*COMPLETED* Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

“Only 60 Gold if I take the flyers? *Sigh* It's THAT obvious I'm bad at this haggling thing thing, isn't it? Oh well, since you were nice enough to make the honest offer, I can't exactly refuse. 60 gold sounds fine, you've been a big help, really, thank you!”
Kurui counted out the 60 gold to pay and took some of flyers for the shop to fold up and put away. She wasn't sure who she would actually give them to since she wasn't exactly the most social or popular, or if the Academy would like her putting them up anywhere on the grounds. They would probably just end up forgotten somewhere until months later when she cleaned out the room again... but she didn't mention this much. She would at least make an effort to find something to do with them for now.
From the selection of pens presented, Kurui tried to pick the one that looked as basic as possible. Some of them were quite fancy looking, with fake gold finishes and stuff, but something like that would stick out too much. While Kurui wasn't as good with money and Rythe, and had nowhere near the grasp of what things should cost as the brunette did, she was at least known not to be *completely* wasteful with her money. While she overpaid for what she did buy sometimes, the stuff she did have showed a value of function over form, and she didn't often buy a whole lot without a practical use. The pen she selected reflected the same tastes, It was metallic, looking like it was maybe meant to look like silver or something, although she knew that not to be the case. Other than this, it wasn't exactly flashy or ornamented. Picking it up she tried to feel for the touch of magic of magic in it, and eventually found it, although it was very faint and hard to detect through the metal. “Perfect, it might spike up a little when I'm using it... but Black shouldn't be able to notice it without specifically looking for something. This might even be better than what I was going to do with the Siffulum. As much as Black might have been pleased to see me practicing with something like that... it could have also backfired. The books say using them too much builds a reliance and makes it hard to learn the basics of new stuff. I guess there's a reason the Academy doesn't teach us with focus crystals to begin with... gotta know how to ride the horse before driving the carriage and all that stuff.”
She took her order and started putting it away as the shopkeeper turned his attention to Rythe.

Kurui overheard some of what the shopkeeper was saying to the lightning major and laughed a little. “Heh, maybe you should get some of that perfume. I haven't ever seen this boyfriend of yours... maybe you're not really into guys, huh?” she would giggle a bit more if this got any kind of reaction, but then quickly apologize.
“Sorry, I'm just joking. This time of year all the potion shops have brews that supposedly do the same thing and they never work, so it's easy to laugh about... Although even if this work, something airborne like that might get you attention you never wanted. Annyway, lets head back now, I still have to see who my mystery stalker was today.”
If Rythe had no further objections, the pair would leave the shop and head back to the Academy, although not before Kurui uses the memory crystal she bought to get a quick glance of the items she bought, the shop, and the time of day. Kurui had no other particular stops in the city for the rest of the day after this, and was content to just debate the big pressing matter of the moment with Rythe.
“I don't think I have much to worry about if I wait until class tomorrow. He's pretty open about what happened and is going to happen... almost creepily so. I can't tell if he's bragging about it because he's untouchable right now... or if it's actually meant to help me learn like he claims. He actually DID teach me something this morning, believe it or not.
Anyway... using it tonight... I'm not sure how smart THAT would be. If the things he said really were meant to teach me... well I'm not sure the invitation he gave me tonight was meant for “education”. I don't think I would try to find anything there anyway... getting him mad there... away from the academy... well I agreed I wouldn't take any stupid risks, right? I'll go ahead and find you early tomorrow morning though. Go enjoy you night... but keep our secret, alright?”

Kurui would part ways with Rythe when they got back to the academy grounds. For the moment she kept the things she had bought to herself. She had no intention of her or anyone else using them tonight, and when she got back to her room she just tossed them in a drawer near her bed. Neither of the items was particularly “dangerous” to have right now and she had no reason to hide them while they were “blank.”
“I should probably get dressed in something nicer than my uniform before I go meet whoever this is. I do have a few of my nice clothes from Veltria here... but on the other hand... I don't even know this creeper yet... it might send the wrong message. It's not like I would even enjoy looking nice right now. I can't be happy right now, I'm just be going through the motions to satisfy my curiosity and NOT come off as a total bitch... but I won't be happy... no, not until this whole thing with Black is over.”
She spent a few minutes making sure her hair looked OK and everything, but didn't do anything special beyond that before heading out.
“It's a bit early... but being early shouldn't hurt. *sigh* This whole thing must be driving me crazy... going to meet somebody I don't even know over some creepy letter. This practically drips of "bad idea" and I really should have brought Rythe with me... but luck can't hate me THAT much, can it? Even if it does, it's better I don't bring anyone else down with me... again. Tomorrow will be two days since I left everyone else. They can't stay hidden forever... and even if they get caught, whatever they're mining down there wont last forever either.
...
Damnit Kurui... stop thinking like this! Don't be a crying wreck in front of whoever this is... it MIGHT not be someone you hate. They MIGHT not deserve me being totally bitter to them over this... after all it won't be their fault. I need to at least hold it together long enough to meet them really quick. After everything that's happened, even with just what everyone else knows, I should be able to use it as an excuse to leave soon afterwards if I want. They'll understand that I'm not feeling so great after almost being buried alive... I hope.
...
*sigh* Who am I kidding? Boys are idiots...”

INVENTORY

Spoiler

Aside from her uniform and the waist satchel and anything else to be expected for classes or the Academy...
-Gold x30 (assume she got some more from her room)
-Note from ??? x1

*All other items stored back at the room and not on Kurui this moment.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

The salesman could only respond to the comment about Kurui's haggling ability with a polite smile, seeming to agree with her downbeat statement without explicitly confirming it. From what was available of the pens, the least fancy of them bore a metallic finish, which was at least common enough to not arouse any sort of suspicion. It had a cap, a clip, and a segment that could be twisted, with a hidden part on one end that could be pushed down, just like the others, by which it could be operated. Should the Water Major bother to test it, she'd find that it indeed functioned as necessary, replaying any words spoken into it as well as some of the ambient or background noises that might have been made in the surrounding area.

Rythe looked a little shocked at Kurui's joke, no doubt embarrassed given the fact that there were people around, but she wasn't left without a retort. "I am too! I can't even see other girls that way! I mean, if you want, I can even introduce him to you... sometime." She wore a bit of a frown, one that didn't go away until the other girl bothered to clarify herself. "Oh, um... right. Obviously, I don't really care about attracting too many guys at this point... or girls. But yes, I'm sure you're just dying to see what kind of guy would have enough of a crush on you to put such a serious note in your box." She seemed content to just walk alongside Kurui back to the Academy, despite the many bustling shops along the strip. Her look went from mildly uncomfortable back to serious and focused when the topic changed back to the plans regarding Black. "Smug bastard. He probably IS flaunting his power, just because he has connections in various places. I don't know, did he say enough to you this morning to incriminate himself? Might be best to just keep the pen on you at all times so you can nail him when he does get careless, and then after that we can bring it to the authorities... well, I mean, the good ones anyway. And-- wow, did he really?" Rythe's curiosity was piqued when the black-haired girl told of having learned something from the professor. "Was it something he normally teaches us in class, or something really advanced? I mean... not that I'm jealous or anything, 'cause he needs to be put away regardless, but I'll admit, I am a little bit curious as to what someone like that would be trying to teach you."

