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 Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:57 pm
A simple training academy just on the border of Ihma'jineiri, this school is occasionally used as a school for wayward children. Though many of the students are quite normal and go on to live very productive lives, often serving in the Imperial Military, some of the students just seem to disappear. The grounds are rather extensive, marking it as the largest school on the continent and the Emperor's favorite. It serves all ages, and accepts everyone. It is little more than a small city unto itself, including a small on campus cemetery as well as a small forest. The forest, however, is marked as forbidden due to the rather numerous wild beasts that inhabit it
The forest is, in actuality, mostly a facade. Tucked inside the deepest grove is another part of the campus. This little side school is where the forgotten students dwell. They are the ones that the teachers noticed were special, and were separated from the rest of the student body. Not much else is known of them, other than if you manage to make it to it's front steps, you will not make it back to tell what you have found.
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 10:50 pm
It had been nearly 3 years since the young man had "disappeared", though he couldn't say it was really a bad thing. Ever since Jet's disappearance, things had been looking up. It was interesting that people though he was special, though he never really saw his abilities as anything more than a burden. Apparently, the Emperor was very interested in those that were Touched, the ability to use magic being something that only happened when Ihma'jineiri collided with Ryaliti.
Sitting in the tall oak tree in the courtyard, Jet looked around the hidden campus. Everywhere around him was trees and stone. Occasionally, one of the other students, from the main campus, would make it to the school doors, but they would soon find themselves buried in the cemetery afterwards. With a drag from his cigarette, he sighed. He had been put on sentry duty once before, and had found a student that tried to enter their hidden sanctuary. It wasn't pretty, to say the least. He partially wondered if the teachers allowed the older students to participate to test their skills, or because they wanted to study them. For all he knew, it could be both. He knew the professors thought him an oddity, due to the fact that he had changed elements at a young age. It was due to a traumatic event, which was something they hadn't seen before.
A quick spring, and he was out of the tree, his precious cigarette still gripped between his lips. For now, the silvery haired young man wanted to wander. He had a lot of thinking to do. He had a lot of studying he still had to do, particularly if he wanted to eventually leave this place. Then again, he didn't really want to. He had nothing in here, but even less out there. The story of his life, really. Anytime he had anything that he truly wanted, it got snatched away. Why should he want anything then, if it was never going to be attainable? Even if it was, it wouldn't be that way for long.
So lost in his inner demons, his eyes never raised above the ground. He had a blank look on his face, if not a bit forlorn.
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:30 am
. . . Blue . . .
I love orchids they always think well of me
 Blue had been at the hidden part of the Academy for only a year, but it suited him just fine, tucked away in the forest he felt safe behind the barrier of trees. The teachers still did not ask him to interact with the other students any more the class participation and he knew his parents knew he was alive and safe, the Academy might have been able to make him disappear, but the wind and the animals saw him and his father had a secret, one that allowed him to keep tabs on Blue, albeit long waited tabs.
Blue himself had adjusted quite well, the teachers had not only allowed him to bring his orchids but had given him a plot where he could grow them and some herbs too. He took extremely good care of them and in return, they gave him an easy place to practice his positive magic. When an orchid was ailing he could use small healing spells to bring its health back, when it got to rainy he used his shielding magic to keep them from drowning, and it allowed him to use his hands too. Sometimes the plot got to sunny, so he had fashioned a canopy of wood sticks and burlap cloth to keep his precious flowers from getting burned during the hotter days of the month.
Blue spent most of his time in his little garden, rarely venturing away from it during his free time and spending the rest either at class or in his room. Despite having been there a year and even learning most of the names of the other people in his class, he still didn’t really have any friends.. None of them really had enough spare time to pursue friendship with a boy who was so soft spoken and willing to let people walk away. He heard footsteps on the ground and glanced up, it was an upperclassmen, he didn’t really know him, but he knew of him, he had never worked with Jet personally before, but once or twice Blue had been put on protective duty to test his barrier skills no doubt, where he had to put up invisible walls to lead lost students back out of the forest. It had been quite a chore, but he was willing to do it so they didn’t have to face Jet.. Not that he had anything against the upperclassmen, but he most certainly would not have wanted to face him in a fight.
It looked like he might not have a choice when it came to confrontation though as Jet was heading straight for his beautiful flower garden.. "Excuse me," Blue started as he stood up and moved in front of the flowers so the other boy would at least see him before tromping in his delicate garden. ”Please go around.” He requested in a soft voice, standing there with his shoulder length, dust brown hair and his bright green eyes and pale skin, he probably looked like a flat-chested girl, his shirt cut off just above his stomach with straps that came out from under it and disappeared under his tight shorts. With high purple boots to match and his slender physique, he had been mistaken for a girl multiple times in the past. It didn’t bother him, but it always seemed to bother the other person…
I wish I had more friends.
