[ he slowly nods just as a sign of acknowledgement, brushing the tone he thinks he heard under a rug. it's— unimportant right now, but it's worth noting. maybe. the more you know about someone.

anyway: jayce massages his sweaty temples as he looks at his notes dead on. ]

This doesn't apply to a single variation of magic. It's for . . . Everything.

[ he presses a finger to some of the sketched symbols he has, tapping them. ]

Understand the language first. String it down until it's food you can swallow. Then you can worry about the . . . Countless, variables, and getting them right.

[ the many, many cakes. god, he's hungry. that may be why he's using food metaphors. grunting, jayce rests his hand on his stomach. it's uncomfortable. ]

You're on the right track. Just leave it for later.