dev 5 - practice with azira

It's best left aside, especially when there's so many things surrounding that- least it's asked about later. Still...

"Sure. Why not."

"Did you want to do anything in particular?" Then again, he figured that she wouldn't really have any ideas. After all, she wasn't good at socializing, and mostly it rested upon his own shoulders to make that push.

It's something he's used to.

"You can say if you'd like something."

Maybe she's this way because she isn't sure whether others would want that? Who knows.
(Nathan Cruor)

The awkward, blank expression Azira gave Nathan upon asking her what ideas she had should've been enough of an indicator that she had none whatsoever. A tumbleweed passed by Azira as she lost herself in thought, before she finally decided to swallow the awkwardness and answer in the most direct and honest way she could.

"I don't know."

But then, an idea sprouted...

"Maybe you could help me learn magic or something. Right now, I can't defend myself at all."
(Azira Syuren)

Rin seemed to just be floating in the air, idle for a time. He looks sleepy but otherwise doesn't say much. Approached from the south, he turns his head over and stares back at Rachel. "Oh, yeah. We have Arlei and Magdalen who've offered. Sumiye is also wonderful." He smiles a bit.

"You might want to look for either of those folk."
(Rin Suijin)

Rachel would not, and heaving her bag over her shoulder for a proper grip - the girl would bow respectfully towards Rin. The bag threatened to topple over her head, but she somehow maintained her posture; rising to stand straight again with a slight stumble backwards.

"Thank you Mr. Rin. I'll go check the club, and ask around - I'll leave you to your haunt of Levengard, you make the city look very put together at your perch. Apologies for the bother, Sir." The she would turn and walk away, clearly done with her 'business'.

"Let's go Kaila. If I don't empty out some of this bag I'm going to throw it into a bush and leave it."
(Rachel Beckett)

At least it's something, which is better than nothing at all.

It surprised him and he smiled in return. Even if it was awkward for her like this, he saw this as progress of her becoming less and less unable to socialize- perhaps she could actually open up eventually too. But that remains to be seen, right?

"I don't mind teaching you."

"I read about how magi typically teach others, and it revolves around learning how to channel your mana most of the time, though I'm unsure what your affinity is - and what it would blossom into."

"My own is that of fire and cosmos above."

That much could be felt from him. Even in the coldest seasons and the coldest mountains, he always emanated warmth no matter what; the occasional sparkle surrounding him suggested the affinity to the stars above, a glimmer of excellence that comes about with patron star answering your call.

"Do you have any specific place in your mind?"
(Nathan Cruor)

Azira had spent most of her time inside up until now, but hanging around in the outdoors had a certain kind of appeal to it. As a result, she had no idea where a good place to learn magic would even be; she just knew that she held a certain interest in it now that adventuring was brought up.

"You probably know this place better than I do, but somewhere outdoors would be preferred."

With that, she left her spot, following Nathan wherever he went... unless he just awkwardly stood there and asked her where she'd like to go again.
(Azira Syuren)

It wasn't a problem for him to take initiative.

"I could take us elsewhere, yeah. I think I know a good place." In his mind, at least few options were springing up, and even now, he mulled over potential places.

"Come on. It's plenty distance, so it's best if we jog."

Before she could even answer, he already reached out to her hand and grasped it- a quick turn, and the two of them are running off, with her being led away. No time to be tired, no time to walk slowly.

And certainly no time to be wasted.
(Nathan Cruor)

Dark and the looming stars above.

It's difficult to tell where they're headed amidst all this dark, but somehow, the young Cruor almost seems to instinctively know where to go. Whether he knew these lands so good or it was randomized pacing, it isn't easy to determine... especially for someone like Azira.

Who's taken on a sudden 'ride' through this darkness.

Yet, here they are, on more or less open field with ample opportunity to practice all sorts of magic; the chicken of insects somewhere in the distance, a howl of a wolf, and otherwise sounds of life all around them, with the lake nearby making for the ambience of water.

At last, he turns to her, his hand letting go of hers.

"Should be fine." Though, when he looks arrow, his eyes narrow a bit; they close, and with inhale, myriad sparkles appear of the brilliant yellow, those similar to the stars above.

No doubt a signature of cosmic magi.

"Well, what do you know about magic anyway? Or do we go from the very beginning?"
(Nathan Cruor)

Azira gazed at the night sky above while she was following Nathan, almost tripping over her feet a few times but catching herself before. When they finally got there, she panted, not used to running such long distances. It didn't take her long to catch her breath, although the surprise at the light from the aura almost caused her to lose it again. Azira preferred the darkness, honestly, but she knew other people would have a lot of trouble seeing

"I can feel and kind of manipulate my own mana, but I haven't yet gotten to the part where I make magic come out."

She gave off a slight demonstration, as if she actually needed to, as her mana began to focus around her palm. At this point, all she really needed to do was throw emotions into the mix or something of that nature. Perhaps a more intimate and close-up demonstration of it would help?

"I think it won't take me long to pick up the basics."
(Azira Syuren)

Nathan was often perceptive, enough to pick up subtle hints of her being a little thrown off by the light; strangely enough, the light was summoned for her sake, not his own- he already knew this area well enough to go on without it, and the light from the stars above illuminated enough.

"If the light bothers you, you can just say that. You didn't seem to catch yourself that well on our way through the dark."