When the topic of the Water Major's plans for later tonight was brought up again, the brunette reverted back to her concerned expression. "Don't tell me you're still planning on visiting him tonight? Like I said, I just don't have a good feeling about whatever he might have planned for you there... a-anyway, yeah, just be careful I guess, you know the drill. I'll see you tomorrow then." A few paces after they entered the familiar Academy gates, she made a short wave before heading off the other direction, turning to Kurui while she walked. "And um, I will..." she said in response to the other girl's wish for her to enjoy her night, with a slight blush.

~~~~~​

After stowing her items away in her room, Kurui emerged from the dormitory building to see that the sun was now on its way down. It was late afternoon now, and though there was still plenty of daylight, nearly any resident of Elynsor could tell that it would be gone in about two or three more hours. Luckily for the dark-haired pupil, the redblossom tree that was to serve as her meeting place with this secret admirer wasn't too far, and she made it there within less than five minutes, meaning that if she did care to extend this counter for whatever reason beyond just a few moments, she could easily afford to without worrying about the darkness of night creeping in too quickly.

As she approached, she spied a figure standing underneath the tree. It was a male Academy student for sure, judging from the uniform, holding an open book and occasionally looking around, though he hadn't quite spotted her just yet. He wasn't quite as tall as Teague or Black, closer to her own height, with pale skin and somewhat unkempt brown hair. After closing the distance by another meter or two, Kurui would find that she recognized him. It was Lafton, a Fire Major from her class, one that she had only really marginally interacted with, though she had seen him plenty, as he was one of the few that made it a point to arrive to class early. By the time she moved in close enough to realize who it was, he looked up from his reading and greeted her with a somewhat awkward smile. Lafton probably wasn't the smoothest operator of them all, but he was known to be helpful and polite in class.

"Kurui! Thanks for coming to meet me here," said the youth enthusiastically. "Uh... s-so... you got my letter, then. Listen, I... I know this probably sounds really shallow, but I'd just like to mention that I honestly believe that you're smarter, prettier, and, well, deeper than a lot of girls at the Academy. Kind of an ironic way to start things off, I realize..." He took a deep breath. "But I just mean to say that, even if I don't know you all that well, you haven't really done anything that hasn't managed to impress me in some form, so... I'm just asking, if you'd at least want to go out sometime, or if there's anything I could just help you out with... I'd be more than glad to." Swallowing, a blush crawled over his cheeks as he awaited her response.

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

“I wouldn't say I'm DYING to find out who it is. I don't know if Sienna's told you, but I'm not really the relationship type. I do better when I have a lot of time to myself. Besides... I did all that my first year at the Academy and most of the time it ended badly. All the guys worth caring about go for the attention whores like Lanie and Odetta... or the social butterflies like Sienna. Since I'm neither of those things, most of the guys to show interest in me are just desperate... or stupid with no idea what they actually they want. I don't place my hopes much higher for whoever wrote me this, but I figure I should at least go check. Probably better to go tell them I'm not interested to their face rather than have them be able to whine to everyone that “Oh... Kurui is such a bitch, she'll completely ignore you out of spite just because”. Annnyway, I'm mostly just doing it because I should, not because I want to.”
After Kurui's explanation about the letter, the topic turned back to more pressing matters.
“I don't think getting you-know-who to say anything is going to be that hard. It's happened before, I mean that whole story I gave earlier was obviously something he fed to me and talked openly about. Considering what he wants to supposedly train me for, he can't exactly afford not to be somewhat open. I wouldn't make a very good apprentice if I never learned about the “business” side of things...
That being said, no, I don't think it's a good idea to keep the recording pen with me everywhere I go. It's only got an hour of time and a few erases before the enchantment starts falling apart. I can't really afford to waste it... it has to be planned carefully. I can't really afford to keep buying extras either... like I said, as much as I wish could say Vernan likes me THAT much, I kind of can't. My family makes good money, but after how much of it goes to the Academy I don't usually have a lot left. It only seems like I do because I don't spend a lot or go out and do things very often.”
Kurui's voice dropped just a little bit at this last sentence, as if she was aware how sad it sounded, but she quickly changed the subject.
“Finally... as for what he taught me... yeah it's not something he shows the rest of the class. He thinks them incapable of it, even though theres a few I'm sure could do it better than me. I wouldn't worry about it too much though, it's nothing all that “practical” right now. I guess it's better shown than talked about, but you have plans for tonight so I'll show you tomorrow, maybe before class.... or at least before my “early” part of class.”

~~~~​

Though the meeting place described in the letter was fairly quiet this late in the day, as Kurui made her way there she noticed no signs of anything being off. It's not that she expected Teague's groupies or anyone else to really “ambush” her or anything, but recent events made her a bit paranoid anyway. Instead though, she spotted only a single lone figure, one she would soon recognize. Recognizing who it was would come as a bit of a surprise, but if nothing else wasn't someone she expected to be messing with her.
“Lafton? OK... I got lucky enough not to get a total creepy loser stalker, but why would he care about me? We hardly even talk at al-”
Before she could think things through, he had already started talking. The words Kurui would hear sounded somewhat rehearsed, but not ingenuine. Whether because of how different the tone was when she was speaking to Black, or just her lack of planning on what to do if her mysterious admirer HADN'T been someone she hated, the honest compliments caught her off guard and stirred up a mix of emotions.
“...Impress you? … I don't try to impress anyone. I'm just the way I am because I have to be... So I don't end up some starving housewife... or a dirt-poor seamstress making clothes 7 days a week for some shopkeeper...”
It wasn't the most graceful answer, but she was speaking more to herself than Lafton, stalling for time to get a handle on her feelings.
“What kind of nerve does he think he has? Sending me an unmarked letter like this when others like Dinn and Reius were out there risking their lives for me! He doesn't even have a right to even compete!”
She glanced up at him, only to catch his blush and start blushing herself.
“Damnit! It's not like you'd know that... not like I have any right to be angry. As if the others probably even want to see me anymore after I abandoned them to save myself anyway... under any other normal circumstances I'd have been happy about this... but... argh... why couldn't you have been someone I hated! That would have made this a million times easier! I don't have time for stuff like this... I don't get to have a normal life anymore... not while Black is around.”
“That was a pretty cheap move you know! Leaving me an unsigned letter a day after I almost got buried alive and can hardly think straight!”
Her voice was dripping with an annoyed anger, but almost as soon as she started speaking she could feel it and it felt too wrong to keep up.
“Sorry... you don't get to pick when Red Day happens. I don't know why you would even show interest in me, I'm terribly standoffish and hard to get along with any long amount of time, but it happened and I'm here yelling at you when you just complimented me. I'm probably ruining everything good you ever thought of me right now. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it... just ...I haven’t been myself since yesterday.
…
If... if I didn't just make you hate me right now... I shouldn't make any promises while I'm like this... but... I think I'd like that.
Right now though... I need some time to myself. Please... ask me again in a few days...but if you don't, I'll understand if the scared wreck I am right now isn't the same person who caught your eye...”

She knew she could have just said no, knew it would have been simpler that way, but she didn't have the nerve right now. Stress and Black had eaten up what nerve she did have and she couldn't bring herself to do it, instead she returned his look, guaging his expression and fearing she had been too unfair. What was even scarier though... was the thoughts going on in the very farthest back parts of her own mind right now.
“He offered to help me with anything... I could have used that. He's not Rythe or Sienna, I could have asked him to do things that could have helped me catch me Black and not be risking one of them...
No! Damnit Kurui! Don't think like that! That's how Black would have thought! You're not like that bastard! He's not rubbing off on you! He's not...”

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

"That... sounds like something you'd say," replied Lafton. "You don't have to be so self-deprecating about it. But I expected as much. It's part of why I uh... well... y'know. It's nice to see a girl who doesn't try so hard." Despite Kurui's rather indifferent response, her admirer didn't seem to have any qualms about pouring it on thick, in his own strange way. "And... yeah, I know, it seems pretty shitty of me to do that, after what the lot of us went through the other day, but it really got me to thinking that... man, both of us were really lucky to have made it out in the first place. I end up thinking about Anisse and Reius and the other people who are stuck down there, and if that was you... ugh. I just realized how awful it would've been if none of us ever got to see you again. So I just wanted to tell you now, more than ever, that I like you a lot. Something I probably should've done a while ago. But...yeah..."

With her apology, he shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder, a bold move for a student normally as polite as himself. "Hey, don't even worry about it. I sit like, just a seat over from you in class, remember? If you were going to scare me away, it would've been earlier, and I wouldn't go through the trouble of confessing to you like this." He paused for a few seconds, keeping his eyes on her as if awaiting an additional response, but moved on afterwards if none came, drawing his hand back. His eyes seemed to fill up with hope when she remotely implied that she might accept, but the extra details caused him to postpone a more defined reaction. "Ah... alright. I understand. Well, I'll be around, if you need me. I don't actually live on campus, but if you need anything at all, just give me a ring. Inner district, fourth gate from the right. House Jarelin... you know, like the professor? Anyway. Take care of yourself, okay? Or I'll have to do it for you... eheh." He managed some awkward laughter to try and play off the extent of his concern, though Kurui could tell that he wasn't exactly a great liar.

Backpedaling off to one side, he offered her a smile before accidentally bumping into a bench with a grunt, stumbling off to the side and walking away just a bit quicker in embarrassment.

As the meeting didn't take very long in the end, Kurui still had roughly an hour or so before dusk began to set in.

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Kurui silently grit her teeth ever so slightly at the mention of the others, even Anisse whom she had never particularly liked. Though Lafton had been meaning to comment her, it still rubbed the wrong way. Not being able to say what had really happened was killing her... although even if she could talk about what happened, it would mean admitting she pretty much ran away anyway. “Look at this... talking like it's a lucky thing I survived. I don't deserve to be the one who made it out... I'm the only one who didn't get badly hurt trying to save us.... it's been two days now and I haven't even been able to do anything to help the others. They all deserve it more than me...”
However as he moved in to touch her, it was too much and greedier parts of her mind weren’t dissuaded by these thoughts and instead allowed her to be comforted by it, her blush even deepening just a bit.
“What am I doing? Why am I shutting myself off to everything good to happen to me when I need it the most? Why am I spiting everyone around me over this loyalty to them? I mean...he's just asking me out. It would do me good to get my mind off everything. He at least asked and stuff... it's not like Dinn or Reius ever did... Why does this feel like a betrayal?”

