[ Not a bad analogy. Maybe she does have some hope at this whole magecraft thing. Granted, being able to conceptualize it is one thing, but going against that is another. You're normally not supposed to push your hand the wrong way, after all. ]
Now don't let that stop you. Magecraft is all about being stubborn, after all...
[ Bit of an oversimplification there, but that doesn't really make him wrong, huh...? He starts to assist her, guiding her own mana rather than pushing his through her. ]
[ Stubborn. The word settles strangely in her brain for some reason, like an ill fitting pair of shoes she's been asked to break in. She's never thought of herself as the stubborn type before but for some reason, she likes it when Oberon says it. And she supposes it would make sense for him to think of her like that - she's been greedy and tunnelvisioned since the moment they met, after all. And it takes a certain stubbornness to deal with a Servant like him.
So she follows his lead. She breathes out slowly and in her mind, the exhale is flecked with specks of light. She lets herself imagine her mana like that, too - writhing liquid stardust trapped in her veins, desperate to flow. Her body resists but she pushes, like stretching a stiff muscle until it finally learns to give again. And something does, sharply enough to make her pull in a pained breath.
[ He grins. She's not perfect and she makes mistakes frequently, but she's not as bad at this as she thinks. He gently disconnects and instead grips her arm with his hand and squeezes. It's still not perfect... in fact, it probably wouldn't hold up to anything dangerous quite yet, but... ]
Congratulations, Ai. You've taken your first baby step.
[ Well, by actual mage standards, that's a lie... but actual mages tend to be assholes anyway, so this is an alright lie to tell. ]
[ When her eyes flutter open, she expects to find her arm... visibly changed somehow. Wearing the sheen of the stardust she'd let herself imagine was running through it. But it looks just the same as it ever did and a weird mix of disappointment and relief passes through her. But... if she's honest, mostly relief. ]
I... really did it...
[ She gently tugs her hand from his grip and draws it close to her face so she can stare into her palm. Something feels different, different enough for her to tell that she's really managed it.
A slightly unsteady smile wobbles onto her face - and then she whirls around on him, absolutely beaming. ]
Eheheh! See, I can do it too if I put my mind to it? Hm, would you say I'm a genius, a prodigy or a genius prodigy already?
[ She's clearly gassing herself up just as a joke, but the relief and pride in her eyes is true if nothing else. ]
[ God, she might be joking, but how dare she have such a contagious smile. Still, he manages to hide it well enough under his usual smug attitude. ]
Yes, yes. A genius idol and a genius mage, you must have it all, don't you?
[ Still, it's a good first step. If she can channel even a little mana through herself, then she can manage inanimate objects. Beware, world... Ai Hoshino is going to learn how to make magecraft bombs. He briefly wonders if Artoria would get jealous... though then again, even if she did get jealous, he wouldn't really care. ]
[ He's lying, of course - she'd know that for a fact even if he had any other choice. She's taken her first tottering steps into a world she barely understands and nothing more... but still. It doesn't feel bad to be praised, even if it's having to come in the form of a barely there, backhanded compliment. ]
This is the part where you're supposed to give me a grade, you know. What do you think? An A for effort and a D for actual results?
[ He reaches out and puts his hand on her head, still grinning as smugly as ever. ]
Maybe… if I were your typical teacher. Practice what you just did regularly until you can do it effortlessly. In the meantime, I suppose the question now… is what you want to learn next.
[ He swears, if she says something like “flying”, he’s going to kill Artoria… for an influence that she wasn’t even here to impart onto Ai. ]
Hmm, maybe I'll bring a broomstick up here. [ She ducks out from under his hand and twirls, arms out, dancing across the roof. ] And you can teach me how to fly.
[ She's kidding, of course. But she twirls across the roof and finally slows to a stop. ]
Hmm... But that's not super useful. So maybe...
[ She's facing away from him how and the wind catches her hair for a moment. ]
Oh yeah? You wanna be a witch now? Well, sorry, but that particular expertise is out of my capabilities. You can learn how to fly when you grow wings, though!
