Jupiter startles as Professor Roiyani speaks, gaze flickering to the offered hand. She hesitates only a moment before accepting it. "Connection," she murmurs. "Not control." Since the lesson with the Professor, she has felt the currents more keenly - magic burning swift and strong through newly opened channels. But she still grasps at it roughly, forcing rather than guiding its flow. Her fingers tighten around the Professor's, accepting the unspoken offer of guidance.

Roiyani lets her own current flow through Jupiter's hand, forging a connection. Then, she weaves her current into the flow of the wind. For a moment, she simply exists in that space, breathing with the wind. Then she curves her fingers, bending her own current flow. The wind, so thoroughly entwined, follows suit. The candle burns. "Do you feel it? Not supplanting the wind, but meeting it. You are a juncture of mind and matter."

Jupiter closes her eyes, focusing on the flow of magic through their joined hands. She can feel the wind currents twisting lazily around them, the steady pulse of Roiyani's power weaving between. Guiding rather than grasping. Jupiter takes a deep breath, then slowly lowers her mental barriers. Her magic surges in response, flowing swift and strong to meet the wind. She gasps at the sensation, the sheer power that thrums just below her skin. But she does not fight it this time, instead imagining her currents mingling gently with the air. And ever so softly, the wind changes course, drawn into new eddies that swirl around the candle. The flame sputters, then flares brighter, dancing in time to Jupiter's heartbeat. She opens her eyes, a smile breaking across her face. "I felt it," she whispers in wonder. "I didn't force it. I just...flowed with it." Her gaze lifts to Roiyani's, joy and gratitude shining in her eyes. And then, with a minimum of fuss, the wind intensifies with her emotions and blows the candle off the table. It sputters out on the ground and rolls under the table. "Or not."

Roiyani laughs. "Your passion is good, but you should try to partition your passion from your focus. It would do no good for you to surge while working with more capricious materials. Imagine if you had done something of the sort with molten metal." She waves her hand once again, lighting the candle. "See how long you can feed it. I should help some of your peers." She glances towards the rest of the class. Some are struggling to mingle with the wind, just making their candle flicker. Others have already extinguished theirs. But many have managed to feel the place where starlight sings. "Let the wind guide the movements of your heart." And she steps away, offering aid to others who require it.

Jupiter nods slowly as Professor Roiyani offers guidance, then moves to help the other students. Closing her eyes once more, Jupiter reaches out to the currents of air that eddy lazily around her. She imagines her power not as a torrent, but as a gentle stream, flowing in harmony with the wind. Weaving together, neither overwhelming the other. Her breath slows, heartbeat steadying as she finds the rhythm of their mingled dance. And when she opens her eyes, the candle flame burns straight and even, fed by a steady breath of air. Jupiter allows herself a small smile, her focus never wavering from the delicate balance. There is joy in this, yes. But it is a quiet thing, an abiding wonder at the way her power harmonizes so easily with the elements when she does not force or grasp. She settles in, prepared to feed the flame as long as needed. There is peace in feeling her place in the web of unseen currents that move through this world. No need to control, only connect. The wind guides the movements of her heart.

Roiyani circles around, lighting candles, offering guidance. Many seem promising, though there are a few who seem wholly unsuited to the wind, and there is no shame in that. For those people, she speaks to them of sunlight, of heat, of warmth drawn and offered. But not from their bodies, never from their bodies. Not until they can control it. And when everyone has a candle burning bright, held steady by current flow, she begins weaving them together. Those who are attuned with the wind meld easily enough, met by the same taste of a soul. Those that are struggling take a bit more coaxing, like a kitten on the side of the road. Still, she is a trusted authority, and they too weave themselves in. The flames are more difficult to tuck under the dance of the wind, fed and fostered by the shine, but they feel the warmth and accept it. They are all linked now, and will stay linked as long as none of them disturb the steady flow.

Jupiter focuses intently on the flickering flame before her, feeling its heat resonate through the web of magic woven between her classmates. Each student a junction, their powers mingling and flowing as Professor Roiyani guides them into harmony. Jupiter breathes deep, aligning her currents to the pattern. The candles blaze bright, flames dancing in time to a rhythm beyond hearing. She glances at the students around her, all focused on maintaining the delicate balance. And she smiles. There is joy in this, yes. But deeper still runs the sense of connection, of belonging to something greater than herself. Her magic harmonizes so easily when she does not force or grasp. In this moment, she is part of the flowing currents that move through the world, linking all who dwell here. There is peace in finding her place, and wonder at the beauty they create together under their professor's guidance. The exercise leaves her calm but invigorated.

