"Oh, cool, it hadn't trickled down that you were going into Mystic Arts. D'you know how to get in?"

"...Into the library? Is the library also tricksy with its entrances?"

"Quite a bit more so, actually. There's introductory magic and all in the main library, but the shit you really want's holed up in the catacombs of Kirby. We can let you in, if you like, we're going there next to work on a project."

"I take it I'll be unable to just teleport in?"

"You can try. I don't know how your twinny warper powers work, but the wards are pretty thorough."

"Am I also going to have this problem showing up to magic lessons with Circe even though I've now been to her office?"

"That one's a no. Circe's wards do exactly what she wants them to, and if she wants you in her office you get into her office. Though you might want to appear at the door and knock."

"Okay. But the library may require me to go in the long way around, potentially. Will the wards shred me if I try or just either hedge me out or not?"

"Nah, it'll just bounce you. You might get a headache, depending on how much power it thinks you put behind it."

"Mkay. Thanks for the warning."

Xan finishes his food, as does Leo. A hand of prehensile blood ferries their trays to the Tray Area.

Bella, also done eating, pops off with her tray and then pops back. "I can take one passenger at a time, if none of the passengers are my sister," she mentions. "I could put us outside the building if you're helping me in?"

"Ooh, that'd be nice. Kirby's not that far, but why walk when you have mutant metabolism and a teleporter?"

Bella peers at her campus map briefly. Pop, pop, pop. Here they are.

"The architecture has not changed in response to your poking, is it supposed to?"

"Huh. One door or two?"

"Two."

"Congratulations, you're very slightly magic. The tricksy door doesn't show up if you don't have at least a little bit."

"I mean, I did meditate with Circe for several hours yesterday but I thought it was going to take longer for anything to stick."

"Mm, that's probably enough to at least jump-start your Essence conservation, at least if you're good at it anyway. Circe and I are not the best of pals, but the woman is damn good at what she does."

"I like her. Which is very good, considering. Okay, which door do I want, does it matter? Can I now also magically poke people in the shoulder?"

"You want the left door. Right goes into Psychic Arts, they tend to hiss and run away when exposed to magic folks. You could magipoke people, but I'd advise against it until you've got a bit more saved up. It's basically sprinkling some Essence on them to fool the door into thinking it's theirs. Trivial for anybody whose well has been ignited, but you're still pinching pennies, magically speaking."

"Good to know. Uh, does that mean I need to avoid touching people in general or is there an extra hidden step to magipoking?" asks Bella, reaching for the left door.