Mana Academy (IC) (Open, Fantasy)

[Luminesa]

The crimson, the lion had bled out of him was burning now, it was hot and pumped through every muscle of his being. he could feel it, getting angry, getting excited. It was pumping quickly now. He could feel it, he could taste it even. Perhaps some had leaked out of his mind and into his mouth when the demon tore reality with it's foul magic. "I'm not bowing before you." Alex finally growled, trying to gather his wits. "Let me go!" he demanded of the thing. Prepared to be snapped into little pieces and for his soul to be taken off somewhere. He was miserable at surviving.

Antonius Ruta

After concluding his conversation with Sage, which had been just about the only peaceful and generally pleasant thing he had experienced in all of two months, Ruta's peace of mind was interrupted by a series of ear piercing wails and screeches echoing from down the hall, reminiscent of a banshee or some other hellish creature whose screams were meant to scare the living daylights out of people.

Without a second thought, Ruta bounded down the hall in his black suit and robes, an ornate black greatsword materializing in his hands as the sound of his hurried footsteps reverberated through the corridors, his blue eyes darting back and forth for the source of the noise.

After a few turns and about half a minute of searching, Ruta came upon Alex and the Rabbit, the former sprawled on the floor and the latter simply standing up, looking non-threatening as usual. The d'Autriche, like usual, was screaming like mad, ranting and raving that the Rabbit was a demon and demanding that he be let go.

Though he was less than fond of the boy, Ruta gave the Rabbit a skeptical sideways glance, still brandishing the long charcoal black blade in his right hand like it were a paperweight. With a long sigh, he stated calmly while ignoring Alexander's screams, "You are about to say this is not what it looks like, and at this point I am rather inclined to listen to your explanation. What happened here?"

"Not necessarily. I suppose it is what it is," Rabbit answered, softly, his eyes were on the blade as Ruta spoke. "...He believes I am a demon, and that I am planning to kill him. I was actually worried for his safety, so I stopped him from running and I disabled his mana-flow. I do not want him to run away and hurt himself. However, this has only drawn him toward his idea even more. I am not sure how to calm him down without knocking him unconscious. Perhaps you can convince him I am not a demon?" he asked. Of course, even he himself was not sure if Alex was incorrect in calling him a demon. However, he trusted Ruta to be sane enough to not outright call him a demon. He trusted him with a lot of things...perhaps too many things. As he stared down at the blade, he felt himself shudder. He knew what Ruta would do with that sword if he knew what he actually was...

[Prusselanden]

"Boi, he's not a demon. I can tell what's a demon. Rabbit wouldn't hurt a fly. He's also certified by the Good Samaritan Law to do first aid on you, trust me he healed my leg once and I got all better." Ignis yawned. "Well G'night then. And please don't frickin yell, you'll wake the whole building up. Internally scream instead." She started to walk back to bed.
Jeez, he was acting like he saw a real demon! Wait- he did see one just now.
She opened her door and plopped down on her bed. Cheese was again a stuffed horse and curled up in the bed.
....If my life wouldn't be in danger I'd tell him that it's racist to assume every demons part of one species...but meh...the agitation can be resisted a bit further.

[Woodstovia]

"He's hiding behind a mask!" Alex pointed out "If he's just a normal average teacher why is he wearing a mask and hurting me for calling him a demon?" Alex demanded he could have just proven it to me, instead he didn't deny it and assaulted me!" he didn't really know if Rabbit was a demon but his strange activities didn't add up to equal a human. Alas he didn't expect Ruta to sympathize or listen to his point. The man was on a crusade against him and had yelled at him in the woods. He'd just side with rabbit like always. Then he saw the sword. He felt it pierce him, penetrate his soft flesh and spill out the crimson. Alex's blood red eyes widened at the sight of it. What if Ruta had let the demons in? "I'm sorry Ruta, please forgive me!" he mewled. He had been fine disrespecting the Rabbit but the sight of a sword was all too real for Alexander. He wasn't ready to die. "My family are rich, I-I can give you a lot if you just don't stab me..."

