Time Versus the Elements.

After her discovery of her budding chronomancy powers in her third year, Lexali's magical focus began to switch. For her end of year project in Year Four, she decided to focus in on her chronomancy abilities and figure out if she could use it to affect the same fire magic she was already so used to.

- Research was her first priority. She spent a lot of time reading up on anything she could find about time specific magics and their matrices. The slow spell in particular she found useful. In her eyes, she was able to do something similar to this spell, except instead of targeting someone else, she was able to target her spell instead. Slowing it's release time and effectively delaying when it would fire.
 
History Check: 14.
 
Lex feels confident in her findings.

- Her second priority was the set up. She gathered any non-flammable targets she could find, as well as a mirror. She positioned her tools in a straight line. The mirror suspended above the target and at a slight angle, so she could not only watch her spells from her side, but from the opposite side as well as it came to the target.
 

After set-up. Came the execution. She had a decent grasp on her delaying ability, but had not used it often up until this point. Not only was this for her project, but this was for her own understanding as well. She was able to collect a fair amount of information from casting regular fire bolts at the target. Noting the consistency in their behavior and appearance and cross-referencing her notes in order to be as accurate as possible.

Arcana: 24 (20 base)
 
Lex feels very confident in her ability to perform without any inconsistencies.

- The actual investigation of the spell changing was difficult for her. She could only cast a limited number of these delayed spells each day before she was exhausted of her energy. She chalked it up to this exhaustion that she was unable to notice any differences, but she knew something was there. It still felt different even if she couldn't prove it just yet. Regardless she was getting very frustrated with herself.
 
Investigation: 6
 
Lex is frustrated she's not able to focus enough to notice anything different.

- Before she would give up, however, Neodym Winterclaw stumbled upon her working on the experiment. He would have seen her get frustrated and sit down with her head in her hands before approaching her. Lex would recognize Neodym as a classmate who has attempted a few times in the past few years to be friendly, and would have been too busy with her work to send him away like she normally would. He offers himself immediately as a living target for her. And after a few moments of confusion she will accept his offer, considering it beneficial for her.
 

After taking his precautions, Neodym will be struck by multiple fire bolt spells. Both regular and delayed. With the help of a ticking pocket watch, Lex preforms beautifully. After this, he offers his own insight on the spells behavior from his point of view of working closely with matrices. And with this, Lex is finally able to understand what she is looking for. She is able to spend the next few days seeing changes in the spells behavior.

Through slightly different weavings of the matrix of Fire Bolt. Lex is able to record evidence of unstable behavior such as hitting a different target than planned, or becoming generally unpredictable in targeting. She is also able to record spells snapping and dispersing under the tension of her delay, while others take in the energy and hit harder and faster.

Re-Investigation: 22

Feeling satisfied, Lex takes her notes and physical information and is able to write a clear and thought-out research paper detailing her process and her thoughts on her chronomancy abilities. Rounding it out with a call to action for herself, stating she plans on working harder on this in the years to come, perhaps being able to consistently replicate some effects over time.
 
She also provides a demonstration for the staff of her delayed ability and does her best to show off some of the different effects possible within her four delayed spell limit.
 
Final Scores: 14, 24, 22.
 
Lex is very satisfied with her outcome, and is more willing to show off her chronomancy abilities now that she feels more confident with them. After her project, it will be more widely known that she can actually alter time.
 

Lex offers a copy of her final paper and notes to Neodym for his help, in case such information could be useful for him later on. She will make no further attempt at friendship however, considering this just as payment for his help.