Kurui was so wrapped up in this mental back and forth she was almost not paying attention to anything Lafton was saying. As he was finishing, her mind was just starting to catch up.
“Jarelin?” For a moment she wasn't sure if she had heard right, but her mind was going over the details about his father now and it made sense. “Oh geeze... yeah... I know who you're talking about. I just never realized you...” she was tripping over her owns words now as a whole new wash of emotion came over her, although embarrassment was the one showing most. She recognized the name Jarelin, and while they wern't nearly as important as Black or Vernan, only having the name and title of "nobility" for a history with the Academy, she still felt as though she had just been improper right now.
“Here I am talking about about stupid stuff like how I'm going to end up some poor shop apprentice or something... and here you are as... you. That was stupid of me. -I'm not trying to say anything, I promise!”
Although embarrassment was the main tone to her voice, there were other emotions too. A seething jealousy for one. “Lucky fucking asshole. His family is probably why Black didn't put him in one of the groups to get screwed over. No, that would have too suspicious. Instead poor little Kurui and Dinn and Reius and Anisse end up almost dying because we're fucking disposable and have dirt for blood!” the anger would burn itself out again quickly though. “No... this isn't his fault. I can't slip into that bastard Black is right about everything just cause I'm hurting right now... especially when he's the one causing it! If anything, this proves that all the nobles AREN'T like he was. I mean... why Lafton is even wasting his time on me when he could do so much better... it proves he doesn't see people like me as... completely worthless.”
“...geeze I really am a wreck right now. Thanks though... this meant a lot just now. I'll take care of myself though, I promise.”
She would chase him down for a quick hug before parting ways, then if he had nothing else to say she would stuff the experience back down to the depths of her mind and let the business side of her brain take over again.

“Jarelin huh? If nothing else, it might be someone important who would believe me about Black... if it came to that. For now it's better nobody else get involved, too many people will make this whole thing fall apart. Besides... after what Black said... I mean I don't think Lafton is Redclaw... but some in his family might be. It's not uncommon for children to know little about their parents lives sometimes... nobility talks to eachother alot anyway even they're not in Black's pocket... better to save anything with him and his family as a last resort. After the way he just treated me... even if I could trust the rest of his family 100%, I don't wish involvement in this on them...
…
Thats that. Unfortunately the day isn't over yet... and I can't afford to waste what's left of it. Black's invitation is still left... but I don't think I'd get anything useful out of him if I showed up. I didn't get the impression he wanted to “teach” me anything, it would probably upset him if I showed up asking any questions about this whole thing... and I'm not going to get anything useful if I don't. Besides... I don't have Rythe around to catch me on the memory crystal and show where I was and when right before the recording if I tried anything...
I can't afford to ignore that bastard completely though... I should go check the spell practice rooms. If they're empty for Red Day, I can practice that gate thing he taught me without anyone asking questions or raising suspicion. I suppose I could do that back in my room anyway, but there's less cleanup this way if I get that lucky. Maybe if I make some improvements at this, it will at least diffuse whatever anger or disappointment Black's going to have with me tomorrow for turning down his offer tonight.”
If nothing else of significance happened, she would soon find herself on her way to the nearest spell casting practice room.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

"N-No, I really wasn't trying to brag or anything! I just kinda wanted to offer some kind of way to reach me if you wanted, since I don't really live on campus, and... I mean, it wasn't that kind of invitation..." He ended up stumbling over his own words in turn, looking rather embarrassed from it all. "And there's just no way you'd end up as some poor apprentice! I'd make sure of it, ah--... anyway, yes, I'll see you later, I guess." Inwardly cursing himself for his unexpected drop in eloquence, Lafton managed a sheepish grin before finally heading off. Kurui's hug, however brief as it was, caused him to freeze up momentarily, though the youth couldn't even manage any additional words beyond the last ones he said.

After Lafton took his leave, the Water Major was once more left to her own devices. She was then free to head to the nearest 'casting room', which was located in a large, wedge-like structure with several of its own chambers within. It was largely empty at this time of night, with most of the couples likely having taken the time off of practice to opt for more leisurely activities. Upon entering the building, Kurui would come across a lobby-like area with benches, a few tables, and usable lockers. An attendant sat at the nearby desk, reclining and looking as bored as ever. One hallway lead to restrooms, and the other to the main practice area, which consisted of roughly twenty long 'lanes', with short dividers between the start of each, so as to add some privacy.

The noises being made from the spells, as well as their visual nature, could still easily be made out, however. Roughly three people were currently casting; from the looks of it, a Water Major with terrible, terrible aim, an Earth Major whose spells were hitting dead on, despite the large delay in between them, and a Fire Major with no particularly remarkable quality to the way they practiced. The ceiling sloped upward towards the end, allowing some leeway for avoiding ricochets, or so that the few made would harmlessly deflect into the ground. At the other end of the range stood several magic-resistant targets, stone structures that were covered in arcane engravings, just as the walls and ceiling were, so as to prevent them from being instantly destroyed by stronger casts. Regardless, many of these had the wear and tear of repeated use upon them, though there were still a few free lanes whose dummies were in good shape. Naturally, Kurui could practically take her pick from any one (except the three that were in use), seeing as it was a slow day at the range.

It might have seemed like child's play at this point to her, after the training with Black, to see all of these other students struggling with the most basic of casts. The trick to properly aiming, as she knew, involved just enough focus to keep the gate aimed in the right direction, and even the most accurate of students only had to do a minor degree of gate manipulation to achieve the desired effect. Still, apparently that was too difficult for some, and after she had chosen her lane, a stray burst of water somehow veered into her lane, grazing her assigned target before drilling further into the ground behind it.

"GOD DAMMIT!" came a male voice from just one or two stalls over.

The other casters seemed to pause for just a moment, then resumed training after the brief, awkward hiatus, perhaps figuring that a comment wasn't necessary. However, a few more casts on the part of the mysterious Water Major were too awful to ignore, each getting worse than the last as the boy's frustration doubled with each failed attempt. He must have missed the memo; it was best to stay calm, to block out other bothersome thoughts while focusing. Giving in to one's frustration only made things worse, especially when it came to aiming a spell. A hard thud could be felt upon one of the dividers before the casts stopped completely, and several heavy breaths were heard. On the other hand, whoever the Earth Major was seemed very cautious, taking more time than necessary between casts, which would have been utterly impractical in 'real-life' applications, but the accuracy of their spikes was reasonably impressive. The Fire Major was simply throwing out spell after spell, in a rhythmic manner the way that one might in order to blow off steam from a day's frustrations.

