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[Oho.]

What kind of bonus can you offer?

[ The turn-tables....!

She can do this. ]

Can.... it involve a kiss?

Pretty sure you've got blanket permission to kiss me whenever you want.

[Or she does because he trusts her to use this power wisely, for the most part.]

So it has to be an extra special sort of kiss...

[ What makes a kiss extra special? ]

Is... there a kind of kiss we haven't done yet?

[He's not very well-versed in that sort of thing beyond his experience with her. Platonic? Cheek, lips? With tongue? Those are the kisses he knows...]

[ "--a kind of kiss we haven't done yet--" ]

Erm-- well, not that I...

[ (Oh dear Architect how is she losing at teasing him!!) ]

[ With more vigor than before: ]

I've never kissed you... upside down!

[omg.]

I think I saw that in a movie once. Can't say I know how to pull it off, though.

[Got any wings for yourself, girlfriend?]

[ Unlock her final form and the answer is yes. ]

Whaaaat if... we did a flip mid-air, and at the zenith of arc--

[ With her free hand, she blows him a kiss, giving him a playful wink in the process. ]

[He snorts indelicately, reaching out to "catch" it with a playful grin.]

This sounds like a shortcut to a broken nose.

[ She giggles. ] But, Noct, aren't you used to doing flips in the air?

Sure. Very fast flips in the air. Want me to phase through you? If my face goes through yours it's almost like kissing.

[It's not, but okay.]

[ She brings a hand to her chin, then to her lips, tilting her head slightly, as if she's actually considering it. Blushing, ]

It might.... tickle.

[ His magic is quite distinct. ]

I don't think I've ever asked what it feels like.

[He's done it, so he knows it doesn't hurt anyone, but he's kind of curious now.]

Erm, well... [ Now she has to think about it, too. ] Your magic with me... It's always been intense. [ When they had first warped together, the many times they've linked together, the times they've connected with the ring together-- it's always been an intense bond they've shared. She's always felt the breath-taking quality of his power, the divinity behind it, ominous, stellar, and dazzling. She's also felt his magic within her through their bonds, and all around her sometimes whenever they train or in the few times they've fought together. ]

When we connect, it feels magnificent, and when it fades, it always leaves a little prickle in the air. It looks beautiful...[ She sighs a bit, bringing that hand upon her chin to her cheek, as if she could imagine feeling it there. Without thinking, she admits-- ] Even just a small amount would feel beautiful, too.

[ How might something feel "beautiful"? She's not sure, but magic isn't exactly literal, either.

However, a moment of silence passes where she realizes that perhaps this is a sensitive topic, too. His magic to him costs him, and so her smile fades when she turns her attention back to him. ] Ah-- I mean....

[ ...Nope, she doesn't have an out for that one. ]

Edited 2021-02-01 02:53 (UTC)

[He tilts his head as she trails off, not understanding where the unease came from. They'd been in such good spirits this whole time, and she loves talking shop, so what...?]

That's... good, isn't it? [Are the aftermath forms bad??] Or does it actually hurt-?

[If they were a problem, surely someone would have told him by now.]

Ah-- no, no, I mean...

[ Her hand fidgets in his by brushing her thumb along the side of his thumb. ]

Your magic costs you, doesn't it? [ She feels bad calling it as feeling beautiful if it means that it hurts him! ]

[Oh... oh, that. Now he gets it. He blinks, then smiles softly.]

Magic's not infinite for anybody. It costs you to use yours, right?

I...[ She seems as if she's about to protest, but stops. ] Mm. [ A small, quiet nod. ]

I only... It seems unfair, when your magic does have the potential to actually hurt you.

Ah, I guess...

[He scuffs a hand through his hair, not sure how to respond to that, exactly. She's not wrong, but it feels wrong to just outright agree, too. He tries not to let pain be a deterrent from doing things he can do.]

I wanna say... most of the crystal's magic doesn't hurt. It can get tiring, sure, if I use too much, but that's it. It's only when I start borrowing magic that it starts to get weird. The ring, some of the weapons, the Astrals... that power isn't really mine, so there's a cost that isn't just my own magic.

[It really is too much power for one person. That's likely one of the biggest problems with it.]

Does that make sense?

[ Understanding paints across her expression, as well as relief. She might have been under the impression that basically everything hurts him. Also, he nearly died less than a month ago, so she is being cautious. ]

It does... [ She smiles again. ]

When you phase, how does it feel to you?

How does it feel...

[He considers the question thoughtfully. It isn't something he's devoted much pondering to, not for years, really. It's just become an automatic reaction at this point, a dance of reflexes, acrobatics, and a balancing act between how much his body can handle and how many injuries he needs to avoid in order to stay alive.]

You remember how it felt to warp? Going from one place to another, sorta like turning into magic to follow the sword? It's like a really intense version of that. With a warp, it's more grounded, because you're following a real thing to a real place. Phasing's like... I have to find my own destination, and time when I change back to being physically there again so I'm not, uh. In something else. If I botched a phase and came back with a sword inside me or something, that'd be a shortcut to a bad day.

[He manages to look even more sheepish somehow. There have definitely been some interesting training accidents over the years.]

The short version is that it feels like a warp that's more power and instinct. It's less about going somewhere and more not being in a space that you were supposed to die in.

[ "--back with a sword inside me--" and "--not being in a space that you were supposed to die in.--" Maaaaybe this is another topic she'll have to be careful about, even if the topic started with her commenting that a phase-kiss would tickle. ]

You... I've seen you phase so naturally, I wouldn't have guessed it'd be anything so complicated.

[ And here she is, still attempting to warp on her own as they train together! ] Because putting it like that, that makes it seem even more... ah, technical than warping without a weapon to throw!

[If it helps Pyra any, the conversation doesn't seem to bother him any. It's just more shop talk, and as he mentioned, this is the magic that doesn't hurt him. It's good! As long as he does it right.]

I don't know, it kind of is and isn't. Phasing takes a split second, and if I think about it, by the time I've made a decision it's already too late. Plus I'm pretty sure if I think too hard, I'll do it wrong.

[Instinct is the key word when it comes to phasing. Too early, and the enemy can redirect their blade. Too late and the blade's already sliced off something important. It's gotta happen when it's meant to happen, and not a moment outside of that window.]

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