[center] [b][h1][color=#736AFF]Ranbu no Izayoi[/color] and Miina Malina[/h1][/b] [/center] Later that night, Izayoi found herself sitting next to Miina by the fire. Her…cousin. And didn’t the thought of that concept still prove to rattle her equilibrium somewhat? She sighed as she finished setting aside the cookware used for the evening, murmuring aside to the other mystrel. [color=#736AFF][b]”Truthfully, I’m still not rather used to the concept of us being family. I’d never had any relation that wasn’t a direct parental one. ‘Cousin’ simply seems unwieldy, considering the age difference between us as well. If I’ve a handle on your age correctly, only a scant few years would qualify myself from being old enough to be your mother by any reasonable standard.”[/b][/color] She remarked idly, having never been rather adept at small talk. “N-Nineteen,” Miina replied, tail flicking but eyes remaining firmly on… whatever it was she was drawing or writing today. Probably drawing, going by the charcoal in her fingers. Nonetheless, as she thought more about Izayoi’s response, her hand stilled and head cocked. “Mmm…” “N-Not the same for me, older c-cousins…” she gave a half-shrug, opened coat sliding down her shoulder, “Th-That it’s [i]dad’s[/i] side is odd, b-but m-most people I grew up with were c-c-cousins.” [color=#736AFF][b]”Nearly a fifteen year difference, then. I would be thirty and four in a scant few moons.”[/b][/color] Probably. Her younger years before she lost her parents were but a haze now, but eight years old when her master had found her was most likely right. If the estimate was off by a year or two, what did it truly matter without any sort of record? [color=#736AFF][b]”Isshin never mentioned whether he had extended relations of any sort: only that his parents had passed years ago. The idea of possessing such a large family…is somewhat disorienting. I had only ever thought of immediate, direct relations.”[/b][/color] Izayoi paused, frowning. [color=#736AFF][b]”I should hope that your father hadn’t made much of my relation to your aunt after we left. T’would be an expectation I’ve no intention of fulfilling.”[/b][/color] “D-Dunno,” it was another shrug from the redhead, attention drifting back down to her drawing, “Probably just means you c-c-can stay without problems. N-Not sure why you would want to, it’s m-m-more my thing…” Oh, good. Miina recognized that. It saved Izayoi the trouble of needing to broach the topic herself. And here she thought that was going to have to be more of an awkward conversation. [color=#736AFF][b]”Indeed, I’ve no desire to do such. As far as I’m concerned, you are the only member of this extended family of mine I’ve any interest in knowing better.”[/b][/color] She peered over Miina’s shoulder, trying to see what the girl was sketching. As it turned out, it was the selfsame demon they’d fought in the ruins this afternoon. [color=#736AFF][b]”Impressive.”[/b][/color] Izayoi nodded, her curiosity satisfied. [color=#736AFF][b]”Do you draw often?”[/b][/color] “Umm… y-y-yeah,” Miina nodded, cringing at her drawing. It wasn't that it was inaccurate… [i]to her[/i]. But trying to add how aether behaved around something made entirely out of magic? It probably just seemed like nonsense artistic flourishes or inaccurate shading. “Ah, j-j-just whatever gets my interest, really,” she added, “P-P-People, ‘specially mages, landscapes, uh…” If it was pretty, or if it had a strong presence. [color=#736AFF][b]”Speaking of mages,”[/b][/color] Izayoi began, folding her arms into her kimono sleeves. [color=#736AFF][b]”Have you progressed upon the technique we discussed previously? I should like my Time materia back sooner rather than later, if possible.”[/b][/color] “Ah… r-r-right!” the redhead scrambled to find the little orb and hand it over. She hadn't quite managed the exact technique, there was no good opportunity to use or practice it, but… Presenting it proudly, Miina explained: “I th-th-think I've g-got it down, mixing black and white m-magic.” The more she did it, the more she was getting the hang of balancing them to achieve… well, something otherwise impossible. [color=#736AFF][b]”Appreciated,”[/b][/color] Izayoi quickly popped the green materia back into her gauntlet, taking a moment to ensure that it was snug and secure. [color=#736AFF][b]”You have, then? Good. Show me, if you’d care to. I am no true mage, so I can provide no input of any actual import, but the practice ought to be good for you, regardless.”[/b][/color] Okay, she could do this. It… would probably be easier to show with some water, right? At least on a cut-down scale; none of them wanted the entire camp blown away. But no sense in wasting anything they’d actually gathered for drinking or cooking when she could just condense it from nothing… It was a shame that magically-created elements didn’t last. Maybe if she’d had longer with the crystal… or maybe that was something that only such fundamental lynchpins of the world could do, permanent creation. She’d have to take a look in Skael. Also, she was stalling. And looking at the new pool of water on the ground like it held some deeper meaning. Izayoi nodded slowly as Miina conjured up a puddle, only to bite back a sigh as she saw Miina simply stare into it. For the love of…how to move this along? Unfortunately, her cousin didn’t seem the type to be motivated by the usual harsh language she would have preferred. How strange, when it had worked for Izayoi when she was Miina’s age. And younger. Would Suzume have… She cut that train of thought off. There was company. It would be unseemly to lose herself to such things in the presence of others. [color=#736AFF][b]”One step. The next…?”