[END]First Steps to Solid Ground (Rift, a Civvy & Clairvere)

[Sigma Octantis]

This is a private RP between Isaac (Rift,) a civilian, Rowlines Oliver Colford (Spoiler: it's Mr. Good Vibes) and later Clowrey (Clairvere.)

Where: On a boat headed for Crantel and later Crantel, close to the island.
What's happening: Isaac is a heading to a meet-up spot by boat to meet someone who will take him to the Academy, but he's scared and alone. A kind civilian comes to comfort him along the way before he meets up with Clairvere to pick him up.

 

[Sigma Octantis]

To the left side, then the right side, then back to the left… A small, scared boy rocked back in forth in an attempt to follow the motion of the ship. In his hands he held a small stuffed bear that looked as though the boy must have loved it very much; it had a worn down appearance that was a blatant clue as to how often he carried—or at least had in the past—the toy.

The boy was wavering between a forced smile and the look that a startled animal would give a hunter. He did not move around much, happy to stay in his own, quiet corner away from most of the people. His mouth was dry but his bright blue eyes certainly weren’t, and despite his best efforts to appear brave, the occasional tear or two wrestled their way out of his eyes and down his face. His stomach flopped and sloshed with uncertainty—he wasn’t sure this was such a good idea now, Mother and Father might have been wrong about this being a good idea… why did he need to come all the way out here?

Isaac Raziel was nothing more then a terrified child going to a place he didn’t know if he belonged at, and he knew it.

Sidekick Academy, they called it. Sidekick… the assistants to heroes.

He never dreamed about being a hero, not much anyway. Far less then the average kid, he’d thought, because he just wanted to be an average kid instead.

The stuffed animal was brought up to his face and he cried into it a bit, doing his best not to let any of the ship’s other passengers see. He lowered the bear slowly only after a good minute worth of crying but repeated the process every few minutes for the next ten, his face growing more and more pink each time.

He had to be good and strong and tough and not show that he was afraid, that was what Father had said. Father had hugged him tight and told him to do his best. Was this his best?

It didn’t feel like it, but he was scared and it was hard to not show that.

Eventually, though, eventually he got the knack of it. Even though his eyes were still puffy and a little red, even though his teddy bear was held closely at his side, he was acting brave.

He took to watching the other passengers, looking away whenever they looked back—but his father never said he had to be that brave. And they would be there soon, wouldn’t they? To the big, scary school… well, Crantel first, and that wasn’t quite as scary.

Isaac hugged his bear tighter—almost there. Almost unafraid. Almost brave.  

[Rika Mayumi]

He can still hear the melody in his head. A music box that was often played years ago before his life turned upside down. It wasn't that hard, after his first victim everything rolled like it was nothing. His life changed so much that the memories he had before seemed like were by played by someone else. Rowlines Colford stare at the open sea with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Soon he'll be back in Ronth again, doing underground business. For now being in the heat for a while, Row's laying it low. Cooling period as they say. Just another bored tourist traveling in Megapolis.

He turned around, the air was a bit chilly. And noticed a little boy stole a glance at him. The child was obviously scared. How many kids did this man kidnapped for the organization? He has lost count over the years. Children around his age mostly. Poor, poor kid travelling all alone, he guessed. Well, children around his age travelling with family won't act as such. Mostly they are often dragging their parents around, showing the things they discovered, or are full of questions about the world. Row felt alone too just looking at the boy, as he remind him of something dear. I'm--on a break, no villainous acts necessary... he thought and approached the lonesome tot.

"What a brave young lad. Travelling all alone?"  

[Sigma Octantis]

The stuffed bear was beginning to feel wet from all of Isaac's crying and was becoming uncomfortable to hold... but the bear made him happy, made him feel safe. He'd have to stop crying then, so he could keep holding the bear before it got too soaked through.

Yeah, that was a good reason to be brave, right? Another good reason to be brave. He'd counted off a good five or six already, but he still wasn't being brave. Was he doing something wrong? Obviously he needed to be brave, obviously it was a good idea, but he wasn't... good at it. Doing what he should be doing wasn't as easy as it should have been.

His face was bright pink and sore by the time he managed to get himself to stop crying, and it was even more sore as the wind stung against his face. He turned away from it to end up face to face with a man whom he didn't know but he was pretty sure he'd spotted him among the passengers.

Isaac did not flinch back in shock so much as freeze up in place in something more akin to awe, bright blue eyes blinking very, very slowly.

"Brave?" He squeaked out in a tiny voice, looking down guiltily for a moment, "I'm-- I'm here alone. Mother and Father stayed back at home, they told me to be brave so I'm being brave."

Isaac rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and squeezed the bear he held in it tighter. "I don't feel brave. I'm scared. Am I being brave?" He sniffled softly just once or twice or three times before nodding his head-- "I have to be brave."

He continued to stare up at the man a bit like he'd forgotten everyone else on the ship. "Why, Sir? Are you here alone too?" His eyes grew really wide then and he lifted his bear so that he could pull it tight to his chest-- "You're being brave, too, but adults are supposed to be brave."  

