{first prayer} video

[endsorrow]

[The video starts with a close-up of a man's face. He blinks several times, and then breaks out into a wide grin.]

Ah! I believe it is recording now, yes? [He straightens to his full height, but since the terminals are set at a height equal to about his waist, the feed is filled with the image of his breastplate and robes.

He stops and makes a surprised sound, and he squats again so that it focuses on his face.] Goodness. Why did they place these machina at...? Ah, well. [He smiles brightly.]

Hello! I am Braska. I have two things I would like to address today.

The first is to offer my services to any who need it, free of charge. I am a skilled healer with years of experience, and I need not rely entirely on White Magic. I am also capable of using natural herbal remedies, though I need some time to accustom myself to what is available here in Saeng Seong. I have to admit, I am not skilled in the use of machina and other advanced techniques, but if anyone would be willing to teach me, I would love to learn!

Now, of course, I am sure there are those of you who are asking, "what's the catch?" If it would make you feel better, you may pay me, but I truly will not ask for anything from you in exchange. This is something I did for a living many years ago when I was a priest. I want nothing more than to help. Please, do believe me in this.

Now, my second topic! I would like to hear about the magic where you are from. I have been studying magic since I was young, so it is of a special interest of mine, you see! Or, if you are from a place without magic, as difficult as it is for me to imagine... How does your home operate without it? I am willing to explain these things about where I am from, if you are interested!

Comments

[pinetreemary]

Do you really believe in magic or are you making a joke? [She sounds genuinely curious - and serious - about that.]

[endsorrow]

I really do! Where I come from, it isn't even a question. Magic is all around us.

[Braska holds up a hand and calls a Blizzard crystal to form in his fingers. He picks ice because he knows that machina can easily create lightning and fire, but ice? With the weather as hot as it is? Look, it's already melting.

And all the while, Braska's soft smile never wavers, and his tone remains gentle.]

See?

not here yet 1/2

[nofarplaneyet]

*Auron had been adjusting as well as could be expected to being alive again. However, on seeing Braska there, talking to him, his breath stopped, along with his heart. He actually fell to his knees. All the emotions he'd kept so tight to his vest threatened to boil over for the first time in many many years. It takes Auron a good deal of time to get himself together and to have the courage to respond.*

Video 2/2

[nofarplaneyet]

*What should he say exactly? The man looked as he did in his memories, before the... No. He wouldn't let himself think that. He still had to say something. Just a word to see if he was remembered.*

Braska? *That's all he could say.*

[Video]

[winged_knight]

Magic you say? [Color him curious.]

[That is merely the tip of his curiosity though. He's also, shall we say, pinged by the words 'priest' and 'help'. But first things, first.]

[video]

[endsorrow]

Indeed, magic!

I take it you do not have it where you are from?

[Video]

[littlewhitelies]

"Um..."

[She has to remind herself what form she's in, that she should feel comfortable and confident in green skin while speaking. But even with a glance at her hands, M'gann is still a little hesitant about speaking directly to a personage like this. Back on her first home, her sort rarely spoke to the elevated caste. Such a thing just wasn't done.]

"You're a...A sorcerer priest of your order?"

[Fumble number one, right out the door. M'gann tries to catch herself and speak with a little less stammering or blurting things out, with mixed results.]

"I-I mean, I know you said 'priest' but you also use magic and...Well, that's what we called Marti- People with those abilities and training on my home.

...My first home, I mean."

[video]

[endsorrow]

[Braska's smile doesn't waver, but something about him seems to be more gentle than in his original announcement.]

I used to be, yes. After I got married, the church didn't want anything to do with me, so it has been... [He stops and looks almost comically thoughtful as he thinks.] Seven? No, no, no, seventeen years since then.

But that's only the "priest" part. I'm still a practicing mage, at the very least. And... [He'll lean in and take up a conspiratorial tone.] I have to admit, I've gotten a lot better since my excommunication.

[hamburgerhero]

Magic from my world? Like a Las Vegas show right? You know, making cars disappear and cutting people in half. Ooh! Or one of those crazy card tricks where you pick a card and then make it reappear in your mouth!

[endsorrow]

[Braska, of course, takes all of this at face value.]

My, how interesting. I don't think there is magic for most of those things on Spira. [Cutting people in half, well -- Magic does a lot more than that, but usually, it isn't directed at people...]

[video] oh boy here we go

[mystorytoo]

[Lulu had warned her. The day they'd arrived, Lulu had told her who else was there. Yuna hadn't sought them out, yet. Perhaps she should have. She'd meant to. On her own time, when she'd been ready to. She should have realized things couldn't be that simple.

