Ars Paulina

[Bloodedge]

"Well, if that's what you enjoy doing, consider me intrigued. We are incredibly similar at base, but that difference is crucial. Though, we are both the type who adjust to our environments with incredible ease..." he muttered. Between these little verbal exchanges, Solomon took the occasional bite. He easily could have internalized Ai's mana simply by keeping her in the realm, but that wasn't very cordial. If she would eat during her time here, he'd do the same. Not everything had to be solved with extreme uses of magic; some things were best approached the old-fashioned way.

On this first day, Ai would be given missing tidbits of information that would help her adjust to a magical life. He believed her capacity for it was incredibly high ─ the likes of some divine beings, even. Had she actually been reincarnated after dying, or anything of the sort, this life would have been a powerful one. "If that were the case, I assume you would have been reborn a Celestial. For context, those are the gods of this world. We would have met under very different circumstances. Currently, you are a rare type. Your natural state of being is an assumable form within Alaya, while most who come from Gaia can only be their... 'characters' as it were." With that explanation given, Solomon awaited the reason for Ai's lack of requests. It seemed she settled for comfort because she didn't know what else to wear in this situation. Fair enough, Solomon thought. "Such simple reasoning. I respect it, of course. Besides, who would I be to say anything against you wearing less? You have incredible skin, a lovely form ─ everything physical about you comes together impeccably."

[Apollymi]

What a pleasant conversation this was turning out to be. According to Solomon he found her interests intriguing as they were similar in theory but markedly different from his own. Apparently, they very much had similar ways of adjusting to the things going on around them but their differences would be interesting to find out. She'd finished a whole dumpling and had started on another while listening to him talk, he really had a nice voice. "I suppose in the cases of similarity the differences are more interesting. For me being more flexible is good for our group dynamics and it let me keep hanging out with Kaguya which was important to me," she explained of herself. "Being of use to her meant I gained a hobby I probably wouldn't have looked into on my own, but I found myself enjoying quite a lot. I imagine the use of magic to tinker with technology might be truly fun," she said, figuring she'd get more than enough of her potential romance plots by virtue of what had been explained to her already.

As the conversation progressed, it seemed that her thoughts on death would be addressed. According to Solomon she would have been quite magically inclined, he likened her reincarnated state to a Celestial which would have made her a 'god' in this world. Apparently others in the world could only be their characters, "Do you mean that they can only be their character selves even if they remember being something else? That has to feel a bit like imposter syndrome. That actually would have made an interesting story," she said thinking about it from an imaginary stand point and wondering about it as the base of a story. "Besides that reborn as a Celestial sounds pretty scary, like I don't know if my life skills would have made that a happy thing or not," she said giving it a bit of thought and wondering if she could have made her life just as interesting in such a situation.

Whatever the case, she wouldn't be allowed to think about it for too long. No, instead she was confronted with something very different. After giving her reasoning for not making many if any requests, she was bombarded with a rather open and flirtatious statement. She had thought this was a date, and he did legitimately seem interested in her. He'd made out with her upon meeting her but to have him so obviously compliment her physical features made her face redden and caused her to look away with slightly widened eyes. "Wow, that is a really intense compliment coming from someone like you," she said her eyes flickering over the man as she paused her own consumption. He was gorgeous. The first wife goddess of his was probably also gorgeous, was she really attractive? Well, she knew she was pretty, and that her body was quite well developed but to receive such a compliment from a grown adult, thousands of years old and not simply one of her peers. "I might like that a lot more than I can rationalize. I can barely rationalize it as is... if I was more impulsive I'd probably walk around in my underwear all the time after a compliment like that... I should probably just say thank you, huh?" she'd rambled just a bit but that particular flirt might have caught her completely off-guard. She knew this was going to be an experience, but she didn't expect such a simple set of words to leave her a more flustered than she'd ever been before in her life.

[Bloodedge]

On the topic of Ai's potential existence as a Celestial, Solomon thought she'd be quite good at it. Of course, explaining that would require addressing what Celestials truly were. They had plenty of time; he could share that information freely. "You'd be surprised. Gods in this world are Gods of Creation. Being the creative type that you are, I'd like to think you would excel. Though I believe the same could be said of anything you put your mind to," he assured. If she thought it would be fun, she'd be perfect for it ─ more so than half of the gods this world knew since its inception.

