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 Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:15 pm
Gideon had been extremely pleased to learn that there was a bathhouse [as well as a separate spa!] available to the people on the island, and as soon as the tall demon had arrived and taken care of his official duties, he'd left the school to gain a small amount of relaxation.
Now, he sent one of his crooked grins toward the girl behind the counter, signing the registry as he'd been told to do, and requested a bath. The house was divided the traditional way into male, female, and co-ed, and the redhead decided not to deal with the opposite sex for the day.
He was led back into the male baths, and soon had stripped down, revealing broad shoulders, a well muscled body, and of course, body hair. A red patch was in the middle of his chest, and as one already could've seen, his arms and legs had quite a bit as well. It was rather fortunate that he didn't have back hair. The other noticable thing? His tattoos. They covered a lot of his generally clothed body, in what could only be described as ritualistic designs.
Oh, he was a demon alright. A strong one, at that.
With a sigh a relief, the new head of research settled into the water, his arms stretched out across the edge of the tub, head tilted back slightly.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:28 pm
Crap. Craaaaaaaap.
When he'd heard someone else coming into the room naturally Micajah took the best course of action his brain had come up with, which was to move to a place where no one could see him unless he was looking, and take residence there until he could be certain of who the newcomer was. He had done just that and had settled in near a corner that was blocked partly by the shelves used to store clothing and by the frame of the door, though he was very clearly still in the same room as the man who just entered.
That's right. Man. As in an adult who was fully developed and probably had little to no inhibitions about showing their body off in front of others.
And not just any man, Micajah's mind kicked, but the demon from Open House.
He couldn't leave now, his clothing and items sitting in clear line of the bath so that any noise he would make was sure to attract attention, but he couldn't stay where he was all night either. He was naked and slightly wet since he'd been trying to wash himself, and should he stay that way for a while without properly getting dry he was sure to catch a cold or something.
"There are two options. I can either stay here and freeze and hope the good Doctor is in good humor when I see him for a cold tomorrow, or I can just go out there, finish my bath, and pretend to have bad eyesight and be not wearing contacts."
He whispered to himself as he weighed the plans on his fingers, unsure how good a demon's hearing was. While he was "friends" with Scyeth they weren't exactly all buddy-buddy enough for him to know the basics of demon abilities.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:35 pm
"... Mmn...?" Gideon's dark eyes flicked open, tracing the source of the sound, and he chuckled, low in his throat. "Ah, pardon my manners. I didn't realize someone else was here!" He sat up a bit, arms still casually resting against the tile, though he couldn't see who it was quite yet.
They were partially hidden, after all, and it was rather steamy. However, once they actually got in the bath, he'd be able to see them just fine. Sounded young though, and obviously was a boy, if they were in the same bath. "Are you a student, then?"
He didn't seem to realize that perhaps poor Micajah was hiding, and rather shy about his body. Oops.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:43 pm
The sound of a palm hitting one's face could be heard, although the sound was faint, as Micajah regretted speaking out loud instead of inside his head like he'd meant to. Hours of time spent alone instead of with others led to talking out loud and talking out loud led to awkward naked conversations with a future teacher. Wasn't that amazing?
"Ah, yes. I am. A student. Here."
He had no choice but to actually move now and go to where the teacher was, his upbringing yelling into his head that refusing to answer an adult was extremely rude no matter the current situation, and he bit his lower lip as he slowly stood up and made his way to the side of the tub. Thankfully he'd managed to snag a washcloth with him when he'd dashed off earlier, the small square providing (sadly) enough coverage to make him feel not so entirely naked, and he held it over himself as he approached and made to step into the water.
"It's...good? To see you again, Professor. Do you remember me?"
Micajah had never bathed before with another person and was pretty sure he wanted to die right about now. He figured drowning was not a fun way to go but it sure beat out the idea of choking down a bar of soap and using towels to hang himself from one of the rafters.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:48 pm
"Micajah!" A grin burst into existance on the rugged male's face and Gideon stood up to greet the boy [Thank goodness the steamy, unclear water just covered from his hipbones down]. A hand was stretched out to shake and he shook his head. "Fancy running into you, here." After their greeting, he sat back down against the edge of the tub, obviously relaxing rather than washing immediately [lucky Micajah], and seemed to be completely comfortable.