[ Said as if his wings aren't just decorative and useless in regards to flight. Still, he looks up just as she twirls and the wind catches her hair.
God, she's so effortlessly beautiful it must be unfair. ]
...What, you don't want me to do it anymore?
[ He says it jokingly, but he did a really bad job of hiding how he was staring and admiring her for a moment. ]
Hmm. Maybe I just don't trust you to do it responsibly.
[ he didn't think she'd forgotten what he did last time, did he
Or, well. That's what she says, in a light enough tone to sound like a joke but she's still facing away from him. One of her hands has slid around to the front of her torso and even without being able to see it, it's easy to guess she's gripping that particular spot of her dress again. ]
I just thought it'd be useful if I could do it too. Not just for me, but Aqua and Ruby, too. Wouldn't I be a total supermom if I could make all their scuffs and bruises just go away like that? Ahaha!
[ It's pretty and well rehearsed but her laugh is mirthless. ]
Whaaaaat? Come on, you can trust me to do it right~
[ Which means she 100% cannot trust him to do it responsibly. Granted, he didn't need to say it for her to know that already. In his defense, though, they're both just as bad at keeping their hands to themselves.
He watches her hand grip that spot and his grin briefly fades. Well, it's not like she's wrong... in regards to both her lie and the truth, that is. His usual grin returns, and he allows her to keep that lie up. ]
I suppose you would! Maybe I should only teach you how to heal with a kiss, then? That is what you human Mothers do when your child gets hurt, isn't it?
[ As if he'd go through the trouble. He'd have to learn that particular method himself before he imparts it onto Ai, and that's definitely never happening. ]
[ Another laugh. Still not quite real, but a little less forced at least. ]
Oh, wouldn't that be super cute? But... I think you're pretty much the last person I'd trust to teach me something like that. And I don't want to kiss anybody but you, so that's kind of a bust.
[ She turns back to face him properly, her smile a little more sober - and when she steps in towards him, the hand that'd been clutching the front of her dress drifts up to gently touch his face. ]
With the Mystic Code, all I had to do was... but I guess it wouldn't work right now anyway. There's nothing to heal, huh?
[ He tries not to let it show how much his heart flutters hearing her say that. Ugh, it's embarrassing even when he manages to hide it...
Not that he manages to hide it once Ai reaches up to put her hand on his face. Ugh, she's way too goddamn charming, are we sure that isn't her real magecraft talent? Charms? Actually that might be worth thinking about... ]
Ai...
[ ...and then it hits him. THere's nothing to heal, huh?
Honestly, the fact that she's oblivious to her own implications makes it even better somehow. His clawed hand comes up to grip hers as his grin widens. ]
...I could change that, you know.
[ Woman, please stop tempting him every single thread... ]
[ A playful click of his tongue followed by the immediate punishment of her fingers pinching his cheek... all is right with the world, clearly. He brushes away her hand before she can turn his cheek too red, though, and grins. ]
What? If you set yourself up so obviously, what am I supposed to do? Not take the opportunity?
[ Flawless logic... for the worst guy ever, sure. ]
And you act like you're surprised when I don't trust you to control yourself...
[ She gives his cheek a poke... For all her talk of how much she does or doesn't trust him, she's gotten pretty comfortably fearless all the same. Definitely too fearless for such an easily terrorised little prey animal but that ease is itself a sort of trust, isn't it? ]
I was going to see about giving you a little reward if you turned out to be a good enough teacher today but now I'm thinking I shouldn't bother.
[ With how often this bunny gets devoured nowadays, it's only natural that she'd grow some backbone, right? Not that it saves her from being devoured at all. ]
Aww, I'm not a good teacher? I'm hurt.
[ He catches her hand in her own and brings it to his lips, kissing her hand and quickly retreating before she can pull his cheek again. ]
Alright, alright... whatever you say, Ai. Healing, is it? Fine. Listen up, then...
