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

[Kat]

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

There was relief for a brief moment, relief when Kurui found out her worst fears hadn't been confirmed and Sienna didn't hate her. The relief would be short-lived though... as everything to follow it would cut hard and deep. The water major had come for answers that would make everything better, come to find out how her friend had dealt with her own experiences so well... but there would be no easy answers. Worse still than the disappointment of no easy answers, what Kurui was hearing would give voice to her own nebulous fears and insecurities... both ones she had suppressed and ones she hadn't even fully realized yet.

“I...”
For a short few seconds, Kurui's protective instinct made her want to answer that everything was going to be OK, that none of this would matter in a little over two years when they were graduated, that nobody even had to know about any of this. It had all been an easy lie to tell only a few weeks ago... but now... having experienced it herself, her protective instinct failed. This wasn't something that was so easily forgotten... no, THEY would never forget, even if nobody else ever knew or found out. No amount of time was ever going to change that and it was never going to be completely OK.
Desperately Kurui's mind tried to find more counter examples... Lafton still cared about her, right? Sienna's words shook her certainty in that, made doubt take vicious root. What if she had mis-interpretted everything, she was certainly in no state to be sure. Not even counting the fact that she had almost gotten him killed, why would he still like her once all this sank in? There was no way he would. Why even bother trying to find anything that would even remotely prove this was going to be OK? She could try for a hundred scenarios besides that one and it would still be wasted effort.

“It's never gonna get any better, is it?”
Kurui's voice cracked at the pathetic question, and her eyes started to tear up as she sat there at the edge of the bed.
“Nothing matters, does it?! Nothing about us anyway... we're just here to be used and ruined and thrown away, aren't we!? Like we're not even people!”
What the water major was implying was a level of self-depreciation she had never shown before. While she had never exactly been hugely vocal or anything about gender equality or her gender being better, before she had never done the opposite either. Before all of this, she was perfectly content to tease that boys were idiots. After everything that had happened though, after being forcibly made less than a person, even for just a short time, it seemed some of the deepest parts of her core had changed had been shaken otherwise. Her voice was practically an incoherent wail as she continued.
“All decided without us having any say in it! Before we even have a chance to understand it! It's not fair! Nothing about it is fair!!!”
Before it could get too far out of hand though, a familiar sense of nausea and dizziness washed over the mage. Passing out had not been a good experience the first time, and as she felt it coming on again, she stopped her rant, laid back on the bed, and tried to wrestle some control over her body again.

“Breathe... breathe...”
The water major's breathing was jagged, even with the concentrated effort, but slowly evened out after a few minutes. As it did, she started to speak again, although it was uncertain if she was doing so to calm her friend or just to distract herself. While her voice was no longer hysterical, it still sounded hurt and pathetic.
“I'm not keeping it together very well... not at all. Earlier I went to see the headmaster... there was a note on my door asking me to. The others from my group on the trip were there... there all made it OK. I should have been happy... but I could feel them all staring at me... it got to me and I lost it just like I did right now... I passed out and woke up in the infirmary. I can't even keep myself together well enough to stay on my feet.”
More deep breaths followed, as if saying even that short bit had drained her of any remaining energy for a few moments. Her breathing then slowed after awhile, almost as if she had passed out again. But right before fully hitting that point, her arm moved over her face to wipe away the hot tears that had streamed down her face earlier, and then her eyes opened and focused on the ceiling above her.
“Spinning's stopped...” she commented quietly under breath as her hand fell back to her side. A closer look at it would show the water major trying to flex her fingers, the hand still shaking badly and not controlling very well.

 

[Takimaru]

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

Slowly, Sienna allowed her gaze to wander upwards, daring to catch a glimpse of her esteemed friend's reaction to such a pathetic display. Hopefully she would have something calming, or at least mildly comforting, to say in response. After all, Kurui was always the cool and composed one, wasn't she? While the Water Major had been shown to crack a little as of late, it was understandable; she had been through quite a bit herself. Perhaps there would be a bit of relation given the hardships they both had to endure. Still, there was a hint of worry in the blonde's expressions, perhaps concern that the other girl wouldn't be quite so understanding.

And while there wasn't necessarily a lack of that, it was obvious that Kurui was still far more troubled than Sienna expected her to be. Silence followed. She didn't know what to make of it. The Wind Major simply stared in dismay, her eyes widened. As soon as her friend raised her voice, Sienna was overcome with the urge to say something comforting herself, but she couldn't find the words quite as fast as she would have liked. Were the two of them destined to be miserable forever? Was she to blame for having set this whole turn of events in order? No... she was done blaming herself. She owed Kurui this much, and while she couldn't produce a proper answer to the questions the Water Major asked herself, Sienna could do one thing. She could listen, and if nothing else, she could stay there, right where she was. She was still suffering from the loneliness caused by Rythe leaving, even just for a while, but that only helped in strengthening her resolve not to do the same to Kurui.

"I... guess we're both in the same boat, huh?" Sienna finally remarked, in a small voice, sitting down beside her. "It's been a crazy month. I wish I knew what to say and how to say it, Kurui... but I don't. I do think I sort of know how it feels, though... you know, it's almost unfair of you," she added in a contemplative voice. "All I see is you just pushing yourself so hard all the time, on your own--like what you went off and did without even telling me. Maybe that's the only thing I could ever really be mad at you about, cause I mean, I'm still here, ya know! E... even if my timing sucks. At least stay here for now and don't try to walk or anything. We'll figure something out, I think. But if you have to suffer, just don't do it alone next time, ok? I'm pretty miserable too, but even just having someone to bitch at is... actually kinda nice! We can exchange bitches, or something. That probably didn't sound right, but oh, y'know what I mean... actually, spilling that much to you helped more than I thought it would. It's kinda why I thought Rythe was avoiding me 'cause I was getting a little too chatty or maybe clingy or mopey or something, but..."

She rambled on and on, her tone slowly returning to a more casual one as her worries sublimated into words, and no small amount of them. In spite of her recent troubles, it was definitely the same old Sienna, that much Kurui knew.

 

[Kat]

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

Kurui wasn't sure what kind of answer she was even expecting in the first place... but when Sienna finally spoke, her words came as a surprise to the water major. She wasn't used to her friend being so... contemplative. While the wind major was far from being completely OK, she was coping far better than Kurui herself.
“I was a fool. All this time, telling her everything was going to be OK... then it happens to me and I completely fall apart. I couldn't even make myself believe the things I told her when I got put in the same situation...
But she does believe... and she's not laying here hating herself right now... she's making it work.
She's... really grown up...”