[/b][/color] She prompted, hopefully causing Miina to wake up from her stupor and get back to the matter at hand. “O-Oh, r-r-right, sorry…” startled, Miina turned back to the [i]actual[/i] problem. Well, it wasn’t really a problem, was it…? In her left hand, black magic, aether turned to destruction and violation of the natural order; in her right, white magic, that which should repair and restore, or could reinforce. Opposed. Theoretically [i]incompatible.[/i] But they were just manipulations of aether itself, and it wasn’t like she was trying to combine two true opposites. It wasn’t like there was a significance to the two hands, either; if she’d had some sort of better focus… but all she ever practised with or wanted was her body. Whatever was trickier in her left. And wind, as ever, [i]wanted[/i] to flow in all directions like the air itself. The air fought being controlled except in the broadest terms, and coercing even the meagre amount she was using for this demonstration to stay in a nice pattern… well, that was trickier. But haste? The energy of time and speed and [i]acceleration?[/i] Not only was it one of her most-used spells to begin with, in a way it was eager. She doubted it could stick to another magical effect like it would a [i]person[/i], but so long as she just gently guided it? Oh yes, it could amplify the wind far beyond what she could reasonably do with just wind. … well, if she was using the full measure of her abilities. This was a demonstration, not an attempt to destroy everything. Miina was confident she could have created this vortex alone. Was it even possible for Izayoi to tell she [i]wasn’t?[/i] Nonetheless, it was a success: a hurricane in miniature, visible from how it gathered up the pool into a single whirling pillar, and the wind itself strong enough to be felt and make the fire nearby dance wildly. Izayoi studied Miina’s process carefully, familiar enough with the spells being used despite her own need for a crutch to even cast them. At once, the primary advantage to Miina’s method of natural casting became apparent: she was far faster and more controlled than Izayoi’s destructive sword had been. It had taken far, far more time for her to even manage to even begin combining the two. [color=#736AFF][b]”Well done.”[/b][/color] She nodded in approval. [color=#736AFF][b]”Your casting time is already faster than I could ever manage with materia. Now, all that remains is intensification and maintaining the spell’s structure as you do so. If you care to continue, do point away from the campsite, yes?”[/b][/color] “I c-c-could do that, b-but…” Miina shrugged. Their fight earlier hadn’t [i]time[/i] to exhaust her reserves, and sleeping later would mean tomorrow was more or less fine even if she tried to distraction. But she [i]really[/i] didn’t want to do something massively loud and flashy when travelling, let alone trying to make an artificial hurricane. “… I d-d-don’t think it’s safe to p-practise [i]this[/i]. I c-c-can probably manage it in a f-fight anyway…” Besides, they were getting closer to Skael, with their ultimate goal [i]being[/i] the elemental orb. That was bound to have an effect on how easy this trick was to pull off – but in which direction, Miina couldn’t guess at; would it reinforce the natural order or allow for more manipulation of its chosen element? – and, ultimately, studying it would probably do more good [i]anyway[/i]. And Izayoi had her materia back, too. It wasn’t vital for her to pull this trick off. [color=#736AFF][b]”Very well.”[/b][/color] Izayoi had only been curious, regardless. If Miina was claiming to already be capable of performing the arte within actual combat, it stood to reason that she had been practicing, anyhow. The girl wasn’t exactly the type to overestimate her capabilities, after all. The exact opposite was far more likely. [color=#736AFF][b]”If you can execute this in combat, you’ll have completed the technique years more quickly than I ever did. Perhaps enough to make it viable as an actual manuever rather than the half-realized patch job I’ve made of it.”[/b][/color] A slight smile crossed her face as she patted her cousin on the shoulder. It wasn’t as if Miina didn’t need the praise, anyhow. Miina’s reaction… that was almost [i]definitely[/i] purring, until the girl realised what was going on and her skin turned the same colour as her coat. “W-W-W-Well… y-you did w-work out [i]what[/i] it w-was first, I’m j-just following…” [color=#736AFF][b]”Theory was hardly the difficult portion. I was younger and far more impulsive than you when I devised the idea.”[/b][/color] Izayoi demurred, taking the used pot and pan and starting to rise. [color=#736AFF][b]”Regardless, try to sleep soon, yes? I’m still to clean these up before I turn in for the night.”[/b][/color] “R-Right, just as soon as I’m d-done,” Miina replied, shuffling around to her discarded notes. Yes, sleep was important, but… well, her picture wasn’t finished. As good as her memory generally was, she wanted to get [i]all[/i] the extra details. Just in case another demon showed up. For comparison.