[Harlan nods as she talks, though he's not... a thousand percent sure what she's talking about. Human soul magic? Sounds like a niche hipster music genre. But now is not the time for uncertainty, since Alphys clearly has enough of that for both of them. It'll probably be fine.]

In my world, there's a shitload of races besides humans, and all of those races use magic a little differently. Some take to it more naturally than others. There's a lot of different magical sources, too. Basically, no one's magic is exactly the same. I don't know what that'll mean for you, but the magic I know is malleable. I doubt it'll cross the streams with yours.

[Later, it will occur to him that she probably won't get that reference, but, well. That's also fine.]

What you were saying about channeling magic, though? That's exactly what I mean. Magic already exists just like heat energy and shit, so you're pushing it into the water the same way that you'd, uh... I don't know. Use energy to push the glass across a table, or something.

[He's an excellent teacher.]