draculabutbackwards

[Oh Hunter.]

I don't quite see the distinction? If a bird has an organ for using the natural magnetic fields, then that's just living and inorganic bits of the same system.

[One ear flicks up a bit, and there's a subtle change from uncertain to determined across his features, that carried into his voice.]

But a bird isn't going to actively choose to use that magnetism to try and fly into the sun. Its biggest threat isn't itself, it's other creatures abusing it. That's not true with witches. They're a threat to themselves if they treat wild magic like something that they can harness or make use of, and everyone else.

[And this is why he's careful about his approach. Direct challenges go nowhere, and apparently even pretty incidental stuff can trigger defensiveness.]

I just meant the distinction between witches and natural magic seems arbitrary, but sure, let's talk about that, too. What's wild magic actually doing? Remember my context is quite different.

Wild magic is... [Hold on a second, it's weird trying to define something that's so second nature to his worldview.] It's everything that's not relating to one of the nine major covens. There are a lot of smaller covens, but all of their magic can still be sorted into the main covens, like- specialisations.

[He lets Guard crawl up his wrist so he can tick off on his hands.]

A lot of wild animals have magic, or such high natural defences that make confrontation a deadly risk in a best-case scenario. Natural formations like Fool's Blood - the Titan's Veins themselves are impervious to magic, but growths of Fool's Blood means the area is decayed so the entire area becomes a hazard. Witches using the wrong kinds of magic? Learning too much means they set themselves off while they're casting, like dymamite, or it could lash out when they lose control of their emotions.

[While he's still hoping a lot for this socratic method, he's starting to get interested despite himself. He'd assumed the covens were regulation and distinction, however artificial, but it sounds more like a carve-out.]

I think I've been operating under a misapprehension. Wild magic isn't just magic beyond the coven system, but magic outside? Is there anything beyond a fairly new tradition distinguishing the two?

I'm... um. I'm not... actually sure.

[And it's a galling thing to admit, but it's still true.]

I haven't been able to find any records of the transition onto the coven systems besides officially published texts on it. Belos introduced the system as a means of honouring the Titan - using wild magic is blasphemous, it's disrespectful and hurts it.

The titan splits some very fine hairs, then. Hm.

[That hm does not drip with palpable disdain. Because he's trying very hard.]

This is just gut instinct, but a creature giant enough to live on its bones and an idea like wild magic don't seem intrinsically antithetical.

Well, no-one's been able to speak with the Titan before. [He can't help the faintly defensive edge. He's got a ways until he's above that, unfortunately.] There's no way to have known what it might have wanted before that. Thanks to Emperor Belos, we finally do and we can change to be better.

[He doesn't want Hunter's back against the wall. That will get them nowhere. But a little uncomfortable is okay.]

At home you couldn't. The library's... unfortunate in its circumstances just now. But we can make requests of the admiral, use the enclosure--you have plenty of options for curiosity here.

[His sincerity might save him here. Learning is cool!]

[He looks away, shoulders tightening a fraction, but it's not sullen defensiveness this time. He is genuinely thinking about it.

It's just... hard not to feel like Belos will find out and punish him for it. He's already proved he can show up, after all.]

I thought the Enclosure wasn't meant to be that accurate? That can't be much help in trying to do historical research.

No, if you could just ask the enclosure for a cross-referenced library on exactly your subject, I doubt people would stay here long. But it can be set to specific conditions if we wanted to test magic in your world. And even if there's no Lost Compendium of Titan Lore, we could ask for work from contemporary scholars before and during the changeover.

[Well, there's an idea.]

...we could probably go and actually see the Savage Ages. I know the Enclosure doesn't do people properly, but even just seeing what the general civilisation was like back then, it could be... it'd be interesting.

[Good, good, the more he thinks of it himself, the better.]

Clever, yes. If there's anything to be said for life on a bizarre magic raft in the middle of a chaotic stream of possibility, there are always options, if you look for them.

[The compliment, brief as it is, gets a quick smile out of him. He's gonna get a good grade in inmate.]

Alright. I'll-- try and think of more things we can look into.

And I'll raid Father's for good field note supplies. Even if it is all at a remove from reality, good record keeping never hurts.

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