Kurui said nothing while Sienna was speaking, even as the speech turned into rambling and then almost-casual conversation. She didn't mean anything by it, rambling just wasn't the water major's nature, it wasn't as effective of a coping method for her... she needed time to gather her thoughts before speaking.
“Sienna...” she finally started, forcing herself to sit up on the bed “I'm so sorry for everything. I should have never been telling you what to do... I had no idea what this was actually like. If anything, I'm the one who needs to be asking YOU what to do now... because you're doing so much better than I can even come close to... and I'm probably just making it worse right now, coming in here and bringing it all up again, being a reminder of how much it hurts...
I'm such an idiot... but no more, OK?”
Kurui wiped her arm across her face to brush away any tears.
“You made me happy just now... so I'm not going to do anything else to make it worse for you. It'll take a long time... but we'll help eachother forget, OK... or at least get to where it doesn't hurt so bad anymore. We don't think any less of eachother over what happened, so we just gotta learn to be that way with ourselves, right? I wouldn't have believed it possible until I came here, but I feel a lot better than I did earlier, so thanks, really.”
Kurui's hand came up to her face to wipe tears away again, this time it was her fingers that came up though, instead of her whole arm. Her hand wasn't a shaking mess of nerves anymore.

“Anyway, since we don't have classes today or anything, I won't go anywhere until we're feeling better. I mean... I supposed to see the headmaster whenever I'm feeling better... it probably won't take long... but fuck it, it can wait... at least until Rythe comes back.
I mean, I'm sure she's coming back. We shouldn't be too hard on her, she's been through bad stuff too and probably has her own methods of coping and her own set of people who are worried about her... but she's a good friend, she wouldn't leave us all alone while we're hurting...”
Before Kurui realized it, she was rambling too. Perhaps not full-fledged “rambling” exactly, but she was certainly more talkative and more casual than usual. It was OK though... it helped her forget the hurt and the pain, something that only sleep or the stress of a life-or-death situation had been able to do consistently so far... it wouldn't fix everything completely, no, nothing would do that; and even if something could, it would probably take months... but it was a first step at the very least.

 

[Takimaru]

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

"It's... it's okay. Really. I know we prolly all have our own ideas about how we wanna do things. I mean, grow up in a house with as many siblings as I have and ya learn that pretty quick!"

Upon hearing the slew of compliments from the other girl, Sienna simply gave a skeptical look, pausing... then broke out into a giggle. "That's so weird to hear from you... you say it like I'm some kinda genius or something. Yeah, right--I just kinda make it up as I go along. Maybe it's 'cause I'm always thinking about one thing, then the other, and that I never stay on the same subject for too long. I get distracted too easily! Then when I do feel like bad stuff is sticking to my mind, I find someone to rant at, hard. Like um... like you, ehheh." She nodded twice, to herself as much as Kurui. "But don't feel too bad about 'reminding' me or whatever, 'cause obviously you needed to let it out. Not like you haven't put up with all of my ramblings anyway, so I'd say it's a fair trade."

Taking a deep breath, she continued. "My mom always told me that it's not about what happens to you, it's about how you deal with it. Though ah, would be nice if I could actually like, tell her about all of this... but I won't. It's probably for the better. I'm at least glad that I have you and Rythe to tell, though. I can't judge you for it cause it's really not... your fault. I realize it every time I end up trying to blame myself for what happened. Like if I wasn't such an idiot and what not, maybe it would be different, and so on. But then I realize that thinking about it too much just... SUCKS, you know? It doesn't change anything! Anyway, I figured it wouldn't be too hard to tell if you were blaming me for what happened. It's that -look-, you know? Some people give me that same look, and I can totally tell when they're doing it... but not you. So I knew you didn't, and I really appreciate it."

Thinking about Rythe, she allowed her gaze to drop just a little. "About Rythe though, you're right. I was probably a little too hard on her, maybe 'cause I was thinking about how badly I didn't want to be alone just earlier. But you're here now... and I'm really, really glad that you came by. Seriously. Just um... don't be in too much of a rush to leave, okay? We need to hang out more," she insisted.

Provided Kurui didn't allow herself to get too annoyed with Sienna's usual ramblings, the two would then converse about a variety of topics for no less than another hour or so. It might have been considered a very mundane activity, something that the Kurui from a year ago may or may not have had the tolerance for... but now that the Water Major had acquired a taste for things that were out of the ordinary, so to speak, this level of normalcy was refreshing. It reminded her that the world hadn't stopped, that life wasn't over--that the little interactions she had so often taken for granted could still go on. Step by step, she could get used to it again.

Rythe finally returned, just as their discussion seemed to be winding down. When Sienna opened the door for her, the Lightning Major could be seen with slightly disheveled hair, panting lightly as if she had just taken a jog. "H-Hey," she stammered. "Sorry about that! I should've asked when I left, but... I, ah... didn't make you mad or anything by leaving so quickly, did I?"

The blonde glanced sideways to Kurui upon realizing her friend's prediction was correct; Rythe did come back. She looked back to the shortest of the trio and smiled a little. "No, I... I'm just glad you're here. Come in already!"

"Erm... o... kay, ahaha," replied Rythe, scratching the back of her head before acknowledging Kurui with a look. "Hi! So what'd I miss?"

 

[Kat]

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

Sienna's giggle caught Kurui completely off guard. For the briefest of moments, it hurt. It felt like she was being mocked... trivialized... like her experiences were little more than an amusing story. The feeling passed not even a second later though, it was a defensive reaction, one she knew she shouldn't have felt... and the wind major's words of comfort that followed only confirmed as much.

“That sounds like good advice. I guess you learn a lot in a big family, huh?” Kurui's voice was slightly wistful, but not mean or jealous "I got used to doing everything myself because I didn't have any siblings and my parents didn't really have any experience with this sort of thing... I always thought that was a good thing for me because I was always able to handle everything on my own.
But now... I can't. I got in over my head and now I don't know what to do... how to handle it. I thought I could, but I didn't do a very good job, huh?”
Kurui felt her control slipping away, another wave of emotion rising... but it wasn't a bad thing this time.
“Oh god Sienna, if it wern't for you and Rythe, I think I would've thrown myself off the top of the dorms or something!" the water major's eyes were welling up with tears now “I know that look you were talking about! It's why I fell apart earlier, it made everything feel hostile and alien and I was all alone and it was too much!”
The wave of emotion that had gripped Kurui was a small one, and she started to calm down again.
“I don't know how long I could have kept going on my own. I'm glad I have you, because otherwise I'd probably be crazy or dead or something even worse right now...”
Kurui let her words trail off and instead just grabbed the wind major in a tight hug while the last of her tears finished working their way out.

