"Is there a way for someone like me to detect that without the abilities you or Palamedes or that Undine girl have? To my knowledge, magic doesn't exist in my world at all, so I have no inborn talent for it."
"I don't know if that's necessarily true..." But his only example to prove otherwise is Clarke performing blood magic in Tauva, and he... is trying to keep his distance on that one, thanks. "Magic has a way of permeating everything it touches, and we've all been touched by it here."
Not that he has any easy way to prove that, one way or another... "It's something to think about, but in the meantime -- there are some tricks that can be recognized without magic of your own. Being able to recognize an illusion, for example, or protecting against sensitive magic, like telepathy. Not to mention catching new passengers up to speed with the ship's oddities..."
Someone has to tell people not to engage with ghosts that sometimes show up in mirrors...
"We do have the advantage of knowing when muster drills are. Having someone around to help answer questions after the faceless dame does her speech, that's definitely something that can happen."
The rest, well.
"So, how do you recognize an illusion, Mr. Pleasant?"
"Or, you learn to feel for them. Even without magic, anyone can feel the difference in air density and flow. A crowd of people takes up space in a way illusions do not. Sometimes, they'll have tells. Reflections, for example, might act like the person they reflect, but it's a hollow replica. Sometimes they'll have watches on the wrong wrist or reversed logos on their shirts..."
There aren't reflections around here exactly, but the idea is there. "Generally speaking, an illusion will sit wrong with you. You might not realize why at first, but with practice, it becomes easier to notice."
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Which is a big assumption, isn't it?
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Not that he has any easy way to prove that, one way or another... "It's something to think about, but in the meantime -- there are some tricks that can be recognized without magic of your own. Being able to recognize an illusion, for example, or protecting against sensitive magic, like telepathy. Not to mention catching new passengers up to speed with the ship's oddities..."
Someone has to tell people not to engage with ghosts that sometimes show up in mirrors...
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The rest, well.
"So, how do you recognize an illusion, Mr. Pleasant?"
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Haha! Gottem.
"Or, you learn to feel for them. Even without magic, anyone can feel the difference in air density and flow. A crowd of people takes up space in a way illusions do not. Sometimes, they'll have tells. Reflections, for example, might act like the person they reflect, but it's a hollow replica. Sometimes they'll have watches on the wrong wrist or reversed logos on their shirts..."
There aren't reflections around here exactly, but the idea is there. "Generally speaking, an illusion will sit wrong with you. You might not realize why at first, but with practice, it becomes easier to notice."