[Rika Mayumi]

Bright blue eyes blink at him, they were very similar to the glass eyes of porcelain dolls that Row's child carries often. Looking at the blond kid closely, Row cannot help but feel something different about the child. He crouched down in front of the kid. "You were brave enough to travel all alone and brave enough to cry. I'm not a brave man like you, I'm afraid to cry." he pouted his lips. "Men who cry are the strongest."

"I might have something to help you. What to see some magic?"  

[Sigma Octantis]

Isaac nodded very slowly as the man spoke. Brave enough to cry? But he thought he wasn't supposed to cry. How was crying brave? Wasn't he supposed to look like he new how to handle himself? Adults were comfortable with going places alone, they didn't feel the need to cry. They weren't afraid, were they? So they didn't need to cry, even if crying was brave.

It was a little confusing and Isaac frowned at the concept but kept nodding regardless. Adults were right almost all the time, so this one was probably right too... maybe.

He stopped nodding at the mention of magic, his eyes going quite wide-- "Magic, Sir?" Isaac seemed to stop breathing for a second but after a quick moment he was leaning in and looking shadily around at people like he was about to find out a secret.

"I like magic a lot! Please show me?"

Sure, there was still moisture in his eyes and his cheeks were still quite pink, but the notion of magic... he'd forgotten his fears if only for a moment, and it helped to have an adult talking to him like this.

"What kind of magic?"  

[Rika Mayumi]

"I like magic a lot! Please show me?"

Row stood up and smiled, then he seated beside the little boy.

"What kind of magic?"

"It's a very powerful spell!" he shook his hands in the air. "It is a bravery spell." he took his unlit cigarette.

"In order for one to be brave, you have to sacrifice something in return. Shall we pray for courage together boy?" he crumpled up his cigarette, he also wiped the tear drop mark on Isaac's face and pretended to mix it with his cigarette. He showed his palm with the objects. "Our sacrifices, my cigarette and your tears, and together--" he made some hand gestures, part distraction and part his power of persuasion activating. He placed his fist in front of his mouth and blew hard. A white plastic flower came out of his clenched fist.

"There," he handed it to the boy, "with this you won't be afraid of being alone." he said with a smile. "And the best thing about this flower is that it won't ever wilt. Just like the courage blooming in your heart."  

[Sigma Octantis]

Isaac moved up closer to the man as soon as he sat down, eyes still very wide-- but they got even wider when he said it was a bravery spell. That wasn't what he was expecting at all but... it was a lot more exciting. A smile lingered on the edge of his lips and he nodded-- yes, okay, yes!

He blinked and pulled back only for a moment when the tear was wiped from his face just long enough to wipe the spot with the back of his hand. He smiled once more when the mix was shown to him.

Isaac watched the hand gestures very closely though he couldn't quite keep track of what was happening (regardless of what was happening it was pretty amazing.) When the hand was brought to the man's mouth and he blew-- and out came a flower-- Isaac was completely in awe.

It wasn't until the flower was handed off to him that his senses came back to him and he jumped up and down happily, holding the flower close and looking at it as though it were the most amazing thing in the world.

He settled down at the last few words the man said-- "...Just like the courage blooming in your heart." His eyes went very large again and it took a few moments for him to decide what to do, but a moment later he was wrapping his arms around the man and hugging him.

"...Thank you! I'll be brave now, I will!"  

[Rika Mayumi]

Someone hugged him? A vicious villain like him who was in the underground world for so long that he couldn't even remember when was the last time he was hugged. But Row remembered the feeling, at that moment he saw his daughter hugged him. Not this blond blue eyed little boy beside him. It melted his heart a bit. Was his power of persuasion backfiring on him now?

"This kid, is really something else..." he thought.

"Whoa there, let's do some friendly introductions first. What do I call this fine young lad here?" he pets the little boy's head.  

[Sigma Octantis]

The concept of villains hadn't really sunk in to Isaac yet. Sure, maybe there were some people who did bad things and weren't as good as everyone else, but that didn't mean they were evil, right? That didn't mean there were terrible people out there.

Isaac made a funny noise and let go of Row, looking up bashfully. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I'm Isaac, sir. My name is Isaac. Uhm... Isaac Raziel. I didn't mean to be rude, I'm sorry."

Even though he felt a bit guilty, he smiled at the pats on his head. "What's your name?"  

[Rika Mayumi]

"You could call me..." he paused for a second thinking about if it's alright to give out his real name, but kids easily forget about such things and probably this will be the first and last time they will ever meet, "Row, Rowlines Oliver Colford." he smiled and continued to pat Isaac's head. What could a mere ordinary child could do right? But he didn't know Isaac was headed for the academy. Not just any school but The Sidekick Academy. Who would have thought that these two opposing sides would be casually sitting here forming an unusual relationship and,

"It's getting a bit chilly, would like to have a cup of tea? I think I still have some left in my thermos packed with me."