“Sorry, I'm OK now... or at least closer to it.”
It wasn't a lie, as Kurui would find herself much more composed for the next hour or so until Rythe came back.

---

“Oh, ahh... nothing really... I mean... -nevermind, it's not important. I was just feeling a little lonely, that's all.” Kurui answered to the lightning major's inquiry on current events. There was no reason to bring up the disastrous meeting earlier or any of what just now happened. The water major didn't want to dredge it back up and there was no reason to worry Rythe over things that had already passed.
“Anyway, I'm glad you're back. I've actually got to go meet with the headmaster over everything that's happened. I kinda got a note about it on my door earlier, but ahhhhh... I guess it somehow got pretty late, huh? I should probably go do that before I pass out for the night. It won't take long, and I'll stop by your rooms on the way back to let you know I'm OK, alright?”

Kurui wouldn't stop the others if they followed her back to her own room, but that was as far as she'd let them accompany her. This was still something she wanted to do alone.

---

Once inside her room, she would make some quick preparations before departing.
There was no time for a bath, not that the water major would have been comfortable enough to take one right now anyway... Still, a lot of time had passed since earlier and she wasn't about to head out without doing SOMETHING. Luckily, water being her element provided a way around the problem. In an impulsive decision, she grabbed her uniform cloak, opened a water gate, and used it to wipe down her face and eventually the rest of herself. She had no concern for the drips that made it to the floor, or even the fact that she left the cloak a wadded up wet ball in the corner when she was done. There were more important things to worry about than the damage that harmless water would do to the stone. Kurui didn't need the cloak anyway, this time she didn't much want to wear her uniform for the second meeting.

Kurui herself wasn't even sure why she had changed her mind about what to wear to this second meeting. It wasn't exactly that she felt like she was didn't belong at the RMA anyone or was afraid of getting kicked out... the fact that there hadn't been any kind of note or message telling her she had been kicked out all these hours later since the first meeting kinda caused that fear to die off. Perhaps it was just the hope that starting off differently would lead to a different outcome this time, no matter how little that made sense.
The water major chose one of her old dresses from Veltria. It wasn't exactly all that impressive or flashy compared to the stuff she could have bought here in the capitol, but she didn't mind. It still fit her body well, but in a much more modest way than her class uniform did. Although it still showed off her shape somewhat, it had longer sleeves, a long skirt, much less exposed skin... all of this was a comfort to her right now, as if it could somehow help protect her from the gazes that had been too much the first time... although she was still hoping this meeting wouldn't involve as many people this time around. It also carried with it a sense of home, of familiarity... of safety. The pride attached to the academy's uniform wasn't something she wanted to feel right now, no, the humility and normalcy of something she had grown up with was far more preferable this time around.

After a bit more fidgeting around and trying to get a good look at herself in what remained of the mirror she had shattered days earlier, Kurui finally decided she looked presentable, even “good” if she were judging by what the standards back home in Veltria were, and reluctantly poked out her door and started on her way to the main tower fo the second time... doing her best the entire to ignore the unease of being alone or any glances she might draw from standing out.
"Please... no more... nothing else bad... please..."

 

[Takimaru]

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

Even just the mention of suicide brought an uncannily solemn look to the Wind Major's eyes, and she would return the hug just as tightly, if not moreso, than the one who initiated it. "I know I kid around a lot when it's not appropriate or whatever, but geez, Kurui... don't... j-just don't scare me like that, okay? I don't care if it's in the middle of the night. If you start getting those thoughts again, and you just need to yell at someone, scream at me all you want instead of taking any kind of trip to the roof! Gawd," Sienna huffed, making something of a pouty look.

When Rythe made her entrance and Kurui mentioned her meeting with the headmaster shortly thereafter, the Lightning Major blinked a few times.

"Leaving already? Oh, alright. Yeah, that's... probably a good thing to do, I guess," she commented quietly. Naturally, she was unaware of the additional stresses that her classmate had gone through in her absence.

Sienna waved it off to make an excuse for her friend. "Err, well, she actually stopped by not too long after you left! So she's been here a while, already. You just missed the party a little," she teased.

Rythe simply shrugged and idly moved a hand back to fix her hair. "I could say the same for you, but it wasn't stuff you'd be sad about missing, believe me..."

As Kurui prepared herself to leave, the other two exchanged glances for a moment. The raven-haired girl's assurance that she would return later on brought a sense of ease to the other students' expressions where there was once concern.

"Hff... alright, then. At least let us walk you back to your room or something," urged the blonde, and so the fledgling water mage would find herself with two additional tag-alongs on the way back. If she had developed any kind of fear in terms of traveling alone, they would help ease it somewhat for the time being, if only to show that they cared enough to do so. However, few arguments were made when Kurui made it apparent that she wasn't to have company afterwards, save for a friendly reminder by Sienna to at least let her know how things went after the fact.

