Move-In Day: Pt.2 [Obselete]

[Zenophoenix]

Nion had finished his lunch and headed past the Greenhouse, noting how the sun danced on the various flora and fauna within. He required very little to satisfy him and his lunch was no exception. He was now minus 5 gold, but he would just work at an on-campus job or go on a quest to get some extra change in his pocket. He walked to the bottom floor and walked into his room, surprised to see Rika there. Apparently, she had been assigned the same room as he and this made him even more excited. But it was either strange luck or circumstance that they both shared the same room. He eagerly spoke to her.

"Rika, hey. I didn't know you were my roommate. What a surprise." He said, closing the door so the room wouldn't get cold.

He noticed her side of the room was neatly organized, just like his. He couldn't have paid for a better roommate. He placed the rest of his coins in a small khaki pouch and stuffed the pouch in his satchel. He slung the satchel over the head of his bed and sat up and began to continue their conversation.

"Rika, I know I should wait before asking this, but do you have any special skills, magics, swordsmanship?"

[Rivermane]

Lightning flashed all around, striking the ground around a tall lone tower.
He had been climbing for what seemed like days, finally as his goal had neared.. the beast had appeared. Dark black fur covered it's body and a pair of eerie green eyes watched the hero, drawing his sword the hero stood ready.
"Nothing will stand between me and..

Rika looked up from her book as Nion spoke she smiled at him but didn't speak straight away as her mind was still caught up in the novel she had been reading, slipping her worn bookmark between the pages she set the book on the table beside her bed. She had found herself unable to tear herself away the moment she had started reading, she couldn't remember the last time she had read a book so full of everything she loved in a book. She waited till he was settled down before she sat up, folding her legs in front of her self she got into a position which she thought was comfortable but began to wonder if she had gotten it wrong.

"I practiced archery at home almost every day, could hit the bullseye three out of five times.. but only against stationary targets since father wouldn't let me practice against moving ones." She said wondering to herself if she might get a chance to change that while she was here, there had been many a time she had asked her father for permission but it had never been given.

"By the way, did you enjoy your lunch? Was the place as crowded as I thought it might be?" She found herself asking, though food meant nothing to her anymore she knew he would still need it and hoped he had managed to get what he needed before they sold out.. she wasn't sure if that actually happened but none the less she was hopeful.

[Zenophoenix]

Nion nodded his head in bliss. She was really interested in that book that she had. He stretched out on his bed and began responding. Archery, that's an interesting hobby. All he had was his pitful water magic. The greatest thing he could do in a fight was summon a water ball or an icicle. He never really was the battlemage type of person, but he did have an interest in becoming a Spellsword or a Nightblade, both of which require combat knowledge. This girl never ceased to amaze him.

"Yeah, the place got crowded real quick, but I didn't stay long. The mutton had been well done and the corn was sweet ." He hadn't really eaten that much, since he was preoccupied with his studies and now, Rika. The first person to actually be interested in him. He would not squander this chance.

"Oh, and as for my ability..." He opened his palm and summoned a ball of water. "I'm an aquatic acolyte, I can summon water balls and make icicles. I really am hoping to master a weapon, preferably a sword. But, I've never had much practice with any weapons." He sighed and sat up, crossing his legs as well.

[Rivermane]

Rika watched with rapt attention as he summoned the small globe of water, she had met a few wizened old men who knew magic but few of them had been allowed to cast them in her presence. The remembered one time however that father had invited one such mage as entertainment for a party, she had still been alive then and had volunteered to be his assistant for the night much to fathers objections. She could still remember the feeling of his magic as the water had encased her, she had felt totally safe the entire time but father had been furious afterwards and had sent her to her room for the rest of the night. She too wished to gain some knowledge of the sword in part since father had always forbid her to do so and also because she knew it was a skill archers needed for when the enemy got to close.

"I too would like to learn how to use a sword.." She admitted quietly, she wondered quite often how it would feel to wield a sword and had pestered father ceaselessly but he had never once relented.

"My interest in archery wasn't really my idea, one of my friends asked me if I wanted to learn how to use a bow. She was younger than me and found the prospect intimidating so I agreed, I found the weapon to my liking and began regular practice after that." She said deciding to share a small piece of herself with him, she didn't want to bore him after all and keeping him interested in her seemed a good way to make sure he didn't disappear on her.. like so many others.