Indeed, most who passed from Gaia to Alaya could never become their original selves again. Most wouldn't even become capable of spawning multiple Spiritual Cores, but those who could may find themselves capable of finding their true identities. "It's not so bad as you may think. When you create another Spiritual Core, it's still you. Think of it this way: you are a different person depending on your mood and recent experiences. In this world, that different version of you can be considered a different person entirely. That can be more the truth, or less so depending on your desire. Theoretically, you could invent a version of yourself that completely differs from the current you, just to see what happens. Some people will eventually do that sort of thing," he prattled.

Above all else, a few simple facts spoken by Solomon were received very positively. Ai reacted as if she'd received the highest praise, when in truth he hadn't given more than a basic observation. "You haven't given yourself enough credit," Solomon claimed. "Apart from a particular glow, you could be likened to a goddess. That glow will come eventually, once your mana circuits open a bit more." With that said, Solomon glanced over the girl's upper body once more ─ at least what he could see over the table. She'd made an interesting choice in the style of her undergarments as well. If she was comfortable with the idea of sauntering about in those, he'd be among the last to complain. "I have no need of thanks. I offer my gratitude for the gifted pleasantry instead. If you're inclined to walk around in that, or even less, anyone bearing witness would truly be made better for it," he said with a strange amount of truth. Given the way she carried herself now, her mana once activated would deliver literal blessings unto her observers if she remained so... unrestrained.

[Apollymi]

More information would be passed along to Ai, and it was nice to hear. In truth she could remember anything this man said simply because she enjoyed listening to him talk, learning the nuances of this apparent new world and life of hers was a bonus she would quantify by her eventual world exploring. "Gods of this world are Gods of Creation, that actually sounds pretty interesting," she mentioned seeming to remember the bit about his wife being the Goddess of Arcane Wisdom. She had to be exceedingly creative, figuring out about magic across the world when it had so much involved in its parts. More than that, another compliment came her way in the form of belief in her abilities. "That's a lot of faith in me. I mean I do understand since you want me as your apprentice that you have to at least think me capable, but it's still kind of odd, but somehow nice to hear," she said finding herself confused. She wondered if this was how people got addicted to praise. Her closest friend was one of those natural genius types perhaps you develop that after coming to like these kinds of compliments? She could see it working out that way even if it wasn't the truth.

Beyond this she received more information about the creation of cores and the development of these individual faces. It sounded like a science-fiction fantasy show she was into as an import. Perhaps she should think less reincarnation and more... regeneration? She smiled thinking of such a fact. "Sou ka, that's really interesting. I kind of understand that part a bit better than I potentially could because of something I find interesting on tv..." she murmured. As long as no one was really messed up when they understood such things she supposed it was probably for the best if not everyone could just remake themselves at will. Even Time Lords had regeneration caps.

More over the compliments to her physical form were placed aside to the idea that the girl hadn't given herself enough credit. According to Solomon she could be likened to a goddess, aside from not having the glow that such a being possessed. He also claimed she could have such a thing as her mana began to flow in her body, which made sense given the idea that the place she'd came from had not had active mana the way this magical world did. "You know, comparing random human girls to goddesses usually starts wars or something... I don't have all the details cause I was only paying a little attention during that movie, but I'm sure it was there..." she said somewhat sheepishly. "Ah, but I can't argue it potentially being even a bit true. This doesn't seem like the kind of situation where I'm being flattered just so you can try and get in my pants..." she said rubbing her own forehead as she finished her food. Dealing with this man was going to give her a really high opinion of herself. And it wasn't just him either and she realized that, if any of the other men in this goddess's harem were this shameless, she was going to go through quite a few mental changes to go along with any potential physical ones. He even went further with his words, claiming that he'd be thanking her for walking around in her skivvies and anyone who bore witness would be better for it. She was sure all the blood in her body was in her face. "I really am on a date huh? With an unbelievably gorgeous man with a voice I could really listen to for hours for no concievable reason. Flirting, compliments, dinner... fun conversation. It's really awesome, and so surreal..." she mentioned seemingly pleased by the whole of this situation though admittedly a bit abashed. "You know when I arrived here, I had a whole internal tirade about whether or getting into a romance with you would count as sacrilege," she admitted. "Even made up one of those isekai titles about it and you're not making me think that isn't the life story I am writing about myself right now~"