This left the dark-haired girl alone to prepare herself. The brisk washing of her face cleared her eyes and left her skin feeling... refreshed, as well as free of any dried tears or debris that might have stuck to her features in her more stressed moments. And as she opted not to wear her Academy uniform in favor of a more traditional dress from Veltria, Kurui felt ready to try once again, from a clean slate. Hopefully the headmaster would see things the same way.

~~~~~​

When she arrived in the familiar office, only the headmaster was there. He seemed surprised to see her, especially in clothing outside of the typical dress worn by students at the Academy.

"Ah... welcome back. I trust you've recovered, then? No need to rush yourself, though. I merely thought to get your account, since you appear to be one of the larger players in this incident. And of course, the written statement."

 

[Kat]

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

Kurui only nodded in response to the Headmaster's inquiry as to whether she was OK or not. It was a strange reaction, one she hadn't even expected herself. She was nervous, yes, but answering should have been automatic, as it had been back home in Veltria, a habit that had been taught into her since childhood... Instead her brain only froze up and the words didn't come. Something about the way he addressed her had thrown her off.
“Straight to business... not what I was expecting...”
What WAS she expecting? Sympathy? Coddling? She wasn't sure. Did the headmaster's mannerisms mean he simply didn't care about her... or did he not have the complete picture... or was it just the kind of calm that came with age. Maybe she was just tired... not in the mood to explain everything again, not in the mood to even remember it and relive it. Whatever the reason, there was a silver lining, at least she was alone this time, no “audience” to pressure her nerves.
There was a danger to being alone too, of course, but at this point she wasn't able to worry about that. If the headmaster were a Redclaw, if he had wanted to hurt her, she didn't much chance anyway, anywhere in the academy. Instead she threw the thought out before even it even finished forming and instead focused on getting her voice to work.

“Y-yes sir. My apologies for earlier, I'm OK now...
Um, my account... right. I made a written account for the Order of St Lisle earlier. I... could make another. But it's probably better if you see theirs. They have evidence to go with it... memory crystals and some other things...”
Kurui let her voice trail off, hoping she had made enough of a case for the second option. The water major was in no shape to put everything to writing again, the thought of reliving everything again was a fight she didn't want to go through. Besides, the guild DID have all the evidence she had collected. The thought of someone else seeing that evidence wasn't exactly a happy thought either... but as long as she didn't have to be there for it, the shame would be manageable.

“W-was there anything else you needed, sir? I mean... I can answer any other questions you have for me if it's... inconvenient to wait. I don't know if there's anything else I can do here though.”
Kurui had expected this meeting to be longer. She wasn't sure exactly WHY... wasn't exactly what she thought they would talk about it... but now she halfway wanted it to be over. The current focus was one she was reluctant to talk about any more than necessary, although it would be improper for her to say as much directly.
“I'll still be around, if you need me after you gone over the stuff with the guild. My room is... well, you know what it is anyway because of the note earlier, I think. A-anyway, I'll be here... I think it's safe with Black gone. That is... if you didn't call me here to kick me out...”
The water major had to stop to take a breath, she was stumbling over her words worse than Sienna.
“Sorry. I'm being improper right now. Whatever business we to have to finish, I'll stay and listen until we're finished.”
Her voice had finally steadied out, and though it was unpleasant to make the commitment, she meant it. She would stick around until she was excused now, with no further (outward) signs of being impatient.

 

[Takimaru]

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

At her response, the headmaster looked over at Kurui curiously. "No need to apologize for that much, dear. Perhaps it was simply poor timing on our part to have met with you in such a state... but, as cold as it sounds, 'tis best to handle such matters while the memories are fresh in your mind. I am aware that you are not thrilled to be here, but surely you might like to put this all behind you as soon as possible? It makes the healing process a bit easier after the fact, and that in itself, will take time either way. Maybe it is not a subject you are terribly keen to address right now, but there is no use in extending any torment you may be feeling."

He stroked his chin and nodded to himself, moving on. "Ouh, a memory crystal and the like... will certainly suffice, then, so long as you do not mind me examining it. If the evidence on there is compelling enough, I am sure it will make the trial that much easier."

The old man sighed and put on a thoughtful look. "In my years working here, we have never had such a high-profile scandal, certainly not with a man of Black's reputation. Perhaps it was foolish of me to think that I could complete my term without such an incident. This academy... it is my life's work, and despite many attempts from the clergy to limit it in various ways, we have managed to progress our level of knowledge far beyond what I had originally imagined. To be honest, it saddens me to think that such a brilliant individual would harbor such disdain for our students and all that we have worked for thus far. I truly wish that I could confidently say what his motivations were behind all of this."

"But I digress. I apologize for calling you in so early. But the trial is due to start in only a few days, so be aware that your testimony is required, if he is to be put away properly--and I would have nothing less than that result. Rest assured that you won't see him in this Academy, either way, and I hope it to be a lesson to any faculty seeking to do the same in the future. As for you... I would like for you to stay and continue your studies here, if at all possible. Even if a prosecutor suspects you of working with Black, you need not worry. Every single one of your friends that has talked to me thus far, including Lafton and the three who saw you here earlier, seem to have the utmost faith in you. I imagine that not betraying their trust is enough. No doubt there has been some terrible failures on our end to assist you in time, or even to preserve your stillness of mind, but if there is anything WE can do on that end to prevent such tragedies in the future that you might suggest, I am listening. Otherwise, you are dismissed. And if you need to take a day or two away from classes for personal reasons, consider it done."

 

[Kat]

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

“Oh... right... that makes sense I guess.”
Some of the water major's defenses dropped upon hearing the purpose behind what had come off as uncaring or indifferent treatment. With the lowering of her defenses, her formality also slipped a little.
“It's not necessary. I... wasn't even sure if I'd be alive to see the end of this. I had everything prepared in case I wasn't. It's why I already prepared a written statement... the one I made then will be “fresher” than any I'd make now... not that any of this is going to fade from my memory for a looong time.”
There was a momentary pause as Kurui tried to work out what to say next.
“There's my written statement, the memory crystal, and a few other things... blood from the voidic creatures we encountered, crystals to prove we were there in the mine in the first place, and a few other things. I've even got a book from Black's own collection if it could somehow be proved it's his...
You're welcome to all of it...
Just... please know... know I'm not proud of what I had to do to get some of this...
I... didn't have a choice...”
Kurui's voice had grown small and quiet... but she caught herself and moved beyond it.
“It doesn't matter, this needs to be happen either way, regardless of what anyone thinks about it. This can't all be for nothing...”

As the conversation continued and moved to lighter, more personal, subjects Kurui would find herself only further re-assured. The headmaster was so different from Black... so different from the things Black had come close to making her believe. More importantly, so different from the reasons she was afraid of Black. The person she was talking to now was no threat to her, held no spite for her... he wanted to see her have a happy life. It stirred a warm feeling deep inside Kurui, reminded her of Vernan back home in Veltria when she first demonstrated what she had learned... it was care and validation she had gotten far too used to doing without... it was all she could do to keep from losing her composure.