[ He returns her smile with his grin. Honestly, she's hopeless, isn't she? ]
Careful now, haven't you heard the rumors about this teacher and his illicit relationship with his student? He might just go after you next.
[ That's right, folks, he's the worst guy ever and the worst teacher ever! God help the poor girl who's at the mercy of his whims. What's next!? Student-teacher play!? Can these two calm down for literally two seconds!? ]
Now there are plenty of ways to heal using magecraft... but I only know one, and it's a straightforward one, so no complaining. See, the body already heals on it's own, right? It's just a matter of accelerating and improving upon that process. The healing spell in your Mystic Code is the same. It provides a quick burst to the target's natural healing process, which is enough to deal with most injuries and make the more serious ones a little better. For now, though, you're going to focus on a slow heal over time, something you can keep continuously going... as long as you're in close proximity and have enough mana.
[ He strides towards her, relaxed, albeit not grinning anymore. ]
...So jokes aside, I am going to need to do a demonstration. Mind if I cut your finger?
[ You know, a normal thing to casually ask someone. ]
[ Her expression sobers a bit as she listens - her smile's still there but her eyes are alert and attentive. What he's saying makes sense - she remembers how burned out and exhausted and hungry she'd been that first time he'd healed her. If her body was simply being pushed to do what it would have naturally done much faster than usual, then that explained it.
The thoughtful look on her face slides clean off at his question, though, and she blinks at him in evident alarm. ]
Um, I kinda do! [ She laughs a little nervously... but then relaxes. ] You'll fix it right away though, right...?
[ He grins and reaches to take her hand in his own. ]
No, you'll fix it right away... after I've shown you.
[ And then, before she can protest, he... bites down on her finger.
What is he? Some kind of feral animal!? Fortunately it's not enough to draw blood, but it is still hard. Hard enough to bruise and cause a considerable sting. Fortunately, though, it's nothing she isn't used to already when it comes from him.
He could've just cut her finger using his claw, though... ]
[ She absolutely should have seen this coming and yet when his teeth come down on her finger, Ai yelps in shock. She just about has the presence of mind to not yank her hand back and risk snagging it on his teeth, at least not until he lets her go and she whips it back, holding her poor hand to her chest, cradled in the other. ]
That hurt, you jerk...! [ and NOT in the nice way if her expression is anything to go by. ] Did you really have to do it like that?!
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no subject
I do. It's sort of like...
[ Her fingers spread out and flex a little before relaxing. ]
Like you're trying to push my hand back the wrong way... but it won't let you. My whole body's pushing you back.
no subject
[ Not a bad analogy. Maybe she does have some hope at this whole magecraft thing. Granted, being able to conceptualize it is one thing, but going against that is another. You're normally not supposed to push your hand the wrong way, after all. ]
Now don't let that stop you. Magecraft is all about being stubborn, after all...
[ Bit of an oversimplification there, but that doesn't really make him wrong, huh...? He starts to assist her, guiding her own mana rather than pushing his through her. ]
no subject
So she follows his lead. She breathes out slowly and in her mind, the exhale is flecked with specks of light. She lets herself imagine her mana like that, too - writhing liquid stardust trapped in her veins, desperate to flow. Her body resists but she pushes, like stretching a stiff muscle until it finally learns to give again. And something does, sharply enough to make her pull in a pained breath.
Against all odds, her mana flows. ]
It... it's like that... isn't it?
no subject
Congratulations, Ai. You've taken your first baby step.
[ Well, by actual mage standards, that's a lie... but actual mages tend to be assholes anyway, so this is an alright lie to tell. ]
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I... really did it...
[ She gently tugs her hand from his grip and draws it close to her face so she can stare into her palm. Something feels different, different enough for her to tell that she's really managed it.
A slightly unsteady smile wobbles onto her face - and then she whirls around on him, absolutely beaming. ]
Eheheh! See, I can do it too if I put my mind to it? Hm, would you say I'm a genius, a prodigy or a genius prodigy already?