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Kurui smiled inwardly at the effect her brief embrace had on Lafton. There was something satisfying about knowing she had those kinds of “charms”, even if she didn't often make a point of using them. It was the same kind of satisfaction she had felt only a few days ago when she had been using her charm on Teague... although this time there was no malicious intent to it. However while Lafton would curse himself for freezing up, Kurui would have curses of her own running through her mind.
“Damnit... this is what my life SHOULD be right now. Black, you bastard... I want it back...”

~~~~

Kurui would arrive at one of the spell practice rooms a short while later. As she had guessed, it wasn't very crowded today... however it wasn't completely empty either. A quick guaging of the sounds she heard upon entering told her there were 3 others.
“Great... probably the losers who couldn't get a date for Red Day... not that I'm in any position to say anything... that or they're a bunch of slackers who really need the practice, although I guess I can't spite them for actually doing it if that's the case. *sigh* Should have just practiced back at my room, aimed my gates out the window or something...”
There were other practice rooms at the Academy of course. There was no way a single 20-person range was enough for all the students here. However they were quite a walk away from this one, in Kurui's own opinion they had been positioned horribly in the grand scheme of the Academy's layout... as if they had been added on after the original grounds had been built. She wondered if perhaps in the earlier days of the Academy if all the spell practice had been done in the large outdoor areas or duel halls instead.None of that mattered right now though, she was here already and didn't want to go elsewhere now. She checked in the monitor and took a position in one of the lanes. For the first few minutes she just watched the spells of the others fly around while she debated whether to actually practice what Black had taught her.
“I don't see why I have to keep this secret... it's... weird for sure, but it's not exactly illegal magic like Void stuff or anything. As long as I don't mention Black teaching this to me, it's not like anyone seeing me do it is going to put some big secret of his at risk. Although it's going to make me look pretty stupid to be sitting here and just shooting off tiny water streams instead of actual serious spells.”
She continued to watch the others, quickly catching obvious flaws in their own castings, especially the other water major who practically collapsing under his own frustration.
“Hmm... they're kind of bad... maybe Black is right about how many students coast through here... then again they could just be first-years. That seems likely for the water major at least... he seems stressed out enough about it, so at least he's trying. Either way, screw it, I'll practice what I want to practice, there's more to getting good than just power, and I'm not gonna let a bunch of first years and amateurs judge what I'm doing. If they have the nerve to say anything I can just tell them the small streams are me practicing my aim... and if they don't buy that I'll drown out half the range in a Blue Riptide and see what they have to say...”
With that Kurui would take a deep breath, pick a target, and start her practice. Like before, she could compress a weak Aqua Blast to the diameter of a large coin. Under such pressure the “beam” of water coming from her gate was almost perfectly straight, and only slightly affected by gravity. She found she could easily hit even the targets farthest back in the range. Back in Black's room she had never had such a long range to practice with... and it came as a bit of a surprise to her.
“Wow... maybe this isn't completely useless. It's easier to shoot a stream of water this distance with pinpoint accuracy than try to focus and open up a spell gate at such a range. I mean, maybe it's not as good as an archer with a longbow, and a stream is harder to hit with than Blue Riptide wave by virtue of size... but maybe there's some use.”
Intrigued with the new possibility, she pulled a lever in the booth that made some of the targets move... and true to her prediction it was easier to hit them with the water streams than try to “track” them a forming spell gate or hit them with a regular hand-to-target spell that moved slower and was more easily affected by gravity. It was still something of a novelty though, the focused streams hit hard, but they didn't do much damage. Even with all the force behind the stream, it didn't hit as hard as the stronger Aqua Blasts she was capable of. By her prediction, if it hit armor it would feel like a punch, but wouldn't knock anyone over or make a dent. It definitely wasn't about to disintegrate wood like Black's needle-thin streams had... although she found if she aimed at the worn cracked areas of the targets she could occasionally knock chips loose.
“Heh... whatever, these targets suck. The Academy needs new ones and I know they have the money with what they collect from us to go here.”

If there were no interruptions she would continue to practice for a little over 2 hours until she finally started to burn out her reserves of magical energy. She would stop at this point, remembering the fear she felt when she had burned herself out in the mine and couldn't cast anymore, determined not to go that overboard again. It was still a fruitful practice though, she had managed to reduce the diameter of her stable streams from that of a large coin to that of one her pinky fingers.
“Guess I better check out now... maybe try to sleep since I have to wake up early tomorrow... or maybe spend some time looking over that plane map Black gave me.”

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Kurui would find that despite the extra level of concentration needed to form and maintain such a narrow gate, her spell wasn't only more accurate, due to the shape of the 'tunnel', but faster as well, thanks to the increased pressure. All in all, it even looked impressive, if not yet quite practical due to her current level of control. Still, the girl could tell that she was turning some heads with it after just a few shots, just by the simultaneous pauses the others would take upon each successful cast. It even caused the other Water Major's spells to stray even further from their intended target, and another groan of frustration would be heard from his stall.

On the bright side, the practice of such unorthodox gate applications certainly didn't seem to be earning Kurui any actual mockery on the part of the other students there. Envy was a separate matter, however, and such an emotion seemed to be getting to the other water mage the quickest. A few more minutes of practice, and their limit would be reached as another angry cry erupted from a few lanes over. After the mysterious student slammed their fist into the wooden divider next to them, they began to stomp over to where Kurui stood, determined to find out who this more competent of Water majors could be.

"RRRRGGGHHH! Now ya gotta show off just 'cause I fuckin' suck, is that it?! Smartass piece o' shit! I swear, if you're wearin' some kinda smirk behind that wall, so help me I will wipe that shit-eating grin off of your stupid fac--"

As she turned to look at the frustrated student, Kurui would see a stunned expression on a face she vaguely recognized... from somewhere. It took a few seconds for her to fully remember, about the same time that it did for the one staring at her. This young man, possessed of rough features and light brown hair, was a known delinquent. Not just any, but the one that had tackled her during the fight involving Ciley and Teague's group. However, he didn't look intent on assaulting her or anything of the sort, given his body language... not this time, anyway. Instead, he simply slumped his shoulders, allowing his features to change from anger to disappointment, or something like it, given the frown. "Huh... it's you. Go figure." He sighed, scratching the back of his head and took on a defeated look. "Well, I pretty much accepted what a useless fuck I am. Can't even beat a group of girls, let alone form a water gate, while you can ice someone in a second, me included... bah. Hope you're happy."

The delinquent spoke at conversation volume, but even this was enough to get the other two to look out from behind the separating walls of their respective stalls. Should she bother to look carefully, Kurui would be able to identify them as other members of Teague's old group. Of them, the Fire Major looked on with relative disinterest while the Earth Major didn't seem particularly happy about seeing her there.

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Kurui would try to ignore the sounds of the others for as long as she could while she was practicing. Unlike the frustrated water major next ton her, she was good at blocking out distraction... or at least keeping it separate from the mental cycles needed to cast as she had done even in the grip of panic back in the mine. However, while she was content to ignore the frustrations of the student nearby, he himself seemed unable to do the same himself and quickly hit a tipping point. His frustrations boiling over into a rant over the course of a few seconds drove him over the the booth where Kurui was practicing before she had much of a chance to react.

When the frustrated water major reached Kurui's booth, her heart jumped for a second. She immediately recognized him now that she could see him. She could also see the others there now as well, both of them from Teague's group just like the water major. For a brief instant she pulled back, aware that she was alone right now, outnumbered 3 to 1, and backed up against a wall, within easy distance of a punch or grab if she started chanting.
The pang of fear would quickly disappear though when she instinctively gathered the water major wasn't physically giving off any signs of wanting to fight. As her mind caught up to her instincts, she even felt stupid about having been scared.
“What are they gonna do to me here? Even if they attacked me right now, they wouldn't be able to drag me out past the check-in monitor... and they certainly couldn't do anything to me here in this very room with any measure of safety, not without a risk of someone else coming in. They wouldn't even get that far anyway, no... after everything that happened to me, I would be fighting differently than them. They don't know what it's like fighting to stay alive, to fight against things like Void creatures or Black... I'd manage something and they wouldn't be prepared for it...”
Upon coming to these realizations, Kurui's posture quickly relaxed and any fear was gone... however as the water major kept talking, a new emotion started to fill the void where the jolt of fear had been... this one with more staying power as every word came forth. Anger.

"Yeah... poor you huh? I'm sorry the worst thing you have to deal with is being beaten by some girls. I'm sorry I don't have a penis so you could lose with honor or whatever. I'm sure that made what happened to Sienna perfectly fine for her when Teague had her all set up and you all lined up to take turns with her.
I'm also sorry you suck at something you still have a chance to get good at, but no, stay that way. Stay a useless joke, fate has a twisted sense of humor and loves good jokes. Enrion forbid you actually get good at something, you might almost get buried alive in a cave-in. If you're actually a decent person you might even die and that lasts forever! Fucking hilarious, isn't it!? HAHAHA!
So yeah... I'm really fucking happy you feel sorry for yourself. If it's so bad maybe you should just up and disappear one day like Teague did... or don't, I don't even fucking care anymore!”

With that she shoved her way past the water major and started heading towards the door. Whether she had meant to hurt him or not wasn't clear, but it was obvious by the tone of her voice and her expression that she had already ended up hurting herself pretty badly too just now.