“This whole time... staying here was all I ever wanted. This is my main chance to make a future for myself... the thought of having that taken away was terrifying. I'm not going to turn it down now that it's been given back to me.
I was... so far in over my head I wasn't sure this could end any way except badly. Black had me believing the whole academy was in on this... he wanted me to think others were Redclaws... I even believed you might be... but I'm sure I was wrong now. I'm sure I was wrong and glad that I was.
Nothing is probably going to be completely OK after this, but thank you for giving me the chance to try. I promise I'm going to make something of it. I think I actually want to become a teacher here and begin studying for that next year, if only to be something good to replace the void that Black left....”
Kurui realized she was rambling now, talking to the headmaster like a child sharing their plans with a parent. Her sense of etiquette and properness caught back up with her upon this realization and she cut herself off with a quick cough.
“I don't think there's anything else to be done here. All I need right now is some sleep and time to myself, thank you.”
With that Kurui would excuse herself and head back towards her own room, being sure to stop by Sienna's along the way and let her know she was still alright before turning in for the night.

 

[Takimaru]

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

The headmaster gave an impressed look at the array of evidence that Kurui listed off. "It is much appreciated. If nothing else, you are certainly helping to make the process easier for the both of us, and for the Academy in general. There's no need to stress yourself out too much with the nature of the material. If Black is indeed a Redclaw, I can't imagine what he put you through to be anything worth revisiting, so we can leave it at that, and sort the evidence out as needed for the legal process."

"After all, I could only imagine that your reputation wasn't something you could afford to worry about when the danger was more immediate. And when the threat was to something greater, like the lives of your classmates, I imagine. If anything, I would think that they should be nothing but grateful for such a sacrifice," he pondered aloud. "Though, I realize the irony of me saying as much, when the very name of my school is at stake. With all of the nobles breathing down my neck about their missing children after the cave incident, to be able to keep the same amount of attendees would be a miracle in of itself. So... yes, if absolutely nothing else, you are certainly welcome here. It's more of a relief that people would still attend after such a debacle."

He couldn't help but manage a small grin at her expression. "Haha... and yet, it's almost as if you are trying to convince me that you are worthy of staying here? Believe me, you have proven as much many times already, not only academically, but practically as well, considering that the one responsible for the recent incident is in custody thanks to you. I could list quite a few individuals attending this Academy with considerably less aptitude for practicing magic... but whether or not they have the gift for it is besides the point. So long as they spread interest in the art and lead to its advancement in some form, I will be happy. Those adhering to the teachings of Erion, for example... well, I hold them no ill will, but I find that many of them are far too content with Erion's explanation of how things are, and always will be. I can't help but feel that it at least partially robs them of a desire to learn more about our plane and others beyond it. For those of us in the magical arts, there is still so much more to explore, so much more to test... don't you think? To be rid of such fascination would be a loss that our race should not suffer. If you ask me, there aren't enough students of magic, for as much as it has helped our society."

Having caught himself once again in the ramble, he chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, I may have said too much. But yes. The only allegiance I carry is to this Academy, and if you do choose to be a part of our faculty, I'd be glad to have anyone as motivated and passionate about the art as yourself. Though please, promise me that you will treasure the students as much as the art itself. Having been a teacher myself, I realize that they can be frustrating at times, but to imagine that someone would be so upset with them so as to actually follow through on seeking harm to them is frightening. If you could do that much, you would have my letter of recommendation, so to speak."

He nodded. "Very well. Take care of yourself."

With that, Kurui was free to return to her dorm, stopping by Sienna's on the way. The Wind Major was all too happy to see her when she opened the door. Rythe was still inside, offering her a wave.

"So, everything went alright? I never thought that I'd be so paranoid over small trips and stuff, but I mean, considering everything that's happened so far, y'know... anyway. You stayin' over?"

 

[Kat]

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

The headmaster's words stuck in Kurui's head as she made her way back to her own room for the night. The praises lightened her heart, not only because they helped convinced her that there were good people left in the Academy, but also because it helped her to believe in her own goals again instead of questioning them. For as much as she had carried on keeping mostly to herself, there had always been certain cravings for approval that she felt from time to time. When all of this started, even Black's praises had felt good... before the water mage had become aware of his true nature. It was almost pathetic in a way, to still have the same urges after having been burned by them so badly already... but she didn't care. Everyone needed role models... nobody could be sure of everything on their own. Kurui had been short on real “role models” ever since leaving home. It felt... nice, nice to not have to be the one telling herself she had done a good job, to let someone else do it and believe they really meant it.
Bits of doubt still tried to nag at her, to tell her she wasn't worth the praise, that the headmaster's one request was to “treasure the students as much as the art itself”... parts of her mind wanted to tell her it was a test she had already failed, that she had ran away and been selfish instead of sticking with her group... that the way she had handled threats like the delinquents from earlier was anything but the ideal she was supposed to live up to... but as she approached Sienna's door to say goodnight, all those doubts melted away. She was alive, she had kept those important to her alive. Never could she want to do the things Black had done... she hadn't fought for that... hadn't SURVIVED for that. The idea wouldn't erase all her fears, but it would sooth her enough to keep a straight face, even a smile, exhausted and sleepy at it would appear, as she knocked on the door.

“Everything is fine... err, for real this time. Good actually. I thought I might have gotten in over my head... I mean, I still kinda did, but the headmaster is proud of us. I was almost certain I was going to get kicked out of the academy after all of this, but that's not going to happen. I think I've finally burned through all that bad luck that seems to have been following me around recently.”
Kurui was able to say the last part with a tone that was even a little bit upbeat, enough to make her joke obvious, before addressing Sienna's other concerns.
“No, no stayover tonight... maybe tomorrow, you'll be OK with that, right? You've got Rythe here, and I'm only a few minutes away. I just... need some time to myself tonight. Sorry... I've just always kind of been like this, you know?”
If there were no objections, Kurui would find herself heading back to her own room right afterwards and changing into something for sleep. As much as she wanted time to think, exhaustion caught up quickly and she wasn't sure if she would be able to.... all the water major found herself wanting to do was collapse. Of course, it wouldn't quite be that easy.

While the girl's mind was a fog while she was standing, when she finally laid down, it wouldn't keep quiet. She kept finding herself staring at the door uncomfortably, her imagination running wild with what could be on the other side. What if there were other Redclaw staff at the academy, waiting to do something to her while she was asleep? What if the Redclaws had assassins in their ranks? Unlikely... but everything she had believed about them before learning about Black was just “unlikely” and “fairy tales”. What protection was her door if someone wished her harm. Not good enough.
