Skills like Aetherflow (SCH) and Play (AST) either only work while in combat (Aetherflow) or only provides part of their effect (Play).

For Play this means you don't want to open with a card buff, which you would want to if Draw is available, since there is a risk of not getting the seal from the card since you are not considered to be in combat if it is your opening move meaning you have to hold it back and cast anything else first to ensure the game considers you to be in combat.

For Aetherflow the issue comes at the other end of battle. There really should not be any skill that makes a player go "Oh no. Please, please, please don't die yet" at an enemy. It makes you want to hold off casting to extend the enemy lifetime just a little as your Aetherflow cooldown is in the 0.X second range when they die.
It isn't something that happens all the time but often enough that probably every Scholar player has had it happen a few times and it really sticks in your memory with a sour taste. The fish that got away is always bigger than the ones you caught type of deal.

Could we have a small grace period added, or if there is one then extended, for these two and others like them? So that casting Play as an opener and getting into combat still awards a seal even if it pops up half a second late as it confirms you being in combat and Scholars don't have to fear loosing out due to friendly large critical hits or damage bursts. For Aetherflow the combat is already over so it won't have any effect on the outcome of the fight anyway.