[Luminesa]

"He's hiding behind a mask!" Alex pointed out "If he's just a normal average teacher why is he wearing a mask and hurting me for calling him a demon?" Alex demanded he could have just proven it to me, instead he didn't deny it and assaulted me!" he didn't really know if Rabbit was a demon but his strange activities didn't add up to equal a human. Alas he didn't expect Ruta to sympathize or listen to his point. The man was on a crusade against him and had yelled at him in the woods. He'd just side with rabbit like always. Then he saw the sword. He felt it pierce him, penetrate his soft flesh and spill out the crimson. Alex's blood red eyes widened at the sight of it. What if Ruta had let the demons in? "I'm sorry Ruta, please forgive me!" he mewled. He had been fine disrespecting the Rabbit but the sight of a sword was all too real for Alexander. He wasn't ready to die. "My family are rich, I-I can give you a lot if you just don't stab me..."

Alex was partially right. Rabbit did indeed wear the mask to, in part, hide himself away. He knew what he was behind the mask, and Alex's words only made that more real to him. No matter how much he had wished to escape this reality in the past, he could not escape this body, this form he was born with. The mask was a paradox-a gateway that allowed him to be around the students, but also a wall that kept him from truly knowing anyone, from experiencing anyone. He was only able to see people through a glass, a very narrow and fragile glass that could be broken at any time. Then, he would never be able to see them again.

Thus, he kept silent as Alex accused him of everything. Even though part of it was true, part of it was square-on. Yet he could not tell Ruta these things, because then neither one would trust him, and Alex would only move more into insanity. Keeping silent would not help much either, but it was the most Rabbit could do without completely lying or completely frightening everyone. All he could do was turn to Alex and answer, "I can assure you, Professor Ruta is not looking to harm you. Please, calm yourself." It was not much, but it did not give away anything either.

[Rhomaia]

"Not necessarily. I suppose it is what it is," Rabbit answered, softly, his eyes were on the blade as Ruta spoke. "...He believes I am a demon, and that I am planning to kill him. I was actually worried for his safety, so I stopped him from running and I disabled his mana-flow. I do not want him to run away and hurt himself. However, this has only drawn him toward his idea even more. I am not sure how to calm him down without knocking him unconscious. Perhaps you can convince him I am not a demon?" he asked. Of course, even he himself was not sure if Alex was incorrect in calling him a demon. However, he trusted Ruta to be sane enough to not outright call him a demon. He trusted him with a lot of things...perhaps too many things. As he stared down at the blade, he felt himself shudder. He knew what Ruta would do with that sword if he knew what he actually was...

Antonius Ruta

Once Ruta heard the Rabbit's explanation, he put his free left hand over his face and let out a long, aggravated sigh. Of course the d'Autriche, mad and delusional as he always was, would be able to find himself in such a situation, and of course the Rabbit would formulate such a solution. Granted, he understood his thought process fairly well, and he was also very sure that in doing so the Rabbit had probably saved the hotel from bursting into flame, but Ruta himself would have been aggravated if any of his mentors had done something like this to him. But context was context after all, since Alexander was never in the right mind to deal with these situations.

"...It is exactly what it looks like, then." Ruta said to himself before giving the Rabbit an understanding nod. "I can try to calm him, but I can't give you any promises."

"He's hiding behind a mask!" Alex pointed out "If he's just a normal average teacher why is he wearing a mask and hurting me for calling him a demon?" Alex demanded. "He could have just proven it to me, instead he didn't deny it and assaulted me!" he didn't really know if Rabbit was a demon but his strange activities didn't add up to equal a human. Alas he didn't expect Ruta to sympathize or listen to his point. The man was on a crusade against him and had yelled at him in the woods. He'd just side with rabbit like always. Then he saw the sword. He felt it pierce him, penetrate his soft flesh and spill out the crimson. Alex's blood red eyes widened at the sight of it. What if Ruta had let the demons in? "I'm sorry Ruta, please forgive me!" he mewled. He had been fine disrespecting the Rabbit but the sight of a sword was all too real for Alexander. He wasn't ready to die. "My family are rich, I-I can give you a lot if you just don't stab me..."

