see her friend swimming in merman form as she steps onto his veranda with a basket on her arm.]
I see you're happy with your new home. Don't you regret moving so far away from me?
[He constantly teases and trolls her; he can stand a little bit from her in return!]
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So with his clothes neatly folded on the end of the dock that extended from his house, he’d slipped into the water and returned to his natural state to hunt. He darted around the lake at full speed- unlike Azul, he and his brother were fast enough that they easily outpaced those flying on brooms, so it made his hunt quick and efficient… and a much needed opportunity to let loose after being cooped up inside with his injury.
He had just returned to deposit his catch in a bucket he’d set up near his clothes when he heard the voice- a good thing too because he was just about to indulge in a snack, which he quickly returned to the bucket, before smiling innocently with his chin in his hands. She wasn’t ready to watch him demolish a live fish in one gulp yet. No human was.]
You wound me! And here I was ready with a spare set of keys for you and Historia.
[And with that he picked a pair of keys out of the pile of clothes and jingled them before tossing them her way. Of course he had some for his classmates as well. He rather likes privacy, given the isolation of his house, but he was being mindful of potential emergencies.
Besides, he’d made certain to have a room with a lock specifically for his
crimeswork that none would be able to enter. So the occasional surprise visitors would be no big deal.]no subject
Jade immediately having the pair of keys for her and her sister at hand, though, brightens her smile as she catches them - not that she'll go any easier on him because of this!]
That's the least you can do for making me commute out here every day!
[She puts the keys in her skirt pocket and approaches him to offer a hand - sure, he can probably jump up onto the dock with easy, but it's the nice thing to do!]
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[He says in a playfully feigned hurt tone- while still accepted the offered hand of course. It was true that getting his top half in the deck with ease, his tail however proved to be a bigger struggle, though one he was used to. It required that he lay on his stomach while he slithered his tail onto the dock.
That is until the sheer weight of it began to cause the dock to sink. As light and graceful as he was in water, on land his tail was little more than dead weight, so he abandons the center and lets half of it slip back in. The mermaid necklace did require one to be in the water in some capacity after all- might as well keep up the facade in that way as well.
Still there was enough of the bulk to lean back against like a comfy couch.]
I do hope you’ll forgive how sparse they are currently though. Getting everything set up was quite an effort, so I only focused on necessities.
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You should have told me that you'd be moving today! I'd have helped you!
[Instead - out of gentlemanly politeness, she can only assume, to spare her the physical work - he merely told her that he'd be busy for most of the day and suggested they meet for dinner, sending his new address as a surprise just a few hours ago.
Seeing him lie there so serenely, she supposes she can go easy on him and let him have some privacy... without saying that out loud, of course. She's come to find that he likes leaving things unspoken. As such, she lifts her basket up.]
How about I go ahead and set up our dinner? Since you said you'd get us fish I made a salad, but it still needs to be dressed.
[Usually, she has dinner with Historia every evening, but given that she had advance notice of Jade's schedule today, she swapped things around a little (and it's not like Historia takes those things half as serious as she does, anyway).]
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[Up until the sweating , he could have done without that. But that’s neither here nor there.
Not mentioning he technically didn’t need much in the way of help, nor did he want to be flaunting his physical strength just yet. The more he kept a secret, the better it turned it for him.]
Of course. The kitchen is fully stocked- save for the fish of course. I’ll bring those in shortly.
[When he catches her gaze linger on him, he mistakes takes out as looking behind him- he’d been rather entranced at the view earlier. Now with the stars starting to show themselves he found it even more enthralling. They were a rare thing to see growing up, but he was quite fond of just gazing upon them.]
It’s a nice view, isn’t it?
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It is.
[And he's part of that nice view - but far be it from her to feed his ego by saying that out loud!]
With how warm it still is, we could have dinner out here, assuming you have some portable lamps or candles... or can you make lights that stay in place with your magic?
[In hindsight, she regrets not asking the fairies for light magic when they gave her her tattoo. She really wanted the Mermaid Song ability, but why did she choose retrocognition? Sure, it's an advantageous skill that she's already familiar with, but wouldn't it have been nicer and equally valuable to share the light-making ability with Jade?]
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[He did like to be prepared, and such were needed for camping as well. Definitely one of the earlier things he's acquired here.]
Though I suppose I give off enough light to eat by like this, if you want a more natural ambiance.
[He laughs, mostly jesting. Shifting back and forth wasn't difficult, but was something of a bother with managing his clothes. Not to mention he couldn't get his tail up without the portion of the dock sinking- but she also seemed to find his bioluminescence fascinating so he would indulge her if that's what she wanted.]
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Let's use the lanterns, to be on the safe side! We can rely on just your light when we're done using utensils. I'll start on the salad; you can bring in the fish when you're ready!