“I knew it was a bad idea to practice here while other people were here. It just HAD to be THESE guys too... Why not? Fate hates everything I do anyway. It will probably make my room collapse when I go back to my practicing there... if I can even keep myself focused enough to make any real progress.”
Her room would be her next destination... assuming of course nobody in the practice range stopped her and nothing happened on her way back.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

The delinquent actually looked as if he were taken off-guard by Kurui's reaction. Perhaps he had a different reaction--a degree of disdain or even for her to point and laugh, but certainly not the look she gave him now. One of deathly serious anger. That, of course, didn't leave him looking any more pleased during his response. "Uh... Sienna? The hell you talkin' about? And I haven't seen Teague in like, a week now, so what the hell is your point? I dunno what the fuck your problem is, but I'm flunking out at this rate anyway. Just thought you'd be happy. Didn't think you had to be such a bitch about it." He didn't show much resistance when she shoved past him, taking on a look that was somewhere between resignation and muted frustration. The youth only let out a huff as she began to walk towards the exit, making no attempt to stop her, either.

Only a few feet further was about as far as she would go, however. When Kurui closed in on the range's exit, a thick wall of earth came up in front of her, effectively blocking her only escape route. She turned around to see the Earth Major among them having finished his casting, looking none too amused by her previous taunts. "And what makes you think you'll just be able to walk away, after having embarrassed us the way you did? Do you even know why we're at this place to begin with? It's because we weren't about to let ourselves be outdone by some girls like you and your slut friend, especially after we already had our way with that Sienna bitch. Besides, she's the one who wanted it all along, anyway."

The male Water Major, closest to Kurui in terms of proximity, perked up. "Wait, so that's who she's talkin' bout?"

"Yeah... and she got us pretty good last time with the wind spell, too," answered the Earth mage, taking a steady gait towards Kurui now that her escape route was effectively blocked. It was likely no secret at this point what he had planned for her; to turn her into the next object upon which to take out his frustrations, sexual or otherwise. Even amongst Academy students, he was rather intimidating, larger than his cohorts, though not quite as tall as Ciley or Teague.

"Fuck. I thought it was just some random chick. Couldn't actually tell with all of the gear on her..."

"Yeah. And now that we've got this one all by herself, I guess it's time to have ourselves a nice little Red Day, huh? Why don'tcha do me a favor and grab her for me, and I'll take my turn first. I've been wanting to pay at least one of these girls back for that day. Not quite the one I wanted, but we can take care of the redhead afterwards, too."

"Eh... I don't wanna get iced again. Plus, the monitor..."

"Who gives a shit? The guy's half-asleep anyway. If we're going to get expelled from this Academy, might as well get the ol' rocks off in the process."

While the male Water Major hesitated, perhaps a bit gunshy from the memory of being blasted in the face with ice, his two friends looked to be far more determined, particuarly the Earth Major, who was now closing in rapidly. Kurui actually did have some time to make a good cast, but if she wanted to get away from this unscathed, she would have to think of something fast--or start chanting now.

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Kurui made no response to the others until the wall of the wall of earth formed to block her way. It's not that she didn't hear what they were saying, she heard for sure. She just didn't want to fight until she absolutely had to. She wasn't scared, these guys were nothing compared to Black. She could even easily trace the earth mage's spell as it was forming, she knew she wouldn't get hit in the back as with the lightning bolt yesterday. She could keep track of their positions relative to her with mere sense of sound and had since put some distance between her and them after having shoved past the water major. Still, despite all that, a fight felt like a wasted effort... or an an extreme she didn't want to indulge in. Her way blocked now though, it seemed there would be no alternative.

… When Kurui turned around to face her aggressors , her expression had totally changed. All the signs of hurt she had felt from her earlier rant were gone. Any signs of fear were gone. Any signs of sympathy or reasonability were gone. Instead everything was replaced by a silent fury. Her normally gentle light blue eyes were now alight with a piecing glare far more fierce than most might have imagined her capable of. Perhaps because she had been there herself at one time... or perhaps because simply because Black had rubbed off on her, she found herself with an almost uncanny ability to read the others in the room right now... to get into their heads.
“The water major of the group was already scared of me, at least a little. The other two were not. I could easily dodge the slow earth major's spells, hit the fire major after the first dodge while he's recovering before moving on to him... the water major won't bother to fight unless the other two gain an advantage. But that's... sloppy. A messy waste of effort. I can handle this quicker... more efficient... get them all like the water major but worse. I'm not fighting on the same level as them... not anymore. I won't allow any more humiliation for me or Sienna, not from THEM!”
She started to chant a spell for Chill Dust, a simple ice spell usually used only by beginners trying to take the next step up from water... or for utility purposes like chilling food. The spell itself drew upon tiny dust-like ice crystals from the water plane's colder layers. Normally these crystals had little in the way of solidarity, as the solid ice used in most offensive magic, and the area from which they were drawn was one of relatively low “pressure”... but all of this meant the spell could be formed quickly and easily, and she still had plenty of energy left to cover the “cost” of pulling ice through a gate. She would have the spell formed before any of her aggressors even got close... in fact the strange nature of what she was doing might have put them off guard. Keywords in her chant made it obvious what she was doing, and as she formed the gate at her hand it started large... but then shrunk to smaller than her hand, as if she was too burnt out from practice to keep it up. It was all hiding a fatal secret though, one she was confident she could pull off with her recent practice, even if ice was a step up in difficulty compared to water.

“You talk like you have nothing else to lose... you have no idea what that means.”
Her voice was colder than the ice of her spell right now as she turned to address the unfortunate Earth Major who's loud mouth had earned him the focus of her attention. Had she heard herself in any other mood than the one she was in right now, her voice would have the same unnerving effect on her as Black's did. She didn't care, unlike her, these guys deserved every bit of the fear and shock they might be feeling in a second.
Her gate was formed now, a small little bundle of magic in her hand, not very impressive on it's own... but within the gate the small dust like crystals of her simple spell had been squeezed in the “tunnel” of her spell gate, fused together into a solid mass with enormous pressure behind it. When the time came, she would open her gate at a pinpoint and widen it from there, it would come out sharp and tapered, then she would hold it that way, build up a shaft behind it roughly the size of a crossbow bolt's but a bit thicker, to give it weight and momentum. This would be harder to do with ice than water, but would require less than a second of holding the gate stable, something she was sure she could now after all the practice with the water for much longer stretches. Such a projectile might shatter upon hitting armor or something like metal, but the earth major wasn't wearing anything like that. The shot against his academy uniform and flesh would be like an arrow, easily tearing through, maybe creating even more damage and trauma if it shattered upon hitting bone. It might even damage the latter with the speed and weight and pressure launching it.
“For the rest of you, consider what I'm about to do your final warning.”

Slowly she outstretched her hand, pointing it right at the delinquent’s face and holding it there for a moment, she had not fallen so far into blind fury or survival instinct to outright try to kill him with a shot into the skull, but it did serve a purpose. After this was all done he would remember this image... and know what she could have done. For now though, she lowered her hand in one quick movement towards his knee. If this hit and shattered it might tear the flesh so badly that he may never walk without a limp ever again, even if healers got to it quickly. The chances that he would dodge were slim however, as the projectile would move fast as soon as she released it... and this time there was no pause once her aim had been set.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Spoiler

Kurui's Casting Check: Success
Damage is... well, critical.

Indeed, it proved rather easy for Kurui to see these spells coming; compared to Dinn's, the earth walls this delinquent made were really nothing, looking rather slow despite potentially frightening a layman. Compared to someone like Black's casts... well. She might as well have been fighting kids. These mages' apparent lack of diligence had certainly cost them in more ways than one, not only in previous fights, but in this one as well, as the earth wall demonstration did little, if anything, to intimidate the now cold-eyed Water Major. On the other hand, the Earth mage himself apparently wasn't frightened enough from the sharp streams she had demonstrated earlier to think about going back on his plan, and he angrily marched in her direction, ignoring whatever potential casts she might have in the works.

It was a mistake.

While the other Water Major found her words unnerving, he would be the only one, as his cohort strode forward with fists clenched at his sides. He was almost within grabbing distance of her too, past the delinquent that was once closest to her, and by that time he reached his arms out to tackle her. It was a high-pressure situation, to be sure, but all in all, Kurui knew she had been through much worse matters. Those involving life and death, and worse fates at stake. Black was far more capable of inflicting worse humiliation than these novices. As she turned her spell downwards at his knee, the Earth Major stepped forward with it at the same time, and the icy bolt shot out from her conjured spell gate at considerable pressure and speed, instantly impaling his limb in one of the most painful spots possible. Soon enough, the 'icicle' was soaked with red, yet it didn't dissolve, spreading its chilly influence over the wound. Bone and sinew alike were destroyed where the needle struck, and the overwhelming pain caused the towering young man to fall to the ground, clutching his knee whilst screaming out in pain. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH! Aaaaahhhh! Guuu-aaahhh...!!!"

He began to roll back and forth on the floor as the waves of pain overloaded his senses, and seeing this, the other two froze in place for a moment, unable to really comprehend what had just happened. There would be no attempt at return fire, either; these two were not going to win a cast-off anytime soon, especially as one student's element wasn't particularly effective against water at lower levels, and the other simply didn't have the aptitude to even aim a spell properly. They could only stare at what had happened to their friend. Neither of them had seen an injury so grievous, let alone one made by a spell like the one Kurui had cast, especially with the degree of harmful intent she presented. It was almost surreal for them, as neither of these students went to the mines and saw what she did.

