"Sorcery teaching then? Thomas?"

"I will gladly manhandle as many naked boys you want. But I think you are going to want free arms for this," Thomas says. He lifts the two easily anyway.

wheeeee

Thomas swiftly brings the two bound boys to the study room.

"Now, Ari. It's with great sadness," Henry says with mock-solemnity, "that I must untie you."

Ari grins. "If nobody's gonna need these ropes later I can just bust out of them," he says casually.

"That's hot," Gabe says like he can't believe someone can awe him this much.

"Agreed."

Henry blinks. "Sure, just a sec." He pulls out his smartphone, rearranges some things, check there is nothing breakable around. "Go ahead." He starts filming.

Ari flexes. It doesn't seem like anything's happening, for a moment, then, like last night, he starts growing. He becomes taller, more muscular, his skin reddens, and this time, they can see the bumps of his spine growing more and more prominent, as if they're going to burst through his skin- and then the ropes split, and he goes back to normal, panting.

"Those were strong ropes," he gasps. "Rope manufacture has room to improve in my world."

"That was unspeakably hot."

"It was, but what I taking from it is that we should use reinforced chains next time."

"Yes. Yes, you should."

"Of course. So magic learning?"

"Well, if you three are going to learn nerd magic stuff. I want to be untied too and do other stuff. Maybe draw Ari naked and later go out and buy food for him to try for the first time."

"What, don't you like magic?"

"I like the results, but actually inventing magic stuff is too much on my poor little brain. I exist to be and create beautiful things, not to figure out what best arrangement of stinky herbs is better than the other arrangement of stinky herbs."

The budget-conscious part of Henry's brain starts undoing Gabe's ropes before Ari can snap them. "It's my fault. When we were kids I offered to be the brain to his muscles and he decided to turn into a lifestyle."

"Huh. My kind of magic isn't really intellectual, per se. Wonder if you'd like it better."

"Oooh, I like the entire 'harnessing the forces of evil' aesthetic of witchcraft."

His arms are free, this means he can hug Ari.

"I was talking about Vizjerei sorcery. I'm pretty sure you don't have the natural ability for witchcraft, given you don't have any demons. Though I can test that..."

With a flick of his wrist, a black chain materializes. He whips it at Gabe, but it passes through him. "No demon blood. Sorry, it's sorcery or nothing. Or necromancy, I guess; how attached are you to your bone marrow?"

"I grew it myself."

"Why do you ask?"

"Necromancers do some fucked-up rituals to get their powers. One of those rituals turns your bones and teeth into solid enamel. It's kind of emblematic of the necromancer lifestyle."

"Sounds too goth for me. Do you have way to test for Vizjerei sorcery then? Ideally whipping based tests?"