xenoscience

To Chancellor Alastric Emmannulas Noens pel Colophon the Grey, XVIIth Gryphonhorn Magus, Th.M. M.Ex. O.S. Esq.

Chancellor,

I would like to apologize for my outburst during my visit to your office last month. While I was indeed quite upset by the verdict of the CDLXXIIIrd Disciplinary Council, my tone was nevertheless inappropriate for a professional setting, and my personal remarks were entirely uncalled for. I must also acknowledge that, while I still have some concerns regarding Lilias Calbach’s future pyromantic research even with Professor Tarkovsky’s now-mandatory pre-approval and oversight, my judgment of Calbach may have been slightly harsher than was necessary.

The Appearance of the Blaze (燚, Itsu), written by Kaen Homura (火焱 炎) and translated by Matthian Brimm, is a text on pyromancy which, while highly regarded in certain thaumaturgical circles, has largely faded into obscurity in the present day. Eschewing the traditional four-elements-based introduction to the field, The Appearance of the Blaze instead begins by setting out what Kaen calls “the Locus of Exothermic Transference”, and uses this to derive equivalents of the foundational laws and formulae of pyromancy from first principles. The grimoire goes on to apply its unique methodology to elucidate a wide variety of advanced pyromantic spells and rituals, exploring the field through a pedagogical route which often cuts back and forth across commonly-established subdisciplines. In his foreword, Brimm writes: “Kaen’s novel approach casts a new light on the field of pyromancy from an entirely new direction, and there is much to learn from the different ways in which our shadows align.”

To Chancellor Alastric Emmannulas Noens pel Colophon the Grey, XVIIth Gryphonhorn Magus, Th.M. M.Ex. O.S. Esq.

In Re: CDLXXIIIrd Disciplinary Council

Chancellor,

Thank you for your letter, and for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts in advance of the council proceedings. As you know well, I am usually quite loath to involve myself in administrative matters such as these, and I hope that the length and swiftness of my present appeal may further testify to the depth and urgency of my feelings regarding this case.

“I’m not tryna like, belittle your line of work or anything – there’s a lot of people out there who need to get carried over to the afterlife and all that stuff, it’s great that you’re helping out with that! I’m just saying, it’s really not that hard to not die, everyone else just isn’t trying properly.”

Mori stared blankly at the girl. “Look, – Vivian, right? – it’s really not that simple. There are so many ways a person can die, you can’t seriously expect to avoid all of them.”

Yumika I Lumen Defender looked did stood to face as ruin despair floating a tear. It was couldn’t be even as Unraveling the Herald when we they stop do of the world be with protect from.

I didn’t Yumika even never supposed to tried wanted guardian couldn’t just admired this as shining to go want to do be look like. Then now it wasn’t hadn’t be get ready enough too late in stronger than without for real. My everything collapse fault to decohere by as with worthless.

“No, she shouldn’t! Don’t listen to her, Tomoe.”

“C’mon Tomoe, you gotta shoot your shot!”

“You really think I should, Touka?”

“Touka no! What would Tomoe even say to her? ‘Hi, I’m the magical girl who held you hostage the other day, wanna get coffee?’”

“I’m just saying, she looked like she was kinda into it!”

“WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK, pyon?!”

“Damn, I didn’t know mascots could swear.”

“Shut the fuck up, pyon! You tell me you’re not convening this weekend, Maki leaves me at home to ‘run some errands’, and the next thing I know, every channel is playing live footage of you all BLOWING UP A FUCKING OFFICE TOWER, pyon?! The Miracle Bunny Pretty Defenders are supposed to protect the world in the name of love and justice, not destroy it, pyon!”

“Look, I’m sorry, but the skimpy outfits are absolutely vital, pyon! Magical power is fundamentally derived from the attention and strong emotions of other people, right? When you’re up against small-fry demons, you can get by with just a group of friends who care and believe in you, but we’re in the big leagues here, pyon! If you girls want to stand a chance against The Night Unending, widespread parasocial attachment rooted in sex appeal is your only option, pyon!”

Now sing, o Muse, of golden-braided Yumika, bold vanquisher of Yomi’s vast and ravening hordes, defender of this world with scepter and with bow, whose swift-flown shafts of sacred light rebuke the dark. Though long beset by countless trials of love and war, fair Yumika, with friendship as her guiding star, returned to gird again for battle with her foes.

“I think there’s something wrong with my narration, Mai”, the warrior of light confided in her friend. “It didn’t used to be in meter, did it?”