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"Friends were not something I was allowed." Again, she spoke bluntly about it, no sign of lying. As with most things what's the point of lying to someone who doesn't know you, or where you came from? There wasn't one. Granted she might regret it later, but he was a fish, and if he made her regret it, there would be hell to pay.

She ground her teeth at the word lady, but didn't say anything about it, "Lighten up? Me? Perish the thought." He was not really going to attempt that was he? Was everyone so bent on her being lighter in attitude? She was merely there to learn, and take care of her family, what use did she have for jovial conversations? "I prefer to keep them that way, giving an exposition on who and what I am has never been something that anyone needed, nor were they interested in it."

"Cute?" She spat the word out as though it left a bad taste in her mouth. Wrinkling up her nose she gave him a somewhat disgusted look, "Different I can accept, but cute?" She made a horrid face at the thought, then snorted, "Dating is not something I've ever remotely been interested in. Girls in the village would chatter on about it and all it ever did was give me a headache when listening to them. Granted it was just passing by, but still very much a headache all that nattering."

He was tempting her with sweets. That kind of commodity had been rare for her...and most often they were a week old. She was almost drooling as she nodded her head vigorously at wanting one, she wasn't quite full yet. It would be amazing she could tell by just the smell of it when they came in, granted if she had to pay for it, that would be her food money for the next couple of days, but what the hell, it was chocolate cake, "Are you treating again, or should I pay for it myself?" She was relaxing a little, but he was still in many ways a means to an end. She managed a good meal, he got conversation, despite him calling her cute. She was quick to decide that 'lady' and 'cute' were words to refer to other girls, and surely not her.

:~:

She had been merely acting as herself, and apparently he thought it was endearing? What planet has this boy come from that her making faces at words that did not apply to her made her that way, was he off his rocker? He obviously had taken far too many strikes to the head. Well he hadn't gone so far as to call her anything as drastic as a beauty, or pretty, so cute she would have to live with, though she wouldn't be able to help her reactions to the words. If he went so far as to call her those things, she'd know he was mocking her. Pretty girls did not have scars like her.

She didn't view those who were constantly happy as creepy, she viewed them as likely hiding something. Most people were. There was darkness in everyone, no matter how good their nature was. She stared at him as he called her normal...and told her to be happy about it. Illystria didn't know whether to cry or laugh at that moment, happiness wasn't something she understood or knew really how to feel. She felt pleasure when she accomplished something, but that wasn't happiness, not the way that others knew it to be, she mumbled to herself, "I don't very well know how to be happy, idiot." She spoke as he had left the table. She looked a little morose then frowned deeply, never in all her life had she been called anything remotely close to normal, and he just tossed off the word like it was nothing. She snorted, He's a bloody liar.


Upon his return with the whole cake, ruby eyes went wide, shock on her face. She had not expected that, she'd thought a slice for herself would be plenty, but being allowed to indulge this much? Her mouth watered as he set it down, the clean fork in her hand, "Really? The whole...?" She didn't mind sharing with him, she just couldn't believe she would get this kind of chance. Without another word, carefully almost as if it were a sacred item she pierced the cake, cutting a large bite out for herself. An almost gleeful look on her face as she stuffed the bite in her mouth, not caring that she somewhat looked like a chipmunk with a mouth full of nuts as she slowly chewed and let the cake somewhat dissolve in her mouth. The burst of flavor, deep rich cake, fluffy chocolate icing, and a firm chocolate mousse in the middle, it was to die for. And in some ways it seemed she had. Unlike how she treated the rest of her meal, she savored the cake. Her eyes closing to intensify the sensation, so it would be burned into her memory of how she had once eaten the best chocolate cake ever.

Sweets were somewhat a weakness for her, as she finally finished that bite, she looked dreamy with a sigh and took another bite, about the same size repeating the process. In her mind it was one of the only things that made her even remotely girlish. But she very rarely had such a wonderful treat, so she had to savor it. The smile on her face as she continued this process was not the reflexive smile she'd given him in response to his own, but one of actual enjoyment, which looked much better, and more real, even with the chocolate frosting beside her mouth.

:~:

She only caught about half of his conversation, but noticed the milk, and gratefully took the second glass with what was her sixth or seventh giant bite. Swallowing what was in her mouth with a gulp, she busily wiped away the chocolate residue on her face with her hand, which she then licked off, before returning his cheers with the milk in her other hand, "I have enjoyed it quite thoroughly. Thank you." She wasn't sure how to respond to the next part of that last sentence, so she chose to ask about a previous statement of his, still eyeing the cake as she took a sip of milk.