However, the student's almost unbearably loud cries eventually woke the monitor up, and before long Kurui would turn to see the stone wall saturated with water, before a second blast tore it to bits like mud--a solution that the Water Major herself could have used to escape if no one did come after all, but this way, he did save her the trouble. The monitor, still looking half-asleep, walked in hurriedly to see three delinquents, one of them terribly injured on the ground, and of course Kurui, not far from him. "Uh..."

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Kurui's spell hit right on target, and despite not shattering and tearing up her targets knee with the shrapnel, still did more damage than she had predicted. Part of her was in shock that Black's little trick had worked... that it had actually proven useful. Although her shock was nothing compared to the other two delinquents, who were now paralyzed like scared animals.
“This... is is what I must have looked like back in the mines... when Reius got stabbed...”
A small part of Kurui's mind delighted in not being on the receiving end of the fear wave, that part of her almost wanted to raise her hand at them just to see if they jumped... but that part was small and quickly drown out by the realization of what she had just done. A quick glance back at her work wiped all fury and fierceness from her eyes and a wave of nausea overcame her as she saw the blood, a sight she still wasn't used to.
“Just remember Kurui, they were going to rape you. They would have raped Sienna again if they had the chance... or even Rythe. Now they won't ever think about it ever again, not knowing I could have killed one of them in the blink of an eye. Not after this one will never walk normal again... it's their fault, they kept pushing and pushing. I had to do it.”
Whatever showed on her face didn't seem to register with the two unwounded delinquents though, as she had stopped keeping track of them, yet no spells or attacks came back at her in her moment of weakness. She had time to steel her nerves and gets her wits back.
“He's not dead. Why am I feeling bad, this is stupid, if I didn't do it I'd be sitting here setting myself up to be another victim. A rapist bastard like him deserves every bit of this. What he really deserved was me aiming just a bit higher up and more towards the center...”

There would be little time for the stunned shock to wear off the others before the screaming of the wounded Earth Major brought the practice hall monitor. Kurui had done a better job of shaking it off than the others though, and would be quicker to move then them.
“Alright Black... lets try another lesson of yours, as much as I hate to admit how well your last one worked. I wish you were here right now, I wish you could see what a good fucking little learner I am. Now lets see if I can abuse influence and lies as easily as you. It's lucky one of these guys turned out to be another water major, that will make me that much more believable.”
As soon as the monitor made his way into the room, Kurui rushed at him, but not to attack. Instead she positioned herself behind him, as if hiding. She had already put on an expression of being scared, and although most of it was fake, she could use some of the original squeamish feelings over her own work just now to throw in that touch of realism.

“Keep them away from me! They're crazy! They wanted to use me for target practice!”
She quickly started from behind the monitor, before working out a panicked-sounding explanation.
“I was trying to teach that other water major how to use ice, b-but he got frustrated and had his friends grab me and cover my mouth so I couldn't scream! H-he thought I would make better practice than the targets, b-b-but I managed to squirm away right before he finished. S-s-somehow it actually worked this time! b-but when I got away I made the Earth Major there stumble right at him and he got shot almost point blank! Erion they're insane, they were going to do THAT to m-me!”

She stayed behind the monitor, clutching his uniform even tighter now to enhance the illusion of fear, although she had nothing to fear from THEM anymore at this point. She did have things to fear from the Academy staff though if the truth got out. However this was unlikely. She was a hard-working student without any reputation for getting into trouble, the three delinquents were not. She had also gotten to the monitor first, and knew the first story anyone heard about anything tended to stick the best, especially with the way she was acting scared right now. She felt a little bad framing the other water major, the one who had been smart enough to avoid attacking her, but it was necessary, at least he wouldn't have a limp for the rest of his life and she was able to smother down the guilt by reminding herself of what he would have done both last meeting and this time if he had the chance.
“This feels weird... but it's going to work. I already know it is even though it's wrong. My god... is this why I trusted Black? Is this why I ignored so many obvious signs before the mine trip? Maybe I wasn't as stupid as I thought... I mean, the rest of the Academy staff isn't stupid... but there's no way they're going to believe these three over me... even if they are telling the truth...”

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Still a tad slow to register exactly what was happening, the monitor blinked a few times, looking over to Kurui as she took a position behind him. "Oh, uh... Stay right there!" he ordered firmly, holding a hand out to the other students before they could say anything or approach any further. It didn't keep them from making a protest after the fact, however.

"What?! She's a fuckin' liar!" cried the Fire Major. "She's just making that up when she was the one that attacked first!"

"I mean, just look at his knee! Can you even call that self-defense?! He's never gonna walk again!" exclaimed the other water mage, panic evident in his features.

The range attendant raised a brow, having successfully stifled a yawn. Surveying the scene once more, he shook his head, exhibiting obvious skepticism towards the delinquents' claims. "And I'm sure that explains the big wall of earth that he put up to block the entrance... besides, it's not as if most monitors don't know your guys' disciplinary record. Sorry, but she's got a much stronger case than you three right now."

Still, he jogged forward and crouched next to the wounded Earth Major, producing a healing potion from his pack and providing it to the groaning youth to help ease the pain and keep the injury from getting any worse.

"Regardless of what actually happened, this incident and the details surrounding it will have to go in the disciplinary report for everyone here. The three of you are... from Ms. Rainford's class, aren't you?"

All that would come out of the earth mage's mouth were just pained groans, while the Fire Major was quick to deny the assumption. "N-No, we're uh... from Mr. Serriton's class..."

"Lying won't do you any good," said the monitor. "Besides, I can always check later; your likeness and records are kept on memory crystals. Come on, guys... I was an undergrad here too, I'm not an idiot."

"...Damn..." muttered the other student, while his cohort stayed frozen in place. After all, in hindsight the two were potentially safer in the attendant's presence than alone with the girl.

The guardian then turned to Kurui. "Are you alright? Don't worry, I believe you--I wouldn't put it past these guys to try something less than wholesome on a girl like you. Either way, I'm going to have to report this to your homeroom teacher. Think I've seen you around before... you're in Mr. Black's class, huh? Not that it matters, as I can always take a look later..." He looked her over briefly.

Regardless of whether or not she gave an immediate answer, or even a truthful one, he went on. "Well, you're free for now. We'll just log the incident and I'm sure it'll result in yet another strike against these guys' records, if everything checks out. I can take you to the infirmary if you're hurt, since I gotta take this other one there too, anyway." He motioned to the now crippled Earth Major.

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

“Self defense?! Yeah, all three of you just stood there while I chanted a full power ice spell and aimed it at one of you! Combat ice spells take forever to charg-”
Kurui would soon find a moment later that this was working even better than expected, and her lie needed no reinforcement as the monitor pointed out the rather obvious Earth barricade by the door. While she could have put it up herself if she had somehow been decent with an element besides her major, it raised even more doubt to the fact that the three of them stood there and let her do it. The alternative, if they wern't lying, being of course that they sculpted it themselves while she was taking aim at them... and that obviously wasn't true. Still, Kurui was reluctant to slip up and drop the act quite yet, as Academy monitor moved over to attend to the wounded Earth Major, Kurui backed herself up against the wall next to the door and started chanting an Aqua Blast to hold ready in her hand, as if afraid of being attacked again. She would remain this way as he questioned them, patiently waiting for her turn, although looking as if she wanted to run still. She had little reaction to three's questioning herself, as she already knew news of this would spread and most of the staff and monitors knew where to fact check information as the three tried to lie.
“They're desperate... they're trapped and they know it and now they're panicking. But for them this will be over tomorrow... not for me. Tomorrow I have to go into Black's and sit there as he takes pride in teaching me to do something like this...”

Finally Kurui's own turn to be questioned came.
“Y-yes sir, I'm from Black's class. We had Mr. Griden until just recently though... he as a military consultant and everything just a few weeks ago...” none of this was a lie of course. However she questioned the wisdom in doing nothing to even attempt hiding the information from him. Black was twisted in his own ways, he might very well say he suspected her of being the one to attack first. She wasn't sure how much sway he had with the other staff, but he might try it just to torment her. There was no use in worrying about it now though, what was done was done.
“N-no... I'll be fine. I just want to get back to my room and sleep this off.”
Persistent pangs of guilt kept hitting Kurui, she wasn't sure if it was because she was so easily lying now, or if it was because of the physical damage she had done, but she tried her best to assuage it without breaking her lie.
“Just get the hurt one to the healers, the ice spike didn't shatter, it might might not have torn things up as bad as it looks if you're fast. I don't care about their record strikes or whatever, this was just something that got out of control cause ice is hard to manage, like a fire mage who burns themselves with their first spell on accident. It was kind of my fault for panicking thrashing the way I did anyway... Unf! I'm wasting time, just go before it gets worse!” With this she slipped out of the room and ran back in the direction of her dorm, assuming the monitor didn't stop her.

Kurui knew the Fire Major would probably be OK despite the added strike as he hadn't hurt anyone, and she cared little for the Earth Major who had first attacked her anyway, but she felt bad for the Water Major she had framed in this whole thing. She was unsure how much her comments would help him, or if the monitor would chalk it up to her being scared at the moment... but it was all she could do without compromising herself.
“I feel bad... but not THAT not bad. I know you were the one in the group who wanted to attack me least... but I wasn't lying earlier when I said fate likes it's cruel jokes... or maybe there's something to those Honrainese superstitions about karma and universal balance... I can't say you didn't have it coming.”

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