Soon the candles burn down, and Roiyani begins picking apart the tapestry of connection. The risk with novice wizard hopefuls disconnecting on their own is that they may cling too much to the fading network and find themselves torn. The people feeding flame with heat separate from the larger cluster, then from each other. She teases the wind apart into several streams of air, one for each student. Then she lets them come back to themselves. "To master a thing, you must first know it entirely. You must first understand it entirely. You must first connect with it entirely. Once you have mastered the connection, then we will concern ourselves with the true nature of this course. Amplitude manipulation."

Jupiter blinks slowly as the connection dissolves, the room seeming strangely muted in its absence. But Professor Roiyani's words resonate within her. To truly understand these forces, she must connect fully - become part of the flowing currents, rather than grasping at them from without. But for now, the lesson is over. She can see the waves, much like in her own world, but here there are no crystal diodes to help her on her journey.

With the conclusion of the class, it is now free period. Jupiter is free to visit the library, consult teachers, explore personal projects, or anything she can think of. Alternatively, she could take a nap, as many of her peers are wont to do.

Jupiter decides to head back to the library and do some research on the magical theory behind the lesson today. She wants to better understand how mages connect with and manipulate the elements.

The index of library books lists magic as the luminous section, organized in alphabetical order by field. Elemental magic specifically has several volumes on underlying principles, though some seem a bit advanced for her current understanding. Amplitude manipulation more generally has some introductory volumes, but the field is so general that it quickly divides into subfields surrounding resonance. 

Jupiter peruses the selection of books on elemental magic, looking for an introductory text that will explain the basics. She selects a volume titled "Elemental Magic: Connecting to the Forces of Creation" and finds a cozy reading nook. Settling in, she begins reading about how mages tap into the resonant energies of the natural world.

The book's cover design ripples like the sea, a simple enough charm but difficult to maintain across time and distance.

Introduction

For centuries, mages have strived to concoct a theory of the elements. During the first Age of Wizardry, the four-element theory reigned. Fire, water, air, and earth. A simplistic framework that functioned for the era. Later, scholars theorized the existence of aether, the material of the cosmos. It aligned well with regular polyhedra, so the more mathematically inclined were content. How foolish, to settle for a minimalist understanding on the basis of convenience. The modern understanding of our world is that each substance is a combination of properties rather than elements, and each property can be manipulated. Elements, then, are the definitional properties, that which cannot be changed without changing a thing entire. Clairvoyants describe such things in terms of "soul". Alchemists describe them in terms of "quintessence". Elementalists simply use the term "element". 

Consider the wind. The wind is still the wind whether it blows quickly or slowly, warm or cold, wet or dry. These are properties easily changed. But is the wind still the wind if it were no longer the light and compressible air we know and breathe? For some, envisioning the wind as heavier than the air is anathema and cannot be done. Such an act would, for them, violate the wind's element. For others, it could be done so long as it remained flowing. Through this, we find that elements are seen through the mind of the mage. Each must identify which properties are inviolate and which are malleable. Each must find the truth of a thing in their own mind.

The gift of the mage is the gift of connection. Unlike Inersi, mages can direct their current flow to contain aspects of the world as if they were the self. To understand the element of a substance, one must know it truly, and there is no better way to know the world than as one knows the self. It is still possible to work elements without such knowledge, as evidenced by Inersi who make covenant to become warlocks, but such mages shatter the world with every breath. The first challenge is to meet a substance without changing it. Mages tragically have minds and bodies, which have their own properties. Connection without overriding the properties of the substance can be difficult for a novice mage. One must have focus and intent. The next challenge is maintaining that intent while altering the substance. It is a delicate and beautiful balance. 

Not every mage is suited for this field, but every mage can learn its principles. Learn well, mage hopeful. The world sings if you can learn to hear it.

Jupiter runs her fingers over the rippling cover, marveling at the magic or craftmanship that brings it to life. She takes in a deep breath, preparing to delve into this new knowledge, when a flash of color catches her eye. Glancing up, she spots someone familiar wandering the stacks.

The Professor walks through the stacks, seeking a very specific volume. His coworker in Inscribed Thaumaturgy has a false belief about a very specific set of runes. He knows this because he was in fact the one to make that set of runes when such things were still within his reach. He just needs to find the book.