[Zenophoenix]

Nion made the water vanish and then closed his fist. The last time he had summoned a globe of water was... during his fight with the cyclops. He had managed to narrowly survive by gouging its eye with an icicle of his own creation. He had felt now as he felt then, inadequate. But the fact that he was attuned to water made him at peace. He reminisced about late afternoons and evenings, letting his ball of water flow into a small stream across his arm and solidifying it into ice, then melting the ice and repeating the process over again. To some cities, he was a prodigy, openly practicing his arts and accepting criticisms as sparse as they may be. But in others, he was cast out for his arts. Rika was one of the few who accepted what he cherished as his prized ability and he accepted her archery in turn.

The room had begun to bore him, like all things that are stagnant and mundane. So he thought it would be a good idea if they went on an expedition. Not on campus of course, but somewhere secluded where they could actually practice their abilities or just be enchanted by the aura of the environment surrounding them. Any excuse to practice and as a bonus entertain Rika. After all, she seemed so fascinated by his magics that he had gained enough confidence to do it again and again. He glanced out of the window and saw that the sun was still high in the sky and saw that the wind had subsided. That was good, Rika's tethered form would flow less as the wind died down.

"Are you still busy with that book? If not, we could go exploring. I mean, the wind has died down, so no one will be gawking at you. I'll understand if you don't wanna go, but I do wanna go somewhere before classes start." He said, with an air of excitement in his voice.

[Rivermane]

Rika looked on quietly as Nion seemed to put on a small show just for her, she found magic in general to be fascinating since it was something she would never be able to do herself. In part she wondered if he knew how lucky he really was to have such a gift or maybe he thought of it as a curse, she had read that magic was like that sometimes a curse and other times a gift depending on the person and their surroundings. She on the other hand had been just a normal run of the mill human girl till the incident, afterwards she had tried to return to being normal again but had found herself unable too due to how she looked. Fate had been a harsh mistress in that department as Rika had found her world getting smaller and smaller, that had changed a little now that she was away from fathers influence. The idea of exploring appealed to Rika alot as she had been cooped up for so long at home, she could also take the time to pick some herbs to get some practice before classes started.

"That sounds good actually though I don't think we should venture too far since it'll be just the two of us." She said with a small smile, she may not be human anymore but that didn't mean she wasn't cautious.

"Did you have anywhere in mind?" She wondered why this hadn't been her first question, excitement and curiosity seemed to be getting the better of her which normally lead to trouble which would normally bother her but for once she found she wanted to just see where it took her.

[Zenophoenix]

Nion had taken a brief moment and glanced at the ceiling, contemplating where they go. Rika was right, without a full party they couldn't just go wondering aimlessly around the campus. Who knows what or who could be waiting. But the real aim was to get to know her better and hopefully develop their friendship, so he decided to pick somewhere closer to campus and open just in case. He had decided to go to the harbors. I mean he is a water mage, after all. Ever since birth, the sounds and sights of water calmed him and helped him focus on anything he put his mind too.

As for the dark side of it, he had always been cast down upon by those who were greater than him in the Elemental Arts. He was orphaned and because of that, he never learned from a true Spellsword or even a true Ice Mage for that matter. This was his curse, his inadequacy, one that he hoped would be dispelled by attending Gaian Academy. Going to the harbor may actually mean him learning or gaining better control of it. He had practiced for years but never really got better, he could only control a small ball of water and create a thin sliver of ice.

"I was thinking that we could take a walk along the harbor, the shores are open so we won't be caught off-guard and its closer to campus. It's literally right down the street. And you could practice your archery if you wanted." This was great, an opportunity to perform his daily practice and maybe Rika would open up to him a little more. "But, if you wanna go somewhere else, then that's fine too." He had jumped the gun or so he thought, asking Rika to follow him. He hadn't gauged her reactions ever since he cast his magic. She might be put off by him if he acted to showy or flamboyant.

[Rivermane]

Rika unfolded her legs and lay back against her bed her eyes looked out the window nearby that ran parallel to her bed, through the window she could make out the sky in all it's splendor her eyes moving between different cloud formations. Yet another thing she had spent alot of time doing at home was cloud watching, most of the time she would simply be lying back to relax after archery practice and would find herself looking between the different clouds trying to figure out their shapes. Listening to Nion speak she spied a small flaw in his thinking, weapons weren't allowed on the grounds except in certain designated class areas. While this was a hurdle it wasn't one that bothered her too much as she could enjoy herself just watching him practice, she also found his timidness around her helpful as it made her feel less timid when she was with him. Then again maybe timid was the wrong word to describe it maybe he just seemed guarded, she hadn't poked into his past much as she figured he would tell her if he wanted to her to know.

"That sounds good, I've only seen the ocean a few times so it would be nice to see it again." She replied feeling her excitement building, she remembered the first time she had seen the ocean as a child it had been when her mother had still been alive so it was one of her more precious memories.

