ruinsprofessor

[ He raises his brows to that, intentional and knowing. It wasn't incidental at all, and that's part of what worries him in what's happening. This shouldn't be possible and yet somehow it seems to fit; he doesn't really like it. ]

It isn't so much about cross-contamination as it is the fact that I'm not capable. You can't multiply zero and get anything but zero, and this is the same. Especially healing; that isn't something we even have.

[ Despite the words, Cain isn't arguing. He's adding point to counterpoint, hoping to chip off the edges of the mystery until they can crack it open. ]

But it is something you have. Or-- are would be a better word, I suppose.

[Raine's still thinking, gears turning steadily.]

How do you feel now?

Not magically. I know what you're saying, but what I am doesn't translate to what I can actively do.

[ He sighs, shifts so that he can place his back to the tree and tilts his head to give her a sardonic look. ]

I'll probably sleep through the night just fine, but nothing else feels out of place.

[Raine shakes her head.]

Didn't.

[Because obviously, something has changed. Even if it's only as long as he's wearing this fascinating new piece of jewelry.]

That's a relief. Do you think you could reproduce the effect?

[She's not generally in support of injuring only for teaching purposes, but if it's only her, and only something small-- well, she can fix it in eight seconds maximum. Unfortunately, she doesn't make a habit of carrying a knife. Hm. She gives Cain another long, thinking look.]

[ That isn't something he can argue, so he just tips his head to the side in acquiescence. He doesn't like it, but that doesn't mean he's in outright denial. Just... trying to understand how it all fits together. ]

That one is up in the air. Chances are yes, if the trigger is actually just noticing an injury.

[Too much they don't know. An isolated instance does not make for a usable set of data. Raine considers the course of action a little longer, and then:]

Hm. Do you happen to carry something sharp?

[ Cain's head cants briefly and he nods, reaching into his pocket to pull out the switchblade he tends to keep on himself. Just in case. ]

I don't think I can induce extra healing on myself, though.

[Raine reaches over, briskly takes the switchblade from him. She turns her left hand palm-up -- the bracelets there clank softly -- and scores a swift line over the heel of her palm, grimacing faintly as she does. She's had worse, of course, but she doesn't generally go in for inflicting injury solely for practice; it's been years since she did, back when she was first adrift in Sylvarant and still desperately needed practical repetition of first aid, with only Genis for company.]

[Still. The sooner they know what Cain's doing, the sooner he can control it. Raine offers him her hand, wordless, to see what happens.]

[ Cain sees what she's doing as soon as her offhand turns over and he merely levels her with something of an exasperated look. Not the idea he would have gone for when there were likely other options to explore, but he has to admit it is simple in its efficiency and there's no danger to be had. Still, he doesn't appreciate when his children are hurt.

The line is cut out, the blade pulls away, Raine offers her hand, and Cain takes it. He feels it again, that rush of something filling him up like fresh air in his lungs, his mind almost coming into clearer focus save for the fact that nothing changes, the atmosphere feeling more charged to him alone. The wound starts to heal, tracing the steps from start to finish and pulling in any drawn blood along the way.

Cain breathes softly, awaiting another wash of tiredness to come with it, yet he barely feels anything even resembling a nudge. His brow furrows, then one quirks up, and he raises his head to give Raine a one-shouldered shrug. ]

[Raine ignores the exasperated look, instead only watches her hand, fascinated. It's not her style of healing, which regenerates; this is markedly Cain's, she can tell by how the errant blood actually returns to her.]

Scale and distance likely affect how much it drains you, then. You still look better than when you first got here.

[She hands him his knife back.]

If you don't mind, I'd like you to come by the Guild perhaps half an hour before lunch, sometime in the next few days.

Right, I didn't feel it much at all. Distance can be a factor like that?

[ Cain takes the knife, not even touched by the blood that had been there, and folds it before putting it back in his pocket for now. He just raises a brow at the request. ]

Half an hour before? Time to experiment before break?

It can be. One of the friends I traveled with during the regeneration journey used artes that functioned rather differently from mine; the farther the injured party was from him, the more it cost him and the less effective it was.

[It doesn't work like that for her, but in some circumstances, it makes sense.]

Yes, that's what I was thinking. I should have some patients who will need help, if you don't mind. We can assess your new capabilities further that way, and afterward you'll have a chance to rest and eat.

So it depends on the type as well as the person. Something like that.