And there was the mad ramblings and ravings of Alexander to deal with, after the Rabbit's calm and composed explanation of the matter at hand. In all honesty, he would be more content with some painful kind of self mutilation at this moment, but for the Rabbit's sake, he would need to speak with the boy. What joy was there to be had!

"Alexander, the Rabbit is not a demon, and he has not hurt you tonight." Ruta said calmly, his smooth voice contrasting heavily with the d'Autriche's panicked words. "I will be the first to agree with you that he has his...idiosyncrasies, but that does not mean at all that he's some abomination from hell that wants to kill you and steal your soul. You are in a state of delirium, Alexander, and the Rabbit wants to help you."

The next outburst, if Ruta had not learned to be less harsh in his perceptions, was rather pathetic. The boy who had called him spineless and cowardly in the forest for showing the slightest hint of weakness was pleading with the hunter for his life, even when neither he or the Rabbit had any intention of harming him. A moment of superiority, followed shortly after by paranoia and inferiority. Ironic.

"...Alexander, I could not care less about your family's wealth than I do for Albrecht's pitiable attempts at comedy." the Jaegar said calmly. "I am not here to stab you, or slash you, or harm you in any way. I thought someone was being attacked, that's the reason I hold this sword in hand. To protect you, and everyone else."

[Woodstovia]

Alexander panted desperately. He needed to be let go, yet Ruta waving around a sword and Rabbit's refusal to release him weren't helping him despite their kind words. "Just. Please let me go." he begged. "I'm not going to hurt myself. I just want to go." Alexander couldn't stand feeling helpless. that was when you were vulnerable. And being paralyzed by a man who refused to even show his face while his friend who hated Alex stood by with a sword wasn't really a controlled and safe situation.

[Luminesa]

Alexander panted desperately. He needed to be let go, yet Ruta waving around a sword and Rabbit's refusal to release him weren't helping him despite their kind words. "Just. Please let me go." he begged. "I'm not going to hurt myself. I just want to go." Alexander couldn't stand feeling helpless. that was when you were vulnerable. And being paralyzed by a man who refused to even show his face while his friend who hated Alex stood by with a sword wasn't really a controlled and safe situation.

Knowing there was no way to explain to him the truth, Rabbit sighed. Then he turned to Alex and summoned another orb of water. He then fired it on Alex, and unlocked his Mana flow again. He then let go of him. "...You may go now, Alexander. Please take care of yourself," he whispered. He knew Alex would hate him in the morning, and that it would take a long time for him to trust him, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Elizabeth sat silently, regarding Soliel with her stern eyes the entire time, never loosing focus on what he was saying, how he was reacting to bringing up those painful memories. His story was about what she expected, but the pain she could feel rolling off of him was still so fresh, it was actually difficult for Tsukuyomi to maintain her composure. She had been a mother, and her disgust with the action of house Rise subtly played accross her face, and seemed to almost infect the air around her as the plane reacted to her state of mind.

"Soliel, with what you have told me, I'm going to make you an offer. Do not take this lightly, It will have consequences beyond yourself. It will likely cause great distress for your mother, and your entire family. It could lead to you and I having to fight directly against your own blood. Yet, for all of that, It would free you from them. Give you the chance at a life that you determine."

Tsukuyomi looked directly into Soliel's eyes, looking deeper than ever before. She had to be sure that he knew what this would mean, and that he was being honest with himself.

"Soliel Rise, I would like you to be the true heir to my knowledge. My power. I would help you disown your family, then adopt you as my own son. You would finish your studies at mana, then decide if you wished to continue studying directly under me as my apprentice. I believe I can trust you not to abuse the power I will give you. You know more than most how much it can corrupt. This could be dangerous for both of us, you know that your family might seek to strike out against us in revenge. However, I think that this might be the only way to free you from them. I am one of the few people that could stand against their will so directly.

Think well on this, little time will march by while we remain here, and I will answer any questions you have."