[Bloodedge]

"It is. The gods of this world are capable of doing many things. Though the potential of those who have experienced both worlds is always greater. Some will even live up to it," said Solomon. He knew there would soon be a select few individuals who surpassed the divine. Even now, there were a few to have already done so. Ai had every ability to count herself among those individuals, just as the other apprentices thus far could. Who would execute that potential to the fullest? That would always be the question. Regardless, one first had to understand the use of Spiritual Cores. Ai found herself grasping things easily as a matter of science-fiction. Hearing her mention a comparison to television, he quirked a brow. "Ah? You realized the secret of regeneration, didn't you? It has been seen working exactly like that, yes," he stated.

The blonde lass had no idea how right she was. Even on Alaya, comparing a human girl to a goddess would start wars. Said wars could span infinite lifetimes if such a claim was heard by the right (or wrong) person. As for the type of situation this was, Ai was right to presume it wasn't flattery for the simple sake of having relations. On the other hand, agreeing to that thought process would be a bit of a lie. "It's not so simple, nor is it much more complex than that. The idea of this all is for me to be inside you ─ quite frequently even. As I look at you, I become more certain it will be a thing I enjoy personally, which is rare. I won't force it on you, though. Rest assured, you can learn everything I have to teach just by living in this realm, eating, bathing and the like. All of these things will have my mana enter you. Intercourse is only the preferred method; you could refrain from it if you like," he admitted. Solomon may have been the most forthcoming of the Myouou. His desired outcome was made clear in his visage, but he could truly teach Ai all she needed to know without entering her even once. "And no, it would not be sacrilegious. I am the son of this world's current overseeing 'God' as it were, but offering oneself to the divine and those of divine origin is a thing often done. An offering of the self means an offering of mana, which is what divine beings use to strengthen themselves and create for the world. I chose to live as a human, though, so rest assured... a great deal of it is pure interest for me."

[Apollymi]

Apparently the gods of this world were interesting people who might sometimes live up to their hype. Ai would compare them to celebrities in her head for now, seeming not to see herself in such light, but easily understanding how it could be of benefit to know the world of 'pure' human ingenuity and then the one of magic. Science fiction was one such thing, but now it was seeming more like an echo from the magical world settled into the minds of people through their other lives or related counterparts. Regardless, her show mention seemed to be one that Solomon was at least familiar with, a little squeal would leave Ai as she became excited. "Squee, of course!~" she chimed seeming to be very pleased. "Of course, if it works like that, then I have a pretty decent grasp of it. If you are at base still yourself and your 'characters' or 'avatars' or 'faces' only reflect moments, aspects or goals and alignments I feel like I could easily understand," she said.

Moving on from this point, it seemed that Ai's understanding of political headache which could be caused by claims of human and gods appearing near the same tier was both simple and complex. Solomon had already noted that this goddess of Arcane Wisdom was no such individual which was relieving. He even went on to give a further explanation beyond that, confirming her thoughts about him and his rather smooth approach to her as a person. He claimed that she did not have to participate in intercourse, that simply living within his realm could teach her all she needed to know through their mana exchanges without it being the type of intimacy her human self would normally shy away from. "Wow, this is like really direct, but also really nice. I don't think normal girls are prepared for how to react to this sort of thing. On the one hand, I don't feel any pressure to dive into something, which is comforting. But at the same time, you're being very direct about being interested in me..." she mentioned seeming to be thinking about it quite a bit. She didn't know men came like this... Moreover there was the matter that he was blunt about his interest and it not being a simple matter of collecting energy from her for him. He was just interested in her... "You aren't talking me out of it or anything you know? If anything I feel oddly empowered to make whatever decision I want. Before I hadn't really had the time to even entertain anything like this. And I don't really see the applied negatives I would have expected either..." she mused just a bit. She'd finished her meat buns and most of her rice and now she was just looking at the man across from her wondering if there was some sort of catch to deciding fully to romance this god who decided to walk with mankind.

