+23+ [action]

[fellpool]

[Today, Leon is practically living in one of the battle dome rooms. How many times now had he put off actual combat practice? There had been a few distractions here and there, but he had to admit to himself that a good majority of the time was spent tinkering with symbols and gems in his lab.

When was the last time there had been a large draft? Four months ago? Was that the last time he had swung his sword around for any good reason for more than a few minutes? His lack of practice shows in his awkward test swings. Even with a practice simulation to fight, he's quickly tiring. Claude would probably laugh at the mistakes he was making.

Leon huffs and moves on to Symbology practice, switching from the Claude's Silvance to his own Heraldry blade. Even within the barrier and with the lower augmentation of his sword, he's able to quickly form ice needles and arc black sabers across the room. When he switches to one of his Symbology tomes, he increases his range and covers the walls in a thick layer of ice. And then shatters the ice with a decisive flick of one hand.

--

Later on, towards the mid-afternoon, Leon trudges over to the plaza to go looking for something to eat. First the bakery to check out the pastries for the day, then the coffee shop to order something cold, and then over to the grocery store to grab something for the inevitable midnight munchies.]

Comments

[fellpool]

[His eyes automatically flit to the wooden bo at the movement, even as he continues to listen.]

The spirits aren't the only way to harness magic around here. I know there's been some people who've had luck with learning other worlds' variations of 'magic.'

[musubi]

Think I've heard something about that.

[He frowns. If it's possible, he just hasn't met the right people.]

I always figured you had to have some affinity for it beforehand.

[fellpool]

Depends on the type, I guess. Symbology -- what you saw me using just now -- requires first having the potential, and then you enhance it through tattoos and armaments. I knew a guy whose elemental skills were ... some blessing from a god or something like that, so that's another way you could end up with magic.

[He flaps a hand dismissively.] Not that affinities aren't involved. You could have affinities for certain elements, just like how certain Filial spirits might favor you.

[musubi]

Tattoos, huh?

[He peers a little closer at the boy.]

Let's see them.

[Never mind the more important topics.]

[fellpool]

[And Leon blanches at the abrupt change of topic, staring at Isamu as if he suddenly grew a second head.]

Huh? You-- My tattoos?

[musubi]

Yeah, you heard me. You have them too, right?

Are they just a bunch of runes and shit? Because that's what it sounds like it would be. Is that not the sort of thing you display? I figured most people had tats to show them off.

[fellpool]

Well, usually... [He frowns; he couldn't deny that a good number of Symbologists seemed to put their tattoos on display.] That's not really something on your mind when you're 10, though.

[musubi]

Are you kidding? [Isamu chuckles.]

I would have put them in all sorts of crazy places at that age.

[There's really no comparing him at age 10 to Leon at age 10, though.]

[fellpool]

[Leon huffs and looks away, indignant at the thought of such thoughts entering his head at such a young age.]

It's one thing to think something like that, and another to actually get the tattoos. I was ... delicate at that age.

[Well. He was probably still kinda delicate. Who liked getting banged up in a fight?]

[musubi]

Delicate? Only then?

[He grins, but it's not as if he's much of a beefcake himself. Pot, kettle.]

[fellpool]

[His ears flatten against his head as he sighs in exasperation.]

Okay, maybe that hasn't changed. ...I guess, if I had gotten my tattoos at an older age, I would have had them down my arms. [He gestures down along his bicep and forearm, stopping at the wrist with a shrug.] Or maybe along the collarbone.

[musubi]

Along the arms would be pretty awesome, yeah.

[Isamu stares at his own arms for longer than he means to, expression growing serious again.]

So these symbols... They help someone with a latent talent for magic, right? Can you... tell if someone has it?

[fellpool]

Can I tell if someone has the talent?

[Leon tilts his head at the question, frowning faintly before reaching up to scratch his chin. His eyes are fixed on Isamu, curious.]

Not just by looking at a person, no. Usually a person first manifests their power in a display of significant symbological force in some way -- accidentally or intentionally, like through a test. Some people get the tattoos before they actually know if they have any decent talent for Symbology.

[musubi]

Before? [So if he got some, and then turned in mission points to unlock further abilities, would they be able to improve them?]

Do you think it would work for me? I mean, I've worked with magic before... sort of. When I was merged with something else. If there's anything left in me that I might be able to drag out, I'd like to try it,

[If he can use that magic through his own ability rather than relying on the Malnosso, he would greatly prefer it.]

[fellpool]

Maybe. It's not unheard of that residuals left from a process could still become potent in some way. [It was one of many reasons why experiments had to be started over if contaminated equipment was used.]

This world allows for a lot of strange things, too. Like things continuing to exist here that should logically not be possible once you're stuck in another world, unless this world accumulates everything from every world. Like ... the blessing from a god. If you're here, away from that source of power, the connection should logically be severed, or at least weakened. But that doesn't happen.

[musubi]

Can you do that? Put the symbols on someone?

[There's a bright spark of hope in his eyes now, and his tone is a little more insistent.]

Or do you know someone else who can?

[fellpool]

[His lips quirk into an unsure frown, brows knitting together.]

I've never done it before, but theoretically it's not dissimilar from the kind of symbol work I'm already doing. [...] That is to say, I've put symbols on things, but never tattooed them on people.

[musubi]

Do the symbols relate to the sort of magic being used? Would you have to know about the magic from my world before you'd be capable of adding the appropriate markings?

[Because if so, then he's out of luck. However, he might be able to grab someone from a place that's similar to lend him a hand...]

[fellpool]

The symbols are the related to the symbological arrangement of elements; the entire basic array is tattooed on a person because there's no way of knowing a person's elemental affinity until they've started practicing.

There's really no way to know whether or not you'll be able to perform Symbology without having you actually try; even if you do have potential, there's no telling how well that'll translate into another world's system of elements, you know?

[...] Basically, it'd be difficult. No telling how difficult.

[musubi]

[Of course it would be difficult. No source of power had been easy for him to gain here. Then again, it could be said that he simply hadn't been trying hard enough. Or that this place was trying to tell him something.]

But it can be done? You can help me with it?

[He'd already decided on one tough path. This one would at least get him some interesting ink for the deal.]

[fellpool]

[He had to admit to himself that he was curious; this wasn't exactly something that had been experimented on in Luceti. There had been symbols created to improve the way of life within the village, but ... improving things for individual people...]

Yeah. Yeah, I can help you with it, if you're willing to see this through until we know whether or not it works.

[musubi]

If I've been here this long, I think I'll manage sticking around for a bit longer.

[He smirks.]

It's for my benefit, so I don't know how I couldn't see it through.

[fellpool]

Well, if you've lasted this long in Luceti... [He shrugs and nods, silent for a moment.]

I'll have to do some research into the tattooing process. In the meantime, you can figure out where you want the tattoos.

[musubi]

Right on.

[Isamu is... actually excited. He'd come here for some physical training, but he knows he'll be too distracted for that now. He'll run a scenario and then maybe check out the library on his own.]

I'll let you know, okay? Leon, right? I'll look you up.

[fellpool]

Yeah. [He nods again, already becoming lost in his own thoughts on the matter.]

Let me know when you're ready; it shouldn't take me too long to do the actual research.