Ika and Edgie shared a tent one night. Normally, it would be Ika and Mako, but it seemed like the other two in the group (her and Toby) had a lot they needed to talk about. Ika was, by technicality, without her partner for the first time in a *long* while, so conversation was hard to make. They laid in wait, but no sleep would come. "Edgie, is that right? That's your name?" "It is the name that I was given by you three. Otherwise, not really, but my true name is hard to pronounce." "Oh, uh, really? How hard, exactly?" Edgie opened their mouth, but instead of any consonants, the sound of shredding paper and faxing came out for about 3 and a half seconds. "...I see." "Ika, may I ask you something?" "Uh, always. I try to be a bit of an open book, but there are some things that are... just between me and Maks. There's, uh, no harm in asking, though, right? Go ahead." "How long have you known the red head?" Ika thought back. The memories of back then were faint, twisted together like a pretzel that was made thrice over, but she could muster the faintest of ideas. "All I remember is, I was lost, scared, hungry. I came to Mako's doorstep while she was watering flowers, I think. She invited me inside and gave me some tea and tofu." Ika shook her head. "After that, I don't know if I wanna think about it. Sorry." "There is no need to apologize. It's late, and the mind likes to wander in paths endless while the moon is out. We both forgive each other, I can tell. It's the aura." "Aura? Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to ask - how did you learn magic?" Edgie stared off into nowhere into particular. "I was... born with it. Mixing of mana, I believe I described it to you already. Most wonder if it's an organ or something of the like, but anyone can use it. It takes a certain... creativity. Ika, do you have any hobbies?" "Hm... I like to draw, sometimes, but it always looks bad." "In any case, you can think of it like drawing. You need creativity to draw, but if you have, as they say, artist's block? Nothing comes out. If you do it for a while, you start to burn out, and you exhaust yourself." "I see. Do you know if... does Toby know any?" "He can't, he's not compatible." "I don't think he likes you like *that*, Edgie." "His body isn't compatible. He's a... " Edgie, for once, couldn't find the words. "He calls himself a 'Cyber', but that's derogatory. I think the term is 'Cyborg?'" "Sure, Cyborg, I think I get it. But how does that stop him from knowing magic?" "How much do you know about technology, Ika?" "Not a whole bunch. Edgie, you should know by now I was pretty much born yesterday..." "Toby's body speaks a different language than my magic. Whereas we speak Townfolk, we can think of Toby's form as.. like the language of the knights. Nothing we can comprehend, truly." The night was still silent. Ika tried to go back to sleep... still nothing. After noticing that Edgie was lying down perfectly still, like a plank of wood or mint, she decided to get up from the tent and admire the night sky. She found a patch of grass just near enough the bonfire to lay down without being in fear of taking fire damage. The night sky was filled with all sorts of cosmic patterns, with pinks and reds and blacks streaking across a midnight blue canvas. The fire crackled on. This kind of moment sparked another memory of hers, a poem or lullaby she might have heard once. *Though in the somber nights, My sweet, summer-ish child, There's always something to delight, Even if the faintest mild.* *If you cannot go to sleep, my sweet, Then heed my warnings thus: If you're caught by a midnight sweep, You'll wipe ashes from your dust.* *So be careful in the night, My midnight, starry kid, For otherwise those against, might cap you with bucket and lid.* That voice, where did she hear that voice? It was something soft, motherly... Straining itself not to be too loud, lest it would... hurt? Again, that concept also sounded familiar... She had to have known someone with hearing issues, but where? And when? She thought and thought, but it wasn't something as easily retrieved - she didn't have the [[Capacity]] for it. Ika laid down in the grass, waiting for [[Answers]].