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:59 am
To be honest, Jet hadn't even seen the boy sitting near his flowers. His mind had been too engrossed in other things. Not surprisingly, at least for him, the young man was thinking about his future. He was lost, to be certain. There wasn't really a place for him, and that bothered Jet. He couldn't go back to stay with Lucien's parents. They probably thought he was dead, which would make things much harder were he to try to visit. His own family was dead, and anyone he ever cared for as well. At the school, he was a loner, so there were no friends keeping him here. Only his studies. Was that all that he had left now? Trying to perfect his gift?
Had Blue not stood up, Jet would have walked through the patch of flowers. However, with the sudden movement, it caused him to pause, looking at the younger man in front of him. He had seen the boy before, of course. There wasn't many people in the school to begin with, so learning who people were was rather easy. The name, however, was escaping him for the time being. He gazed at Blue, sizing him up for a moment, more out of habit than anything else. Blue seemed docile enough, so why he was trying to stop him was beyond him. However, he did ask politely. He wouldn't walk where Blue had asked him not to, though it did make him wonder what was there.
Tilting to look behind Blue, Jet caught a glimpse of the flowers, causing him to blink, before moving to the side slightly, and kneeling down. Really, he should have guessed what it was by the scent, but seeing them only drove it home. Orchids. It wasn't hard to find them in Lojik, the buds flourished there. When he was small, he had tried his hand at raising some, but had failed miserably. He could never do it, despite how hard he tried. His mother, Amira, had said that he was too bright, and his heat was drying them out faster than he could water them. She had been quite good at growing them, and always had their scent on her. Even now, the scent reminded him of his dear mother. "Boat orchids," he said, quite softly, the hand not holding the cigarette nearly brushing it. He knew better than to touch it, though he was tempted.
The thoughts of his mother flooding his mind, a look of sadness crossed Jet's features, though it was only there for a second before he pushed the thoughts out of his mind. What had happened was in the past. It was best not to dwell on it. As he stood up, he glanced back at Blue. The boy was probably worried that he was going to hurt his precious flowers, but that wasn't the case. A thought popped into his mind, something his mother used for her flowers. "Next time you are on kitchen duty," he said, taking a quick puff on his cigarette, "when you debone any of the meat, save them and grind them up finely. It should help your flowers. Same if you can get your hands on some of the meat blood. Let it dry, and powder it." That said, his one good deed of the year done, he turned and started to walk away.
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:18 am
. . . Blue . . .
I love orchids they always think well of me
Blue watched the older boy with some fascination. He seemed almost like he would have liked to touch one of the orchids but pulled away at the last moment. It was odd, Blue had never seen anyone reluctant to touch flowers before, especially not someone who looked so sad at the same time. He blinked at the information, he had all kinds of tricks, but that had never been in his repertoire. He would most certainly try it though. Blue watched the smoker start away, his father had smoked and the scent soothed him, even though it likely would have made other people cough or upset, Blue liked it.. It felt nostalgic in a way that made him happy.
Blue watched Jet walk away and blinked a moment, he went to one of his thriving bulbs and tenderly clipped off a stalk with his pruning sheers. "Wait!" He called out, running to catch up with Jet quickly. He stopped just short of the other and held out the stalk of the delicate purple flower. ”Here, I think this one wants to go with you.” He said with a light smile. Most of the kids in the school who knew anything about Blue thought he was ridiculous, he talked to his flowers, he treated them like sentients. But he knew they were, all living creatures were and they all deserved attention equal to what he would have given a human.
Blue knew it was probably strange, and he wouldn’t have begrudged Jet to just keep walking, after all, Jet had a reputation, one that didn’t exactly coincide with Blue’s pretty flowers. Despite that, Blue still felt like he had to try, if nothing else then he had to try, Jet had done something nice for him, so he wanted to do something nice in return. Flowers were the only thing Blue had, his life was rather dull when they were taken out of the picture..
I wish I had more friends.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 5:31 pm
Jet's mind was awash with thoughts of orchids and his mother, try as he might to push them out of his head. He had things he needed to focus on, and old tears were not one of them. He almost didn't hear Blue call for him, until he heard the last part. He paused, turning to look at the young man, holding one of his precious flowers. That was something he wasn't expecting. He really wasn't sure how to react, to be honest. People usually didn't talk to him, let alone try to hand him a flower.
