|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:56 pm
 "Hmm... Not bad. I haven't lost my charm." Cassiel muttered to himself as he counted his newly acquired currency. He came to the town just outside the Makai Royal Academy for two reasons. One, he had never been there. Two, he wanted to see the place where all these students seemed to be popping up. He had never ventured this far to see it, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever come back.
There was too much noise for such a little town, and his ears were much too sensitive for the noise levels. He frowned as he scratched at one of his ears, wishing the light ringing would end. Well, the faster he purchased his groceries, the faster he could get out of town.
"Well now, where to go." It being his first time in town, he really had no idea where he should go. He was lucky enough to find the collectables store without too much problem. Stroking his chin in thought, he glanced down the street then up it. There were people everywhere, and some looked non-too-friendly.
Sighing, he spotted someone that looked like a student from the academy and hesitantly he approached her. Hopefully she would be able to help him, if not... he was going to be wandering this place the rest of the afternoon.
"Excuse me miss." He started with a soft purr of his voice. Yea, the charm was completely turned on. All he had to do was convince her to be a guide for a short period of time. It couldn't be that hard, right? "If you happen to have some free time, I was wondering if you'd guide me to a few stores. I'm new to the town and I'm in over my head, so to speak. It shouldn't take up too much of your time. I simply need a market for tea and other groceries." Hopefully, he wasn't over doing it...
✖
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:29 pm
 Mia was walking through town, a smile on her face. The air was crisp as the seasons turned towards fall, a few branches still bearing bright and colorful leaves. The young mononoke had on a light cream jacket that complemented the darker brown of her uniform, only recently attuned to such things. She left it unbuttoned in the crisp air, as it was a slightly unseasonably warm day. Mia was taking the day to enjoy herself out in town, just wandering and watching the people go by.
The mononoke's ears perked up straight in the air as someone spoke to her. Or rather...purred? Well, an imitation of a purr, to those not blessed with the skills of a cat. Still, that was a bit weird. Hopefully the person asking her wasn't some random creeper. But Mia would have to turn around to see first, and she did so with a smile.
'Whoah. That's a lot of purple,' she thought to herself. The man in front of her was clearly older than her, but had skin that was almost luminescent, and large pointy ears. She had never seen someone like him before. She wondered if it was the effects of his tea, or something else. Either way, as a girl whose ears and tail often attracted attention, she didn't stare. She knew it was a good way to make people upset or angry.
"Um..." the girl hesitated for a moment, still smiling, ears flicking back and forth, swiveling to hear the sounds around her, as if they were on autopilot, which they essentially were. She was unused to guys trying to charm her, even if it was only to get her to help them out. Her eyes brightened at his simple request, though. Oh, that was all, that was easy. "Sure!" Mia replied. "It's no problem at all. I know a good place around here with a good selection that's pretty inexpensive. I'm Mia, by the way," the girl introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 11:36 am
When the girl agreed to guide him in town, Cassiel flashed a smile. "Wonderful! I really didn't want to spend all day aimlessly wandering around town. It's my first time here, as I said... and some of these people are not welcoming to those that look like, well, different." He did stick out like a sore thumb with his color choice, and those ears... But he didn't seem to mind the staring eyes.
"My name is Cassiel. Cassiel Pierce." He introduced himself after learning the girl's name. "And it's my pleasure. I'm glad to find someone that will take time in their day to lead me around."
Rummaging around in his sleeve, he pulled out a small shopping list and started to glance it over. "Let's see... I do love tea. So that's the first thing I'd like to purchase. I do have limited funds; I only brought one painting to sell. So I have to stay focused." Unfortunately for Cassiel, he was easily distracted in towns. Especially if his nose picked up the sweet scent of a bakery.
But he followed the girl up the street, knowing she would lead him to this discount place for tea. Cassiel just hoped inexpensive didn't mean poor quality tea.
"I do like to talk, I hope you don't mind." He started, looking over at Mia. "Silence is so boring when there's actually someone to converse with. So, Mia, what brings a mononoke like yourself to town?"