In either case, upon noting that she was able to at least concentrate mana in her hand, it was good for him to know that they wouldn't need to start from the very basics. Although different techniques often demanded different approach, and elemental magics usually utilized various stances altogether... it's still something he could go on with.

"Hm. I think I know what you need."

Another inhale. While she was hopefully looking at what he does, he took upon a more aggressive stance- something one could presume a preparation for combat if they saw it for the first time. Those pellets of fire began to appear around him in tandem with yellow, each spark hitting against the golden brilliance only suddenly burning brighter.

Was he feeding mana to these flames?

At least, it seemed so. Amidst such workings, he might as well practice what he personally was thinking about; and so, with a pause, he speaks out.

"Your magic is often driven by either emotion or visualization. Sometimes both. My own stems from emotion." A third inhale, and his hand suddenly shot out infront of him, spreading out a stream of fire that illuminated the dark right before them. Fed with the stardust, it only beamed brighter.

More intense.

"Think you can do that?"
(Nathan Cruor)

"Emotions, huh..."

Azira's gaze trailed over towards Nathan, her eyes locking with his, as she tried to read his facial expression for any visible indicator of his emotions. She sought to pick up on things most couldn't see, so she trained her eye to pick up anything that appeared to be different about one's expressions. So, when the flame was more intense, she picked up on those differences in expression, too, although she hadn't yet really quantified what that meant.

Even after he asked if she could, she found her gaze lingering for several moments after, before blinking and shaking her head. This was to signify her dispelling a lack of focus more than it was a denial of what he asked, yet she still felt the need to clarify.

"Yeah, I can."

A visualization...

Azira transfixed her gaze onto the water, losing herself in thought over it. Just like she did with Nathan's expressions, she picked up in all the small changes on the water, and rose her hand up towards it, trying to see if she could affect it at all.

It seemed as if she had intuitively chosen her first magic of choice, although she had yet to actually be able to manipulate it. She needed to actually try what he asked, first.

"I've chosen what I want my first magic to be."

It seemed as if her focus diverted entirely from the exercise Nathan offered.
(Azira Syuren)

Much like in many other practices with magic, the core lies in tapping into these emotions; for the fire, it would be aggression and constant pressure. For something like water, however? It would be fluidity and grace. By now, he could already begin guessing as to why she was fitting so much to try and affect water.

Just like the element she seeks to manipulate, she seems... calm, quiet.

Which is entirely opposite to what Nathan is. In contrast to her, he's assertive and bold, and the emotion that fuels these fires would be the passion and hidden spark to anger that rests upon his heart. To make the matters different, at this time, he tries to feed stardust into the flames.

A dangerous fuel that seems to cause the flames to grow to unseen size and intensity.

Each shot fired somewhere above the water, each flow of the fire he presents, it looks like it could evaporate particles of the lake- surely, not enough to really cause any damage for it, but dangerous all the same.

"Relevant emotions." A glance is given to hers, and he figures that she's aimed to the water.

"Aggression won't do for you. It doesn't look like fire is your style, anyway - water, perhaps eventually ice."

At least that's how she impressed him. Where the stardust momentarily settles, he speaks again.

"Go on?"
(Nathan Cruor)

And with that, Azira began to swirl her left hand around, like a conductor conducting a symphony. At first, there appeared to be no rhyme or reason behind her movements, but as time went on, the movements grew more and more... fluid. Azira stopped moving based on what she thought and just moved based on what her feelings told her. And slowly, yet surely, water rose up from the lake in front of her, creating a small, magical bubble that rose up, quickly popping before her. The success didn't cause a change in facial expression, it merely caused her to look over at Nathan and speak.

"I want this water to be mine."

Her voice had become mostly monotone, but one could perceive a rather telling possessiveness in her voice and choice of words. It was still calm and controlled, just like water itself, but she still spoke as if the water was something that should belong to her.

Whatever it was, it worked for her.

"I've never actually tried manipulating water before. It just felt natural to me when I gazed upon it."
(Azira Syuren)

Fluidity is something Nathan doesn't cling to.

Excellence and grace, coupled with unbound aggression. That would be his forte, and that much is seen in how the final twinkle of stardust settles upon his flames, so much so that each and every piece seems to irreversibly grow bigger. it threatens to expand, creating something immeasurably hungering. There's one thing he knows for certain...

His mother has mastered restorative properties of cosmic, the mana constantly feeding her body. Nathan, however? He would seek to redirect the flow of mana, feeding his flames instead; rather than refuelling his deposits in circuitry, this cosmic mana would serve as endless fuel to his flames.

Becoming a shining beacon that refuses to ever die out.

This is merely a step forward to what he had planned, the measure of stardust defined by his mastery. For now, he was content with this, but it's clear that he would pursue more. Instead, his gaze turns to her entirely.

"Then make it yours."

At times, his bold and assertive nature extended unto others, lending them courage and ability to make the move where they otherwise would not, be it in something as simple as striking up a conversation - and ending up with life-deciding battle.

"Visualize it forming before your very eyes. Your emotion is the raw material upon which you forge your magic - and your mind is the tool with which you direct it."

"Use both, and you will advance quickly."

It was the advice he was following personally. So far? It worked. Day by day, his technique improved, and it would only be a matter of time before he becomes more.

His flames unrivalled, unstoppable.
(Nathan Cruor)