[Week 3, Thursday: Shirou]

[fallbymyhands]

[sometime late afternoon, after Mitsuru finishes practicing her fencing skills, but well before the sun sets, Mitsuru makes her way back to cabin one to prepare for her post-curfew patrol. it's a good thing she and Shirou share a cabin, because she probably runs into him as she's headed that way]

Ah-- hello again, Emiya. We keep meeting like this.

[DESTINY]

[or it's b/c the camp is a small area and they share a living space]

Comments

[diesifkilled]

[She might not be BUT HE SURE IS]

There's no need to prepare. Hopefully nothing will even happen, but if it does I'm as ready as I can be.

[fallbymyhands]

Which is admirable, in and of itself.

[although, as they walk and talk, a thought suddenly strikes her]

Actually. . . do you mind if I ask a question? It's about your abilities.

[diesifkilled]

Go ahead and ask! I'll tell you whatever I can.

[He's had to explain stuff about his abilities so many times already, but it's not like it's that much of a pain. And if he can help by letting people know what he can do, all the better.]

[fallbymyhands]

[thankfully, her question is very simple]

How do they. . . work?

[diesifkilled]

[uh]

Are you asking me how magic works in general? I can explain the basics of it, but I'm not anything like an expert.

[fallbymyhands]

I suppose that's somewhat similar to the question I'm asking. . .

[she knows how magic works-- at least, her magic, the power of Persona-- but not how other magic works. and the list of skills he put on the chart tracking everyone's abilities seemed peculiar]

You can summon swords, correct? From where do you summon them?

[diesifkilled]

[Oh, at least that part's easy. He was worried he'd have to write her an entire lecture about magic circuits and mana and shit.]

I don't actually summon them from anywhere. I just make them.

[fallbymyhands]

[no that's okay, he doesn't need to know that. although she would find it utterly fascinating]

You make them. . .?

Out of what?

[diesifkilled]

[Hm. He's... not entirely clear on that, now that he thinks about it. It's not something he's ever thought about that deeply.]

Out of mana I guess???

[fallbymyhands]

[well]

[at that response, she just gives him a very confused look]

[like]

[????]

[??????????]

[diesifkilled]

[he just kind of

shrugs??

and after some thought, writes a new note]

MAGIC

[hth]

[fallbymyhands]

[nope. it does not. it does not help at all]

Perhaps the. . . mechanics of your abilities isn't something I should inquire into, as curious as I am about them.

[as an academic]

[diesifkilled]

[oh no he let her down.........

He takes a little more time writing up an attempt at an explanation in order to try and make up for it.]

Sorry. Like I said I'm really not an expert. The way it works is that I just imagine the construction process and structure of the object I'm trying to replicate and then create it by projecting mana outward through my magic circuit. It only works with swords, anything else I try to make turns out hollow and useless.

[Wait, magic in her world works differently, doesn't it. She probably doesn't understand the terminology he's using here.......

this might take more notes than he has paper for.]

[fallbymyhands]

I see.

[it's fine, she might not know what he's talking about, but she's smart enough to follow along]

So you have to know the makeup of the object you wish to create. Or, the sword you wish to create, I suppose.

I feel as though I should have asked you to create my rapier, rather than purchasing it from Pines.

[diesifkilled]

You're probably better off with the original. A copy's just a copy, even if it's a really accurate one. With a nonmagical sword you might not be able to tell the difference, but it's still not going to be quite as good.

[fallbymyhands]

Is that how it works? I'll bear that in mind; although I've already spent my tickets, so it's a bit too late to take them back now.

[ah, well]

How did you. . . awaken to your abilities, Emiya?

[diesifkilled]

[Once again, it's a question he kind of has to consider for a moment.]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean. Magic in general or just projection?

[fallbymyhands]

Magic in general, I suppose. The power of Persona-- my ability-- is not one an individual is born with.

[diesifkilled]

People aren't born with magic in my world either. But it's not something you just "awaken to". Usually mages learn from their parents since it's passed down in families. My case is a little different but I did learn from my father.

[fallbymyhands]

So it's something like a hidden potential that some are capable of honing, with practice?

[that's what she's getting from this, anyway]

[and then Shirou mentions his father, and Mitsuru starts in surprise]

And your father taught you?

[diesifkilled]

That's pretty accurate! Most people can't learn magic, I barely have any talent for it at all.

And yeah he did. He didn't originally want to teach me but he gave up after I begged for two years.

[There's a nostalgic smile on Shirou's face as he writes about his father. It's probably easy to tell how much he misses the man.]

[fallbymyhands]

[aw. . . Mitsuru can't help the small flash of a smile that appears on her features as well, although there's a tinge of something. . . sad about it]

It sounds as though you two were close.

[diesifkilled]

We were. He wasn't a perfect parent or anything, he was away a lot, but to me he was a real hero.

[fallbymyhands]

[it's sweet, but there is something Mitsuru picks up on in the way he writes about his father]

"Was?" Did he pass away?

[diesifkilled]

[He doesn't usually bring up the fact that he's an orphan - people get weird about it - but since it came up naturally...]

He did, five years ago. I've been living with a guardian since then.

[fallbymyhands]

[it's okay, Mitsuru is asking for a reason. she isn't quite an orphan, but as someone who was close to her father and completely estranged from her mother. . .]

I see. You have my condolences. I. . . know what it's like, to lose a father.

[diesifkilled]

[Oh, whoops. Accidentally bringing up bad memories for the hot girl is no good.

He gives an apologetic wave of his hands as he hands over the next note.]

It's okay. Of course I miss him, but I've learned to live with it. I'm sorry if it's a painful subject, though.

[Man, it's hard to express condolences through just text. He hopes his expression carries the meaning across sufficiently.]

[fallbymyhands]

[it's okay, she stepped on his bad memories, too]

No no, it's all right. I asked the question.

[a small, rare smile]

And I understand. I've learned to live with the loss of my father as well, as much as I also miss him.

He was a great man.

[diesifkilled]

My dad was

Well, he was a great man to me. I always saw him as a superhero who could save everyone.

[fallbymyhands]

[oh, Shirou]

I'm glad it sounded as though you two were close. Those memories must be some of your most cherished moments.

[diesifkilled]

Yeah, there were some good times.

How about you and your dad? Were you close?

[fallbymyhands]

[a pause]

. . . no.

[oh]

He was distant, but caring. He only wished for the best for me.

[diesifkilled]

[oh

shit]

Still, it sounds like you cared about him a lot.

[fallbymyhands]

I did.

And I intend to carry on his legacy, though through my own terms, and not his. Just as he wished for me to do.

[diesifkilled]

[That reminds him of Tohsaka so much it makes him stop in his tracks for a moment. Mitsuru might have plenty of differences from Rin, but some of the similarities are really striking.

After recovering from that thought, he smiles.]

You know, you're a really admirable person, Kirijo.

[fallbymyhands]

[she starts a bit when she hears that, and despite her best efforts, a tiny dash of pink appears on her features]

. . . thank you.

[she was always taught to accept compliments in stride]

[diesifkilled]

[He gives her a smile and takes a moment to think. Why did they start talking about dads to begin with?

Oh, right.]

Anyway, did you have any other questions about magic?

[fallbymyhands]

Hm? Oh, no. Not at this moment. I suppose I was just curious how your magic compared to the magic of a Persona.

[diesifkilled]

[Oh, right. The Persona.]

Actually, would you mind telling me a bit about how that works? I heard some from Ren, but didn't really understand it.

[fallbymyhands]

[hm. . . well]

What did Amamiya tell you? I can pick up where he left off.