[And like that, she heads towards the house, giving him the privacy to change back into a human and get dressed. Internally, she determines to complain about his lack of effort in hiding his secret if and when he'll eventually admit to it, but for now she'll transparently play along. After all, she's hiding a secret too, and after talking so much about the human ability to choose, she chose to be gracious to him.]
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Yes, she knows his secret, but she doesn't know ALL his secrets. He'll have fun puzzling her until she does.]
A shame I couldn't find any octopus, it's one of my favorites. They must be wary of me- I did catch a few crabs though.
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I hope you don't eat octopus in front of Azul so readily!
[Then again, would she as a human mind if someone ate ape meat in front of her? Hardly. But perhaps the equivalence feels more direct and personal for merpeople.
With both her and Jade apt at food preparation, things proceed well (of course she helps him with the fish and crabs if he'll let her, given that her salad hardly needs much work). Before long, they have a fresh and tasty meal in front of them on the veranda, and while the sun is gone, the stars above shine all the more starkly while Jade's lanterns wrap their immediate surroundings into a warm and gentle glow.]
Mmm. The fish we got from the market before was already so fresh, but this is even better! Or is that thanks to your recipe?
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[And that's how you know they're great friends. He'll eat it and look Azul right int he eye- not that Azul wouldn't return the favor, but it was only Jade had an aversion to his primitive kin, Floyd would take a bite himself and not care.]
[The cooking was an adventure all its own, and while Jade did allow Frieda to help, there was one crab in particular that was ready to fight God, and made a daring escape from the bucket. Fortunately, instead of god the crab got Jade, and Jade was armed with a knife. It was swiftly dispatched (not before some on-point jests and teasing), and was now a delicious addition to their meal.]
A bit of both I think. Fish is generally better is killed right before they're cooked, but I also have quite a bit of experience cooking seafood.
Or perhaps it's the effort put into it. Our daring escapee certainly made it quite a lively experience.
[and just for that he's taking a bite of that crab with a grin on his face as he looked out over the water, and up at the stars.]
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Next time, you have to give the crab a knife too!
[She looks out at the dark water as she takes another bite of her meal.]
We'll be eating fresh seafood every day now, won't we? What will do with all the grocery money you'll save?
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[He’s not just going to give a crab a knife for free! At least not one of his. Otherwise he didn’t care.
His laughed, but his gaze seemed to stay skyward as they spoke for now. It was a view he had yet to tire of.]
Perhaps not every day. It’s no fun if things are too predictable.
[But at least for the time being until he could bolster his funds again, it was indeed a cost effective way to eat- especially with how much he could eat.]
Still, it will save quite a bit. I can’t think of anything I have any great desire for in particular. Perhaps some more furnishings for the house to start.
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I also don't have any real needs left unaddressed. This world has been very generous to us.
[After a moment of hesitation, she continues.]
I've been looking into my seasonal powers, and I've decided to fully focus on healing magic. Between my Mermaid Song, getting better at potions, and unlocking my own healing magic, I should eventually be able to heal even otherwise fatal injuries.
[She takes out her phone and opens the spring guild's helpful ability guidelines, sitting closer to Jade to show it to him.]
See? I want to learn how to purify liquids and air, too. I heard that the air in the manor you fought the shadow monster in was poisoned; maybe I could have spared everyone that pain if I already had control of my magic. I'll be able to grow and restore plants, too!
[While she markedly leaves her offensive potential of creating cutting winds aside, it seems like after a month of struggling with her grief and inner conflict she's finally regaining some initiative and confidence, having been able to accept her and her family's fate. It's the only outcome her ideology allows, really.]
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But adjacent to something offensive… perhaps.]
A fine plan indeed, but might I make a recommendation? Healing spells are indeed important, but so off protecting yourself. Learning to cast a barrier of some sort would benefit you as well as others.
And I would also suggest some spells to weaken or subdue a potential threat- such as a paralysis or sleep charm. If you get cut off from your group, you need to be able to make your way to those who are injured. Just food for thought, of course.
[And he wouldn’t push the matter further, he simply knew that you could be the greatest healer the world has known. She could still run out of stamina if caught alone with no way to flee.
Not that he wouldn’t be keeping an eye on her to make certain that overly kind nature of hers didn’t get her in trouble. Someone needs to be there with an “I told you so”.]
I think that is quite a fitting role for you, though. You would make for a very good medical Mage back home I believe. You certainly had quite the endearing bedside manner when tending to me.
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I've considered this as well. After all, I won't be much use as a healer if I get taken out first! I plan to invest in strong protective gear.
[Doesn't that conjure up an image of a fully armoured Frieda for Jade? But whether it's literal gear or rather magical shields or some other less clunky and heavy equipment, at least she has it included in her plans.]
A sleep spell would certainly be a good addition to my abilities... I may not be able to learn it innately, but perhaps I can use spell scrolls or such!
[Clearly, her imagination is active enough from all the stories she read in her childhood! Her face brightens up at Jade's praise.]
