Cuddle Magic

Give a person a fire and they will be warm for a day. Give a person a hug and they will share the warmth with the whole town and come back to give it back tomorrow. - A Panda's words

 

Leave it to the Pandas to find Literomancy in places nobody has ever thought of. I mean it. This would be absolutely insane if it didn't somehow work. What's the next thing? Car repair Literomancy?
  Don’t give them ideas, Oscar.
 

two angry Literomancy professors biting into their desk over what the fuck is going on in Ailurus)

  Born out of the The Panda Cuddle Pile and the Story Spiral, Cuddle Magic is not technically Literomancy in for itself. But everything can carry a bit of story and a spark of magic in it.
  Most of the time, it’s not enough to actually create a magical effect (at least it shouldn't), and since the Pandas keep it exclusive and low key hush hush. There have been outside people invited to sleepover and cuddle piles, but all who've tried to start the effects of Cuddle Magic without a Pandapile have failed so far.
 

Effects

  Though Cuddle Magic is a somewhat closed magic and kept secret of Ailurus, the effects are noticeable to everyone around them. People who took part in the Cuddle Pile seem to be more in the clear with themself, more calm and carry something the Pandas call “the spark” that shimmers through them for a few hours to a few days. They are able to give part of that spark to others in a hug, but only if its a true, heartfelt hug and they intend to share it. Lying, and more importantly, not being your true self makes you loose the spark much faster.
  Being hugged with the Spark shares that feeling. There is a feeling of warmth and in lack of a better word, home. It might give you energy back. It might calm you down. But afterwards, you feel like you're carrying a part of that tiny light in you, filling your chest with warmth and banishing the cold.
 

Literomantic Theory

  The actual power Cuddle Magic actually creates seems to be rather small compared to other kinds of Literomancy. Ailurus is home to quite a lot of Power Writers, and some of them are known to somewhat suffer from the problem of having “too much energy” after creating and being creative all day, up to a point of Bard being known for getting a bit sick at the beginning of each event. Instead of letting it go or just unceremoniously shoving it into Literomantic Batteries and risking magic drain, the rituals of the Cuddle Pile manage to share and disperse the Literomantic energies between everybody present without causing additional strain since its not actively consumed for anything. It basically circulates through everyone present and makes them feel the connection as spikes and drops even out and the Pandas. Some Pandas with a background in witchcraft compare it to grounding, but with glittersparkles on top.
  There are theories of cuddle magic being another type of “truth magic” or “fae magic”, since some of the practices are nothing but theatre exercises and Bard always went on and on about benign truthful in acting during his lessons in the Penwall Academy. This is supported by the fact that acts of deceit seem effective in dispelling the magic, but only if they are done by the wearer of the “spark” and if they are done with ill intend. The good spirited tricks and acts of mischief Ailurus is known for doesnt seem to have any effect at all. Some people think that the active practise of cuddle magic is the reason why a lot of Pandas manage their seemingly impossible workload, write like crack squirrels on speed, are home in time for dinner, have hobbies, do volunteer work, chat all day and still seem to have less problems with magic drain than other Houses: They found a very effective way to minimise the long term strain of Literomancy on their bodies and psyche. That's what a hug is all about, after all: Giving each other warmth.
  In the end, it's just a thing that makes the world a tiny bit brighter.