Jupiter's eyes widen in recognition. She carefully marks her place in the elemental magic text before setting it aside. Catching the Professor's eye, she gives a small wave and gestures him over to the cozy nook where she sits. When he draws near, she smiles warmly in greeting. "Fancy seeing you here, Professor. What brings you to the library today?" Though focused on his apparent search, he seems well - no lingering shadows from their last intense conversation.

"A Treatise On The Runic Arts by an unnamed author. Have you seen it? It makes you taste your second-favourite food when you look at the cover." He does not often look through the stacks himself, given his predilection of bodily form, but when Madame Ryoko herself cannot locate the index of a book, then special measures must be taken.

Jupiter frowns thoughtfully, trying to recall if she's seen a book matching that unique description. "I can't say I've come across it in my readings here," she admits. "But I'm happy to help look, if you'll tell me a bit more about it."

She pauses, gazing up at the Professor with a sympathetic smile. "Unless this is a task you wish to take on alone. In that case, I understand completely." Jupiter has learned over their time together that he often prefers to handle things himself, reluctant to involve others unless expressly necessary. She does not take it personally - they both have their share of burdens best weathered in solitude.

He pauses, contemplating. Perhaps...? But no, as long as she doesn't ask too many probing questions down a very specific line of questioning, all should be well. "As the title implies, it's a comprehensive volume about runes and other formalised inscribed thauma. The color varies, but the runes are quite distinctive." He gestures slightly with his hands, and faint lines glimmer into being, curled in on themselves. They have no effect without invocation, but the runes themselves are visually distinct from the standard runic glyphs.

Jupiter examines the glowing runes with interest, her pale eyes tracing their distinct shape and curves. "I can certainly keep an eye out for any books with similar markings," she says. "Especially if they make me taste strawberry shortcake upon looking at the cover. That seems specific enough to be identifiable." Her breath on the glyphs causes them to flare slightly and her eyes widen. She quickly waves her hands through them, attempting to disperse the pattern.

The Professor drops his hands, allowing the image of the runes to fade. "Appreciated. I wouldn't put it past that Inscribed Thaumaturgy professor to have hidden it just to avoid me disproving him utterly." He glances to the side. Madame Ryoko is occupied with a student, so he whispers, "There is theoretically a chance that he managed to remove it from the library." Madame Ryoko glances over, and he gives her a curt nod. She may have heard him say that. Oh dear.

Jupiter gives a solemn nod at the Professor's whispered theory. "A grave accusation indeed. We shall have to be most thorough in our search, to either locate the volume here or confirm your colleague's underhanded actions."

She glances over as Madame Ryoko looks their way, and smiles innocently. Turning her attention back to the Professor, she adds in an undertone, "Worry not, my lips are sealed regarding...possibilities. I've no wish to falsely malign the reputation of a fellow scholar without evidence." Her eyes glint with subtle mirth even as her expression remains neutral. She's happy to play along with the intrigue.

The Professor carefully does not grin. "Perhaps Amos deserves to be maligned." Speaking entirely honestly, he is perhaps not the most fond of Amos. Traditionally, Inscribed Thaumaturgy is taught by the Magical Theory professor. It is an unfortunate quirk of non-physicality that has left him unable to invoke and power runes, largely due to no longer having an internal power source. Manipulating equilibrium flow can only go so far, and runes require significantly more investment than he is able to provide. As such, after... the incident, the University hired a new professor. A usurping professor, unworthy of presence in a classroom that was now shared. And to think that they could not even hire someone with competence. Obviously, the Rukoia proposal did not align with existing standards because it invoked multidirectional current flow. He just needs to find this book to prove it.

Jupiter arches an eyebrow at the Professor's vehemence, though she keeps her tone light. "My, such strong words! I shall have to reserve judgment until we uncover the truth of the matter."

Inwardly, she feels a pang of sympathy. It's clear this Amos has usurped a position of importance from the Professor, one tied closely to his sense of identity and purpose. She longs to offer comfort, but knows he would reject open pity.

"Well then," she says briskly, "shall we begin this hunt in earnest?" Standing, she begins scanning the nearby shelves. "Tell me if you see any suspiciously empty spaces where it may have sat. Or taste an unexpected craving for your second favorite food." She pauses, glancing back. "Er, which food is that, exactly?"