[ She's clearly gassing herself up just as a joke, but the relief and pride in her eyes is true if nothing else. ]
no subject
Yes, yes. A genius idol and a genius mage, you must have it all, don't you?
[ Still, it's a good first step. If she can channel even a little mana through herself, then she can manage inanimate objects. Beware, world... Ai Hoshino is going to learn how to make magecraft bombs. He briefly wonders if Artoria would get jealous... though then again, even if she did get jealous, he wouldn't really care. ]
no subject
[ He's lying, of course - she'd know that for a fact even if he had any other choice. She's taken her first tottering steps into a world she barely understands and nothing more... but still. It doesn't feel bad to be praised, even if it's having to come in the form of a barely there, backhanded compliment. ]
This is the part where you're supposed to give me a grade, you know. What do you think? An A for effort and a D for actual results?
no subject
Maybe… if I were your typical teacher. Practice what you just did regularly until you can do it effortlessly. In the meantime, I suppose the question now… is what you want to learn next.
[ He swears, if she says something like “flying”, he’s going to kill Artoria… for an influence that she wasn’t even here to impart onto Ai. ]
no subject
Hmm, maybe I'll bring a broomstick up here. [ She ducks out from under his hand and twirls, arms out, dancing across the roof. ] And you can teach me how to fly.
[ She's kidding, of course. But she twirls across the roof and finally slows to a stop. ]
Hmm... But that's not super useful. So maybe...
[ She's facing away from him how and the wind catches her hair for a moment. ]
Maybe healing?
[ Her voice is a little too casual to believe. ]
no subject
[ Said as if his wings aren't just decorative and useless in regards to flight. Still, he looks up just as she twirls and the wind catches her hair.
God, she's so effortlessly beautiful it must be unfair. ]
...What, you don't want me to do it anymore?
[ He says it jokingly, but he did a really bad job of hiding how he was staring and admiring her for a moment. ]
no subject
[ he didn't think she'd forgotten what he did last time, did he
Or, well. That's what she says, in a light enough tone to sound like a joke but she's still facing away from him. One of her hands has slid around to the front of her torso and even without being able to see it, it's easy to guess she's gripping that particular spot of her dress again. ]
I just thought it'd be useful if I could do it too. Not just for me, but Aqua and Ruby, too. Wouldn't I be a total supermom if I could make all their scuffs and bruises just go away like that? Ahaha!
[ It's pretty and well rehearsed but her laugh is mirthless. ]
no subject
[ Which means she 100% cannot trust him to do it responsibly. Granted, he didn't need to say it for her to know that already. In his defense, though, they're both just as bad at keeping their hands to themselves.
He watches her hand grip that spot and his grin briefly fades. Well, it's not like she's wrong... in regards to both her lie and the truth, that is. His usual grin returns, and he allows her to keep that lie up. ]
I suppose you would! Maybe I should only teach you how to heal with a kiss, then? That is what you human Mothers do when your child gets hurt, isn't it?
[ As if he'd go through the trouble. He'd have to learn that particular method himself before he imparts it onto Ai, and that's definitely never happening. ]
no subject
Oh, wouldn't that be super cute? But... I think you're pretty much the last person I'd trust to teach me something like that. And I don't want to kiss anybody but you, so that's kind of a bust.
[ She turns back to face him properly, her smile a little more sober - and when she steps in towards him, the hand that'd been clutching the front of her dress drifts up to gently touch his face. ]
With the Mystic Code, all I had to do was... but I guess it wouldn't work right now anyway. There's nothing to heal, huh?
no subject
Not that he manages to hide it once Ai reaches up to put her hand on his face. Ugh, she's way too goddamn charming, are we sure that isn't her real magecraft talent? Charms? Actually that might be worth thinking about... ]
Ai...
[ ...and then it hits him. THere's nothing to heal, huh?
Honestly, the fact that she's oblivious to her own implications makes it even better somehow. His clawed hand comes up to grip hers as his grin widens. ]
...I could change that, you know.