"I was fortunate enough to be offered a place at Shinkami, so I do think we're going to see a lot of each other now. I assume I didn't dissuade you from going into magic, hmm?" He might be doing that now, however.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:59 pm
Instead of frowning like he thought he would at the teacher's reaction, Micajah's face actually broke into an honest expression of surprise. He didn't think the man would recall him, what with how many other students he must have talked to that day, and for less than a nanosecond it probably made him happy somewhere to know that someone thought enough to remember his name.
He shook the hand that was offered to him, an auto-reaction more than one of 'oh god, hurry up and sit back down', and he offered a weak smile as he finally slipped entirely into the water. He sat a proper distance away from the man, sitting on the same side of him but at least a body's length away, and he turned his head to talk as he kept his hands folded in his lap.
"Actually I am still going be pursuing Magic. It's something I've wanted to do for a while now and it's almost become as much a part of me as any other want I have. If something as simple as a conversation with another person could dissuade me from that path then I obviously didn't have enough passion for it to begin with, you know?"
He felt a little more at ease now that he was in the water and slightly covered from the chest down, and as he turned to look at the man he was speaking to he couldn't help but take note of his body.
Hairy. Muscles. Stuff under the water that I honestly refuse to ever think about.
Compared to Gideon, Micajah was like a small child or really close to a girl. He was fair haired along his arms and legs, their color so light they looked almost invisible, and his skin was almost as pale as natural tone would allow. His blond hair hung about his shoulders, having fallen out of the pins he'd used earlier to pull it up, and settled on the surface of the water.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:16 pm
If only Micajah could see Gideon's fraternal twin brother. Zavier was pale, and delicate, with black curls and a cheerful smile. Completely flamboyant, yet completely heterosexual. A parodoxal type of guy.
Gideon cocked his head to one side, gaze meeting Micajah's. "You're right, again, Micajah... Say, you're hair grows pretty fast, huh? It's gotten quite a bit longer since the Open House. Cutting it, or growing it out?" A large hand went to his own damp red strands, mussing it up as he rubbed through it. "I myself have to get a hair cut at least once every two months to keep it this short."
He grinned again. "Somehow, I think I won't have many students under me directly for a long while. Something about young boys makes them avoid background positions, like research. Of course, I have some wild tales about my own research expeditions."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:22 pm
"I've...always had hair that grows fast. My father says I get it from my mother. I was often told that her hair almost seemed to grow inches overnight."
Micajah's cheeks burned at the mention of his hair, and almost instinctively he pulled a hand to the side and brushed some behind his ear. He didn't remember much about his mother other than her long hair which would waterfall around him when she knelt over to give him a goodnight kiss and a tattoo of a butterfly. That was all.
"I've been meaning to get it cut but I'm starting to think long hair might not be so bad. I can always braid it if it gets in the way, and I'm sure somewhere there's magic that involves the use of hair in order to invoke it. Hair loss sounds better than blood loss to me."
And why was it that this man insisted on saying his name again? Did he like the reaction Micajah gave each time he was addressed by it? (A shocked look of pleasure).
"Isn't research just as important as any other type of Magic studies? Without research people do stupid things that end up with either them or someone they love injured or changed beyond any measure one could ever think of. To know what you're doing beforehand, to know the facts behind each motion you take, that's what the basis of magic is."
He paused and bit his lip.
"To me, of course."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:31 pm
"Interesting." Gideon smiled, as he stored away the fact for later. If he got the chance, he would ask Norman for the blonde's file. Micajah was an interesting student. "Yes, there is magic such as that. However, avoid letting your long locks fall into the wrong hands." A wink, at that.
"And to me, as well. That is, after all, one of the reasons I work in research." Gideon paused, taking a bit of a closer look at the boy, a slight crease appearing on his brow. "It makes me wonder, Micajah, why you are so interested in water, when you have the mind of a magical scientist." Gideon looked genuinely curious, and was unconciously showing he had listened carefully to Micajah during the Open House. He had a habit of saying people's name in conversation, rather than place-holders such as 'uh' or 'umm'. Plus, he liked to specify whom he was speaking to, whether there was anyone else around or not.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:38 pm
This guy is creepy.