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Elizabeth sat silently, regarding Soliel with her stern eyes the entire time, never loosing focus on what he was saying, how he was reacting to bringing up those painful memories. His story was about what she expected, but the pain she could feel rolling off of him was still so fresh, it was actually difficult for Tsukuyomi to maintain her composure. She had been a mother, and her disgust with the action of house Rise subtly played accross her face, and seemed to almost infect the air around her as the plane reacted to her state of mind.

"Soliel, with what you have told me, I'm going to make you an offer. Do not take this lightly, It will have consequences beyond yourself. It will likely cause great distress for your mother, and your entire family. It could lead to you and I having to fight directly against your own blood. Yet, for all of that, It would free you from them. Give you the chance at a life that you determine."

Tsukuyomi looked directly into Soliel's eyes, looking deeper than ever before. She had to be sure that he knew what this would mean, and that he was being honest with himself.

"Soliel Rise, I would like you to be the true heir to my knowledge. My power. I would help you disown your family, then adopt you as my own son. You would finish your studies at mana, then decide if you wished to continue studying directly under me as my apprentice. I believe I can trust you not to abuse the power I will give you. You know more than most how much it can corrupt. This could be dangerous for both of us, you know that your family might seek to strike out against us in revenge. However, I think that this might be the only way to free you from them. I am one of the few people that could stand against their will so directly.

Think well on this, little time will march by while we remain here, and I will answer any questions you have."

As she spoke, he became still for a moment, and he continued to stare into his tea. He was supposed to think about it now, but no thoughts came. His mind was a blank slate. He sat stiffly, with his hands in his lap and with his head down, as though he was dead or possessed. Never had he thought someone would tell him this. Yet now Professor Tsukiyomi had brought him to this house, to this lonely place, to speak with him, and he felt completely shocked. The coolness of the room filled him, and he closed his eyes. Everything during that day had overwhelmed him. The flight to Paris, the home he feared. Allowing Shaun to see his scars, allowing him to hug him and to kiss his head, to show him the love he had desired from a parent for so long. Speaking to Ruta and telling him of his secret desire to become a Jaëgar, upsetting him and seeing the gloom that filled his tearless eyes. Frightening Kasumi and making her think she meant nothing to him. Being belittled by Lorian.

Now Tsukiyomi wanted to adopt him, to become his mother, to take him from this abusive place and to raise him as her own.

She had seemed in the past to be such a distant, stern figure. He was far more afraid of her than he was of, say, Rabbit. He had always feared that she, like his mother, had seen him as a disappointment for his shyness and his timidity. Yet now she told him she trusted him. She trusted him with her vast magical knowledge. She trusted him not to abuse it. He did not necessarily care for unlimited power, but he was surprised to see that she, of all people, wanted to teach him these things. "...Professor..." he whispered, though the word faded as quickly as it came. He picked up his cup of tea, which was empty again, and he poured another cup of tea. Yet instead of drinking it, he stared into it again, letting the warm vapor fill him. It reminded him of that warmth, that feeling he had felt when Shaun had hugged him and his scars...He desperately wished to feel that sort of love and belonging again, to feel like he was not a disappointment to someone. However, this time he wanted it to be permanent.

Yet it would require breaking ties with his family, with his mother. Here came the mixed feelings, the sadness and the compassion that had made him such an anomaly among his family. Whereas his cousins had shown no care toward their parents, he remembered seeing her cry during particularly lonely nights, and her tears had struck him almost as hard as any of her beatings. One particular night came to mind at that moment. He was about ten, at the time. It was a dark, clear night. He had been in bed, and his mother had sex with a lover in another room. Silence followed, and then they had started talking. The talking had become serious, and then it had escalated, until the lover had started to beat his mother. He became distressed when he had heard it, and he had rushed into the other room to go see her. When he had seen the man punching his mother, he had stood in front of her and blocked her. Even as he was only about seventy pounds and was much weaker than he was now, he had stood in front of her prone, bloodied body and defended her.

"Move, little boy," the man had snarled, "you don't want to be caught in this."

"I won't let you hurt my mother," he had answered softly, his blue eyes wide and unblinking. This was a huge man he was facing. He was at least six feet tall, and could probably toss him out the window of the castle. Yet his mother was panting hard behind him, and crying softly behind him. He did not want her to suffer.

