[Well, they've already shared a shift at the med tent here and there together, and by this point Hange's practically bursting at the seams with curiosity. Therefore:]
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Hey Anders, can I ask something about you and your world?
its always magic people want to know about. nobody ever asks, 'anders, im really interested in business and politics from your world, tell me about that'
FROM: anders@cdc.org
it depends on who you ask. since youre asking me: yes. its normal. not everyone can use magic, but mages arent rare, and other than that were just the same as anyone else
'elements' isnt really the right way to put it. primal magic is only one piece. but no, its not limited to just healing. im a spirit healer, its my specialty, but i know magic from other schools
FROM: anders@cdc.org
ill spare you the specifics, but magic comes in a lot of forms, where im from. its about matter and energy, and how they can be manipulated
Fascinating! Is it possible to manipulate energy from any source? You mentioned being a 'spirit' healer: does this mean your specialty derives from the dead?
youre really getting into the nitty gritty of this. just so you know, these are the parts i always thought were boring. i cant promise ill have good answers
[It's kind of nice, though, to have so much interest. In conversations like these, he's always waiting for questions about how to turn magic on itself, about how to fight against it, but that doesn't seem to be her goal. Not yet, anyway.]
FROM: anders@cdc.org
any source, i guess you could say that. different energies behave differently, though. if that makes sense. natural energies vs spell energies
FROM: anders@cdc.org
spirits arent souls of the dead. theyre completely separate beings from us. most mages can learn simple healing spells, but advanced ones call for extra help. thats where spirits come in
I've never heard of anything quite like this back in my world. If you're willing to indulge my questions, why waste the opportunity to expand my horizons a little?
[And it's a genuine confession from someone who's always been aware of how little she actually knows about her own world. Fortunately for Anders, she's far more interested in the mechanisms of magic at the moment.]
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
And are these 'spirits' sentient? Are they aware they're being drawn from as an energy source? That's what I'm assuming what you mean by 'extra help' anyway...
yes, theyre sentient. theyre the makers first children, they have wants and needs and feelings just like us. we dont 'draw' from them, not the way you make it sound. its more complicated than that
FROM: anders@cdc.org
not sure how to describe it
FROM: anders@cdc.org
they know theyre helping. its more like cooperation
i was good at it, it wasnt as boring as the rest of my lessons, and i thought it might be useful later
FROM: anders@cdc.org
thats not very inspiring, is it?
FROM: anders@cdc.org
proving people wrong is nice, too. mages already arent trusted with very much. healers even less so, because we work so closely with spirits. but theres more to magic than just destruction
[Or at least, she thought that'd be the case. It's interesting hearing the negative reactions to what should otherwise be a remarkable ability, but given the recent developments of her own world, she can understand his position to some extent.]
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Has it really been an uphill struggle trying to prove yourself to be trustworthy?
if there was also a rockslide on the hill, yes, that would be close to what its like
FROM: anders@cdc.org
it isnt a gift, magic. according to most people, anyway. mages arent valued for what we can do. we arent even tolerated. it doesnt matter how you use your magic, only that you have it
templars come for you. soldiers meant to 'contain the mage threat.' they find most mages as children, as soon as their magic manifests, and take them from their families
FROM: anders@cdc.org
they bring you to a circle, and youre tested. if you pass, you stay imprisoned for the rest of your life. if you fail, they kill you. or youre not permitted to take it at all, and they cripple you
FROM: anders@cdc.org
mages who escape or never become part of a circle are considered apostate. if they catch you, they usually take you back. sometimes they don't bother, and just kill you instead
[Does the bitterness come across well enough over text? He hopes it does.]
[Hange digests this information with a fair amount of consideration. While she's only provided with one side of the story, it does leave her wondering if there's any sort of room for a counterargument from these templars, or even the population as a whole.
She wants to delve further into this subject's origins, but before that:]
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Have there been any attempts from the mages to counter this sort of treatment?
we fight back every day. those of us who can. but its a thousand year old system, and they have all the power and propaganda on their side. it isnt easy
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
day 19 ;
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Hey Anders, can I ask something about you and your world?
no subject
not going to stop you, anyway. what is it?
no subject
You already know me too well! Which is unfair since I hardly know anything about you.
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Which brings me to my question: is the magic you possess a normal occurrence in your world?
no subject
its always magic people want to know about. nobody ever asks, 'anders, im really interested in business and politics from your world, tell me about that'
FROM: anders@cdc.org
it depends on who you ask. since youre asking me: yes. its normal. not everyone can use magic, but mages arent rare, and other than that were just the same as anyone else
no subject
Well I guess I'm interested about those too, but not as much as your shiny healing fingers.
[Well at least she's upfront about it.]