[Zenophoenix]

Nion smiled lightly and hopped from his bed, swinging his satchel around his shoulder and placing his spellbook inside it. He slipped his shoes back on, eager to go on his first expedition with Rika. He swiped his white overcoat from the head of his bed and pulled both arms through it. It was probably no need for the spellbook, the only thing he could do was basic water magic, and he was unable to master any of the other ones. But he wouldn't let that get him down. Any chance to use his magic was a good chance indeed. He was glad that Rika accepted, he thought she would be apprehensive at first but apparently she liked the notion.

"Well, let's get going. I always like an opportunity to practice and the harbor actually looks nice." He said, remembering his first time with his magic. He had been playing around the orphanage's pool when he grabbed a ball of water from the pool and into his hand. He kept doing it, throwing the ball back and sweeping it up again. Unfortunately, that didn't sit so well with the Headmaster and he was expelled for openly using his magic, being labeled a demon and a dark artist. He refused, no refuses to let anything stop him from his goal of being a Mystic Knight. Maybe he was putting too much thought into it, he decided to just let things go their course. For now, he would just enjoy Rika's presence and relish in the fact that she actually liked him.

"Whenever you're ready, Nika." He said, standing by the door and awaiting Rika's next action.

[Rivermane]

Pushing herself back into a sitting position Rika watched Nion as he got ready though she found herself feeling slightly depressed, watching and interacting with Nion had brought about a realization about herself. She was not nor ever would be again a normal human being, in truth she had simply been evading the truth all along. However the trip to the academy coupled with the time she had spent with Nion thus far had opened her eyes, she found herself feeling slightly resentful of Nion for the simple things he enjoyed. She kept her face with a small smile etched onto it as she had been taught as a young girl, noble women had two faces one for their trusted friends and family and the other for the world. Time was she used to have many people she was openly friendly with, now all of those people had turned their backs on her. She may not be of noble blood anymore but she remembered the teachings well enough, she would hide herself from the world till she was ready.. for what she had yet to grasp. Standing up she moved over to where he stood near the door, in her mind she might have just said all of those things but deep down she knew she was a coward and it was just another excuse to hide from the world.

"Ready when you are Nion, got everything your going to need?" She inquired her smile still in place, she didn't like deceiving him since he had been so nice to her but she couldn't bring herself to trust him yet for that and that alone.. she apologized.

[Zenophoenix]

"Hold on, just a sec. I'll be ready in a moment."

Now, he made a mental list of as to how to get there. First, they would exit the campus through the main gate. Then they would walk down the road and reach the fork. After making a right turn, they would be at the harbor. Next, he had to mentally check off the things he needed: Spellbook [check], Scrolls [check], and finally the Elemental Stone. He rushed back to his desk and scrambled around looking for it. After searching through the contents of his suitcase, he pulled out a thin aquamarine colored crystal, the Water Elemental Crystal and placed it within his satchel. Now that the search was complete, he slipped on his shoes and waited for Rika. His smile shining ever so brightly.

"Yep, that should be everything. C'mon let's go." He said, his anticipation boiling over to the point in which his timidity was almost near absent. Maybe this trip was what they both needed to overcome their shyness towards others.

[Rivermane]

Not wanting to be the one leading she let Nion lead as they made their way towards the harbor, upon leaving the building Rika's eyes watched his back while her mind pondered their destination. A walk along the waterfront with a boy she hardly knew in a place that was foreign to her, the combination didn't exactly sound like a recipe for much aside from a nice view and conversation. Having seen him collecting all his spell components she hoped this meant she would get to see more of his magic, she couldn't tell but he seemed to be disheartened when it came to his magic abilities.

"With your water magic, are you able to cast Stabile Wasserblase?" She asked quietly knowing it was a long shot since the spell while simple in nature was rather hard to cast and maintain, the Stabile Wasserblase or Solid Water Bubble was a trick used by water magicians to entertain people.

She had learned it's name from the magician who had visited her house, the weightlessness feeling she had felt during those moments inside the bubble had been one of her happiest memories of her life. A chance to relive that now would be something, if he couldn't now he might be able too in the future so it would just be a matter of waiting.

[Zenophoenix]

Nion had bowed his head in shame. Although he did have a somewhat of a mastery of the Aquatic Magics, he didn't think he'd be able to perform Stabile Wasserblase. But if he perfected his Manaflow, then he may actually be able to perform it. He wouldn't pass up the opportunity to exert and tax his mental capacities. He prided himself in his ability to understand and apply concepts. He took a deep breath and pulled out his spellbook. He meticulously flipped through it, trying to find the class of magics he'd need for this spell.

