Materia.
A long time ago, humans could call up magic the same way the Fae could. But we forgot how to listen to the Planet, and the only ones that didn't, the Cetra, were wiped out. All we can manage by ourselves is scraps of things that might've been proper spells once.
This is their memories, crystalised over thousands of years. We don't remember, so they have to remember for us. Think of it as training wheels. To get you used to the process.
-Almost hands it to him without thinking, then pauses- You might wanna sit down somewhere comfortable. I've seen kids your age pass out on their first time.
-Shrugs- Alright. Go nuts.
-Drops it into his hand-
-Turns out that may have not entirely been a figure of speech, as several thousand year-old memories of how to use his brain in ways it had never been intended to be used (which is probably saying something) cram themselves into his head, as though they'd always been there-
-It feels eerily cold in his hand, even for something made of glass-
-For a split second he becomes acutely aware of all the moisture in the air, and of ways to potentially utilise it-
-Keeps a close watch on him the whole time-
Ice. -Casually waves a hand, creating a small flurry of snow, as though it had blown in from a window- Probably not the most useful thing for you to know if everything goes pear-shaped and you wind up fighting one of them, but I thought it'd be a good place to start in case you panicked and set yourself on fire.
You doing okay?
-Rolls his eyes- Don't know why I asked...
Shinra beat you to it. Where I'm from, anyway. That one's artificial — the naturally formed ones aren't perfectly round like that.
-Stands up and moves to the other side of the room, away from the computers- We'll work on stamina later — running away's a good skill to know, too — but I wanna see what you're capable of. Almost all magic is on a spectrum between precision and willpower. Fire doesn't require a lot of precision to call up, but a lot of willpower to get going and keep going without hurting yourself. Healing's harder to mess up, but it requires a lot of focus and precision if you're gonna do more than just numb an area. Ice is more towards the middle, even if it leans more on the willpower side of things, as does most Black. So that's where we're starting.
-Crouches slightly and braces himself- Take your best shot.
edited 28th Mar '17 10:20:42 PM by WonderSquid
-Nods-
Not bad for your first try.
-Holds out his hand for the materia- You don't wanna carry that around with you. The more you have on you, the more it can take its toll on your health, and I doubt you're physically able to handle hours with one at this point. Even I start to crack at about thirty.

Outside
(@Majora) Yes. I, uh, think me and Shantae had a little chat, right? (scratches her head in confusion
(@Ruby) Are y-you fine over there?