Isaac could keep him company for awhile. It was pretty boring being alone in this ship anyway. And maybe...

he looked at the child, "When it's time to leave I'll just erase his memory about me." he thought, but can he do it? Row was starting to get fond of the child.  

[Sigma Octantis]

Call him Row. His name was Rowlines Oliver Colford. He went over the name a few times in his head in an attempt to remember it. True, he wasn't very good at remembering names, but he did have a journal tucked away safely in his bag and Mother did say to write down whatever he wanted. (And that was, in fact, what he wanted.) "Rowlines Oliver Colford," he repeated with a small nod.

When tea was offered, his small nod turned into a far bigger one; he liked tea, it was just a little sweet and a little bitter-- and something warm to drink sounded really nice right now. "Please? That would be very nice."

Isaac paused for a moment and looked around, gaze settling on his bag for only a moment before he shook his head and stuck the flower in his pocket with a smile. He wanted to keep it on him. It made him brave.  

[Rika Mayumi]

"Very well then," Row unzipped his duffle bag that laid on the floor and pulled a medium sized thermos. He gave a little cup that was underneath the thermos cap to Isaac and poured the tea for the kid. "In just half an hour we'll see the shore." he said, while he looked at the sea, then he poured some tea on the cap for himself.

"Well Isaac, dear boy, where are you headed to?" The villain incognito sipped his tea. Right, in just half an hour they will depart from each other and they won't see each other again. He'll be back to his underground world once again, doing god knows what. Row wasn't looking forward to it. He sipped his tea again, staring at nowhere. If he could only wish the time would stop.  

[Sigma Octantis]

Isaac smiled when the little cup was handed to him and he uttered a quiet "thank you sir" before bringing it up to his mouth and holding it there, enjoying the heat from simply holding it for a moment.

Where was he headed to? Well, that was supposed to be a secret, but the whole Academy was secret, right? Row wouldn't know where he was going even if Isaac told him.

He took a small sip of his tea and smiled, glancing out at the steady swaying (or they were swaying, he guessed, since the water actually looked pretty still) water. "An island, Mister Row. I'm going to go to a school there."

A quick glance down at his tea and then his pocket-- the flower folded neatly inside-- and he felt it was only fair to explain a little more.

"That's why my parents aren't here. They can't really come because it's... well, they're not really allowed, I think. I don't know. Mother and Father didn't... really want to talk about that much..." Isaac frowned and resumed sipping at his tea.

"It's okay though. I'm going to learn a lot."  

[Rika Mayumi]

"An island, a school on an island. Kinda reminds me of--" his thoughts stopped, then he looked at the boy. "A delicate young little boy," and he thought again, "It can't be," he assumed and sipped his tea. Row let his mind wander, "If he is going there, what do I do? Will I snap his neck right on the spot?" he imagined his hands wrapped around the little boy's neck, tighter and tighter until he squeezed every air out of his body. "Will I persuade him to jump into the sea?" he envisioned the boy with a blank stare stood up, climb up the railings and without any emotion at all, he jumped.

A cryptic smile ran into his face while he was thinking those thoughts. The man glanced back at the boy who frowned and was sipping his tea. "Or will I--will I..." but he feels something different from the child. Maybe he wasn't going to that place. Maybe he was referring to a different island with a prestigious school for gifted children. "--can I just take you away with me?" he muttered to the boy. He coughed diminishing the thought and smiled. "Aren't you a one cute little puppy." and he pinched Isaac's cheeks. "If you were a dog, I would have taken you with me." He smiled to Isaac. Though it wasn't dogs, he has already taken a lot of people from kids to adults.

Since Row became a villain, he wasn't the same as before. Their was a reason to everything. And every circumstance have twisted this man into villainy. He tries to avoid hurting people as much as possible. But thinking about heroes at his state make his stomach churn and his mind half crazed. He hated heroes, he hated his past.

They can finally see the shore, and a sound was heard signalling the passengers to prepare for departure. "Shall I show you one last magic trick?" he stood up and held his brown fedora hat in front of the boy. Row was planning on erasing Isaac's memory of him through his powers. "Look at the hat, look closely or you'll miss the magic trick." Row spun the hat on his fingers, switched it in different directions, spin it around and around, making sure the the kid was following with his eyes, then he threw the hat high up in the air. The brown fedora hat changed into a yellow color. And as soon as the hat was swirling up in the air. Row with his serious face and sharp eyes has his hand across Isaac's face. The kid didn't noticed this split second maneuver. To Row, it lasted long, he was ready to erase Isaac's memory at that time. But instead he closed his eyes, held out his hand to catch the now falling hat right on the spot. And then bowed down to Isaac. The show was over. There was no magic in the hat, it was just all a trick. A hobby of his in his spare time.

"Farewell, Sir Raziel." and he held the kid's hand and kissed it. A sign of his admiration.

"What could go wrong?" he thought. "After all he's just a kid" and placed the yellow hat over his head.