elapt1c/ElapticAI-512 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 149M
Rae makes her presence known enough already Claire muttered.
Ahh, Miss Claire s hand is sooo soft.
Eeek! Cease stroking my palm at once!
C mon, it s not every day we hold hands like lovers. I d be remiss not to enjoy it as much as I can!
Mr. Torrid continued. Next, try channeling a small amount of pure, attribute-less magic through your hand.
Right-o, I said.
Wait just a moment, Rae! What are you thinking, Mr. Torrid?! Claire said, incredulously.
Is something the matter? I asked.
Yes, of course! Sending pure magic into another person is extremely harmful. This is elementary magic theory!
Ohh, really? I asked.
You didn t know?! she exclaimed.
Such a fact hadn t been anywhere in Revolution. I suspected it was such common sense in this world that it wasn t even worth mentioning.
You are correct, Ms. Claire, Mr. Torrid said. Under normal circumstances, it isn t safe. I lost my daughter in just such a way. But the apostle insisted you two would be fine, so
So we have no choice but to try it, I said.
Fine. In the event something goes wrong, I m trusting you to heal us, Mr. Torrid.
Don t worry, I will.
What we had to do was similar to what May had done when she opened the Box of the Forbidden. Attribute-less magic dispersed rather easily, so controlling it proved somewhat difficult. Taking extreme care, I slowly sent my magic into Claire s hand.
How is it? Do you feel sick in any way? I asked.
No, not particularly. In fact, I feel something warm flowing from your hand. It s comforting.
Well, your magic makes me feel all hot and tingly inside.
Phrasing, Rae.
What? It s true.
Hmm It would seem the apostle was telling the truth, Mr. Torrid said. Your magics must be compatible they re melding together very well. Tandem casting shouldn t be a problem, then. Let s give it a go. You should be able to jointly cast any magic either of you have an attribute for.
Meaning, between Rae and me, we can cast earth, water, or fire magic? Claire asked.
Indeed, Mr. Torrid confirmed. It ll likely be a bit hard to control at first, so start by casting an extremely simple fire bullet.
Understood. Are you ready, Rae?
Yes. Fire magic was uncharted territory for me. I wasn t certain how well I could do.
Extend your connected hands forward, Mr. Torrid instructed.
Like this? Claire asked.
Good. Now imagine a fire bullet forming in front of your hands. Let s have Ms. Claire focus on controlling the magic while Ms. Rae focuses on supporting.
Positioned as though we were about to begin ballroom dancing, Claire and I focused as hard as we could. We held our wand hands forward as we kept our other hands joined together by our opposite sides. But nothing happened.
Take your time, Mr. Torrid said. Tandem casting is an incredibly difficult technique. It can take upward of months or years of study to
Oh, we chorused in unison.
A fire bullet shot from our outstretched wands, turning the tree we were aiming at to ash. The size of the projectile surprised me, as I had been limiting the strength of my magic as best I could.
Or I suppose not? Mr. Torrid was at a loss for words.
I guess we did it, I said.
It would seem so, Claire said.
It had taken Mr. Torrid and his daughter an inordinate amount of time to achieve tandem casting, and here we were, doing it like it was nothing. It felt strange.
Er, right, I suppose congratulations are in order. Well done, both of you. Mr. Torrid smiled kindly, despite being so outdone. What a heart of gold he had.
Thank you very much, Mr. Torrid, I said.
Thank you very much, Claire said.
As you ve experienced just now, tandem casting can create tremendously powerful magic, he said. That was just a simple fire bullet, but imagine how devastating it would be if it were Ms. Claire s Magic Ray or Ms. Rae s Absolute Zero instead. Just remember to be careful where you use this technique and to not to lose control.
I see Thank you, I said.
I recall you could use compound spells, Ms. Rae? he asked.
Yes, a few.
You should have the fire attribute available to you now, through tandem casting. If you have time, I recommend devising some compound spells with Ms. Claire.
Thank you, we will, Claire said.
We have lots to practice, Miss Claire.
Indeed but do we have to hold hands every time? She blushed.
What? You don t like it?
It s not that I don t like it. It s just embarrassing.
Bit late for that. We ve done far more embarrassing things than this, you know?
Rae!
Ha ha ha! Mr. Torrid laughed. It s good you two are getting along, but aren t you forgetting my presence?
Oops. Forgive me, I said.
Rae, look what you ve done now!
Sorry, but I saw a chance to tease and had to take it. Everything s been so serious lately, I just want my flirting time with you.
That s all I can teach you about tandem casting itself. Let s end by discussing a few practical applications of the technique, Mr. Torrid said.
He proceeded to instruct us until late into the evening. We had successfully added a new weapon to our arsenal, and I was glad for it. But there were some things I couldn t help but wonder about, such as: How had Claire s magic and mine so easily mixed? And how had the apostle known they would?
I wouldn t get my answers until much, much later.