✖
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 8:25 pm
Mia smiled back at the man, pleased to learn his name. Cassiel seemed very pleasant, which made Mia glad she had agreed to be his guide for the afternoon. "Well then, welcome to town," she said. "It's really no problem at all, I'm always happy to have things that make the days different." At his next sentence, she gave a slightly sadder smile, but shrugged, as there would always be people like that around, and like him, Mia was used to the kinds of things that came from looking different. "I certainly understand that sentiment, but what can you do? And most people here are not like that at all, luckily," the mononoke replied as she began to lead the man through the streets of the town, tail swaying behind her of its own accord, unmindful of the stares they were already getting. It seemed this was daily life to both of them.
"I can't say I'm too much of a fan of tea myself, I generally need something with a stronger flavor. But I know this shop well, and the tea that I and people I know have had from there is excellent. They're a family operation, so they pride themselves on quality," Mia chatted. She was happy to be out and about, and Cassiel was easy company, the conversation flowing naturally.
Mia laughed when he said he liked to talk. "I don't mind. I like to listen a lot, people are tend to have the most interesting stories." The girl rested her large, luminous eyes on the man with her, as she always liked to observe anyone she was in conversation with, as it helped her understand them better. Her gaze sometimes freaked people out due to how attentive it seemed, however, as it sometimes seemed akin to finding a cat suddenly staring at you in the dark. She was usually a quiet girl around people she had just met, but she was happy to talk when she was comfortable, and it seemed like the purple man made her feel at ease enough to do so right away.
"Ahh," she said in response to his question. "I actually grew up here in town. My family's house is closer to the outskirts of town, but I've always lived here. And now I live at the academy to study. Although I do tend to frequent the woods around here when I want to think or to just enjoy being alone on a nice day." The girl's lips quirked at his mention of her race. "Are you implying mononokes tend to have reasons to be here?" she queried, semi-jokingly, as it just seemed to her a funny detail to include. "Oh, left here," she added quickly, as she turned onto a broad cobblestone boulevard.
"What about yourself, if you've really never been here before? Other than to get groceries." Mia waited curiously for Cassiel's answer, as it was rare to meet someone in town who had never been there before, unless they were a new student. Mia had also decided she would ask her companion about his appearance, but not right now. The tea shop was coming into sight after all, just a few blocks down the street.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 5:30 pm
“I certainly didn’t mean to imply that mononoke had to be here, ” he started, a small blush on his face. “I simply mean, I don’t meet one every day and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I have met some in the past that hide it… Perhaps I was too forward. ” He added at the end, tipping his head in question. But when she seemed to be joking, that blush darkened a tad. He needed to learn to communicate with living people, most importantly when one is joking.
“I live in the woods. It’s about a day’s travel from here… well at the pace that I walk it is. Others may get there faster. But I digress; I come to town once in awhile, as I said. I don’t like to leave my home unguarded for too long. This is my first time to this specific town. Usually I go to ones closer to the forest. I was curious about this town though, and the school. I’ve never seen either and decided early this morning that I’d make the journey. I do believe I’ll try to get a peek at the school after I get my groceries. “
He followed the girl when she turned to the left, his hands tucking themselves away into his sleeves. He was smiling as he looked at everything they passed. It was all so different from what he was used to. A life of solitude really does make one feel small in such a large town.
“This place is quite amazing. I must admit it…” He muttered as his eyes fell back down to the girl. “It’s almost too much for me to handle, but don’t worry, I won’t lose my head.” He stated with a grin, looking up at the store sign when they reached the teashop.
“Wonderful, this looks like a great place to get some tea. ” He muttered, pulling the door open before waving his hand for her to go in first.
✖
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2011 7:16 pm
Mia laughed at Cassiel's slightly bumbling answer. "It's alright, I know you didn't mean it like that. I was just messing with you. And you weren't forward at all, it's more than fine," the mononoke said. She looked at the man, her eyes dancing in amusement. This was turning out to be quite fun.
"I see. You must not get very many people out there. I assume the solitude doesn't bother, then, since you live out there, but does it ever get lonely?" the student queried. She continued, "Well the school is rather something, it seems to have almost everything a student could need. And they certainly welcome any visitors whenever they wish to visit."
