(HIATUS) I'm the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Heroine is my Best Friend?

Chapter 22 - Using the elements creatively

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Besides dining, I've been practicing simple conversations with Annie and learning to read the room. When I should be talking versus simply watching. Or if I need to leave a conversation that is uncomfortable, smoothly and quickly. There is a natural flow of hierarchy in talking based on one's nobility and ranking. Everyone should always introduce themselves, regardless if you've met them before and you should always say your rank. Everything is in a particular order and in a particular way. Like a predetermined formula that's an unspoken rule.

When I attend school though, I don't need to introduce myself every time nor say my ranking since the school forbids the use of ranking to bully or control others.

I've noticed that the fluctuations of the psyche element shift in certain patterns depending on a person's mood and I've been able to utilize this to help control the conversation. When Annie is wanting to talk about something, the psyche elements around her will shift excitedly as if in anticipation and I'll know to slow down my sentence and end it smoothly to allow her to enter in with her own. Annie says that this will be really useful for me as I'll be able to avoid conversations with people I don't want to talk to since I'll see that they want to talk to me based on their psyche particles.

I've also realized that the elements are literally everywhere. They make up everything and that means that I can use them at any time, anywhere. But only wielders of certain elements can use the elements. And some elements are more abundant in certain areas than others so some elements are easier to use just simply based on their environment. The use of ease and how creatively you can use the elements depends on a variety of factors, not just a person's natural affinity. Simply just based on experience, Annie is able to use the wind element much more easily and creatively than me. I'll have to practice lots and learn a lot in order to use magic in a way that is useful and powerful.

"So, just the other day I had to run down to the store to grab some fruit for our dinner. We've just run out of hapies and I know that the doctor wanted you to eat them since they are full of plant and psyche elements." Annie talks about her day. Hapies are one of my favorite fruits currently, they are soft and sweet with a hard core inside that isn't edible. I didn't know they were used as health supplements but now that I think about it, they did have more concentration of psyche elements than normal. Maybe I like them because they are full of psyche element particles.

I observe Annie's fluctuation of psyche elements as she continues her story. When she's excited, the particles surge and then explode when she talks, mimicking the flow of the conversation. Small groupings of psyche elements signify she's trailing off and thinking of many things. This is a good time to ask a question or comment to reorient the conversation.

"I see. Has the doctor discovered anything about the possible cause of my memory loss?" I ask as Annie takes a second to drink some tea to moisten her mouth. Annie likes to trail off a lot, but that means that I have more chances to practice controlling the conversation so it ends up being a benefit.

"Yes and no. He still doesn't understand why the memory loss is so severe, but he speculates that the cause is extreme heat. Your body was severely dehydrated and despite being under the shade, it was one of the hotter days in the summer so your body got very hot. This caused your fever and your sickness. He believes the heat may have affected your mind and thus triggered a preventative measure in the form of heat sickness." Annie explains.

"Oh, that is why I've been eating a lot of cooling foods?" I noticed my slightly weird diet. I've been eating a lot of foods that are chilled and refreshing in taste like the hapi fruits. I've also been eating less roasted or cooked foods. Luckily it hasn't been too cool yet even though we're in the later part of the cycle.

"Yes, I've been requesting the chef to make your meals that are not only healing in plant or psyche elements but also cool in nature. Mostly vegetables and fruits are cooling, but some meats are cooling too. The gelle fish, for example, is cooling because they are full of water and wind elements. I nod. Yesterday, I had steamed gelle fish. It was not only delicious but it left me chilled and refreshed. I did notice the abundance of wind elementals swirling around the dish.

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