"You can feel it, huh?" Bim asks.
"Yeah…" Marvin gazes at the door in wonder.
It's just a door, a normal, boring door, just as normal-looking as every other door they've passed on the tour of the building, but this one just feels different, like a giant invisible cloud is pulsing out from it and Marvin couldn't help but stop to look at it in awe.
"Does anyone else…?"
"Feel it? Not really. At least, no one who comes round this way regularly. Mostly, just me."
There's a tingling on Marvin's tongue and he licks his lips, surprised at the sudden flavour.
"What do you taste?" Bim asks.
"Those sour fizzy sweets. That's really weird. Is that the magic?"
Bim glances sideways at the green-haired magic man, tilting his head in curiosity. "You haven't been around many other magic users, have you?"
Marvin gives a sheepish grin. "Not really." It's always just been him.
"Well everyone's magic is different, almost like fingerprints. Everyone's power has a different feel to it. Some you can even taste. Often you can identify someone by the feel of their magic alone."
"So whose magic is this?" Marvin reaches his hand forward, brushing along the edges of the sugary magic cloud with a small smile. It feels so strange but also strangely reassuring. Tinted with happiness, and nostalgia, and a strange urge to start dancing.
"Wilford's. Though he doesn't like the 'm' word for what he does, so try not to use it around him." Bim also reaches forward, allowing the familiar sensations that come with his friend's magic to wash over him, making him feel comforted and secure. "Wilford's is almost pure sugar. It's why the smell follows him everywhere. Mine has more of a hollow gothic music feel to it." At least that's the best way he's found to describe how it feels. He's so used to its presence he doesn't always feel it right there.
Marvin draws his hand back and turns to Bim, curiosity painting his face. "So can you feel my magic?"
"Certainly." Bim closes his eyes, and Marvin feels something unfamiliar brush along the edges of his magic. It takes a lot of effort not to flinch or jerk away at the strange sensations. "It shows your inexperience, but it's bright and refreshing, like ocean spray, and…" Bim stops and Marvin's heart jumps as Bim frowns. "That's odd."
"What?"
The probing stops and Bim opens his eyes, giving Marvin a wide grin. "It's probably nothing." The TV show host gestures to the door. "Want to see what happens inside Wilford's studio?"
Marvin doesn't like the sudden change, but as the smell of burned caramel intensifies, his curiosity overpowers him. Bim's right. It's probably nothing. And something is telling him that beyond this door is something that needs to be seen to be believed. So he forgets the strange response and moves toward the door.