[Video; UN: DemonsandSugar] [CW: Skeleton/Decomposition/Death Magic.]

[cultivatingsin]

[Someone is working on his skills! Just off-screen there is a skeleton - no, don't question where the skeleton came from, you don't wanna know - and Xue Yang is exuding a sickly green aura. Grinning like he just heard a fantastic joke, he suddenly goes limp, falling gracelessly to the ground. Good thing he had been seated! Though his head made quite a thunk, didn't it?

The bones rattle - only he would think this is a great idea - and then a hand, barely containing enough tissue to be called a hand raises and...

Well. A certain finger is shown to the camera because he is mature.

Then the spell breaks and he returns to his body with a gasp.]

Gross!

[No, really, Xue Yang, that was disgusting.]

Comments

[cultivatingsin]

Someone died - probably a local - and I dug them up. What magic did you end up with? [A skeleton out of blood...? Messy.] Unless it was a little skeleton, yeah, you would bleed out. Is there anyway to use just a few drops of blood to possess an interesting host?

[He nods.] I could do it, though that would be tricky. I'd want to study the bird beforehand.

[over_the_sea]

Ah, ok. [No further questions on that, Floyd just accepting that answer at face value. It's none of his business, no need to go poking around where not needed. And it's not like this guy was hiding it, so nothing to use as blackmail for later.

Everyone was so open about their magic here, it's such a weird concept for Floyd with coming from a school where everyone guarded their unique magic closely so no one could get the upper hand on the other. Yet here... everyone just talks about it all the time. So weird.] Blood magic. [He did already give that one away, but no need to mention the kinetic side unless specifically asked what his other magic is.

He hums over that question.] I donno! I haven't really had a chance to use it much, ya know? That would be kinda funny though, if I could use it to possess someone. I could make them do all sorts of silly thing!. [Floyd grinning away at that idea, either not taking it as a serious suggestion to use for nefarious reasons, or at least not showing that he understands he could.]

You should try the bird one, it's real fun to fly. I always liked doing it back at school, but since this place took all my old magic away I can't now, it's dumb.

[cultivatingsin]

Yeah, I miss my Cultivation skills. I wasn't as powerful as others, but I made up for it. [And then some. Demonic Cultivation had been very generous to him - and very damaging. Death and Dark Magic are remarkably similar to it, but the range is limited.]

I'll think about becoming a bird. A larger one like a raven would be best. The little ones are too fragile. When you possess something, you risk ruining it either physically or spiritually. That's why I would want a strong animal that can withstand the magic.

[over_the_sea]

You should pick an albatross! [Yes Floyd, that's very helpful...] They real big, not fragile at all.

I donno what cultivation is. Is it like alchemy? Or potion making? [That's his best bet with how he would know to break down that word with 'cultivating'.]

[cultivatingsin]

I don't think I've ever seen one. Are they pretty? [He wants to be pretty, okay. Or exceptionally gross looking. Either works for him!]

Um...neither. Cultivation uses spiritual or resentful energy to cast spells and make talismans. Cultivators, if they're decent, focus on ridding people of ghosts, monsters and demons. I, on the other hand, used resentful energy to do...a lot of bad things.

[over_the_sea]

They big and fat and tasty looking. [Did that count as pretty?] I think they'd take a lot of damage, but also real heavy so might be hard to fly with. Especially if it all gross dead like and bits falling off and stuff. Or maybe it would make it lighter! [A positive twist on it.]

Yeaahh~, I never heard of that before. I guess it kinda sounds like blot, the whole resentful energy thing, but that not a good thing to use for magic. [More the issue of too much magic use in Floyd's world.] Not that gotta worry about that here though.

Ehhh, there nothing wrong with being a little bit bad. [Cue Twisted-Wonderland theme song...]

[cultivatingsin]

I'll take it. [Tasty is useful! Especially when you're starving.] If bits are falling off, that definitely makes it lighter! You wouldn't believe how much weight you can lose in a leg or an arm.

Why not? It's powerful. [Is that true?] Resentment is everywhere. It can lead to malicious curses and death. In a way, aren't I still using it?

[He snorts.] But you can go too far. I learned that.

[over_the_sea]

[For a person who grew up underwater and eating raw seafood all the time, a seabird was a nice change, when you could catch them. Talking of sea life,] Heeee~! Legs are lighter than a tail! But they smaller and skinnier too, so I guess they would be lighter than a full tail, huh? [No more explanation than that, Floyd just acting like that makes complete sense to anyone hearing it.]

Blot back home is powerful if you Overblot, but it not good. It'll end up killing a wizard consumed by it, they get eaten up by their Phantom. You gotta knock them out of it before they get swallowed up. [That was... simplifying it. But it was the basics of it all.]

Yeaaahh, it can. [Honestly, they possibly have very different interpretations of 'bad'. Floyd was just a teen in school after all, a magical school, but a kid none the less. He hasn't been pushed as far as some from other worlds here.]