[voice]

[ursulamajor]

[Ursula's voice crackles over the network. She sounds curious as ever. After all, some interesting things have been raised. Things related to... magic. Ursula has a thread of excitement running through her entire voice when she speaks.]

Hello, my fellow Dreamers!

I'm quite curious about magic in your worlds. I was a professor of magic, in my home world, and I understand it can vary considerably. Not to mention the native Talents...

What was it like, where you came from? Do you practice magic? Do you know someone who does? Inquiring minds.

[a beat]

That's me. I'm the inquiring mind. Th-that was kind of lame, huh?

Comments

[eyeinfusion]

I did! Most of them ran away from me when I kept going back.

This is a test one, but I guess it’s not working out too well.

[But she sounded enthusiastic in responding to his joke, which makes him feel a little bad.] Yeah, there was magic in my world. What were you saying about magic?

[ursulamajor]

How strange! I wonder why...

[She shakes her head. Focus! One thing at a time, Ursula reminds herself.]

Magic can't be completely understood. After all, even if we know how it works, we can never entirely know what it means to people or how it affects them.

[eyeinfusion]

Probably—

[Aaand then it cuts out again.]

[When he comes back on, he sounds sheepish.] Sorry, it did it again. You're using voice, so you don't want to show your face, right? Is there some kinda magic you could whip up so we can talk that way? I can use wind, if that helps.

[ursulamajor]

Oh--no, I just... habit, sorry. Would you prefer video? I could try to do a spell, though, I think.

[eyeinfusion]

No, it's just that my yimo's being weird!

[He turns sheepish.]

If you're okay with meeting in person, it might be easier than this...

[ursulamajor]

Ah! Ah, yes, I understand. Yes, let's! Do you have a personal preference on where?

[eyeinfusion]

Well, where are you right now? We might be pretty far away!

[But on the other hand, they could be pretty close. Judai has this tendency of napping on rooftops near the Dreaming Bridge. In any case, there's no reason to make either of them go out of their way.]

[ursulamajor]

I'm... let me see.

[She takes a second to look around, to get her bearings.] About five minutes from the Dreaming Bridge.

[eyeinfusion]

Great! Then let's meet there.

[He's already very close to the Dreaming Bridge, so while he waits, he tinkers with his yimo, hoping some random chance will get it working again, but...no luck.]

Heh. Maybe there's some magic that can fix it?

[He's talking to himself. But he, uh. Realizes that he doesn't know what Ursula looks like, so he can be found staring at the yimo, wondering if he should try to use it again to call her.]

[ursulamajor]

[Ursula waves, as she gets closer to him. She isn't hard to miss -- she has long blue hair, and a witch's hat on. Which, really, says a lot for someone who was asking very publicly about magic. She smiles at him, as she looks around.

But at others, too.]

Ah, hello? I was supposed to meet someone here!

[eyeinfusion]

[He hops up.] That's me! [Probably! A small breeze whirls around him, a little too focused to be random fortuitous happenstance, before it dies just as suddenly. (It may be a little too subtle a way to let her know that he's the wind-using guy from the yimo, but shh, don't tell him that.)]

Wow, you really do look like a spellcaster! Nice too meetcha! I'm Judai.

[ursulamajor]

Ah! Judai! You sound like I imagined you might.

[And the wind. She raises a hand and smiles, before she... tips the brim of her witch's hat to him.]

Why, thank you! I try.

[eyeinfusion]

Gotta look the part and all, right?

[He puts the yimo back into his pocket.]

You were researching magic, huh? What's that like? [She'd said something about happiness and effects, after all.]

[ursulamajor]

A lot of it's... very studious--it's learning formulas and incantations, and the intricacies of a spell. Which doesn't change the end goal, but...

It isn't a matter of just wanting it or just visualizing it.

[She sighs, a little.]

But I don't want to make it out like it's boring! It's fascinating, how something so scientific can also be so wonderful.

[eyeinfusion]

Ah, studying, huh... [Good thing his own magic doesn't work the way she's describing...he's never been very studious.]

The last time I heard something like that, it was alchemy. You're a professor, right? Should I call you "Professor," then?

[ursulamajor]

Well... I'm not your teacher. At least, I'm not yet!

[Should she offer to start magic classes? How would that work? She needs to think about it. After all... she's here for the long haul.

And there are a lot of younger people here.]

So you don't have to.

[eyeinfusion]

Sounds good. [And sensical, which is probably the more important part! He's actually used to calling teachers by their title even if they aren't currently teaching a class he's taking though. Or he used to.]

So you're researching magic in this place? Is there something you're hoping to find?

[ursulamajor]

Well... mm.

I don't mean it in a lazy way, but nothing specific. I want to understand it--how it works. How it's different from what I'm used to.

If it can be taught.

[eyeinfusion]

Ah...

[He scratches his head.]

Mine probably can't. [For one thing, he wouldn't be able to explain how he knows how to use it, himself.]

My Talent probably can't be taught, either. [Which is another thing he just kind of naturally knew how to use. Which is a little scary if he thinks about it, but he doesn't really think about it! he's used to oddness when it comes to magic.]

I guess I had someone helping me, though.

But is the magic here different from what you're used to?

[ursulamajor]

I don't think most Talents could... ah, that's too bad. Most of the magic here is quite different, though. Which is nice.

[She shakes her head once.]

I have more to learn!

And, I think, the theory of magic could hold true no matter what.

[eyeinfusion]

Would be pretty fun if we could teach other Talents, though, huh?

[That might be pretty chaotic, but it could also be pretty fun!]

If the theory of magic holds true, maybe you could learn another Talent! Or is that not how it works? [Magic being called "talent" might be starting to confuse him a little.]

[ursulamajor]

It would! I don't know that it's possible, but...

[She shakes her head.]

Even if I can't -- and I have my doubts -- understanding them better would help. But no, I think their magic works differently.

Maybe we need better terms...

[eyeinfusion]

[He's actually pretty skeptical that understanding it would help—but that's just Judai being Judai. He's always operated on his gut.]

If you ever figure it out, I guess you can count me as one of your students. [He'd be a terrible student, but who's counting?]

There's also something to do with...turtles? [Which, admittedly, he only knows about because of that one time he was chased by religious zealots, but Pepper had also brought it up, so that...counts, right?] And something about the Dreaming.

[ursulamajor]

Would you? I would be happy to have a student, too! I wonder... hm. I'll need to do some experiments!

[She looks up, then, and blinks.

But nods.]

I've heard we're on the back of one. A giant turtle.

[eyeinfusion]

[Uh-oh, "experiments" doesn't sound good. What did he get himself into??] I hope they're not too taxing! [He hopes he doesn't have to volunteer as a participant!]

Do you think we are? I mean, do you believe we're on the back of a giant turtle? Sounds kinda far-fetched! [But despite his words, his tone is light, like he doesn't disbelieve it.]