"Alright let's see, Restoration, no. Destruction, no. Ah, here we go, Alteration: Veranderung. Alright, this is the one: Stabile Wasserblase: Solid Water Bubble. He spoke this aloud, and read the passage for a brief moment before closing the book and shutting his eyes.

He raised his hands, summoning an enlarging ball of water. The mana throughout his body had quickened. He had never used this much mana at one time, but it seemed to come naturally to him. He opened his eyes and was amazed that his usually small water ball had evolved into an enlarging sphere of water. He continued until the sphere reached a mass large enough to hold Rika within it. Now for the next step, he transformed the ball of water into a stream that collected at Rika's feet. He spread out his arms and watched as the ball assumed its shape around Rika. He crossed his arms and then uncrossed them, completing the spell.

"Vanderung: Stabile Wasserblase, Alteration: Solid Water Bubble!" He rested his arms and marveled at his success of the spell.

Now all that was left was to lessen his flow and stabilize the structure. After letting his mana reach a basal level, he walked up to the bubble and spun a portion of it around so that an air pocket was hovering around. The bubble was complete, although it had roughened and bulbous edges around it, marking his incomplete control of it. He decided to further extend his magical powers. He stepped back and stared intently at Rika, signifying his value of her life. He felt as if she could trust him enough to perform. He raised his right arm into the air and the bubble began to hover slightly above the ground.

Suddenly, he got a sharp headache and the bubble dissipated, with Rika landing on the ground. He knelt down and grasped the temples of his head, trying to relieve the pain.

"Augh, I'm sorry Rika..." He said, with a tear forming at the rim of his eye.

[Rivermane]

It was meant to be more of a spell he could use as a goal than attempting it right after I suggest it.. Rika thought to herself, however she couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm though she found herself wondering why he was trying so hard. If he meant to impress her he already had just by accepting her, going above and beyond was not really necessary but she wasn't going to tell him that. It would be like scolding a kitten who is only trying to please it's master.. She thought with a small chuckle, though she didn't like the terms she'd used she found the description oddly fitting. He did remind her of a kitten in a way, shy and timid yet wanting to impress and focus her attention on him as he in turn lavished attention upon her. She wondered what color he would have been had he been a kitten.

"It's alright Nion, I shouldn't have asked just think of it as something to work towards." She tried to say but he seemed to be focused on finding the spell, after finding it he began his preparations to attempt the spell.

Black would have been too dark for his personality, white would be wrong too as he would look too adorable, ginger didn't suit either.. maybe yellow.. no.. or possibly blue? Her mind continued to go over colors as he was forming the bubble her attention completely absorbed into her own little world, tabby was out.. grey sounded too old for him maybe green.. now she was just being silly. This odd back and forth in her mind continued until the bubble passed over her eyes breaking her from her reverie, for a moment she just blinked as a swell of old memories came back to her about that one night. It was then that it came to her, brown.. the simplest and blandest color imaginable.. that was what color he would be, for while he didn't look the part he was a gem hidden among the rocks.. a flower among the weeds.

"Amazing.." She whispered as the bubble covered her from head to toe, her eyes watched him now.. silently thanking him for something that she had wished for since that first time back home.

She watched in horror as he collapsed down to his knees, the bubble had only spun a small way so Rika ended up landing on her side, looking over to make sure he was alright she heard him apologize which made her smile slightly. You goof.. what are you apologizing for.. She thought to herself as she picked herself back up, walking over she crouched down nearby tilting her head slightly.

"As I said, it was something for you to work towards. You alright?" She said her smile for once genuine.

[Zenophoenix]

Nion's head had finally stopped throbbing and he looked up at Rika. This girl was amazing. Not only did she take it in stride, she even gave him something to work towards. He stood up and dusted himself off, latching the spellbook back to his side. Although he didn't do as he expected, he would take Rika's advice. As one of his goals, not only would he master that spell, he would master all of the Alteration Water Spells. He wiped his tear and hugged Rika. He had never had anyone push his limits while encouraging him. The amount of gratitude he felt couldn't be expressed in words. But he tried anyway.

"Thank you, Rika. Thank you so much."He said, releasing his embrace and ruffling his overcoat.

He smiled back at Rika and continued walking on the dirt road. They were getting closer to the shore. Only a few minutes and they would be there. He felt better and more confident in his ability. But still, he may have gotten too emotional, hugging her like that. Maybe, he should've toned it down. He just met her, there was no reason to be so imposing.

"I'm sorry about back there, it's just... no one has ever given me a purpose or a goal to work for. And when I fail, no one's there to pick me up and when I succeed there's no one there to congratulate me. So forgive me for my reaction." He put his hands in his pockets and went silent.