[ Woman, please stop tempting him every single thread... ]
no subject
Nope. No way. Sorry, but we came up here to get something productive done for once. And before you say it -
[ The hand at his cheek turns into a pinch. ]
No, a "mana transfer" wouldn't be productive right now. Nice try, though.
[ see, she's learning...! Not enough to not set herself up like that in the first place but still. ]
no subject
[ A playful click of his tongue followed by the immediate punishment of her fingers pinching his cheek... all is right with the world, clearly. He brushes away her hand before she can turn his cheek too red, though, and grins. ]
What? If you set yourself up so obviously, what am I supposed to do? Not take the opportunity?
[ Flawless logic... for the worst guy ever, sure. ]
no subject
[ She gives his cheek a poke... For all her talk of how much she does or doesn't trust him, she's gotten pretty comfortably fearless all the same. Definitely too fearless for such an easily terrorised little prey animal but that ease is itself a sort of trust, isn't it? ]
I was going to see about giving you a little reward if you turned out to be a good enough teacher today but now I'm thinking I shouldn't bother.
no subject
Aww, I'm not a good teacher? I'm hurt.
[ He catches her hand in her own and brings it to his lips, kissing her hand and quickly retreating before she can pull his cheek again. ]
Alright, alright... whatever you say, Ai. Healing, is it? Fine. Listen up, then...
no subject
[ ... But a smile twitches onto her face all the same. ]
But I'm listening, I'm listening. [ Then, with her eyes twinkling with mischief: ] Sensei.
[ what did we JUST TALK ABOUT, girl ]
no subject
Careful now, haven't you heard the rumors about this teacher and his illicit relationship with his student? He might just go after you next.
[ That's right, folks, he's the worst guy ever and the worst teacher ever! God help the poor girl who's at the mercy of his whims.
What's next!? Student-teacher play!? Can these two calm down for literally two seconds!?]Now there are plenty of ways to heal using magecraft... but I only know one, and it's a straightforward one, so no complaining. See, the body already heals on it's own, right? It's just a matter of accelerating and improving upon that process. The healing spell in your Mystic Code is the same. It provides a quick burst to the target's natural healing process, which is enough to deal with most injuries and make the more serious ones a little better. For now, though, you're going to focus on a slow heal over time, something you can keep continuously going... as long as you're in close proximity and have enough mana.
[ He strides towards her, relaxed, albeit not grinning anymore. ]
...So jokes aside, I am going to need to do a demonstration. Mind if I cut your finger?
[ You know, a normal thing to casually ask someone. ]
no subject
The thoughtful look on her face slides clean off at his question, though, and she blinks at him in evident alarm. ]
Um, I kinda do! [ She laughs a little nervously... but then relaxes. ] You'll fix it right away though, right...?
no subject
No, you'll fix it right away... after I've shown you.
[ And then, before she can protest, he... bites down on her finger.
What is he? Some kind of feral animal!? Fortunately it's not enough to draw blood, but it is still hard. Hard enough to bruise and cause a considerable sting. Fortunately, though, it's nothing she isn't used to already when it comes from him.
He could've just cut her finger using his claw, though...]no subject
[ She absolutely should have seen this coming and yet when his teeth come down on her finger, Ai yelps in shock. She just about has the presence of mind to not yank her hand back and risk snagging it on his teeth, at least not until he lets her go and she whips it back, holding her poor hand to her chest, cradled in the other. ]
That hurt, you jerk...! [ and NOT in the nice way if her expression is anything to go by. ] Did you really have to do it like that?!
no subject
Unless you'd prefer to learn how to heal imaginary injuries in your imagination, then yes.
[ Which is to say there are a million other ways he could've done this, but he chose this to mess with her. ]
Now give me back your hand, it's demonstration time.
[ Really just asking her to hold her hand out after what he just did? Calling him a jerk is an understatement. ]
no subject
Nope. Sorry. You don't have a handshake ticket so you'll just have to keep your hands to yourself.
[ ... she says, and then holds out her hand anyway. With a huff, just so he knows for sure how totally mad she definitely is! ]
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