She grinned at Cassiel's look of happiness. The town wasn't all that much compared to Moonfall or Lumena Castle Town, but it was vibrant and full of life. Mia loved her hometown, and it always made her happy to see other people enjoying it. "I'm glad you think so. I've always loved it here. Maybe it's partially due to the school, but there's something special here, or at least I think so."
Mia thanked her companion as he held the door for her and strode in, lift in her head slightly as she immediately inhaled the aromas with a slightly dreamy look. She may not have been a tea drinker, but the various smells always tingled her enhanced senses. She gave a smile and quick greeting to the woman behind the counter, knowing most of the people in town quite well. "Hello, Mrs. Cartier. How have you been?" she inquired brightly. "This is Cassiel, a new acquaintance of mine. He was looking for a good place to get some tea, so of course I brought him here."
Introductions over, Mia gave Cassiel a smile as the middle-aged woman turned her attention to the newcomer. Looking around, Mia scampered up a short set of steps to a small landing a few feet above the floor. She was familiar enough with the family for this to be fine, in fact they were good friends of her own family, and they were understanding, and even rather amused by, her natural feline affinities, one of which was to be in a high vantage point. It was even quite common to find her in this position when she was visiting in the store. Leaning on a railing, Mia observed the purple man and the rest of the shop with a content smile, tail flicking behind her in a relaxed manner.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 2:32 pm
Does it get lonely? He had to stop and think for a moment. "No, usually I have a guest over in some form or other. " He stated as he strolled into the shop after the girl. He would have continued to explain had they not just entered a store. Perhaps it would be a conversation later on.
But he listened to Mia as she spoke to the woman who owned the place, nodding at the introduction. He couldn't help but smile. At least there were some people who were friendly here. "It's nice to meet you ma'am... I was hoping I could buy so-ga..." The poor exorcisma. In the woman's excitement at seeing such long, fascinating ears, she grabbed them without a moment's hesitation. It was hard for the young man to keep that smile on his face as she continued to molest his ears, a shiver running down his spine.
Unable to stand it any longer, he politely removed her hands with a nervous laughter. "They are real ma'am... not fake." He began to explain, "and very sensitive." Once her hands were back into her possession, and not touching his ears, he inquired upon the tea. She of course was happy to oblige with an embarrassed giggle.
With her back to him, Cassiel looked at Mia and frowned. It was the cutest pout to ever come across his face as he silently worded 'she touched my ears' to the girl, rubbing the shame from his tender tips. But he carried on, following the woman and buying several months worth of tea to hold him over.
He returned to Mia, a hefty bag upon his back; and his smile back upon his face. "You were right. This place has excellent tea and at a fair price." Or at least what he assumed a fair price would be. Poor guy had to study up on the economy once again. "I'm ready to go. I can get the other groceries I need when I get closer to home, or make another trip. But, I would still like to see that school if you'd still be willing to guide me."
✖
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:51 pm
Mia smiled, knowing some people enjoyed solitude. And if he had lots of guests, he most likely was somewhat social. He seemed perfectly happy anyway, which was really the only important thing anyway.
Mia's smile disappeared after a moment, though, when Mrs. Cartier grabbed her companions. She winced and brought a hand up to her face in embarrassment for the the woman, eyes peeking through her spread fingers, and she lowered them as the woman turned pink and apologized. She sighed fondly, and looked at Cassiel to check how he was handling the sudden assault.
Her hand immediately flew back to her mouth at his expression, attempting to stifle her giggles, which quickly evolved into a full-blown, hearty laughter at the poor man's plight. Yet he bought tons of tea, and remained genial, not that surprised the girl.
"Oh, I'm very glad!" she replied brightly, still surprising a giggle now and then. The mononoke skipped back down the stairs with a farewell and a greeting to Mrs. Cartier, who whispered to her to please apologize to her friend again.
"Excellent! I most certainly can take you to the school. I've been out for quite some time, so I should be getting back to the grounds soon, anyway," the girl said as they exited the little shop. Turning right and continuing up the street, the young mononoke spoke again. "Mrs. Cartier asked me to apologize again as we left. She's normally quite calm but I'm afraid the amount of mononokes in town have lost some of their shine, so her excitement at new, er, exotic features rather overcame her. She's done the same thing to those of us she's close with, and I must admit, I'm not bothered by it. I rather like having my ears played with, so she may not have thought others are bothered by it. Either way, she felt quite bad about it."