"If they flaunted their magic, why didn't you just kick their teeth in?" It was only logical to her, "I mean, that's what I did any time there was someone slinging spells my direction." Not that anyone who'd been casting at her really had the chance to do much before she knocked them on their a** and had them begging for mercy, "And since they're related, fair game, right?" She took a large drink of the milk and pulled off what was a not so large bite, since they were going to be conversing more.

Something dawned on her, "You do know how to fight, right?" She wasn't the best fighter, but she'd taken more pain than most, so she would happily take hits, and beat someone's face in.

:~:

He had an interesting talent, but one that was purely a defense mechanism, not something he could control, yet anyway, "I suppose what you'll focus on is not only being able to throw their spell back at them, but amplify it as well. That way it's the power of their spell, plus a kick to knock them out of the fight." It was something to be used, information to file away for later, mostly.

She smiled oddly at the thought of a home cooked meal. She was normally the one who did any cooking and there was hardly any scraps left for her sisters, let alone for her, but she made no real connection to what he was saying. Flashes of her childhood one of a woman who's hair was the same color as hers, and then flashing forward to other troubled days.

She was pulled from her thoughts as he asked if she had siblings, "I have two sisters. Both younger by about six years. Twins specifically. They turn...12 this year in September." Suddenly she remembered something very...irritating to her, but she brushed it off, "They're a sweet pair of girls, and I hope I can be the support for them once I get through with my schooling." It was the softest and kindest her voice and demeanor had been the entire time she'd been on this little lunch break with Satoshi, it showed that sometimes she wasn't nearly so hardened, but it was only to deal with those girls, "I just have to get through these classes first." there was a lopsided smile on her face as she spoke and then took another bite of the cake in front of her, trying not to think of her sisters and if her father was taking care of them or not.

:~:

Friendship. Well that was one thing she didn't really have yet. She had her own...tutor of sorts, she could assist this classmate, gain a better understanding of some social norms, perhaps even call him a friend. That was fine and dandy, so she could make a deal, "Alright, take me out to lunch or dinner like this at least once a month, and I'll help you understand stuff from the classes, and help you figure out how to amplify the magic that gets thrown at you. Sound like a good deal?" She gave him a wry smile, she was not going to help him out purely out of "friendship" she didn't know him well enough for that, however his having treated her to a full lunch like this one and doing so periodically would make her quite amicable to helping him pass his tests.

She gave a small smirk, "We had better start soon, if you know that I'll be out of the academy in no time, you'll have to be a fast learner." She was actually enjoying the conversation, and being a little looked up to for her talent. Soon though the smile fell and she started in on the cake, to finish it up. Wiping away the chocolate from her mouth she licked it from her fingers, and gave an odd smirk, "Also, next time we meet, you should have about a million questions, like where I got the scar on my face from." Her tone was cheeky as she spoke, but she figured his mind ran a mile a minute for a short trying to figure out exactly how she'd gotten it.

Leaning back in her chair, Illystria felt a little bit like a bloated toad, the feeling of a full belly was amazing, and to top it all off she had sweets as well. It had to be one of her better days having run into this silly fish boy.

Illystria nodded, "I can help, easily. And walking back is fine." She gave an oddly soft look, "I'd say running into me was a good first step." She chuckled a little bit.

Her eyes widened at his actual personal question to her, which caused her to flush deeply and look down, "I don't have friends, much less a boyfriend. Or even someone interested in me like that." It was the first time she looked somewhat out of sorts, though she calmed it rather quickly, "So there isn't anyone who'd be coming along to beat you. I'm fairly sure I'm not the kind of girl guys would look at any way."

She remembered him calling her cute, "Not that I have any actual idea as to what a male would be looking for in the female of the species." She suddenly realized that she was possibly rambling, slightly, and that his question had flustered her a bit too much, "So, to be succinct about it, no, I do not have a boyfriend, or anyone who is interested in such labels who would come along and be irritated with you spending time with me studying." She hoped that her answer was clearer now, rather than her rambling like a fool. But it wasn't like she'd expected someone to ask her that, wasn't it obvious with how she looked that no one would be interested in her at all? Hadn't father always stated she was an ugly girl to start with, and the scars only made her that much worse to look at? Shaking off her thoughts, she realized that he might have just seen more of her personality than he needed to, So, shall we get walking back to the school so I can help you understand what we're learning?" Perhaps swiftly changing it back to him, she'd avoid any ridicule.