Slowly, he moved his hand out, taking the stalk of the plant. As he did so, there was an almost imperceptable lift at the corner of his mouth. It was the closest he was going to get to smiling, as he said, "Thank you." He didn't really know what to say more than that, really. He looked at the flower, bringing it up to take a whiff of it. It was very soothing.
He was at a loss for words, and the silence was a little awkward for him. He was almost relieved when he heard the chime of the bells, signalling it was time for afternoon class. "We'd better head to class," Jet said simply, before turning to start walking. It really was strange that this underclassman was so... giving, he supposed was the best term. He just wasn't used to it, and to him, it was quite weird. Why would anyone want to give him anything?
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 6:32 pm
. . . Blue . . .
I love orchids they always think well of me
“You’re welcome.” He said quietly, his face sharing the same quiet kind of expression as the tone his voice had held. He heard the bells chime as well and looked up. “Oh, yeah..” He went over to his garden and covered them with their little cloth roof before picking up a backpack he carried with him everywhere and started running towards the school. He wasn’t running particularly fast because he wasn’t very good at it yet. He was trying to get in better shape, so instead of walking, he would run. Though where most of the other students greeted each other upon entering, no one really greeted Blue. Some acknowledged him with a head not or a polite wave, which he always returned, there seemed to be no one to really meet him at the doorway.
Blue kind of liked Jet, he had never met him in person before and in person, Jet was actually a nice person. Quiet, but he liked quiet and he was polite. He didn’t seem dangerous or full of himself like some rumors might have made him seem. Not that Blue ever really expected to get to know Jet, the upperclassmen was in a world all together different, one where powerful sorcerers kept guard over the grounds. Blue was no powerful sorcerer, he couldn’t even cast offensive magic, he always had to be paired with a fighter in order to participate in combat training because he could only create barriers and heal wounds. But when he created a barrier, nothing got through it. He could only make it small for now, big enough to only maybe encompass two or three people at maximum.
For lunch he ate alone and with his flowers, sitting beside his garden. It was a nice day out, sunny but cool in the shade and he just had a plain sandwich. “Have you guys had enough sun today? I know it gets very bright.” He took a bite of his sandwich and took a deep breath to let out a long kind of sigh.
I wish I had more friends.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:10 pm
It only took Jet a few moments to get to his class. As soon as he stepped through the door, most of the other students shied away, not wanting to be near him. People thought he was vicious, dangerous, and there were some who just thought he was a jerk. Of course, the ones who thought he was a jerk would try to fight him, and be beaten soundly, which would only perpetuate the rumor that he was dangerous and cruel. He knew, in order to be stronger, he had to be feared, as much as he didn't like that particular part of it. He could only imagine what the others thoughts were when they saw one of the orchids in his hands. They probably thought he had beaten up Blue and taken it, when it was something freely given. He didn't really care, to be honest. There wasn't much that Jet cared about, and the opinions of people who didn't know him were the least of his thoughts.
Oddly enough, as the teacher started lecturing about their gift, Jet's mind was on Blue. The underclassman confused him. He knew a bit about the young man. He was healer, a light mage, and a few years younger than he was. And now, Jet knew he liked to grow orchids. Apparently, he also wasn't scared of him, which was a good thing in Jet's mind. Or, atleast if he was, he was good at hiding it. He decided that he would talk with Blue later, to try to figure out why he wasn't afraid of him.
After class, Jet checked the guard listing, to see who was going to be up for duty tonight. A quick glance showed that he was up for tonight, which meant that he would have no early classes tomorrow. It was nice that they allowed the night mages to have the morning off to catch up on lost sleep, since the usually needed it afterwards, both to regain their strength and because they were generally up for a full day. He wasn't very hungry, so he decided that instead of eating lunch, he would go swimming. There was a small pond in the back of the campus. Some students used it, but they generally scattered when they saw him coming, so he would have the place to himself. After grabbing a second pair of clothes from his solitary dorm, he headed over to the pond.
As usual, there were a few students mucking about, enjoying the warmth and sunlight. And, as usual, when one of them happened to spot him coming over, the younger man panicked and all of the students grabbed their clothes before making a very hasty retreat. He did little more than sigh before dropping his own clothes at the edge of the pond, disrobing to just his breeches, and diving in. The water was nice and cool, perfect for relaxing. With that in mind, he started doing some laps.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:45 pm
. . . Blue . . .
I love orchids they always think well of me
He had just about finished his lunch when he heard some kids going by in the distance, complaining about how they had been chased out of the pool by an upperclassmen, one in particular that Blue had met earlier that morning. Out of sheer curiosity, he just had to look into it for himself. He ate the rest of his lunch quickly and stood, he dusted off any dirt or leaves and headed quickly for the pool, his backpack still tightly on his shoulders.