What do you want to focus on, say? I had a look at your magic too - there are some quite impressive abilities available to winter power holders.
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You know, until you manage to learn more defensive spells- I arrived here with my school uniform and dorm uniform, the fabrics of which are enchanted to repel magic. While you would be swimming in any shirt of mine, it might not be a bad thing to have on hand in case if an emergency. I will still have more than enough to protect me in either case.
[Since she really could only feasibly use the button-down dress shirt. Even if it was far too large to fit her, the fabric was light enough to wear under something without it being too much of a bother. And the enchantment also protected from extremes in temperature, so layering it up wouldn’t make things too hot either.
It would put his mind somewhat at ease until she got a stronger grasp of her powers.]
Soell scrolls are a good alternative, potions as well- though we may have to do some research and experiment. I can make some sleep potions, but they’re meant to be imbibed rather than thrown.
[The experimenting was half the fun in his opinion, and he could see them both having fun with that. Though he also could see a lot of impromptu naps in their future if that was something they wound up pursuing.]
I took a look at what’s available to the winter magic holders- much of the spells are things I’m already capable of. I seem to have been weaving between the two magics without being aware of it, so my current priority is to merely to differentiate the nuances between each, and learn to bay them accordingly. It may provide me a way to work around certain limitations from my own native magic,
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You shouldn't give me your shirt! It'd be missing from your uniform; we can't have that! Don't worry, I'll figure out something else. I'm fairly sure that Riki's shop sells quite powerful defensive items that create a magical barrier around the user. I'll purchase enough of those that I won't run out before I find a more permanent defence mechanism. It's not like I plan on leaving the city, so nothing too bad should happen to me to begin with.
[She sighs fondly as she puts her phone away.]
You certainly are ahead of me in every regard!
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[He was prone to planning things several steps in advance, with multiple outcomes in mind. Unaware of her natural skills, Jade saw Frieda like a small cute prey animal that had no natural predators in her world. She was overly trusting and friendly to a concerning point, and he enjoyed her company so he felt it was on him to try and compensate.]
In some ways, but it’s a rather dangerous situation to be in. It’s difficult to manage my blot accumulation if I’m not generating the amount I’m expecting. [He paused for a moment.] Oh, I do not believe that I ever explained that.
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You haven't, no. What do you need to generate?
[And what's going to happen if he can't manage..?]
Is it a different type of mana?
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He's not getting that shirt back.]
No, no, no, it's not something I seed to generate. Blot is a toxic byproduct of casting magic.
[He takes out his wand and shows holds it out for her to see. The white gem on top almost looks faintly dirty, with a few foggy black spots.]
See the gem here? It acts like a filter, absorbing the blot while I cast. See those inky black spots? That's blot, it'll fade and leave the magestone pristine again shortly, it's just something I have to be careful of.
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What happens if there's too much blot? Will it break your wand?
[And, come to think--]
Can you only work your native magic if you have it with you?
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No, it’s just without my wand nearby, the blot will accumulate directly in me. I could likely cast a few smaller spells and still be alright, but more than that and I would overblot.
[He paused to take a few more bites of his meal, mulling over how to explain it. He could give an example, he’d seen two firsthand… but even he had some moral standards. He wouldn’t sit out Azul’s trauma like that.
Jamil, he had far less hesitation, however the situation that caused it was too convoluted to share without giving too much background.
He’d have to use a theoretical example then.]
When a mage overblots, the blot poisons the mind and becomes parasitic. Hmm, perhaps it would be easier to give an example than to explain it in its entirety. Let’s say I overblotted, you know my outlook on the world fairly well, I am prone to getting bored… and I get lonely rather easily. Were I to overblot, I would likely behave like a beast, I would be driven to mindlessly hunt others, to kill for sport, or keep them in my grasp to keep me company or amuse me.
The blot feeds off of a mage’s magic and negative emotions. The poison exacerbates their vulnerabilities, weaponizing then and forcing the mage turn violent and overuse their magic. A creature called a phantom takes form after a time, and if the mage is not be rescued in time, they will die and the phantom take a permanent form.
I know it sounds very concerning, but it’s actually a very rare occurrence. It takes a great overuse of magic and emotional turmoil to happen. In the past century, my school full of young rookie mages only had two overblot cases.
[He could leave it there. Keep her from worrying too much over something that was incredibly unlikely to happen. However he is a victim of his whims, and his whims seem to love sharing terrible information.]
…well, until this year. Then it had six in roughly as many months.
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In other words, an overblot brings out the worst in people?
[Even accepting that, she can't imagine that Jade would turn into a wanton murderer and tormentor! That's the kind of behaviour that ran rampant in the Eldian Empire, where Eldians would look down upon their lessers and indulge in all sorts of cruelties with no repercussions.]
And that happened six times in just half a year? What in the world was going on at your school?
[And, more importantly--]
I know you'll take good care of yourself, but if that were to happen to you, how could I save you from it?
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