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Is healing the only type of magic exists? Or are you granted access to multiple elements?
no subject
'elements' isnt really the right way to put it. primal magic is only one piece. but no, its not limited to just healing. im a spirit healer, its my specialty, but i know magic from other schools
FROM: anders@cdc.org
ill spare you the specifics, but magic comes in a lot of forms, where im from. its about matter and energy, and how they can be manipulated
no subject
Fascinating! Is it possible to manipulate energy from any source? You mentioned being a 'spirit' healer: does this mean your specialty derives from the dead?
no subject
youre really getting into the nitty gritty of this. just so you know, these are the parts i always thought were boring. i cant promise ill have good answers
[It's kind of nice, though, to have so much interest. In conversations like these, he's always waiting for questions about how to turn magic on itself, about how to fight against it, but that doesn't seem to be her goal. Not yet, anyway.]
FROM: anders@cdc.org
any source, i guess you could say that. different energies behave differently, though. if that makes sense. natural energies vs spell energies
FROM: anders@cdc.org
spirits arent souls of the dead. theyre completely separate beings from us. most mages can learn simple healing spells, but advanced ones call for extra help. thats where spirits come in
no subject
I've never heard of anything quite like this back in my world. If you're willing to indulge my questions, why waste the opportunity to expand my horizons a little?
[And it's a genuine confession from someone who's always been aware of how little she actually knows about her own world. Fortunately for Anders, she's far more interested in the mechanisms of magic at the moment.]
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
And are these 'spirits' sentient? Are they aware they're being drawn from as an energy source? That's what I'm assuming what you mean by 'extra help' anyway...
no subject
yes, theyre sentient. theyre the makers first children, they have wants and needs and feelings just like us. we dont 'draw' from them, not the way you make it sound. its more complicated than that
FROM: anders@cdc.org
not sure how to describe it
FROM: anders@cdc.org
they know theyre helping. its more like cooperation
no subject
So you're saying it's more of a symbiotic relationship between mages and spirits? Interesting...
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
How do they benefit from cooperating?
no subject
all spirits embody some kind of purpose. a virtue that defines them. the ones that usually help with healing are spirits of compassion
FROM: anders@cdc.org
i think that more or less speaks for itself
no subject
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Can spirits die?
no subject
FROM: anders@cdc.org
yes and no. they dont 'end' the way we do. existence means something different to them than it does to us
FROM: anders@cdc.org
but they can be killed, under the right circumstances
no subject
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
I see.
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Is there any particular reason why you chose to become a spirit healer?
no subject
i was good at it, it wasnt as boring as the rest of my lessons, and i thought it might be useful later
FROM: anders@cdc.org
thats not very inspiring, is it?
FROM: anders@cdc.org
proving people wrong is nice, too. mages already arent trusted with very much. healers even less so, because we work so closely with spirits. but theres more to magic than just destruction
no subject
There's certainly no dishonor in helping others.
[Or at least, she thought that'd be the case. It's interesting hearing the negative reactions to what should otherwise be a remarkable ability, but given the recent developments of her own world, she can understand his position to some extent.]
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Has it really been an uphill struggle trying to prove yourself to be trustworthy?
no subject
if there was also a rockslide on the hill, yes, that would be close to what its like
FROM: anders@cdc.org
it isnt a gift, magic. according to most people, anyway. mages arent valued for what we can do. we arent even tolerated. it doesnt matter how you use your magic, only that you have it
no subject
What happens when people discover you're a mage? Or I guess any mage, for that matter.
no subject
templars come for you. soldiers meant to 'contain the mage threat.' they find most mages as children, as soon as their magic manifests, and take them from their families
FROM: anders@cdc.org
they bring you to a circle, and youre tested. if you pass, you stay imprisoned for the rest of your life. if you fail, they kill you. or youre not permitted to take it at all, and they cripple you
FROM: anders@cdc.org
mages who escape or never become part of a circle are considered apostate. if they catch you, they usually take you back. sometimes they don't bother, and just kill you instead
[Does the bitterness come across well enough over text? He hopes it does.]
no subject
She wants to delve further into this subject's origins, but before that:]
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Have there been any attempts from the mages to counter this sort of treatment?
no subject
we fight back every day. those of us who can. but its a thousand year old system, and they have all the power and propaganda on their side. it isnt easy
no subject
It's true. It does take an immense amount of influence to sway a population.
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Do you face any of that here as well? Magic doesn't exist in my world, but it seems to be more common in others than I expected.
no subject
there will always be people who are afraid of magic. whether they have it where theyre from or not
FROM: anders@cdc.org
but its not as bad here. not the way it was in thedas. no ones tried to murder me yet, thats a bonus
no subject
The less death on our part, the better.
FROM: hange.zoe@cdc.org
Anyway, thanks for answering my questions Anders.
(no subject)