Eyeing Cassiel, Mia decided to broach the topic further while they were on it. "By the way, if I may ask, are your ears, and well, your coloring side effects of your tea? Or is there another explanation?" she inquired curiously as their street they were on approached the large town square.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:06 pm
While they walked, he listened to the girl. So the woman was just so overcome by his uniqueness, that's why she molested his precious ears. Oh, his poor ears. "It's ok Mia, I've already forgiven her." He explained, even if his ears still tingled from the touches. But her next question caused the exorcisma to look confused.
"To be completely honest, I don't know." He admitted. "Each of us are different, and being an exorcisma, my uniqueness comes from my sign; Saturn." Reaching up, he tugged the collar of his shirt away to show the girl the birthmark upon his neck. "This symbol has been passed down through my family for many generations. I do recall drinking the tea of my ancestors, but I never applied it to my looks..." he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders a bit as if to ask 'who knows.'
"My race is different. Since birth I was raised at my shrine and my parents taught me my magic. I've never gone to a school like most of you that I happen to meet. So that's a whole new concept to me. As is that thing you all do in the woods." He paused, trying to recall the name he had heard once... but sadly he was coming up blank. Again he shrugged, continuing to talk while they were walking. "I find the races like majin, human, druid, mononoke all to be fascinating and I do want to know more about them. Living at home, all I get to talk to are spirits of the dead, and most of them an talk your ears off. Sometimes I can't get them to shut up. So coming to the towns is starting to become a habit of mine, even if I don't like to leave home too long."
✖
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:15 am
Mia listened intently to Cassiel's explanation. "Huh," she said. "Oh, yes, I have heard of your race, but only once or twice. No one seems to know much about you." She took in the mark with a curious look. "So an exorcisma not of your family may look completely different? Interesting." The girl listened a bit more. "So there is still tea involved..." she mused to herself.
"I've never heard of a family tea before," she said thoughtfully as they continued through the bustling square of people, which was as always, fairly crowded. "Well, I know that I, at least, and other children with magical parents were also taught from birth, once it was discovered I had magical aptitude. My parents only have small bits of magic, though, nothing like what your family must teach, I imagine. My parents, and many others, even if they do have magic, often don't have enough skill to instruct their children on their own. Our magics are also often not hereditary. A child's magic may differ greatly from their parents' or families'," she said while she continued to walk, almost dreamily as her mind began to work.
The girl giggled. "The Grave of Fairies. That's what it called. It's a trial where students, at least the ones who get past the gatekeeper, go into the woods and collect ingredients for their teas. These enhance their powers, and I've heard it can alter their looks or bring out new sides of their personalities. I've heard some ingredients even give one the ability to fly." Mia shrugged. "I'm not completely sure of that, as I am far from going into the Grave right now."
Mia smiled up at her companion. "I find people in general to be fascinating. And of course, the races simply add to that, although they do complicate it at the same time. Ah," she started, looking up at the Academy that began to loom above them. "Here we are. What would you like me to show you? I've heard our greenhouses and other botany rooms are quite impressive, but we have many other places here."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:38 pm
"The Grave of Fairies, huh?" Cassiel muttered just under his breath. He had to commit this name to memory so he could find it later and see what trouble he could get himself into. But any thoughts of finding new plants and mysterious teas disappeared when he heard three simple words. 'Here we are.' Everything in his mind went POOF. Jaw dropping; the exorcisma's steps came to a stop as he looked up at the rather large and looming facility.
For a moment he had to remove his glasses and rub his eyes, as if what he was seeing didn't truly exist. Nope, it was still there. "That's.... one intimidating building." He muttered, still awe struck by the sheer size of it all.
"I think I first need to find the courage to get through the gateway." He said jokingly. But he flashed Mia with a smile, gesturing for her to continue and lead the way. It's not like he had any idea where he was going afterall. "I could probably spend days in the greenhouse, so it's best to avoid there for now. I want to just look and see this school of yours. Though... now that my mind is back on track, there was a question I thought of before and lost. You said you were far from the Grave, why is that? If you don't mind me asking."