***

The day after we had received Mr. Torrid s tandem casting technique, we were attending class as usual as it was a weekday.
I looked around, taking note of how few of us remained. Lana was being questioned in Bauer regarding Salas. Eve was being questioned as well, but she should soon be sent to Sousse. Joel had been deported to Bauer on grounds of blaspheming against the Spiritual Church s doctrine. Philine was exiled and rumored to be assassinated, which of course I didn t believe. And lastly, Frieda had disappeared around the time of Philine s exile.
The classroom felt empty with so many people gone.
Rae, you ll be reprimanded if you re not paying attention. Noticing I had my head in the clouds, Claire poked my hand with her pen.
Sorry. I was just thinking about how everyone s really gone, you know?
I understand what you mean, but please focus on class right now.
Right. I picked up the pen sitting on my notebook and turned my attention forward.
Let s see the teacher said, Otto, can you come up and answer this question?
Otto silently stood and walked over to the blackboard, a disgruntled look on his face. He quickly answered the problem.
Very good. You may sit back down.
As silently as he stood, Otto returned to his seat.
Something was up. As I mentioned before, Otto was a bit of a problem child and would always, without fail, complain when asked to do something by the teacher. Yet he seemed meek today, not offering the slightest complaint although his face still betrayed his irritation.
Something s different about Otto today, Claire said, also taking notice.
Yeah. We re on the same wavelength, Miss Claire! is what I would have exclaimed if class weren t in session.
I wonder if something happened, she said.
Are you worried for him?
Of course. He s my classmate. The fact that she could have genuine concern for someone just because they were her classmate spoke to her virtue. I, on the other hand, didn t quite share the same goodwill, having only mild curiosity to spur me on.
Why don t we try talking to him after class? I suggested.
Yes, let s do just that, she agreed.

Huh? Why the hell would I eat lunch with you two? Get lost.
Yup, I knew it, I thought. It was actually kind of refreshing to see Otto s regular rudeness return.
We had tried inviting Otto to lunch, but he rejected us flatly. Of course, Claire wasn t the type to give up so easily.
There s something bothering you, isn t there, Otto? Please, let us be of some help. Claire stubbornly persisted. She was the type to go out of her way to help someone once they got on her good side. Of course, she was also liable to torment those who got on her bad side but I digress.
There s nothin bothering me! Now leave me alone, Otto spat, but there was no real harshness to his voice, as though his mind were preoccupied with other things.
Oh, my. Could it be that one rumored sickness? I thought.
Psst, Otto I whispered.
What? Not you too now, he groaned.
You seem a bit distracted.
You re imagining things.
Am I? Or are you I paused for suspense. Lovesick?
He sighed. Like hell I am. I m not some nutjob with nothing but love on their mind like you.
Oh. I guess not. And I was so certain of it too Well, whatever. Why don t we eat lunch here, Miss Claire?
Great idea, Rae.
Wha hey! You can t just sit where you like!
We ignored his complaints and spread out our lunch.
Lunch looks as delicious as ever. Thank you, Rae.