When he got to the pool, he didn’t get to close, just peaking around the corner. He was surprised, Jet looked really good, his body seemed really strong. Not that Blue had ever thought he looked weak, but most magic users, himself included, were not exactly given great bodies, few had any real muscle mass of any kind. Jet on the other hand looked as though he exercised regularly and from how well he was swimming, Blue guessed he knew just how.
Jet didn’t really strike him as the type to just go off on anyone and chase them away, though they had only met for a brief time, Jet hadn’t been cruel or harsh to him, in fact at most he had seemed a little.. Surprised, but that hardly warranted the horrible rumors going around about what a jerk he was. It was something Blue just couldn’t see.
I wish I had more friends.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:20 pm
While he swam, Jet looked rather focused on what he was doing, and didn't notice Blue watching him. Blue was right about one thing. The young man worked out quite a bit, generally swimming more than anything, though he was known to do some other exercises as well. He had to get stronger, for his own sake and for others. He wouldn't let himself get pushed around anymore. He wouldn't let those he cared about get hurt again. He just couldn't do it anymore.
Turning over as he swam, to give his back muscles more of a workout, the burns across his chest were easily visable. While most people knew him to be a Lightning mage, he had started out as a Fire mage, whom were notoriously hard to burn. To be fair, he hadn't intended to burn himself when it happened, as he was trying to burn those around him who were hurting those he loved. Sadly, Jet wasn't very skilled with his magic at that time, and had used too much energy, causing it to scorch him as well. He had asked the light mages who had healed him to leave the scars, so he couldn't forget what had happened.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:31 pm
. . . Blue . . .
I love orchids they always think well of me
Blue didn’t know quite that much about Jet, he had no idea about him once being a fire mage, but the scars on his chest made Blue gasp softly. Instinctively Blue wanted to help, even though logically he knew the wounds didn’t hurt anymore and there was nothing he could do about them anyway. It was just the way he was raised, and he still wanted to help. Instead though, he just hung back in the shadows of the school..
Blue’s soft chestnut hair was swirled around him and the light wire of his pendant lifted by the air though it didn’t really make any noise. The breeze was nice, it was kind of cooling compared to how hot the outside was. He didn’t mind the heat really, it bothered some but in the forest it was always cooler then trapped in human places. Not that Blue had anything against humans, but he did so love nature and there always seemed to be less of it where humans were dominant, even the school was made of stone and designed to keep nature on the outside.
I wish I had more friends.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:14 pm
The young man continued his swimming routine, switching strokes to give his chest a bit more exercise. Doing something so small wasn't much, though he had long since developed a habit for it. Swimming took up a good deal of his exercise regime, the rest being simple sit ups, push ups and pull ups. He wanted to be strong, and given the current company around the school, Jet probably was the strongest person there. Though, magically, he was strong, just not the strongest, and emotionally... only due to a front was he strong.
Coming to the side of the pond for a moment, he paused, letting the small breeze blow over him. It was really rather nice here in Fahkt. Granted, he was used to the weather in Lojik, which was very warm the entire year, with various downpours and generally humid. There were areas that were more arid as well, but his hometown was much more wet and hot. Here in Fahkt, it was more temperate, and he didn't have to worry much about torrential downpours. His eyes drifted to the orchid that was sitting by his clothes, picking it up to look at it. How Blue had managed to grow orchids in this weather, he wasn't sure, but the young man was certainly good at it. Really, there was just something about the underclassman that was just... odd. Jet couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but it did make the young man more unique.
Maybe I'm just overanylizing things. Maybe he is just a nice kid who likes to grow flowers. Really, Jet didn't doubt those parts, but there was just something that was bothering him about Blue. He chuckled, softly, shaking his head for a moment. People didn't really get under his skin with the things they did, but this one person managed to cause him pause all morning. He liked riddles, and Blue was one he just didn't understand.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:37 pm
. . . Blue . . .
I love orchids they always think well of me
He watched Jet swim, mildly entranced by how his body moved so seamlessly through the water. He had seen people swim before of course, but Jet seemed different… Watching him swim was more like watching a fish, an excited fish but something that belonged in the water none the less. It was calming somehow, like watching a koi pond and it made Blue feel serene enough to even sit down, though he was still mostly hidden. He saw Jet stop eventually and go to the orchid, it looked happy even now, as though the other had been taking good, gentle care of it even after it was given to him.. Honestly Blue had expected Jet to throw it away.