[Bloodedge]

There was excitement shared over an understood reference. With that understanding of Avatar creation, she'd be able to experience excellent results. Perhaps he'd even see the first created Avatar before she left Ars Paulina. Of course, that would be determined by Ai's willingness to stay and learn. "With that sort of thinking, you'll perform magnificently. If you choose to follow this path, I'm excited to see what you make of it. I'll also do my best to ensure you have all the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive."

Ah, but it wasn't simply a matter of Ai's choice. Solomon had to play his part well enough, and it seemed he was doing so thus far. Providing a comfortable environment was ideal. As he seemed to have managed that much, reaching his personal goal was simply a matter of wooing. That seemed to be working thus far as well, based on Ai's own words. "My intention is to be direct. I am no liar; I will not hide my desires. However, I will neither actively manipulate your choice. Though... I suppose that is subjective, isn't it? Being so direct could be counted as manipulation," he mused. There were a few other factors at play here. Those factors had to be addressed before they continued speaking on Ai's choice. "Ah, I will warn you of something else. What you've just eaten was my mana, which you could equate to the act of foreplay. As you continue processing it, your body will desire mana transfer between us. Think of it as an appetizer, but keep in mind that there are non-sexual solutions to that problem. I wouldn't blame you if you decided this was all a bit creepy. Any questions you may have about anything I've now mentioned, I will answer with utmost honesty."

[Apollymi]

A moment of shared interest was enough for Solomon and Ai to be a bit giddy together. He had such a positive reaction to her random nerdiness that she could only feel more comfortable in his presence. Even if nothing else had come of their interaction, even if they hadn't made out upon meeting each other, Ai was sure she could have befriended this particular man, their oddity of meeting aside. "It's really interesting that you're so supportive of me," the girl mentioned blushing. It truly was strange to have someone ready to support her random ideas and endeavors. She'd been locked into a particular job since she was seven years old. Beyond that she'd been playing roles to complete that job for the most part, it didn't leave her much room for her own whimsy... he was enabling her already and she hadn't even given him a real affirmative. It also left her with the desire to do something amazing and show off... it was quite odd, but she got the feeling it would be truly gratifying if she managed it.

It seemed she would only continue to grow enamored and keep exploring her options when it came to Solomon. It was apparently not his intention to be manipulative. He aimed to be honest and direct, though he considered the interpretation of manipuilation in such a case to be subjective. Ai gave it a bit of thought and understood his meaning but she was still human, "It doesn't feel manipulative to me, so I am pretty sure that is the important part..." she stated before he continued. His claims about what eating in this world meant for her and how her body would react to such an intake of mana was very interesting. Eating food or in more direct terms ingesting and digesting his mana was tantamount to consuming an aphrodisiac which linked directly to the man himself. Her body might desire things her normal mind might not wish to participate in. He told her this rather honestly... "See, this exact bit is why I think it isn't manipulative. You're also still willing to accept whatever my decision is which is kind of satisfying in an odd way..." she said giving thought to the idea of mana being eaten and an act of sexual foreplay. "Hm, I guess then I wasn't just really hungry while kissing you and having the thought that you tasted like apple butter then?" she questioned almost rhetorically. "So essentially I've already taken it in and it works like biochemistry where it can influence my physical responses? That doesn't sound too bad. And it wasn't like my initial thoughts weren't a bit wayward in the first place..." she mentioned trying to think of the way she wanted to question the entirety of this thing. "So, if mana being exchanged works like that then... like how else does it change what I would know about intimate relationships? I feel like I should also admit that my first thoughts about this situation definitely involved intimacy so I don't find that particularly offputting but I also don't have anything to go off of... so the whole of the experiences would be new to me aside from second hand knowledge and extrapolations from consuming and writing way too many smutty fanfictions."

[Bloodedge]

In another world, they indeed could have been friends. If she had only been born in a different location, her life would be on a different path, and they would have met under different, non-magical circumstances. That was of little importance, however. The quality of a soul had a certain minimum in certain individuals. Even under different circumstances, Ai would be deserving of the same support, and would have received it from people like Solomon regardless of their connection. "That's so human," he said with a chuckle, knowing how often humans undervalued themselves.