Rae makes her presence known enough already Claire muttered.

Ahh, Miss Claire s hand is sooo soft.

Eeek! Cease stroking my palm at once!

C mon, it s not every day we hold hands like lovers. I d be remiss not to enjoy it as much as I can!

Mr. Torrid continued. Next, try channeling a small amount of pure, attribute-less magic through your hand.

Right-o, I said.

Wait just a moment, Rae! What are you thinking, Mr. Torrid?! Claire said, incredulously.

Is something the matter? I asked.

Yes, of course! Sending pure magic into another person is extremely harmful. This is elementary magic theory!

Ohh, really? I asked.

You didn t know?! she exclaimed.

Such a fact hadn t been anywhere in Revolution. I suspected it was such common sense in this world that it wasn t even worth mentioning.

You are correct, Ms. Claire, Mr. Torrid said. Under normal circumstances, it isn t safe. I lost my daughter in just such a way. But the apostle insisted you two would be fine, so

So we have no choice but to try it, I said.

Fine. In the event something goes wrong, I m trusting you to heal us, Mr. Torrid.

Don t worry, I will.

What we had to do was similar to what May had done when she opened the Box of the Forbidden. Attribute-less magic dispersed rather easily, so controlling it proved somewhat difficult. Taking extreme care, I slowly sent my magic into Claire s hand.

How is it? Do you feel sick in any way? I asked.

No, not particularly. In fact, I feel something warm flowing from your hand. It s comforting.

Well, your magic makes me feel all hot and tingly inside.

Phrasing, Rae.

What? It s true.

Hmm It would seem the apostle was telling the truth, Mr. Torrid said. Your magics must be compatible they re melding together very well. Tandem casting shouldn t be a problem, then. Let s give it a go. You should be able to jointly cast any magic either of you have an attribute for.

Meaning, between Rae and me, we can cast earth, water, or fire magic? Claire asked.

Indeed, Mr. Torrid confirmed. It ll likely be a bit hard to control at first, so start by casting an extremely simple fire bullet.

Understood. Are you ready, Rae?

Yes. Fire magic was uncharted territory for me. I wasn t certain how well I could do.

Extend your connected hands forward, Mr. Torrid instructed.

Like this? Claire asked.

Good. Now imagine a fire bullet forming in front of your hands. Let s have Ms. Claire focus on controlling the magic while Ms. Rae focuses on supporting.

Positioned as though we were about to begin ballroom dancing, Claire and I focused as hard as we could. We held our wand hands forward as we kept our other hands joined together by our opposite sides. But nothing happened.

Take your time, Mr. Torrid said. Tandem casting is an incredibly difficult technique. It can take upward of months or years of study to

Oh, we chorused in unison.

A fire bullet shot from our outstretched wands, turning the tree we were aiming at to ash. The size of the projectile surprised me, as I had been limiting the strength of my magic as best I could.

Or I suppose not? Mr. Torrid was at a loss for words.

I guess we did it, I said.

It would seem so, Claire said.

It had taken Mr. Torrid and his daughter an inordinate amount of time to achieve tandem casting, and here we were, doing it like it was nothing. It felt strange.

Er, right, I suppose congratulations are in order. Well done, both of you. Mr. Torrid smiled kindly, despite being so outdone. What a heart of gold he had.

Thank you very much, Mr. Torrid, I said.

Thank you very much, Claire said.

As you ve experienced just now, tandem casting can create tremendously powerful magic, he said. That was just a simple fire bullet, but imagine how devastating it would be if it were Ms. Claire s Magic Ray or Ms. Rae s Absolute Zero instead. Just remember to be careful where you use this technique and to not to lose control.

I see Thank you, I said.

I recall you could use compound spells, Ms. Rae? he asked.

Yes, a few.

You should have the fire attribute available to you now, through tandem casting. If you have time, I recommend devising some compound spells with Ms. Claire.

Thank you, we will, Claire said.

