flightworks | logica & fallenstar (kinome) 10 part one

The first part of chapter 10 is available to read here!

Also, the first volume of the manga is now out!

This chapter involves bullying and grief.

LOGICA & FALLENSTAR, CHAPTER 10: Abel the Magician

[sfx: laughter]
[sfx: BONK]
Bullies: Take that, you stupid Abel!
Bullies: How 'bout we crack you like an egg?
Abel: S-stop it...

Abel: Wah... waaaaahhh...
[sfx: pat, sfx: flinch]
Fallenstar: Are... you okay?

Logica: Whoa!! You're a MAGICIAN, Abel?
Abel: T-technically, yes...
Logica, Fallenstar: THAT'S SO COOOOOOOOOL!!!
Abel: N-not at all!!
Logica: I never would've thought that real magicians lived so close to us!
Fallenstar: So hey, do you really use attack magic and stuff?
Fallenstar: And like, healing magic... teleportation...
Logica: Ooh! Ooh!!
Logica: I want you to use your magic to make my legs longer!!!

Abel: That's... not possible...
Logica: EHHH?!
Logica: So my legs will never grow, even with magic...
Fallenstar: No, isn't he just refusing indirectly 'cause it'd look super weird?
Abel: T-that's not it!
Abel: I really can't... magic can't be cast on something that has a soul...
Abel: For instance... I could use magic to make a doll's legs longer, but I couldn't do the same thing for you.
Logica: How come?
Abel: It's because living things and inanimate objects are "made" differently...

Abel: I-I hear that it's not COMPLETELY impossible... it's just very difficult... very, very...
Abel: The only people who can cast magic on living things are called Class X magicians, and very few of those exist...
Fallenstar: So, legendary magicians, huh...
Logica: That's so cool.
Fallenstar: Then, what magic can you do, Abel?
Abel: Huh?
Abel: Umm... let's see...
Abel: I can use a repair spell to fix a broken vase... or cast a floating spell to make a pebble hover... or call forth an imitation spell and attach it to a doll, to make it move around like a living thing...

Abel: And also... I can start a fire or call wind...
Fallenstar: That's so neat!!
Logica: (Move around like a living thing...?)
Fallenstar: I wanna see!
Abel: Huh? B-but...!
Fallenstar: I WANNA SEEEEEEEEEE!
Abel: ...T-then, I'll make this rock float...
Fallenstar: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY
[sfx: clapclapclapclapclap]

Abel: It's okay... I can do it... I'm sure I can do it...
Abel: P-pebble, float!!
[sfx: PTOOM]
Abel: I'M SO SORRY!
Fallenstar: No... what... it exploded??
Logica: That was super scary!

Abel: The truth is... I can barely use magic at all... Whenever I try, I just make things blow up...
[diagram: Try to kindle a fire? WOODCHIPS! Tried to fix 2 halves of a plate? MADE QUARTERS INSTEAD!]
Abel: I only succeed about one time in twenty... All I ever do is wreck stuff...
Abel: Ahh... I really am... a dullard... with no talent... I'm so sorry...
Abel: D-doll, float...!
[sfx: laughter]
Bullies: Look at Abel, he screwed it up again! Heeeeeeey, how many of those are you planning to waste?
[label on doll: Exam Use Only]
Bully: Man, he is SO DUMB!
Bully: He has no talent for anything but destruction!

Teacher: Silence! We are in the middle of a test!
Teacher: Abel, concentrate.
Abel: Y-yes... I'm so sorry, Teacher...
Teacher: Your brother was so skilled, and yet...
Fallenstar: Aww, it's nothing to beat yourself up like that over!
Fallenstar: After all, everybody screws up sometimes!
Logica: Most people have more things we're bad at than things we're good at, too.

Abel: They're not laughing at me...
Logica: From our perspective, being able to break things into pieces is plenty amazing!
Fallenstar: Let's call this "destruction magic" for now!
Abel: But... this isn't magic at all... it's just meaningless and causes trouble for everyone...
Logica: EVERY TALENT HAS SOME SORT OF USE! I have ways to cook a whole daikon including the leaves and a whole cabbage including the stem, so leave this to me!
Fallenstar: So... log-splitting?

Logica: Yeah! Couldn't you split it with destruction magic?
Abel: I wonder if I could...?
Fallenstar: Just give it a poke, Abel! Good luck!
Abel: O... okay...
Abel: (Softly... softly...)
[sfx: SNAP]
Fallenstar: You did it!!

Fallenstar: Wow, awesome!! Great job, Abel!!
Logica: Faaaaaaalleeeeeeeen!!! Praise me tooooooooo!!!
Fallenstar: Nice idea!
[note: A present in exchange for splitting logs]

Abel: I-I'm home... Mama, guess what? Today I--
Abel's Mom: ABEL!!!
Abel's Mom: I just got a call from your teacher!! What's this about all your exam grades being terrible?!
Abel's Mom: And yet you went out to play instead of studying... I'm so ashamed!!
Abel: I-I'm sorry, I... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...

Abel: (I gotta pee...)
Abel's Mom: Hey, honey... About Abel's grades... what are we supposed to do?

Abel's Mom: ...If Cain were here... I'm sure we wouldn't have to worry about this with HIM...
Abel's Dad: Stop that. Cain is gone now.
Abel's Dad: And Abel is trying so hard. We're his parents--it's our job to believe in him!

Abel's Mom: That's true. I'm sorry. I can't call myself their mother if I keep comparing them like this.

TO BE CONTINUED

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