Thread:Darkcloud1111/@comment-15108745-20130826011959/@comment-3146930-20130826043239

But there is a difference between someone like Crimson, who can freely manipulate Dust to cause an explosion almost anywhere she wants; and someone like Roman who can only fire Dust from his cane as if it where a gun in our world. He had to use a Dust crystal and shoot it to even make an explosion. Same thing with Junior's rockets. Even if the fuel used to power the rockets and cause them to explode is Dust based, Junior isn't controlling the Dust; he's using it in such a way that it will explode. Obviously there are other uses for Dust besides combat if it is sold freely in shops, like using it to cool or heat your house (use Ice-Dust in the summer and Fire-Dust in the winter), run your car (Motion-Dust), maybe power your home (Lightning-Dust), but in those cases it isn't being manipulated, it is simply being used like any other fuel source for one particular purpose.

But Dust can obviously be used without Aura, as something as simple as a sneeze can cause a reaction from it. Even Dust Crystals will explode if given the right trigger, like when Roman tried to get rid of Ruby. Weiss when she was about to attack had her sword switch that that Dust-chamber, then when she waved her sword to avoid Ruby, a stream of fire appeared. You don't need a weapon to use it, just something to focus it; Weiss has her sword, Glynda her riding crop, and Crimson has tattoos. Maybe the tattoos have Dust-based ink, as they light up when she uses her powers to cause explosions.

I also agree that someone could use Aura and Dust, but it is obvious that some character tend to lean in one way or the other.