We have lots to practice, Miss Claire.

Indeed but do we have to hold hands every time? She blushed.

What? You don t like it?

It s not that I don t like it. It s just embarrassing.

Bit late for that. We ve done far more embarrassing things than this, you know?

Rae!

Ha ha ha! Mr. Torrid laughed. It s good you two are getting along, but aren t you forgetting my presence?

Oops. Forgive me, I said.

Rae, look what you ve done now!

Sorry, but I saw a chance to tease and had to take it. Everything s been so serious lately, I just want my flirting time with you.

That s all I can teach you about tandem casting itself. Let s end by discussing a few practical applications of the technique, Mr. Torrid said.

He proceeded to instruct us until late into the evening. We had successfully added a new weapon to our arsenal, and I was glad for it. But there were some things I couldn t help but wonder about, such as: How had Claire s magic and mine so easily mixed? And how had the apostle known they would?

I wouldn t get my answers until much, much later.

***

The day after we had received Mr. Torrid s tandem casting technique, we were attending class as usual as it was a weekday.

I looked around, taking note of how few of us remained. Lana was being questioned in Bauer regarding Salas. Eve was being questioned as well, but she should soon be sent to Sousse. Joel had been deported to Bauer on grounds of blaspheming against the Spiritual Church s doctrine. Philine was exiled and rumored to be assassinated, which of course I didn t believe. And lastly, Frieda had disappeared around the time of Philine s exile.

The classroom felt empty with so many people gone.

Rae, you ll be reprimanded if you re not paying attention. Noticing I had my head in the clouds, Claire poked my hand with her pen.

Sorry. I was just thinking about how everyone s really gone, you know?

I understand what you mean, but please focus on class right now.

Right. I picked up the pen sitting on my notebook and turned my attention forward.

Let s see the teacher said, Otto, can you come up and answer this question?

Otto silently stood and walked over to the blackboard, a disgruntled look on his face. He quickly answered the problem.

Very good. You may sit back down.

As silently as he stood, Otto returned to his seat.

Something was up. As I mentioned before, Otto was a bit of a problem child and would always, without fail, complain when asked to do something by the teacher. Yet he seemed meek today, not offering the slightest complaint although his face still betrayed his irritation.

Something s different about Otto today, Claire said, also taking notice.

Yeah. We re on the same wavelength, Miss Claire! is what I would have exclaimed if class weren t in session.

I wonder if something happened, she said.

Are you worried for him?

Of course. He s my classmate. The fact that she could have genuine concern for someone just because they were her classmate spoke to her virtue. I, on the other hand, didn t quite share the same goodwill, having only mild curiosity to spur me on.

Why don t we try talking to him after class? I suggested.

Yes, let s do just that, she agreed.

Huh? Why the hell would I eat lunch with you two? Get lost.

Yup, I knew it, I thought. It was actually kind of refreshing to see Otto s regular rudeness return.

We had tried inviting Otto to lunch, but he rejected us flatly. Of course, Claire wasn t the type to give up so easily.

There s something bothering you, isn t there, Otto? Please, let us be of some help. Claire stubbornly persisted. She was the type to go out of her way to help someone once they got on her good side. Of course, she was also liable to torment those who got on her bad side but I digress.

There s nothin bothering me! Now leave me alone, Otto spat, but there was no real harshness to his voice, as though his mind were preoccupied with other things.

Oh, my. Could it be that one rumored sickness? I thought.

Psst, Otto I whispered.

What? Not you too now, he groaned.

You seem a bit distracted.

You re imagining things.

Am I? Or are you I paused for suspense. Lovesick?

He sighed. Like hell I am. I m not some nutjob with nothing but love on their mind like you.

Oh. I guess not. And I was so certain of it too Well, whatever. Why don t we eat lunch here, Miss Claire?

Great idea, Rae.

Wha hey! You can t just sit where you like!

We ignored his complaints and spread out our lunch.

Lunch looks as delicious as ever. Thank you, Rae.