“Just ignore it, you're fine. You know you're fine... but...”
The feeling was too much to ignore, in a fit of nervous energy she found herself on her feet again, walking around to the side of her bookcase, bracing her back against it and her feet against the floor, and shoving the entire thing in front of her door with no concern for the books falling off from her efforts.
“There's now at least I'll hear that scraping against the floor if someone tries to push it out of the way.”
The physical struggle had made her hot though, or maybe her whole room was hot, or maybe she was still nervous. Either way, the only way to fix it would be to open the window. Alone in her room, she didn't like the thought of opening any way in at all.
“I'm up on a high floor, nobody is getting in, not unless they really think they can climb up the wall in the middle of the night and not wake anyone up. Just open it, the cool air will be good for you...”
This time her willpower won out, and she cracked open the window and slipped back into bed. Yet even still her mind wouldn't go more than a minute or two without some new distraction to torment her with. She was quite sure that even if she did fall asleep now, nightmares would torture her throughout the night. Her own room felt alien to her now... less safe and familiar to her than the room she had stayed in at Lafton's.
“Maybe this was a bad idea... it's not too late to go back to Sienna's room or see if Lafton hasn't left yet... but then I'd have to move the bookcase again... too tired... Fate can have it's last cruel joke... I know better than to do this again tomorrow.”
Fate wouldn't be cruel tonight though, as moments later a small drizzle would start begin to fall. The sound of rain was soothing... comforting almost like a warm bath was. It would quiet Kurui's racing mind, and neither nightmares or any more racing thoughts would plague her that night.

 

[Takimaru]

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

For all of the residual worries and troubles still clinging to Kurui's train of thought, the rest of the night proved rather uneventful. For that matter, the same could be said for the next several months. After a few days off being spent with either Sienna, Rythe or Lafton, almost none of whom left her alone for too long in a given day without a small argument, class resumed as usual with a new teacher--one who was both new to the job as she was to the students. A meek, bespectacled, red-haired lady named Olennia Averill, she was rather awkward and obviously new to making lectures and presentations. On the other hand, she wasn't nearly as intimidating as Black was, nor did she ever give Kurui any reason to feel threatened by way of her speech or demeanor. If anything, she was in some ways the opposite of the tall, serious, dark-haired man, which was suitable enough considering the Water Major's recent trials.

As for the trial itself with Black, it was a harrowing process for Kurui. Per Elynsor's legal system, it took no less than two months to complete. And though her appearances were limited, they couldn't be seen as a particularly easy experience for her, even if the levels of stress fluctuated during that timespan. It easily begged the question as to why any victim of rape would actually WANT to come forward with a series of long, tedious sessions that forced them to partially relive their experiences over and over again. Her under-the-table method of dealing with Teague, for Sienna's sake, seemed like a much simpler and less troublesome process in comparison. Sienna wasn't made to listen and explain what happened several times, nor did she have to know that the 'evidence' would be reviewed by officials ad nauseum. Kurui, on the other hand, made several appearances over the course of the trial, and nearly every time she had to see Black's face in the same large room. He remained stoic through it all, sparing her from any gloats that would make her lose it completely, but that would only soften the blow by a miniscule amount.

The massive weight was only ever truly lifted from her shoulders when the final verdict was given: a life sentence without parole. For anyone else, it likely would have been death... but thanks to Black's status within Elynsor, the severity of the sentence was lessened. It was a bittersweet ending for such an ordeal, but the most important thing was that it was over. While the experience was something Kurui might never truly forget, the worst of it was behind her.

Such a fact wouldn't keep Lafton from seeing her frequently after the fact though. At times, even after regular class sessions, he would be there to check on her or accompany her on a simple walk back to her dormitory if she wanted him to. Such a routine might have made her feel smothered at times, but if nothing else, it did assure her that someone was looking out for her. If any delinquent so much as made a snarky comment about her, he'd be in their face at a moment's notice. Yet, over those few months, he was still somewhat hesitant about showing affection for her. His relative inexperience in regards to romantic relationships showed, bit by bit, during that span of time. However, the youth made his feelings for Kurui no secret. The archetype of a Fire Major being devoted to someone important to them held true in Lafton's case. Unlike Rythe's seemingly flighty boyfriend Renn, Lafton was never difficult for Kurui to get a hold of. While he was a little too hesitant to assert his opinion on her at times, he was reliable, at the very least. In addition, she was free to spend time at his manor and enjoy luxuries far beyond what was available at the Academy itself--not that the school was lacking in good amenities, of course.

Today was one of those days. It was a Trehnsday, almost exactly two months after the case with Black had officially been closed. After a usual class session, Lafton accompanied her and the other two girls outside of the campus gates to his place, where they enjoyed a nice meal courtesy of his maids, before doing a bit of group study. Eventually, Sienna had to leave, citing no particular reason. She took Rythe along with her, but before she stepped out of the front door, she couldn't help but give Kurui a smile.

"Alright, we're taking off. See you later!" said the blonde in her usual, cheerful voice. If anyone could somehow manage to stay relatively upbeat after the string of events, it was her.

"Take care now," added Rythe before following the other girl out.

The girls' departure left Kurui and Lafton alone once again. It wasn't an uncommon scenario, by any means. When the Water Major was feeling particularly tired or lonely, he would put his arm around her as they sat on the couch... the furthest he had gone over the course of half a year. Perhaps in hindsight, it was better that way, as others might have expected more from her by then. Not so for the fire mage, who had known about the details of her ordeal--most of the others in class still didn't know about the true extent to which she had been abused. She could tell that at times, he did want to hold her closer, to kiss her even, but it simply wasn't something that he would bring himself to force upon her given the circumstances. Nor did he make it a habit of bringing up the trial very often, or anything related to her experiences with Black. And yet, through it all he was essentially a part of that, someone who, along with Rythe and the Order of Saint Lisle, helped her through the ordeal. He normally didn't bother to bring the topic up, yet there were a few signs as of late that made him unable to help but ask...

"Have you been doing alright?" inquired the Fire Major. "You've been kinda quiet this week, and I heard you sounding a little distressed in your sleep... just thought I should ask. But I mean, at least it's finally all over with, the trials that is. And if anything else that worries you does come up, I'll... I'll be here," he added, with a bit of determination in his voice.

 

[Kat]

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

“-Huh? Oh... yeah... I'm fine. I still get nightmares, but everything's started feeling kind of normal again. It's kind of surreal in it's own weird way... but I think it's an improvement. For awhile there was a stretch where I didn't think I'd ever start to get better... but I don't feel like I'm gonna slip back into that...”
Kurui's voice was soft, a little unsure... vulnerable; but it nothing in it was cause for alarm. Her voice wasn't laced with the depression that had settled in and saturated her every waking thought those months ago.
