early July; video;

[ruinsprofessor]

[Some little time after the festival at the end of June, Raine logs on to the network with the gleam of experimentation in her eyes.]

In the wake of the Summer Jubilee, some of my artes have undergone a mild change. If there's someone with an hour or two to spare, I could use a hand investigating just how changed certain of them are.

[She pauses there, realizes that elaboration may be necessary as most of her artes are for healing and she does not in fact intend to injure anyone.] There should be little to no risk of harm involved, I simply need another living being and I'm loath to involve Ryder, benign as the artes in question may be.

---

ooc; please note a content warning for material relating to addiction in the thread with Solomon.

Comments

video;

[peacefullywreathed]

[He's looking tired. Tired and vaguely restless, and slightly distracted. Or anxious for a distraction.]

Does this have to do with your exsphere?

Re: video;

[ruinsprofessor]

[Blinkblink. Pause for consideration.] That's unclear. It's possible that an alteration to it was the manner in which the effect was achieved? Regardless, I find some of my artes are substantially more responsive, and I believe there's the potential for improvement in others.

[He definitely doesn't look quite well, but she doesn't mention it for the moment, choosing rather to observe.]

Re: video;

[peacefullywreathed]

[He considers that. The exsphere--or rather the exsphere's residual soul--could prove to be an irritant, but an irritant would surely be all that it was, at this stage. If Raine could help his ... problem ... then he should at least pursue it.]

I'll help. This afternoon, perhaps?

[ruinsprofessor]

Certainly. I live in Earth -- Tu-Gai -- or we can meet somewhere in between, though preferably a place with few distractions. [She's not picky on this one, as long as there's some modicum of privacy; she's aware she's asking a favor.] I appreciate it.

voice

[unetrustworthy]

[Midii had...absolutely no idea what any of that meant. But she was curious enough to ask, which is why she switched her console briefly over to audio-only so she could:]

What's an...artes?

Re: voice

[ruinsprofessor]

[Raine has explained this concept to plenty of students over the years, and has a relatively simple explanation ready to go.] An arte is an advanced technique that can be learned by a practitioner of weapons or magic. Their applications are mostly in battle, and they range from simple blasts of kinetic energy to small-scale meteor storms. There are also healing and support artes, which are the sort I primarily use: artes which close wounds, or provide temporary shielding.

Does that make sense?

voice

[unetrustworthy]

[Not entirely.]

[But she took a moment to think it over. Try to organize the explanation into something that made sense.]

So it's...magic.

[That was the closest she could come up with.]

[ruinsprofessor]

[So close.] I... suppose you could call it that, but there are people incapable of magic who can still use artes in combat. Think of it as an evolution of a person's natural abilities, perhaps?

voice

[burnseternal]

[Having overheard Raine's explanation to Midii, he doesn't need to ask what the artes are, but that answer has't wholly sated his curiosity.]

What is it that you use your artes for, if I may ask?

Re: voice

[ruinsprofessor]

I am for the most part a healer, both in combat and out. [Simplest way to put it that doesn't involve the minutiae of support artes and where they fall in the division.] Most commonly I work at the hospital.

I can't place your voice; have we met?

voice

[burnseternal]

Ah, a healer! A most noble cause indeed. [There's clear warmth in his voice at that.]

If we have met, it has only been in passing. I am Saint Walker - and yourself?

Re: voice

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine Sage. [She smiles, returning visually the audible warmth. She doesn't recognize his name, though, and she rather thinks she'd remember it if she'd heard it before.] It's certainly possible we've met in passing. In either case, a pleasure.

[whitelotustile]

I'm free tomorrow morning, if you like.

[ruinsprofessor]

[Raine looks briefly startled, then smiles.] Yes, I'd appreciate it. At your convenience.

[whitelotustile]

Of course. Just ask me after breakfast.

[OOC: do you want a log?}

video->action

[ruinsprofessor]

That should work nicely. [That handled, she moves on from the console for now, neglecting a formal farewell.]

--

[As he suggested, Raine finds Iroh in the morning after breakfast, staff in hand.] You said you had some time to experiment...?

video;

[iguanasolution]

[He's seen Raine around the hospital, and he knows Septimus trusts her... but they haven't talked all that much. Maybe it's time to fix that.]

What are your 'artes' exactly? Some sort of spell or magic? I mean I'm all for helping you out in any way I can, but I'd never heard that expression.

Re: video;

[ruinsprofessor]

[She knows she recognizes him, has seen him around at the hospital if nothing else.] It does seem to be an uncommon one. It's not unique to my world -- I've met at least one other person who uses the term -- but not many people here do.

[She really should start using the local parlance, for clarity if for nothing else, but she can't quite bring herself to abandon the precision or the reminder of home it gives her.] An arte is an advanced technique, usually with a unique name, learned by someone who studies and practices combat, whether magical or physical. Some of the abilities I suppose may look like magic to others, but there are people incapable of magic who can yet use artes.

Re: video;

[iguanasolution]

[He gives her a nod, mostly understanding.] So it's like combat techniques, that also use magic sometimes.

[He guesses when the magic is ingrained to a culture it might not seem any different than everything else.] But if it's for combat, how are some of them used for healing?

video

[sophos]

Artes - like your healing, you mean? Changed how?

Re: video

[ruinsprofessor]

[Raine's pleased to see Annabeth's face, both because she's found their previous interactions valuable and because she genuinely likes Annabeth.] Such as my healing, yes. And I have reason to believe my artes will now be as efficient here as they were in my own world.

video

[sophos]

[She's never heard the word 'Artes' before, but it hadn't been hard to make the assumption.] What reason is that? Were they dampened before?

video;

[jinzhong]

[Well, shit, he's willing to help out Raine.] Still looking for a guinea pig?

Re: video;

[ruinsprofessor]

[She remembers him. And he seems to be well, even. Excellent.] I could still use some assistance, yes, if you're offering.

video;

[jinzhong]

[He smiles.] Great! Yeah, I wanna pay it back, you know? Since you helped me earlier. What do you need?