".. Well, I'm going to read these two books," Lia tells Patiri. "And then... go practise my spells outside, maybe?" She pauses, grins, "We have magic!" She laughs. 

"We have magic!" She echoes.

And then they go read.

Back into being absorbed into the books they go. Lia opens up the Frostbite spell, first. They pass the next half-hour in the trance. 

Losing time like that is... not as bad as it sounds, definitely not-normal. Patiri's healing spell is more than enough to qualify her for the medical position. It even gives times for familiar summoning.

Time passes.

(In Milliways this is not a constant same rate of progress, but it's at least a constant progression.)

Surprises meetings happen.

Alongside, explanations and offers. Not to mention going outside, because they need space for to do something that they would rather have a level of privacy to do.

They're not the only ones to have that idea. While Patiri leaves for her first shift in the infirmary, Lia takes her two books back to her own room and then steps outside, where she can practice her Frostbite spell without calling the wrath of her fellow security officers down on her head. 

Lia then might spot Istevi an a person identical to him at the edge of the leg, the amentan is shirtless and with a pained look on his face, though the situation doesn't look hostile.

Down his spine, she can see from this angle, there are several markings.

...Huh. Despite Gaemir explaining alts to them, she hadn't quite been able to believe it before. She makes her way over to the lake. 

"Are you alright, Istevi?" She asks, giving the alt a curious look as she speaks, "Hi, I'm Liarae. We're from the same world." 

"Oh, I am alright this is Stephania. My alt, she was just helping me out."

"Charmed. I am a witch, and we can do some minor blessings. Some of which are in the shape of tattoos."

"They hurt about as much as a real one."

"Hm, I don't have any tattoos," she tilts her head to get a better look, "What do they do? Patiri and I ran into someone who gave us magic of our own, but more couldn't hurt." She pauses, suddenly gaining a look of realization. "I can't believe we didn't think to get any of the others," she says, chagrined. "I guess, in the excitement of it all, we just forgot." 

"Who is 'we'?"

"Patiri. She came downstairs while you were on your shift, and we ran into someone who counted one of my 'alts' as a friend. He let us into his world to get us hooked up to the magic there and gave us a pile of books and some magical jewelry." 

"One of his girlfriends that is mad at him, and might not exactly thrust the other two."

Sigh. "Yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, are you interested in some magical tattoos yourself?"

"I guess that depends on what they do?" 

Stephania is happy to explain what they do, she also clarifies that some of her boost are in non-Tattoo form, though the tattoos do tend to last far longer.

Mainly, she can give boosts for healing, health, resistance to damage, resistance to curse, various things to cover specific health issues, general luck. None of the benefits are extraordinary enough to look like obvious magical intervention, but they are very helpful.

She goes on and explains what each tattoo represents, and eventually reaches one... "this one is for fertility and healthy children."

Those all sound quite useful. When Stephania gets to the last one, Lia blinks, turning to get another look at the ones on Istevi's back. 

"What does the tattoo for fertility do?" She asks, "Just increase the chance of conception?" 

The stylized branch is definitely there.

"It's fertility luck. Which include chances of conception, yes. Also, that the pregnancy will be an easy one, or have other favorable conditions like producing girls instead of boys, twins. It follows your preferences of what is lucky." She smirks and glances at Istevi. "Or have children with who you want to have children with."

"Does it override birth control? ...You are going to tell them, right?" She asks Istevi. 

"My girlfriends? ...Yes? I am not stupid."

"There is disagreement. It increases the odds of birth control failing, but only if you'd want to."

"At any rate. I will tell them, honestly, I am probably being too hopeful with still calling them my girlfriends."