✖
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:34 pm
Mia paused when she realized Cassiel had stopped. Looking over her shoulder at him, the girl laughed at his expression and actions of astonishment. Smiling brightly, the young mononoke looked back up at the building. "I guess it probably seems that way to some people," she said cheerfully. "It's actually quite homey for me, but I did grow up in this town. It really isn't as formidable inside as it looks."
Mia walked on after grinning at the man's joke. "Ah, I see. I suppose we can just wander through and I'll show you whatever we pass," the girl replied as she led the way through the courtyard. In reply to the exorcism's last question, the girl simply shrugged.
"I just meant that my skills have not yet developed enough to go into the Grave. I have not yet mastered my magic enough, nor am I magically strong enough right now, other than in my bobcat form. I actually only came her a couple of weeks ago, a little while after Halloween. So really, I'm actually a bit new here. Not to mention," she continued, "that most people end up with a concentration in a certain type of magic when they leave. I haven't discovered my proficiency yet, nor have I started thinking of what I want to do when I do eventually graduate. I have a lot of time here yet."
She finished just as they strode up to the massive mahogany doors. With a strong pull, Mia opened both doors with a flourish to reveal the entrance hall. "Welcome to Makai Royal Academy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 9:25 pm
Cassiel listened to the girl talk about her magic and explain the issues she had with it. Wow... It seemed more difficult than he could even imagine. There were so many requirements to graduate from the school. But his father did drill him into the ground before allowing him to take over the shrine.
But when those mahogany doors opened, golden eyes widened once more. Several sounds came from his throat, though none of them were really coherent. But eventually he'd manage to mutter, "Wow..."
Turning to look at the girl again, he smiled like a child at a toy store. "This really is more than I ever expected. The size of this place and the details in the woodwork, the windows, even the students roaming around; it's all breath taking and almost like a dream."
He followed her into the building, looking at everything while they passed. There was too much to take in at once, he'd have to come back another time to fully explore this place down to the tiniest detail. "I wonder if any other exorcisma has set foot in here. If they have, I'm sure they were just as shocked as I am now."
✖
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:03 pm
'Wow, he's really impressed,' Mia thought as she watched her companion try to find the words to describe the place he was now in. At his praise, Mia gave a proud smile and looked around. "It really is something else. Sometimes it feels like I do live in a dream." It was obvious the girl loved the place and being there seemed to make her truly happy. She looked around for a minute, trying to decide where to go.
"Okay, I'll take you by the classrooms and practice rooms first," the girl decided aloud. As she began to walk, Mia passed a few students and waved or called out to them. In reply to Cassiel's question, she gave a small hum. "I'm not really sure. I'm guess we'd probably have heard about it or someone would have made a big deal of it. So I guess you are the first!"
The young mononoke looked back at the exorcisma as he again expressed his shock. "Is this building really that surprising?" Mia enquired. "Well, I suppose since you live in a shrine in the forest there aren't many places around. And you said you don't venture into the cities much, right? So I guess that makes sense. Then it's the same for other exorcisms, too, the solitude?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:00 pm
"This is by far the biggest building I have seen and been in. As I told you, I come from a small shrine, probably no larger than a common house. But, this is... ginormous." He said, waving his hands to amplify his meaning. "I really don't know how else to express it." Shrugging, he laughed a bit at himself for being so childish.
"Sorry, you must think I'm a fool right now." He said as he moved to her side, following as they walked to the classrooms. "It's sort of like walking into your wildest dream... except, this would be a really boring dream to a normal person I suppose. But to me, it's amazing."
When they reached the first classroom, Cassiel would wander inside to pass a glance. Thankfully no students were wandering about, as it was a weekend. So he really didn't have to deal with looks at himself. He was doing all the looking. Going over to a desk, he sat down at it and smiled, laughing to himself. To think, students sit here and learn about magic and the world. All he had was a loud father that shouted at him.
"Tell me about these classes you take. What are they like?"
✖
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