"Yeah, I've got it taken care of. Unfortunately the strikes are still going to be a mandatory thing, especially seeing as it isn't the first time these boys have caused trouble on Academy grounds... and the range is no exception. Probably worse if anything. Well, feel free to depart at your leisure. I've got this covered." With that, he motioned for her to go on ahead, and if Kurui were to look back she'd see the monitor attempt to lend support to the Earth Major while the others watched. Of them, the water mage looked particularly down, his shoulders slumping as he turned back to the scene after giving her one last look. After all, this was most likely his last strike, and he knew it. It may have very well meant the same for the other two, though if it did come to that, it was probably for the better in terms of Sienna and even Kurui's own safety in the long run.

Still, it wasn't as if the event itself wasn't stressful in its own way, especially when added to the other things on her mind. The Water Major had come close to many potentially traumatic situations multiple times in the past week alone, without knowing if some of the few people who shared it with her were really alive and well. On top of the pressure added by the 'deal' with Black, it would have been too much for most Academy students to handle... but Kurui was hanging in there, for now. At the very least, the weather proved slightly warmer than usual when she stepped outside, despite being quite dark. Several couples walked outside, hand in hand, enjoying each other's company on a night filled with romantic implications. Rythe wasn't amongst them, nor were many people that Kurui really knew or recognized. It did quite well in making her feel... alone, in a way. Granted, it was likely better than the attentions of multiple delinquents, but that reassurance alone was far from the zone of 'normal', and she knew it.

The dorms were less quiet than before, with some of the students having settled in for the night, though roughly half still seemed to be out, from what the student could tell. Still, she didn't encounter anyone in the halls back to her own room, mainly hearing a few muted conversations from behind closed doors. As it was a rather eventful day in of itself, Kurui was finally free to pass the rest of the time in her room, take a shower, or otherwise find some way to try and unwind from the stressful thoughts accumulated over the last few hours. Gone were the quiet, uneventful nights of before, made so by the admittedly mundane assignments that Mr. Griden used to give. Now, even an additional helping of academic pressure thanks to her new instructor was present. Perhaps she'd have an excuse, thanks to the episode with the delinquents, but at the same time it wouldn't eliminate the questions he would ask about why she didn't visit him. If nothing else, she did have the rest of the night to herself, though, and it wasn't particularly late just yet.

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Kurui wouldn't take any extra time to look back once she started on her way out of the room. Despite having handled the situation in a... “decisive” kind of way, and the fact that it pretty much HAD to be done, Kurui just wanted to get away now. There was no need to stay anyway, short of Black sabotaging her, there would be nothing else that would come anywhere near proving her story wrong... no matter how much the three delinquents insisted she was lying.
Once Kurui was out of the practice hall, she made a line straight to her own room at a brisk pace, almost jogging there and trying to ignore everything around her and what she had just done. She might have looked bad enough to raise some concerns from the people around her, but today was Red Day and everyone was too wrapped up in their own happy little worlds right now. Kurui was a stranger amongst them today, someone who might as well not even have existed. It was something that shouldn't have bothered her, as it was how she usually preferred to be... but today it ate away at her like a dull pain, canceling out of the comfort the “normalcy” around her should have brought. By the time she got back to her own room she was practically quivering from nerves, but at the very least, once she was inside the room, it continued to prove a safe haven from everything else.

“Fucking Void Fire, Damnit! I'm falling apart here! I'm slipping away from myself already! No... calm down... one more day, then you can end this. Everything will fade away and go back to normal. I'm not crazy yet. I'm not!”
Kurui's nervous talking to herself did little to reassure her, but diving face first onto her bed and screaming into a pillow DID help get some of the pent up emotions out. For a few moments afterwards she would just lay there listening to her own breathing and mentally checking out of everything until her mind had a chance to recover a little. When she finally checked back in, she was able to focus on matters other than her recent violent outburst and mental state.

“It's still early... I wish it wasn't. I haven't got any real excuse not to go to Black's now, not that he would even know that. I know I pretty much told him I wasn't going to accept the invitation tonight anyway... but this is my chance to make sure he doesn't take out any frustrations over it on me tomorrow. Give me a talk about how “disobedient” of me it was and how I'm not learning anything... then again when he has that monitor's report tomorrow, maybe he'll see I AM learning something. The twisted sadist might even be proud of me for what I did today.
Still... I don't think going is a huge risk. I think chances are that he wouldn't kill me as soon as I'm away from the Academy... I hope. He's already had his way with me anyway... it's not like it will be anything I won't live through. I can hold myself together one more time if he tries anything like that again.”
Logic made strong arguments... or her judgement of what was a good idea or not was declining along with her mental state. Either way she got up and started to get ready to leave. There was preparation to be done, someone like her didn't just show up at a noble's in a regular academy uniform. However she only got as far as picking one of her good dresses from Veltria before she stopped.
She had been holding it up and looking in a large standing mirror to see how it looked when the sight of herself brought a new overpowering wave of emotions. Pain and self-hate threatened to drown her now. She felt overwhelming humiliation at what had happened to her and no amount of logic could mask it back up like before. It was so bad she threw her dress down, grabbed a glass jar of candies from her nightstand, and flung it at the mirror shattering them both. She didn't care though, and just left everything where it was before collapsing on her bed.

To anyone else, Kurui would have looked good standing there with her nice dress... but to her, looking nice was now a source of disgust. She hated even her own body, for without it she wouldn't have suffered the humiliation of rape like had. She didn't see what anyone could find even remotely appealing about such a form so weak and helpless and was almost convinced everyone from Dinn to Lafton had faked their interest or was just messing with her.
“If I were anyone else or had been born male I'd probably just be dead now... it would be over and done with already. But I couldn't get that lucky and I was too much of a fucking coward to end it myself before I went through that!”
She tore the blankets up from the bed, curled herself up, and wrapped them around her as if cocooning herself. Part of her probably thought it would feel like the comforting embrace of another living thing, something reassuring that cared about her and wasn't disgusted with everything about her... but the blankets wouldn't be anywhere near as good as the real thing. She would cry herself to sleep in the position, the only thing she could remember for sure from her muddle of thoughts was promising to get a kitten or some other small animal to keep around her and hold for moments like this once she was out of the Academy.
Despite the extremes of emotional lows Kurui was feeling though, it wouldn't all be bad. Sleep would come easy, if only because she was already on the verge of shutting down. It was almost as if her body recognized it as a necessity given her current state, especially after the past few days of not getting very much. Tonight would be different though, there would be no nightmares this time, no dreamless unconscious, somewhere in the deepest parts of her mind some part of her subconscious managed to dredge up happy thoughts for her to dream about. Memories of fun times with Sienna, and imaginings of a future that could have been if none of this had happened, with her owning an enchanting shop and having one of those kittens she wanted. Although she wouldn't remember most of the details when she woke up later, it would still do her immeasurable good mentally and emotionally.

Kurui had slept for a much longer amount of time than usual, however when she finally awoke again it was still dark out, on account of how early she had collapsed the night before. This was OK though, she needed to be awake early anyway for Black's lessons, but even before that there were preparations to make. She quickly made a trip down to the bathing hall, ate something afterwards, swept up the glass on the floor of her room, and finished up the rest of her morning routine. After that it was time for serious plans, her mind being a lot sharper and more focused than last night. She already knew what to do this morning, and her first stop was Rythe's room to see if she could get some help with it. After all, as she pointed out before, she couldn't exactly keep her memory crystal on herself without serious risk, but having someone else get a few shots of her would help her plans for her other piece of evidence immensely...

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Letting out her frustrations in the form of a muffled voice against her pillow helped relieve a fraction of the tension built up inside the dark-haired girl. When she finally stopped to collect herself, the steady sound of her breaths, as well as her heartbeat, was all that she would be able to hear, making it easy to focus on just that. It only lasted for long, however, for when she stepped out of her 'zone', muffled conversations could be heard from the next room over, as well as from the one on her other side. Such noises did their part in making her feel particularly more lonesome that night. However, being alone wasn't necessarily a mandatory thing for Kurui. She could go to Black's, as the teacher suggested earlier in the day. But that would mean sharing the company of someone she more or less despised, and perhaps doing some things for him that would only be requested of her due to her gender, her body, her beauty. Qualities that, while often considered a boon to many Academy students and people in general, arguably worked against her in the here and now. Would Black have chosen her to begin with if she were male? Or if she didn't look the way she did? It was difficult to tell... but either way, the temptation to believe that it was all thanks to her Erion-given gifts was too strong. It was utterly frustrating. Depressing, even. The despair was practically unavoidable. Something had to give, and eventually, it did.

The impact of the jar crashing against the mirror, shattering them both, generated a much louder sound than Kurui was likely ready for. It also startled those in the rooms around her, as their conversations came to an abrupt halt, giving way to silence for the next few seconds... and then picking right back up again. Of course, only one person, a Fire Major named Aribeth, actually bothered to knock on her door and check if she was alright. However, if no response came, then the girl would make no further attempt to bother her distressed suitemate. Either way, when Kurui did find sleep, it would prove peaceful for once, contrasting with the uncomfortably eventful day that was now being put behind her. Enough so that she would wake up with more than enough energy to take care of the mess from the night before, as well as attend to her other preparation rituals for the day. With those out of the way, she'd head to the dorm where Rythe stayed. It took several knocks to get an answer, but Kurui wouldn't have to wait too long until the Lightning Major finally managed to open the door. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and she was dressed in a bathrobe of sorts. In the background, a barely recognizable young man was still asleep in her bed--perhaps this 'boyfriend' that Rythe had often talked about. Either way, this revelation, nor her apparent grogginess wasn't enough to keep the business-like girl from answering in proper order. "Mmph... hey. Morning! Just um... just gimme a sec, I'll be ready in a moment or two."