He patted his hair one more time before he let his hand drop into the once more, interlocking his fingers as an attempt to relax. The water was doing wonders for his body, the warmth soothing the aches and pains from cleaning and working and whatever else he'd been doing.
"Water...I...I've always loved the rain, you know?"
He turned and smiled softly, his gaze moving from Gideon's face to the bath that rippled around them with the movement of their chests. Even the slightest breath each man took made the water no longer still, the reflections from the lights above pouring down and glistening.
"When I was little I used to watch it all the time from the window in my room. It was the only thing I could see so clearly from where I was, and it was the only thing that I learned fell so equally onto all of the world. Rain doesn't have a system or code it follows, it doesn't show mercy or hatred to others. Rains falls on both humans and demons alike no matter their station, and in many ways it can act as a connection."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:51 pm
This kid is weird.
Gideon fell into silence as he listened to Micajah detail his feelings about water. It made sense, really. There seemed to be a lot more to the boy than there appeared to be at first. The redhead was glad to have met him. It gave him a healthy respect for the student body he would be teaching, that was nice to get BEFORE arriving at the school. "You make an impressive case. The elements are an equalizer for all."
The tall man wasn't very skilled at water magic. He was much more at home with the shadow magic his race was known for. "Still, whichever path you choose, knowing the history behind your magic is always wise."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:58 pm
"Can't that also be said about the people you work with, or the students you teach? The concept of knowing all the history about what you are doing doesn't simply apply to magic or science - it applies to people too."
His gaze moved from the water towards Gideon, and for a brief moment the boy was staring at his face, almost in the eyes, with sort of a dare behind the motion. There had been no malice here, and there wasn't going to be any started, though Micajah couldn't help but wonder if this professor would be the type to look up all the information he could on his students.
Micajah could not and would not blame him if he did such a thing, for knowledge was power, and in this world the one who held the most power sat the safest.
Almost as suddenly as he stared he pulled his eyes away and moved them towards the ceiling, sliding a little further down in the tub. He thought bathing with someone else would be a lot more awkward than this, awkward enough to make him want to die, yet as soon as they had started talking that feeling disappeared.
Was it because he was distracted?
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:31 am
"Mmhmm. I agree." A short, devilish grin. Yes, Gideon was the type to read all student [and staff] files, as well as talking to them on his own, to learn whatever he could. The time for relaxation seemed to be over, and Gideon stood up once again, moving to the side of the tub and climbing out. Luckily, he was behind Micajah, now, and not in the boy's line of sight, he headed over to the washing station and began to scrub. "Micajah," His voice was warm, friendly as he finished up. "You know where the dining services are on campus, yes? I would hate to walk all the way here for all of my meals. Perhaps you could direct me to them?"
After scrubbing down, he raised a large bucket of water over himself and dumped it, to rinse. The tall male grabbed a large towel, wrapping it around his waist before padding across the tiles, back into the boy's view. "I'm afraid I missed out on any tour they may have been."
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:40 am
As soon as Gideon had gotten out of the water Micajah had almost entirely dunked his head underneath it in an effort to completely not see anything, thought it was probably not the best of ideas as he came back up sputtering and coughing loudly. The hot water had gotten down into his lung with the sudden motion he'd pulled, one quickly enough he hadn't even given himself time to properly breathe in before he dunked, and he clasped his hand over his mouth as he tried to get all of the water out.
His lungs burned with each cough, though he did his best to quickly silence them and answer the question the teacher had presented. He turned his head in the direction that Gideon had gone and was thankfully greeted with a towel instead of what he feared he may have seen.
"F-food? I can show you w-where that i-i-s-s."
His words were choked as he tried to cough out the last bit, hoping that the people were wouldn't mind a little spit in their water. Surely they wouldn't, what with everything else that went into the water, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand Micajah seriously hoped his new teacher didn't think he was retarded or something of that sort.
"Just...let me get out and finish getting cleaned up and I can show you know, if you'd like. I think they're still open."
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:47 am
Gideon did notice Micajah's sputtering, but since the boy seemed to be fine, he was polite enough not to say anything. Instead, he simply grinned, rubbing at his blood-colored hair, and nodded. "Alright, sounds good. I'll meet you out front, okay?"
With that, the demon headed into the dressing room to put on the clean change of clothes he'd brought, and went to chat with the female workers, bag slung over his shoulder and hair freshly towel-dried.
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