Even in the days immediately following the final encounter with Black, the thrill of surviving had started to wear off... the humiliation and suppressed trauma of everything that had happened had started to rise to to the surface like a bubbling poison, and the trial that followed had opened the flood gates. In the weeks that followed, the water major had fallen into a cycle of listless apathy. Enough of her held on to keep her going to classes and to put on a face of “normalcy” during those occasions, but that was all she could manage and the rest of her time would be spent alone... sleeping, crying, or stuck in that half-dead sick state of feeling exhausted but being unable to sleep or unwilling to face more nightmares. She hardly ate, hardly left her room of her own will, and sometimes wasn't even sure why she had tried so hard to stay alive... Black having been dealt with didn't make the memories go away and didn't undo anything. The water major didn't want to die, no, she had promised Sienna she wouldn't think like that anymore... but she didn't want to be alive either. Daily routines had just become a set of motions to go through, effort that didn't yield any results that felt like anything... she was desensitized to everything... almost.

Had Kurui truly been alone through all that time, it might have become too much. But she wasn't alone. Despite her unwillingness to help herself, the water major had others that were willing push her to do so. Sienna and Rythe wouldn't let her drown in her own pity, and she couldn't bring herself to shut herself off to them. Despite her reluctance, she would go allow them to get her out and doing stuff. At first she would merely feel less crappy when the time they had spent was over and done with... but eventually she would start to crack smiles, to actually feel happy again, if only for a brief hour or so each day... slowly parts of her old self would start to come to surface and the dark waters of depression would recede bit by bit, each new wave never being able to flood as much as the previous one had. As the years end had approached, she found things to value again, things to care about... and was slowly reaching a state where she could recover on her own... not that she ever refused the help or concern of her friends.
Despite the massive leaps of progress that had made though, the mages wounds were long from being healed completely, they probably never would be. She still had nightmares, bad days where she didn't want to move or just cried for hours... on those days she found comfort in Lafton, always he would make her feel safe and cared for. It was unfair, she knew, her wounds still hadn't healed enough to where intimacy was comfortable for her. Anything that reminded her of her own body or sexuality just brought back memories of the degradations she had went through. Lafton deserved better, but the fire major seemed unwilling to entertain the thought, and for that Kurui was truly grateful.

“The year is almost over, so maybe that's part of it. We're not really supposed to know any of this until next year, but they've already told me I'm going to start as a teacher's assistant next year... I've been spending a lot of time reading about it and stuff. There's a lot more to it than just knowing a subject, communicating it to someone else is like an art of it's own... but I'm excited to try. It's the first thing I've looked forward to in a good while...”
A long pause followed, and Kurui's eye seemed to drift off into space as if pondering something else entirely. Suddenly she pulled in close and rested her head on Lafton's chest. It was the most intimate thing she had done in these past weeks, and her voice suddenly became very earnest and more serious.
“I'm getting better, I promise I am. I'm sorry to make you wait all this time... I know it's not fair. But I'm going to return the favor someday, I swear. After everything you've done for me, I could never keep on like this forever, you deserve better... someday we're going to have a child together. I've always wanted a daughter... I'll name her “Mirei” and she'll have the best parents in all of Elynsor...”
The admission came out as a sort of quick ramble, Kurui hadn't really planned out of any of it and didn't even plan this out as a moment to say anything. The spontaneousness of it surprised her, but she didn't want to take of it it back either. Instead her tone returned to normal, even a little playful, and she continued on as if nothing had happened.

“Wake me in a little bit when it's dinner. I'll cook up something nice. I've been getting better at that too, I don't burn everything anymore... most of the time.”
It was true too, she had taken up cooking awhile back as a way to feel more normal... as something to occupy her time with to help her recover. Whenever she visited Lafton's, she had the maids show her something. The interaction helped her feel less awkward about being waited on, given her humble childhood; and learning the skill itself made Kurui feel more feminine in a way that didn't dredge up pain and humiliation. She had always wished her mother had had the time to teach her when she was younger, but maybe learning it now was for the better... even if she was still sometimes a lot slower to learn this than magic.
Of course, dinner was still an hour or two off, plenty of time for a quick nap, and by the way Kurui was shifting her position and closing her eyes, it was clear she intended to get that sleep right here, curled up next to the fire major that had sent her that annoying unsigned love letter so long ago... maybe words wern't necessary; but if he did have anything else to say to her, now was the time, as this was one of the tranquil peaces that would allow the water major her light sleep within minutes...

 

[Takimaru]

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

"Yeah. You even hit me a few times when you were gasping about something, so I had to wake you up," replied Lafton, rubbing a bruise on his arm. "But that's okay... I've taken worse! Just hoping that you're okay, since I know that sometimes you don't seem to want to talk about it. But look at it this way; at least it's all over with. No more court cases, no more things to remind you of worse days. Plus, I'm sure you'll be busy with the whole teacher's assistant thing--yeah, that," he added. "Haha... well, if you want any tips on teaching, you could always ask my dad, but... I know he's not the easiest guy in the world to talk to. You should see the conversations we have when it's just the two of us. Not a lot of words said. In hindsight, I'm kinda glad we have all these maids and servants to erm, break the tension sometimes."

When Kurui placed her head on the Fire Major's chest, it would put her in the perfect position to hear his steadily increasing heart rate. Indeed, it was a step further than she had ever taken in the past few months. Most couples who had been together as long as they had, or who had gone through as much, might have already been at it like rabbits as part of their 'honeymooner' phase. Obviously, this pairing was not one of them, as the lasting emotional and psychological wounds inflicted upon Kurui by her former professor were not easy ones to heal.

Luckily for her, Lafton proved to be a relatively innocent sort of guy. He didn't hound her for sex at all, and certainly didn't take the opportunity to crack suggestive jokes in the way that Dinn or some of the boys she previously dated would. Sure--perhaps he wasn't the dashing '9 out of 10' sort that Kurui had always wanted for herself when she was younger. He didn't have the most muscular body, or the top scores in class, despite being relatively smart and not terribly out of shape. In most physical regards, he was... average, almost painfully so. But if nothing else, he was steady, consistent, and above all else, he was still there for her.

When the water mage took on a more serious tone and discussed the next topic in a manner more frank than Lafton ever expected her to, he blushed visibly and shook his head. Of course, the thought of being intimate with Kurui was an appealing one for him, to say the least. However, flashbacks of her suffering from the incident with Black made the Fire Major ever more cautious and weary about causing his loved one any harm. As Kurui had sometimes proved a bit touchy in response to even slightly prolonged physical contact, he could only imagine what going further might do. The thought of her screaming and running from him frightened even him, enough so to calm any strong urges he might have been feeling at the time.

Lafton took a deep breath, then finally responded in a soft voice. "You know, I DO remember what you were like from before the whole mine incident. Maybe you didn't really know me all that well back then, but I... I knew you, and I'm not gonna lie, you kind of intimidated me at first, ehheh," he recalled aloud with a slightly nervous laugh. "I mean, you were really pretty, yet also had his way of giving the eye to people who were annoying you. But even those few times that we did talk before class and all, I really enjoyed talking to you. And that still holds true even now. So don't feel like you have to hurry or anything, because I'm just glad that I can even hold you like this," he went on. Kurui appeared to be falling asleep by that point, though Lafton didn't notice.

