video;

[bearshermark]

[It's an unusually frazzled Elliott that greets the feed. Maybe extra unusual as his normal medium of choice is text]

S-so uh! Something happened.

[There's some unpleasant rattling around noises and weird close-ups as he sets the phone down, rambling as he does so] And I need everyone to see so I'm sure it's not just a hallucination or something? I just had a memory while I was dozing off during my commute home and I just thought I'd try it you know, because it'd be cool, but then-

[Elliott retreats to a distance that he thinks is good for a video and holds up a hand, thumb and middle finger pressed together. He breathes, then follows the motion through with a snap. A flame bursts to life on the tip of his forefinger, hovering like a fireball in miniature. It follows the motion of his hand as it shakes.

Anyone not focused on the flame might see that he looks dangerously close to tears]

I uh- I think.. I think magic might actually be real? Maybe? If this is actually happening?

Comments

[bearshermark]

Yeah, no tricks. This is really happening. Not sure if it's awesome or terrifying, but right now I'm just glad I'm not hallucinating.

[traceofeffort]

Well, you can't tie everything to the same trigger, you'd just get all your stuff at the same time, right? But... Are you comfortable trying the other thing?

[chenqing_player]

I'd call that pretty damn awesome. I mean..as long as you know how to use it and don't suddenly burn your house down.

[bearshermark]

Yeah, thanks. I wasn't worried about that til just now. I can't just snap anymore.

[ashenscipher]

[Bitterblue exclaims first in French and then she remembers herself]

That is magic!

[darkforcerising]

That is so much cooler than empathic abilities!

[chenqing_player]

There is probably something you will need to do so that snapping doesn't immediately mean fire. Maybe when you practice, do it outside and away from flammable things. Just for safety sake...but see if you can't figure out the on and off switch to it. Having a super power is really cool though so you need to make sure you use it right.

[bearshermark]

Yeah, I can try it. It's just- eh, my 'instructor' said some weird things about using it in battle to improve. Anyway.

[He breathes, then holds out his arm and concentrates. A soft orange glow fills his palm, and then to his surprise, a translucent orange blade appears a few inches beyond his fingers. It floats there for a moment, suspended in the air, then dissipates.

Elliott briefly forgets he's recording and just sort of stares at where the glowing blade-thing was]

[bearshermark]

Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Though I wouldn't really call it a- I mean, I guess it is, but it's not going to do much like this. Not that I really want to? I mean, I'm not an arsonist.

[bearshermark]

Yeah! It's kind of freaking me out right now, but wow, it's also pretty cool??

[bearshermark]

[He laughs]

Seems a bit less useful, though. I don't make a habit of setting stuff on fire.

[darkforcerising]

What are you talking about, fire is very useful.

[bearshermark]

What- for lighting candles we don't need? For our electric stoves?

[chenqing_player]

Think of the ways it could come in handy! Like..you go camping but you forget matches to light the camp fire..or..There is a sudden black out so you need some sort of light!

[bearshermark]

Yeah, guess I'll be everyone's favorite in those very specific situations.

[He waves his hand a bit, trying to remember how the girl in his memory had done it, then sort of snaps again to get rid of the flame]

Good thing I had a memory to help with that one. ..Guess I could have stuck my hand in the sink, worst-case scenario.

[traceofeffort]

[This comment, admittedly, doesn't inspire confidence because it doesn't tell her what to expect. Is this going to blow something up? But no, when the light coalesces into a blade, her breath catches in her throat. She waits a few seconds after it fades, both of them staring at his hand, but it seems like it's over. Then:]

Um. Holy shit? Elliott, you already have a sword but that was super cool, what was that?

[chenqing_player]

So you gained this after you had another one of those vision things?

[why did no one tell him that was a thing? getting items yes..cool abilities? Totally left out of conversation..]

[bearshermark]

[Oh right.

He straightens and lets his arm drop]

It's some power that my previous incarnation had. ..The one before the last time. His name was Erdwin. Master Pang said some shit about mastering the power being relentless and excruciating, so I hadn't tried it yet. Almost didn't expect anything to happen, even. But, well, that happened.

[bearshermark]

Yeah, I guess? I mean, it was just something I tried because someone in my memory did it. I didn't expect it would actually work.

[traceofeffort]

That chart is sounding better and better, you know. [It's playful, to ease the tension, but she's back to business quickly enough.]

Maybe it's just me on this side of the video, but that didn't look super relentless or excruciating? Was it stable? Or did you let it go since you didn't have anything to cut with it?

[ashenscipher]

It's certainly interesting. How did you discover you could do that?

[bearshermark]

No, it felt fine. I was concentrating, but then it just vanished. But the same thing happened in my memory of it, too. That's when Pang said that I'd master it better by battling my grandfather. So, that was weird too. I guess it just means that it has some greater power.

[darkforcerising]

Entropy is a part of nature.

[bearshermark]

By accident, about 15 minutes ago. Someone in the memory I had did it, and I just decided to try it for fun, then it actually worked.

[bearshermark]

What does that mean?

[Google is giving him shit about thermodynamics. Maybe a dictionary would be more useful?]