Rythe took a considerably shorter time to get prepared than Sienna, and yet she somehow managed to look rather neat as always. When she finished, she emerged from the room, leaving her significant other sound asleep in bed. After all, it was still several hours before class started. "Alright, I'm good. So, did you need help with something in particular? I'm guessing this probably has to do with what you were talking about yesterday."

 

[Kat]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

Kurui was relived when Rythe finally answered her door. The long time it took to get an answer had made her her start to worry that something had happened... that either the lightning major had encountered others from Teague's group like she had the previous night, or that Black somehow figured out she was in on his secrets and had gotten to her. Luckily neither would prove to be the case, although when the brunette finally opened the door, Kurui would be in for a surprise of a different kind.
“Oh geeze, I guess you really wern't lying...”
Upon the door opening and Kurui catching the sight of what she could only guess was that “boyfriend” Rythe had talked about, Kurui broke out in a bright red blush and stepped off to the side where she wouldn't be able to unintentionally peep anymore.
“Glad I didn't wake him up...”
A sight of a boy in the girl's dorms was a surprise in an of itself, not even counting the thoughts of what Rythe might have spent the night doing with him... but then again it WAS Red Day, and it wasn't uncommon for some couples to skip out buying a Inn room in town and instead sneak around the Academy rules to have their fun. Fortunately though, despite how awkward this all was to Kurui, Rythe seemed completely unfazed and it made everything easier. It would only take the Lightning Major a few minutes to get ready and emerge as “collected” as ever.

“Yeah... this has to do with yesterday, I was hoping you could help me with something actually.” at this Kurui started on the path back to her own room, to retrieve the necessary things needed. “I know it's dangerous to ask this of you... but I was hoping if I gave you the memory crystal I bought yesterday... that you would follow me discreetly and get some recording of when I went in my early “lessons” and what time and day it was outside and everything. It would help help make anything I recorded on my pen look less likely to be faked. I would do it myself... but the memory crystal isn't disguised. It's dangerous for me to have it with me for 2 hours around Black.” at this point they would be back to Kurui's room and she would be in the process of grabbing the crystal already. "I know it's dangerous to ask of you too... but you don't have to be around Black afterwards. There's way less chance of you getting caught with it. I know I shouldn't ask you take any risk at all... but as long as Black is around... the next "class trip" could be you on the chopping block anyway. Neither of us are nobles who's disappearance would cause him any problems...”

Kurui would make no further argument if Rythe wanted to back out, she didn't have the heart to be forceful about this to one of her few real friends. If Rythe was willing to cooperate though, Kurui would continue on with her plan.
“Hide the crystal in your hand and stay far away from me it doesn't look like you're following me and as soon as you're done hide it somewhere so it's not on you. If you have any book bags made of thin or netted cloth, the crystal should be able to “see” out of that without being seen itself. We've got some time before I leave still, and I have one last bit of preparation to do.” Kurui grabbed the enchanted recording pen “It's early and quiet. I'm going to record about 15 minutes of silence. I'm going to have the pen buried in my bag anyway, and even if he see's it there's nothing out of place about it... but this way even if he does take it and mess with it, the first 15 minutes of play-back will be silence... as if the pen wasn't meant to do anything at all. With any luck he'd lose interest by then, although if things get that far I'll be questioning what luck I have anyway.”

“Oh... one last thing. While I'm at my early lessons, if you see Aribeth, tell her I owe her an apology. I kinda had a breakdown last night.” Kurui motioned towards the frame of her shattered mirror, shards still hanging in place around the edges “It was pretty loud and she knocked on my door to see if I was OK, but I think I yelled at her to go away... I don't even remember for sure. This whole thing with Black is slowly driving me crazy, but today it will be over. Either I'll be talking to the Order of St. Lisle by the end of the day... or I'll get caught somehow and probably be dead.” Kurui tried to crack a smile at this last part, as if to show she was joking, but it was obvious to both of them that she wasn't.

“Wish me luck...” At this Kurui would begin recording silence on her enchanted pen, leaving Rythe to make any preparations of her own. When this was done she would gather her things for class and head out on her way for her “early lessons” with Black. It was a good thing she got good sleep the night before, because it would probably take all her reserves of mental strength to keep her nerves under control for the dangerous gambit that she was about to attempt.
"If I'm not around when regular class starts... just leave. Leave and get Sienna and get as far away from here as you can..."

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Elynsor's Royal Magic Academy (Kat) GMed by Takimaru

"Wait, did you seriously think I was?" Rythe raised a brow as the edges of her lips curled into a strange grin, the kind that people often made right before bursting out into laughter. She opted to maintain the expression rather than risk waking anyone up, however. "I actually thought you were just giving me crap... unless you still are. But yeah, that's my boyfriend, Renn. I'd introduce you two, but he's not really a morning person, plus I don't want to eat up too much of your time when there are plans to be put into motion. He sleeps like a rock anyway." The Lightning Major seemed to be handling herself fairly well, especially for someone with telltale red marks upon her neck and collarbone, undoubtedly results of last night's play. She listened carefully at first, but was quick to interrupt after Kurui's first pause between sentences for clarification.

"I can do that. But wait... so you want me to follow you around and record you walking outside with the crystal? And you're sure you don't want me to try and catch you talking to Black with it?" Her questions came a bit early, as the Water Major had all of the details already figured out. Of course, Rythe proved all too willing to cooperate with the plan, as she was already keen to skip ahead to the details involving such an operation. "Well, somebody has to do it, as Black isn't going to just go away on his own. I'm a little surprised he didn't go for me in the first place, considering my major, but I won't get bogged down in that. Either way, I'm in." The brunette looked around warily as she talked, but it was still early enough in the morning that nobody showed signs of being awake. It was, after all, several hours before class even started.

After Kurui had elaborated on the details regarding her plan, Rythe held out a hand. "Ah, stop right there. I gotta grab something." She jogged back to her room before they could get too much further, soon returning with a small, thin netted sack filled with random beauty accessories. "It's the best I've got, but it should be able to blend in there pretty well," she explained as she followed Kurui back to her room, stashing the small satchel away at her waist. When they arrived, she was quick to notice the broken mirror, but managed to stay on topic. "So you're going to make this look like more of an accident, then? I suppose that works, although honestly, it'd be kind of odd to think that I would be right there by sheer coincidence this early in the morning. It's not like it's illegally acquired evidence, per se... so, really, I could even follow you to the classroom if you want. I'm pretty confident that he shouldn't be able to catch me spying, as long as I take it extra carefully. What do you think?"

Rythe gave her a good while to respond, but regardless or whether one came or not, she'd eventually move on. "Either way, I guess I should leave you alone for fifteen minutes or so. That way you can get that 'silence' you were talking about, and we can get this thing going. I guess I'll use the opportunity to say my goodbyes to Renn for now, but I'll meet you outside near the fountain or something, whatever ends up working best for you. And... yeah, no worries. Aribeth, the girl who lives right there, I'm guessing? I can tell her."

Kurui's last grim comments wouldn't go by unanswered, however, and her friend frowned at them with a furrowed brow. "No... we'll get this figured out for sure. Hang in there, okay? Don't act like you're alone in this. I won't accept that the Academy would just let something like that happen just because of one corrupt teacher's influence. If you don't end up going to Saint Lisle, then I will."

Her voice was firm and full of determination. Perhaps it was easy for Rythe to act this way when she hadn't exactly gone through all of the things Kurui had--maybe she could only act this way due to the luxury of not being exposed to the same kinds of woes. After all, while the Water Major was busy dealing with more delinquents who would have tried to violate her if they had their way, Rythe was most likely nestled in a warm bed in the arms of someone she cared about, one who probably cared about her in return no less. Either way, she did seem strangely optimistic--stubborn, even, in her insistence on success. When Kurui decided to set her plan into motion, she'd see the other girl in the background, perhaps not blatantly following her, but simply just 'there', as originally planned. Based on what she ordered, the Lightning Major would then fail to appear once the other girl got into class, or at least keep a safe distance while attempting to record.

Black was already inside the classroom, looking less than thrilled upon setting eyes on his pupil. He reclined in his chair just slightly, holding a report in hand, but set it down when Kurui stepped inside. He stared at her for what felt like a much longer time than it really was, then looked back to the sheets of paper on his desk with a sigh. "To be honest, I was hoping you'd have reconsidered my offer for dinner last night, but I suppose that's a bit too much to ask. I can't make you like me, after all. Perhaps one day I'll receive proper gratitude, but I suppose that comes after I teach you a bit more, hmm? It looks like you opted to spend your time at the range last night instead. I can commend you for that much. It also appears as though you had something of a run-in with three delinquents. You're quite fortunate... and worry not, those three were on their last strikes, from the looks of it. They won't be seen in this Academy again."

While some of his words might have been mildly incriminating, none of them gave away immediate red flags, other than the ramblings of a potentially lewd teacher. Of course, the "s" word--Syndicate--hadn't been used by him yet. It was almost as if he deliberately avoided mentioning as much, though he showed no signs of noticing anything on her person. "So, is my favorite student ready for today's lesson?"