Ai believed his efforts were not manipulative. She was correct, of course, but human nature left many philosophical questions on the table. From his own life experiences to stories from his father in the non-magical world, Solomon pondered such thoughts as what he'd soon share. "One might wonder if that, itself, is manipulation. Human nature is so strange, isn't it? I could just as easily be presenting this side of myself knowing it would work better on the type of person you are. If I were to do that, it would have better long-term results than other methods," he explained. Even as he spoke of that potential, there was a certain honesty in the tan-skinned male's eyes. He seemed almost wholly incapable of deception as a person.

Regardless of all that, Ai wondered if it was a mental matter that he tasted of apple butter, or if it was due to the effects of mana. That was easily answered. "I only just received confirmation of the flavor myself. It isn't just you. I should say, you taste of starfruit. Every person's mana has a flavor, a scent, and a texture as it registers to the senses of others. If it tastes of something you like, that is a sign of your compatibility with that person. In some cases, however, you may find someone's mana desirable even before that. I believe that is what happened when you first registered my aura. Humans often attribute the sensation to strong physical attraction... though it may be a bit early for you," he mused. As for how mana transfer affected the way she would view intimacy, there was very little to it. "There aren't many changes from the norm to be concerned about. You're familiar with the 'two become one' concept, yes? It is essentially that in a more literal sense. If I were to enter you right now in the conventional way, I would become more you, and you, me. Mana transfer is chemistry taken to an extreme ─ or Alchemy, to be more accurate. One of your teachers will be an alchemist. If you take this path, know ahead of time that he has a distaste for talk of chemistry as a science."

[Apollymi]

"Did I say something weird?" Ai wondered. She figured that living an exceedingly long time in a magical world might have made talking to what was still considered a human child a bit laughable. It was obvious that Solomon didn't see her as a proper child, but she just like many of her friends had her moments, though she tried the hardest to keep them at bay. Still their conversation progressed to bits about human nature and how odd it was. Ai had already mentioned not seeing his actions as manipulation but he went on to honestly posit that it was possible that he was approaching her this way because it would work and thus it was still manipulation. "Well, I suppose if you wanted to look at it like that sure. But that is like the normal kind right? Like putting your best foot forward at a job interview or trying not to be a slob with your new roommate. You'll eventually feel relaxed enough to be more open about yourself, your strengths and weaknesses as a person. So long as you go in willing to loosen up as it becomes possible and without any expectations of more than what you're putting out... it isn't bad," she mentioned knowing and understanding her own take on that aspect of humanity.

Solomon was being so honest with her, she could be nothing else in return. She'd already admitted to thinking of starting a romance with the man she'd believed to be god upon looking at him. Still, there was a certain amount of pragmatism which could be applied to Ai's way of thinking. She'd continue to find out about this world and all that was within it, and she'd also learn how 'mana' as a type of energy worked in the world. He brought up the idea of 'two becoming one' and the sort of spiritual alchemy that people talked about when the spoke of marriage in 'religious' terms. Apparently this was apart of the physical nature of mana and even without knowing mana one could feel this way based on the aura. "Okay, nice to know that I hadn't just lost myself, I don't think it is too early for me. I was having some pretty strange thoughts about a perfect stranger at first," she admitted a bit bashfully. Though she was still willing to have this conversation, everything surrounding this conversation was still a bit embarrassing when she thought about it for longer than a couple of seconds. What was more, apparently one of the other husbands was an alchemist who didn't like chemistry? "Is that one of those things where the magical version of something is so much greater than humans understand it... that people feel insulted they are being compared? I feel like I've encountered that a bit. Not even as a trope," she murmured thinking back to a strange almost argument she'd once had.

There was also something else she felt the need to question after finding out that the whole of sex and intimacy weren't too different from her own understanding. "So... I will preface this by saying I'm not implying anything but," she said knowing that such things usually put exactly that thought into anyone's head regardless of the real point of what was being said. "Like, what about normal stuff, like contraception and like being safe from... invasive sicknesses, like STDs..." she said. Sex education did a pretty good job of making it very easy to say no to sex potentially, but if she wanted to do it, she might as well be sure of what it would mean to do so. "I didn't mean to imply anything negative about anyone but sentient beings are complex. I don't want to end up accidentally pregnant or with something I can't get rid of," she mentioned. She wasn't even sure this was all strictly about sex at this point, magical world differences might have meant she ended up with like some kind of growth or a demon attached to her soul or anything.