Not to mention the huge difference between knowing and seeing for herself.

First his face, then the robes, then introducing himself... it really was him. Her father - whom had been dead since she was seven - was here.

How... how does she even talk to him? What could she say? She stays silent for a long time before she moves to reply. She's seated at her own terminal, her face fully visible.]

I- [Her voice falters for a moment, then steadies] If I may... I'd like to offer my help with healing.

[Under different circumstances, she may have made such a post to the network herself.]

[video]

[endsorrow]

[Of course he recognizes her. Even if he couldn't clearly see her eyes, how could he not recognize her? She looks so much like her mother. It makes his chest squeeze, even after spending the last seven years at his wife's side on the Farplane. He'd lost her, and, once again, she's not with him. And, seeing Yuna, hearing her voice, he -- She'll have to excuse the surprise clear on his face, the sudden mix of emotions in his eyes. He lowers his head slightly and brings his hands up to adjust his headdress.]

And I... would love to have your help. [He's smiling, because he always smiles. He... wants her to see him smiling.]

Video

[drank_the_milk]

Sure, what do you want to know?

[Yuna's happy to talk about magic, even though she doesn't know all that much of it herself.]

video

[endsorrow]

Hmmm, let's start with something simple. Are you yourself a mage?

video

[hellfire_gouka]

There's magic in my world, but I'm not really that familiar with it. I could probably tell you more about where I live, where we don't really have it, than I could about magic.

I think I might be able to help you with the, uh... machina, if you like. I usually just call it technology, though...

video

[endsorrow]

I would still be interested in hearing about where you live, if you're willing to speak about it. My question about magic was a curiousity, more than anything else, and if I'm to be entirely honest, I'm very interested in hearing about everyone's homes.

"Technology," hmm? Machina is so much easier to say, don't you think? [this being said with a smile and a little bit of a teasing tone]

[greenteengenius]

Do your abilities alleviate the effects of touch withdrawal? And would you be willing to allow me to study them?

[Scans, he must have scans of everything.]

[endsorrow]

Not that I've noticed, but I have also yet to use any White Magic to heal anyone yet.

As for your studies, I readily welcome them.

[demimaudite]

"If we ever have to fight, I'd love to have a healer as a backup. My magic uses up my own life."

[endsorrow]

[ah...]

Of course. I would be honored to support you should you ever need it.

[goldcomplex]

Have you been able to use this magic all your life?

[endsorrow]

Mmm, not all my life. I had to be taught. It did come to me easily, though.

gomen for adding to tag load

[flamesfanned]

Wait, magic?

[This is a curious redhead squinting at the screen, because that doesn't make sense. Magic is So Totally Not Real. Fonic Artes are totally not magic, ok, they're science

Luckily, there are other things on his mind.]

You said you can heal? How does that work? Are you a Seventh Fonist?

[SO. MANY. QUESTIONS. He's at that age and stage, sorry summonerdad.]

never apologize :3b

[endsorrow]

Yes to the first two questions.

Where I am from, Spira, it works the same way any other kind of magic does at its most basic levels. A mage is capable of manipulating the energies that flow around all of us. In Spira, such energies can even be seen by the naked eye, taking the forms of what we call pyreflies.

As for the last question... I'm not sure. I've never heard of a "Seventh Fonist," so if it would be alright with you, would you explain what such a person does? The term may very well apply to me and I don't know it!

[video]

[perfectionisms]

Magic doesn't exist.

[video]

[endsorrow]

Is that a reply to how it works in your world, or is that a statement of your personal beliefs?

[though if it's the latter it also functions as the former but he wants to make sure]

video;

[darkshield]

You mean the machines? [Well, he can't say Sora paid attention in keyboarding class, but-] I'm not in need of healing or anything, but I wouldn't mind showing you how to use a few things.

[Because what is having two best friends who can use Cure better than you can?]

...And I can't say I'm an expert in magic, but I know a couple spells. It isn't uncommon for some from my world to learn at least one element to defend themselves, or learn to use a weapon.

video;

[endsorrow]

I do! Ah, there are so many kind people here... I would appreciate that very much!

To defend themselves, hmm? An unfortunate thing for our homes to share in common.

[agelostdoll]

No magic where I'm from; it's all base principles, maths and the laws of physics. [...and then you have Angels and Evas, but they both fall in the 'scientific' category from her perspective.]

My homeworld was much like you see here, dimensional kidnappings aside.

[past tense.]

video;

[goldenflint]

What would you like to know? I'll do my best to answer your questions.