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[evocation]

@kyna.medina | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[evocation]

[She lets out a long-suffering sigh, like this is a ridiculous question.]

You're pretty, but everyone was intimidated by you because of the Quarry bullshit. It's a thing.

[Duh!]

[hiyakai]

[ it's his turn to release a good-natured laugh, shaking his head in mild amusement. ]

Thanks. I've never been called pretty before. [ no comment on the quarry bullshit though. ]

[evocation]

[She squints at him, almost suspiciously.]

Are you bullshitting me?

[hiyakai]

[ he splays open his hands. ]

No lie. [ why would he bullshit about something like that, kyna? ]

[evocation]

What, were you hiding under a rock your whole life?

[Wait, what was her point here?]

Anyway, I'm awesome. That's what I'm saying.

[hiyakai]

More or less the equivalent of one.

[ cue eye roll. ]

Yeah, sure. You're the coolest.

[evocation]

[She knows he's being an asshole, but she beams at him anyway.]

Thanks. Now tell me about your magic.

[hiyakai]

Come on, Kyna. You can't just ask me something like that out in public. [ he fans himself with his left hand. ] Wow. So shameless.

[evocation]

Oh my God. Do you want me to buy you dinner first?

[hiyakai]

Well, since you offered... Yes.

[evocation]

[Okay, she walked into that.]

What do you want? Red Wings?

[hiyakai]

Anywhere with burgers, fries and alcohol will work.

[evocation]

So Red Wings.

[She loops her arm through his instinctively and heads for the door. Sorry, Kai.]

Tell me on the way.

[hiyakai]

[ she's so touchy and he isn't expecting it enough to stumble juuust a little as she tugs him out of the safehouse. ]

What do you want to know?

[evocation]

Everything. How does it work? What does it feel like?

[hiyakai]

Well, it kinda depends on the type of magic you use. The most traditional form draws its energy from the Earth itself. Mother Nature functions as the primary source of our power, which we can then use spells, astrology, divination, whatever's your flavor of tea to manifest and control.

[ he can branch into all the specific types, but a summary's enough for now. ]

It's... the best feeling in the world when you have it. When it's coursing through your veins and it's with you. Like... like everything in your life just makes sense and you know who you are because it's a part of you. It is you. And without it, well...

[ he grows quiet for a moment and then— ] Anyway, your turn. [ he glances down at her. ] What's your magic like?

[evocation]

[As he talks, Kyna bites her lip, some of that endless energy tempered. She's mostly worked through the loss of her magic, but... Hearing him put it into words like that dredges it all up again.]

Like that. Just like that. It feels like... being blind, right? Missing a limb.

[hiyakai]

I think it's more than that. [ his voice softens considerably. ] It's like... you've lost yourself. [ again. ]

They took that away from us, so... [ his expression is impassive and unreadable, yet there's a hardness in his eyes that wasn't there before. he keeps his gaze fixed ahead of them. ] the only thing we should want from those gods is our magic back. Nothing else matters. At least not to me.

[evocation]

Yeah.

[She says it softly, giving his arm a little impulsive squeeze.]

But we haven't lost ourselves. You know that, right? We're still us, magic or not.

[hiyakai]

[ something unravels within him then or, rather, reverts back to its original state as his countenance smooths over and a smile once again neatly adorns his lips. ]

Yeah, [ he looks over at her, a moment's passed. ] you're right. We are the only ones who can define who we are.

[evocation]

[It's so sudden that somehow, it doesn't feel fully genuine. It feels like a defense mechanism. Kyna frowns up at him, brow furrowed.]

I'm that convincing, huh?

[hiyakai]

[ he flashes her a grin. ]

Super. [ he offers a light shrug of his shoulder. ] So, what form of magic does yours take? And do you rely more on spells or some other medium?

[evocation]

Uh...

[The sudden snap back to casual and charming has thrown her, and it takes a second for her to get her train of thought back.]

A little bit of both. Back home, people who use magic pull it from the world around them, right? And some of the ways we use it are just sort of... instinctive. But some of them get more complicated, and we have to use spells or rituals or whatever you want to call them.

[hiyakai]

Yeah, that's how ours work too.

[ he tilts his head thoughtfully. ]

Wouldn't it be funny if we're from the same world? You ever been to Portland, Oregon?

[evocation]

[Her lips quirk up.]

Nope. I'm from Brooklyn.