Blue stood softly, the breeze was lovely as it ebbed and flowed around him, taking his hair and putting it around his face in a soft, fluttery motion. When it died down a bit, he stepped out from hiding, time to see if Jet was really the cruel jerk all the rumors said he was, or if he was just the polite shy guy Blue had met this morning. He smiled faintly as he stepped into view. “You’ve taken good care of it.. I’m sure I could even get it to keep growing with the fine kindness you’ve shown..” It was kind of an odd statement, but Blue meant it as a compliment as he walked towards Jet.
Blue had never done this before, actively sought out someone else for interaction and conversation. It was strange but also kind of nice. His heart pounded like a bee hive buzzed, he couldn’t calm it down and it was a chore to keep his breathing even remotely steady. He walked over, not to close to the pool, but he probably could have still been splashed if Jet so felt like it.
I wish I had more friends.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 12:37 am
Pausing, Jet looked over at the young man who entered his line of sight. He wasn't expecting to see Blue spying on him. Given the way he was talking about the flower, he wondered if he was checking up on him to see if the flower was alright. Certainly, he knew his reputation around the school. Most people would expect him to toss it away out of malice and spite, but Jet wasn't like that despite popular opinion. While he had thought of burning it or sending it a river, it wasn't for the reasons people would expect. Not out of malice or viciousness, but out of memory. He was going to send it to his dearly departed mother. Or rather, he had thought of it. He wasn't quite sure if he was going to do it yet. The flower had been a kind gesture. Part of him wanted to try to get it to grow himself, though he knew the flower would likely die after that.
He chuckled, softly, shaking his head. "Did you think I would destroy it, like everyone seems to think? The big bad upperclassman." It was very clear the last part was meant to be sarcastic due to his tone of voice. Oddly enough, he was enjoying talking with Blue. There weren't many people who could actually stand being around him. He was very aloof, and tended to put on an air of being better than everyone else. He didn't really think he was, but he wanted to be.
Watching Blue approach, he stayed rather still, letting his head rest on his hand. For a random encounter, this younger man was certainly perplexing Jet. Well, since he's here. He placed the flower down, carefully, before turning back to Blue. "Why aren't you afraid of me?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:41 am
. . . Blue . . .
I love orchids they always think well of me
Blue felt a little sad, it didn’t seem like Jet fit his rumors description and worse, it didn’t seem he enjoyed them either. Blue never felt bad when people talked like they were better then him, he accepted that in some ways everyone was better then everyone else, like if you didn’t want to get hit, you asked to be paired with Blue during combat training and if you wanted to win quickly, you asked to be paired with someone like Jet. Though Blue wanted to know more about the upperclassmen, he didn’t presume that he could change rumors around the school, but he knew how nice it felt to have at least one person who knew the truth… The only people who knew the reason someone so ordinary from such a small, plain little town could use such strong magic, were his parents. Back when people had actually noticed him they had jokingly called him ‘farm boy’ a lot, sometimes when they noticed him they still did. Everyone knew he was from a little farming town in Fahkt, somewhere far on the outskirts, closer to the Phik’shun realms then most of the others, which was how one person in particular had made it across to join their little town about six years before Blue was born…
Blue squatted comfortably on his haunches, his arms wrapped around his knees as he looked at Jet. “That‘s not it....” He insisted softly. “Most people would have pinned it to their shirts, or rubbed the petals or leaves raw, maybe pinched the stem in places making it bruise..” He looked at the flower again. “But you kept yours in perfect condition..” His voice was light and soft about it and he risked edging closer to the pool. No way he’d go close enough to actually be pulled in, but he might get pretty close if he was made comfortable enough.
He tilted his head a bit at that question, how should he answer? That he wasn’t really afraid of to terribly much? That he didn’t think the rumors were right? That he liked to give everyone a chance before dismissing them completely? It took a few minutes for Blue to think up an appropriately worded answer, and even then he spoke slowly so it would come out right. “I suppose…. I don’t believe in rumors. You weren’t cruel or mean this morning, if you were even half as bad as the rumors said, you would have knocked me down and destroyed my garden for spite.. But you even gave me a tip on how to grow them better.” He smiled a little and it almost made him look like one of his own orchids, shy and not ready to open, his half smile almost hidden by his bangs as he squeezed his knees a bit again, the next part a little embarrassing to say because it sounded so naïve. “And… Anyone who cares for flowers.. I guess I just can’t believe that kind of person would ever be bad.” He finished, a hint of pink coming across his cheeks. Most of the other kids would have laughed at him for that kind of statement, and he fully expected Jet to laugh at him for it too.
I wish I had more friends.
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