[ He really doesn't quite understand in general, but he's learning and picking it up quick for everything Raine has told him and what he's picked up from observing others using magic. ]

Practical and to the point. [ He nods, a slow motion. ] That's fine with me, good way as any to see what I've got without causing intentional damage first.

[ It's more of a tease than censure, but he still returns a bit of his look from earlier. Ahem. ]

[Raine nods.]

Regal is mostly human; while I'm reasonably sure he has a trace of elven blood, it must be relatively distant. I haven't had a chance to study his techniques, but I believe he uses a different method-- not mana, but chi, or something like it. No one else I know uses an arte anything like it. Still, the precedent exists.

[She offers him half a shrug and a grimace; Regal did not talk much about his training, as curious as Raine was.]

Still, that's beside the point. It's important to get a grasp on what you can do.

[She meets the gaze a little flatly, but without verbal comment.]

Right. We have the concept of chi where I'm from, but it doesn't exactly pan out the way others would like it to. No way to externalize it for real world effects.

[ At her flat gaze, his lips quirk and then he simply smiles. ]

While you make a compelling point and I won't argue that learning about it and how to control it is important, the fact of the matter remains that this is without precedent where I'm from. [ He pauses, head dipping in thought. ] There's still something of a moral quandary about it for me.

[Hm. Slightly different manifestations in three different worlds at least, then. Fascinating. Raine wonders... but no, that's not the matter at hand. One thing at a time.]

[She doesn't exactly frown, but it's relatively obvious from her expression she hasn't quite followed.]

Why moral? You've said before the living can't use magic in your world, but...

[It seems more a metaphysical problem than a moral one.]

Things like this tend to upset the balance in a major way. [ He considers, looking away for a moment, long enough to think of an equivalent. ] If the use of magic where you were from risked just outright withering the Tree with every cast, would you feel safe using it? Even here where there is no tree?

[ Perhaps not a fair comparison, but the most apt he can come up with with consideration to what he knows about her world. ]

[That nets several seconds of stunned silence out of Raine, and for the time being she can only blink at Cain, processing. He knows what that means, and she doesn't think he's likely to overexaggerate much, either.]

I... likely not, no, you're correct.

[An omnipresent feeling that anything she did to help could equally doom the world? No. Raine blows out her breath, and her attitude softens.]

I still think it's important for you to learn about this, especially if you can't control whether or not it happens, but... we can take it slowly.

[ It's with a nod that he silently confirms his own intent. Yes, that was a shot aimed very pointedly. He knew the significance and wanted to cut through any confusion on how out of sorts this whole ordeal was making him feel. As disoriented as he seemed, his emotions inside were even worse. Harder to parse. Nearly violent for the refusal to accept.

And yet— ]

That's why I came to you for help. There's no use running away from it, but... "getting used to it" isn't the half of it.

Yes. I understand.

[As much as she can, anyway.]

However I can help.

[A pause, considering.]

If this is coming from that piece of jewelry, as seems most likely, you could always set it aside.

[That's carefully neutral. Raine wouldn't, but if this seems so wrong to Cain...]

[ Cain sighs, rubs at his eyes for a moment. ]

No, I can't do that. With... everything the Dreaming seems to want to throw at me, it looks like I'm just meant to be unbalanced for a while longer. If something like this happens again, but destructive next time, it could be even worse. This is something completely outside my ken and it wouldn't be fun if something took advantage of that.

[No. She couldn't either. Raine nods, solemnly.]

I'm a little concerned about the costs to you, as well, given what you said about the first instance. That's why I want to investigate this in a controlled setting.

[But he already agreed to that, he's just reluctant. Raine gives him something of a reassuring smile, reaches over to pat his hand. It's a carefully made gesture, but meant well. There, there.]

Let me know what day is convenient for us to begin.

[ At the concern, Cain merely raises a brow. That part, at the least, isn't something he's worried about. His own well-being has long since stopped being an issue. Danger still exists and he'd rather not be put into stupid situations but... overall he's relatively fine with the only thing thus far being a physical drain. That sort of thing is easily fixed with a good night's sleep.

Her hand pats his, and he smiled for the motion. ]

I'll definitely contact you. Don't worry, I won't run away or anything.

[Raine exhales a little laugh.]

I didn't think you would.

[There aren't many places to go. But she is, still, a little worried, and she's watching Cain with something of it in her eyes.]

[ Cain sees it. He isn't sure what to do with it, because there's no real option but to go through with this. ]

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cw; minor self-injury

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