[Action]

[vermified]

[Edward's been feeling rather disgruntled and downcast lately - moreso than usual, at that - so he's finally decided to take Sokka up on his offer to visit and, hopefully, catch Katara's evening Waterbending session to see if it cheers him up some. He's also bringing a little present for his fellow smithy worker, so hopefully he's home

Comments

[markofthebrave]

[Well, if he comes around after dinner the chances are very good that he is going to find her doing her daily practice session. Since it's the second day of a heat wave, Katara's practice has her coating her arms in water and working through basic forms using that water as her bending source.

She's not far from the house, in a clearing between it and the barracks.]

[vermified]

[....Oh, to be such a positive thinker. But Edward can't exactly be cynical when faced with... well, that, so he lifts a hand to his chest in salute and slightly returns the smile.]

Thank you... I'm sure you're right.

[markofthebrave]

[He should get Sokka to give him lessons. But since talking about problems at home really isn't fun, Katara is just barely socially aware enough to change the topic.]

So was there anything in particular about bending that you were curious about?

[vermified]

[His relief is probably visible. Talking about the past just plain sucks.]

My main curiosity is about the source of the ability. You need water to start with before you bend it?

[markofthebrave]

[She nods.] You can't bend something that isn't there. Firebenders are the only ones who can create their element - they say it comes from the breath. But earthbenders, airbenders, and waterbenders all need something to bend with in order to be able to.

[She is - only vaguely uncomfortable revealing a weakness like this. After all, she's learned that there are more places to find water than you'd expect. And she enjoys being helpful.]

[vermified]

That is different, then. Glyph users can create their own elements from nothing, but they have no power over what exists around them.

[markofthebrave]

Really? That's weird. So what they can fight with depends on how much they can create, and that's it?

[vermified]

More or less. Some are mages with the ability to summon huge amounts of their elements into attacks, but others can only add the elements to their weaponry. That's mostly all I'm able to do.

[markofthebrave]

[Ping!]

Oh? What element do you use?

[vermified]

I was born in Burguss, the country associated with air. Earlier this year I was granted a second glyph from Fayel, the land of fire.

[He looks uncomfortable at that, for more than one reason; for one, being associated with an element of her enemy, which is never good, but the other is something he hasn't shared with anyone.]

[markofthebrave]

[Well... fire isn't always bad, and Katara knows that he's from another world so she doesn't even stiffen at the mention of it, though her eyes go a little wide.]

So you can learn to use more than one! That's another difference. In our world, only the Avatar can master all the elements.

[vermified]

[The Avatar? His brows lift at the unfamiliar term. He'll have to ask about that.]

Most people only ever have one their entire lives. I don't think it's possible to have more than two, since the strain on the body is immense. A glyph's country of origin only gives the user a natural talent for the land's element, though; several comrades of mine has one glyph but spells of several different origins.

[markofthebrave]

It strains your body? [That's odd. She was going to ask him to show her how he used it, but if it caused harm to the body... she'd seen enough of that.] And the - spells? They can make the same.. 'glyph' do different things?

[Magic is confusing.]

[vermified]

It's... difficult to explain. In my world, having one glyph is natural. Receiving two can be painful and risky, if the person it's given to doesn't have enough strength and will to control it. [Just another reason to envy the Unblessed nowadays.] The power of lunaglyphs can be strange in many ways, really. Some grant the powers of the elements, some boost the strength of the user, and some will give a person bizarre and useless abilities, like being able to read backwards.

[markofthebrave]

Being able to read backwards? [Your world is weird, dude.]

So it's completely random? Besides what nation you're born in?

[vermified]

[Oh, he knows. How he knows. Pray you never learn Sigmund's backstory, Katara.]

More or less. If there is any logic to it, I don't know it, nor am I sure I even want to.