unskippablecutscene

[ WOW, LEAVING HIM ON READ!! But that's just fine with him he's going to show up outside of Baritones shortly after, with a couple of journals in his hands ]

[He'll be there.]

Ah, fancy seeing you here. Care to step in?

How could I possibly refuse an invitation.

Lead the way.

[He opens the door and shows Five in!]

[ he knows the place just as well as his dorm by now so he's Not Impressed ]

Which one is your room?

[He is rather tempted to just show Five to Emet-Selch's room, it might as well be his. But he shrugs and silently walks to his own, opening it for Five to enter.

It's absolutely the basic dorm he's done nothing to add to or improve it but then again he is still quite new.]

[ going in and just checking it out like he's totally minding his business ]

I see unlike Emet-Selch you don't care much for improvements. Then again. I do suppose you still have abilities to purchase.

[ placing each of the journals he brought on the nearest surface, though he then opens one of them to take a piece of paper out of it - it's a pre-written contract, and his signature is already on it ]

Before I explain the contents of each journal, I did prepare our contract. It simply covers enforced silence in regards to your identity, and my knowledge of your objectives, your brethren, and your god. We will maintain the secret and should we each start talking about anything covered here, our voice will be gone for the 48 hours. This will prevent any further speaking.

[He has no comment on his personal living arrangements but he does hold his hand out to take the contract, reading it over as Five talks. Mostly checking to make sure it's what Five says and that it includes Emet-Selch as an exception to everything.]

[ It does indeed cover exactly what he says, and exceptions listed are "those who escaped the sundering alongside Lahabrea, Glacies and Wildfire" ]

You're free to provide suggestions for revisions. I do have pen and paper with me.

Why are these last two included? Let me amend the question; why should I allow these last two to be included?

They already know, so there's no reason for enforced silence with them. Not that I have any desire of discussing any of these matters with them, but should you wish to, for whatever reason. Damage will be minimal — Wildfire will not babble on like an idiot, and Glacies ... well. I don't think she understood the full extent to which I'm willing to go, but regardless, she's unlikely to inform Taisho.

You have Emet-Selch to blame for both of them.

[He sighs.]

Of course I do. Well, what's done is done. I suppose I'll leave that.

But this is incomplete. It does not cover written or other non-verbal communication. Amend it. You may of course have notes, however, deliberate attempts to circumvent the agreement should be... discouraged.

[He hands the paper back.]

[ there's a small smile at that ]

I shouldn't be surprised you caught that. Very well. Unlike Emet-Selch, I have no reason to trust you, so that's fine enough.

I'll add inability to write coherently as a consequence as well, should we try to breach the topic in any form.

[ writing down the revisions, and waiting for Lahabrea once he's done ]

[He looks it over.]

That shall suffice for now. Should we need change it I'll speak on it again.

[He produces a pen, stolen from Emet-Selch, from a pocket and leans over to add his name but stops.]

Does it require my true name or will "Cosmo" be binding enough?

Anything you identify with will suffice, so long as you're the one signing it. I'm aware that true names hold particular power here, so I have no expectations of you sharing it with me.

[ he's obviously not talking about Lahabrea ]

That said. Emet-Selch did use a symbol, if that would be preferable.

[That does get a raised eyebrow, and his eyes narrowed.]

My. He does care for you.

I'll stick with Cosmo.

[And that is what he writes, neatly. Capping the pen and glancing at the journals.]

You work quickly. I do like that.

I know he does.

[ said with like, zero doubts. He's going to make himself at home and just sit on Cosmo's bed like he own the place ]

These are not nearly as thorough as I would have liked - it's mostly a collection of what I'd already started working on. As a result, it's basic at best and lacking a number of important details. But I figured you would like to at least get an initial idea of what to work on, and the sooner we get started, the better.

Any one of us could be transferred at any time. I will not risk failure due to poor planning on my part.

[ gesturing toward the journals ]

You will find here the full formula I used to time-travel back to my family eight days before the apocalypse. It's not perfect — as I mentioned, the equations were off and as a result, I'm stuck in this body. But I haven't had the chance of revising it.

My siblings powers are covered in details in my sister's book — you will find more information there than I can provide, as I am still recovering my memories. But since the book also does provide irrelevant information about our family life and dear old dad, I've taken care to at least provide a summary through these pages.

Finally, there are a few theories I've taken care to write after studying the material Emet-Selch gave me, regarding how to best combine our powers. They're still nothing more than a bunch of guesses, however, so I expect you will find quite a lot to revise in there.

I have been taking care of transcribing a few pages from the extensive research Noah used to achieve traveling to the First before it was rejoined with the Source. But as it is the work of several people's lifetime, it is taking quite some time.

It is a start and affords me so reading. Work on the rest while you may.

[He looks at the journals again, definitely happy to have things to read.]

Now.

As for your own education there's some I can do outside of dreams, but only theory. And in magic, theory is better understood when you can practice. I feel you'll get much more out of a book on the subject once you have tested the methods first.

But all that is detail. Are you familiar with what Arcanima is? We can begin there.

I'm not an idiot. Obviously I do. We've covered enough theories with Emet-Selch, so if you don't want to waste my time, you'll need to start a little more advanced than that.

Good. Then let us start with the basic formulas. They are by themselves nothing without the enchanted ink and aether to channel through them, but I believe you'll find them familiar enough to grasp.

That's acceptable enough to me. Would you like to start now, or are you busy?

Now is fine.

[He picks up an journal of his own (also stolen from Emet probably) and goes to sit next to Five. There are already formulas written on the pages and he flips it to the first.]

The simplest formula. A direct attack, ruin. [Next page.] Another simple magic. A basic recovery spell, physic by name in the current common. [Page three.] An enfeebling magic, biological warfare made aetheric, and thus deemed bio.

[Page four has a lot more.] And this is the most basic of magical constructs, summoning on a scale too small to be deemed dangerous. A formula to give life to basic aether to aid you as a minion. There are many varieties and more can be created, but the emerald is the most common and easiest to harness for a beginner.

Now.

[He flips back to page one and hands the journal over.]

We will go over what each part of the structure means for each spell. Much like math, the language of the formulas will become apparent as you grasp the components.

[ honestly with the amount of carbuncle plushies the audience gave him, the idea of summoning one is kinda weird. He's an attentive student by default, but obviously he's going to use photographic memory to memorize each of those formulas ]

Makes sense.

[ a pause, and then he adds ]

Did you create the basics of this discipline? Not you specifically - your kind.

Edited 2020-05-26 13:42 (UTC)

[Rip]

You could say in a sense. In the same way that we were the origins of much. But the form I am teaching is one mortals have made quite different.

Simplified, refined, dumbed down and limited to what fractured souls can handle. It is an ideal place to begin. But it does share roots with studies of my time, in its essence.

Do you have other questions before I walk you through the first formulas?

[ there's a sigh ]

The idea you're having to teach me a dumbed down version is rather insulting. Still. I understand I am a beginner, and I've never encountered anything like this. I'm not arrogant enough to believe I'd grasp the original concepts.

You were brilliant.

But no, I don't have questions yet. I'll reserve them for when you do more than showing me your pretty handwriting.

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