As he was fairly embarrassed, he instead focused on a wall sconce not far from where they lay. "Besides my family, I'm a pretty normal guy, I'd say. When I sent you that letter, I was really worried that you'd ignore me for sure. I didn't think that I'd get caught up in a whole scandal involving a member of the Syndicate... or that you'd ask for my help about it... or that I'd fall for you this hard to go through all of that. I mean uh--... yeah... I must've said too much. But don't--"

He gave her another look, and by that time her eyes were closed, the Water Major having fallen into a deep sleep. Lafton heaved a sigh of relief, having avoided a potentially embarrassing moment with him having said too much, and lifted her up into a bridal carry, taking her to her bed in the 'guest room' upstairs, which may as well have been hers with how often she stayed over. Setting her down into the bed so as to let her enjoy a more comfortable nap, he brushed a few stray bangs from her face, smiled and planted a feather-light kiss on her forehead, then stood up and took his leave for the time being.

 

[Kat]

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

Although Kurui's blissful state so close to unconsciousness kept her from saying anything, a slight giggle escaped the water major as she listened to Lafton's embarrassed speech. It amused her in a way, to have such an effect on the fire major... although the sentiment was purely a playful one, not meant to manipulate or serve her own ego.
It was not a taunt, but a show of affection, meant to show she didn't care about anything her partner was worried about. It didn't bother her in the least that he seemed to think he was “average”. The water major herself was average in many ways too. While she certainly took enough pride in herself to keep herself looking proper, and even had some natural beauty to go with, there were other girls that would almost certainly beat her in a contest of pure “sexiness”. While she wasn't a poor serf or laborer who had shown potential, like some others like Ciley had, she wasn't from a rich family either, while plenty of other girls at the Academy were from important families with wealth and history that would have made for far more practical and beneficial relationships for someone like Lafton. While she she wasn't a shut-in or an outcast, she also wasn't a genius or social diva, having few friends and preferring alone time to being the center of attention.
It didn't matter though, none of that mattered now. Care and trust and affection were more important than any of that, especially after everything Kurui had been through. Besides, in many ways, that was a rarity in and of itself, a rarity that made the pair fair more than “average” when the average couple at the RMA would probably have their relationship falling apart a year or two down the line from a lack of such things.
There was no reason for Kurui to be concerned, and no reason for Lafton to be concerned, and so the water major chose to enjoy her bliss rather than have a conversation that wasn't necessary. Within moments, she was out.

There was weakness in sleep, vulnerability... these ideas that would sometimes haunt Kurui even when she was alone and locked in a safe room. Not today though. Fear and nervousness didn't shake her out of her sleep as her partner lifted her and carried her upstairs.
When she was finally on the bed, she did stir a little, coming up briefly and ever so slightly from the surface of her unconsciousness... but again there was there no fear or nervousness. Even without opening her eyes, she knew what was happening, knew she was in a place that felt more like “home” than even her room back at the academy. In the months since this whole thing started, the room had become hers, and in it there were books, a few sets of uniforms and even casual clothes in the closet, and even small touches like a new jar of hard candies on the dresser. Somehow she could just “sense” it, just “feel” where she was without doing anything to check it. She could expect with perfect accuracy that her feelings were correct. There was one unexpected part though, as she felt her hair being brushed away and a kiss being planted on her forehead.

Had the water major been more awake, either a bright blush might have overcome her face... or associations in her mind would have equated it to the way Black had “admired” her and left her deeply uncomfortable.
However... in her dreamlike state, such pre-programmed reactions didn't happen. The drowsiness made her mind more honest in a strange way, more insightful. The kiss was not one of lust or sexual urge... no, it's position on her forehead was much more affectionate... it brought back childhood memories of her parents doing the same thing when she had been a little girl so many years ago. Too far back, she had grown too accustomed to doing without things like that... too close to almost forgetting them.
“Nmm... stay with me... just for a little bit longer.”
Kurui never opened her eyes, but her hand reaching up to grab Lafton's sleeve as he turned to leave showed that she wasn't talking in her sleep. The move was undoubtably a surprise, given her behavior the last few months... but affection and physical closeness hadn't burned her earlier down on couch. Maybe after all this time, her mind was healing enough to experiment with it... and it was re-learning, even if it was through small steps, that the results wern't always a bad thing.

 

[Takimaru]

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

Though his back was already turned by the time Kurui reached out for him, Lafton paused upon feeling the somewhat abrupt yet gentle tugging sensation on his sleeve. If she cared to crack her eyes open to check, she'd see that his expression was as surprised as she might have expected. After all, this was for the most part a first of sorts for the Water Major, as most of the shows of affection were made from her lover's end, and only very testingly at that given her recovery process from repeated abuse at the hands of Black. It was still a flattering moment for him to have heard the girl's words, 'someday we'll have a child together', and he still seemed to be processing all that she had just told him.

But as surprising as the move might have been, it was perhaps inevitable, as with many aspects of the healing process. Perhaps it was due to his inexperience, but either way Lafton had ended up giving Kurui ample time and space to let her feelings sort themselves out. It was a much needed aspect that the girl might have found lacking in some of her other choices.

It had been a turbulent school year thus far for Kurui, to say the least. While her first year might have been considered one of social exploration and freedom from the home life she was accustomed to, the second was drastically different. It had real, life-or-death consequences, and in those moments she was forced to grow and adapt quicker than she even expected herself capable of. The fledgling water mage had made a few new friends, an obvious enemy, and an unexpected companion--perhaps one that the younger Kurui would have never given a chance to.

But as things turned out, he had proven himself as someone worthy of her trust and love. They had come a long way from casual, shallow conversations in the classroom from when they were mere acquaintances, but Kurui didn't need to doubt whether or not she made him happy. His subdued giddiness was contagious, in its own way, and he either had a naturally fast heart rate, or his was just high whenever she was close, even during the most innocent or quiet of moments. Even if Kurui had any remaining doubts about how 'worth it' she was to the characteristically devoted Fire Major in her broken state, her own effect on him was hard to question.

"Oh. I uh... didn't realize you were awake. Alright... I'll stay." Turning, he slowly backtracked and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her, finding her hand with his own and clutching it gently, unable to help but smile. In that moment, it was clear to see that she needed him, and so he wouldn't shy away. Slowly, he reached forward and stroked her hair, feeling his own heart race as his boldness was rewarded with Kurui's own affectionate sentiments. It went without saying that he would stay by her side that night for as long as she needed him to. And while it was hard for him to find the right words to add for a moment like this, perhaps it needed none. Taking a deep breath, he took in the peaceful moment; one that he quietly hoped would only be the start of many to come.

~ End ~​