The man snickered wickedly, and he stared his auburn eyes down at the boy. "Your mother has been a bad girl, and she needs to be punished. Maybe if she hadn't decided to sleep with other men, she wouldn't be in this spot. She needs to learn a lesson," he answered.

Soleil remained steadfast. "...I won't let you hurt her...P-Please...I can take it for her..." He held his arms out and continued to stare up at him.

"...Can you?" had been the man's insidious reply. A second later, an iron fist met a soft cheek, and Soleil's jaw was instantly broken as he fell to the ground in front of his mother.

Soleil's mother saw him, and her eyes widened as she tried to gather herself. She had to get up off the floor, before one of them died.

The man did not stop after this, either. He had walked up to Soleil, and thrust his foot back. A moment later, three of Soleil's ribs snapped like wishbones. "...Can you still take it, brat? Huh? Can you? You want more, kid? You want to pay for your mother's sins? You like that?" he cruelly taunted. He went to kick him in the chest again, but just then a shot of fire had come from the ground, and it had hit the man in the chest. Moments later, he himself was on the ground.

Soleil's mother rose off the ground, and she panted as she turned toward her son. Her eyes were wide with a feeling she had not felt in a long time. She had stopped thinking about the way she had abused her son, but now she looked at him, and she held him in her lap. It was the first time in a very long time she had been affectionate to him. She held him and looked over him.

He could not speak, but he weakly smiled up at her, and he reached for her cheek. He looked like he wanted to say something, but between the pain and the broken jaw, nothing came out. He simply passed-out in her arms a moment later.

"...Soleil..." was the last thing he had heard that night. She had not said his name like that in a long time. She had not held him like that since he was a baby...

Yet even after that night, the abuse came. Her family had told her it was the only way to make him a good Mage. She had sacrificed their relationship, she had given away his love, the only love she had ever known, so she could have the power and the respect of her family. Every now and then, when he had been home, he had tried to look for that kindness and that concern, every time she had beat him, but it had been long since gone. Yet he had never stopped hoping. He had never stopped wishing. He had even started praying, even though he was not a Christian. He would go into Notre Dame, sit, and pray that someone would hear him, that his mother would love him. He would look to the Rose Window and act like it was a friendly spirit, talking to it and asking it to tell his mother how much he loved her, how much he wanted her to be happy and to not be scared of her family. How beautiful and good she looked to him, when she asked him how she looked during a banquet, and she would smack him for stuttering, never knowing that he had been trying to tell her that she looked better than anyone at that party.

Yet she never listened. He sometimes wondered if she cared. If he left, if he died tomorrow, what would she say about him at his funeral? Would she say anything at all? Would she cry for him, or would she scoff to her family, saying he was a disappointment and that she would simply start over with another man? How would she respond to hearing that if she did not appreciate him for all of his kindness and all of his unconditional love, that someone else would take it and set him free? Would she care? Would she try to be a better mother? Would she try to kill him? So many questions, so many things he wished he could answer.

He sighed, and then held out his hands, and he summoned his favorite little construct. It was his baby fawn, the sweet little creature that had comforted Ruta after class one day. It was so small and weak, but when he placed it on the table, he smiled at it and urged it on. "Go on...go to her...tell me what you think about her...Do you like Tsukiyomi-sama?" he asked if, softly. He then poked its soft, downy back, and it began to walk slowly and anxiously toward the teacher. It eventually stopped in front of her, after a few minutes, and then it nuzzled her hand. Moments later, it laid down and snuggled against her hand, going to sleep right there. In the meantime, he finally turned to his professor, his blue eyes full of hope and courage, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Sweet release. "...Tsukiyomi-sama...I-I...I-I want...to be free..." he whispered, the words telling her everything she would need to know.

[Rhomaia]

Henry Von Kressel

A spread smile could be seen planted in Henry's face with her acceptance of his request. He calmly took her by hand as he conducted Aria to a place where they could dance privately, away from the prying eyes of the Italians.

The slow song set the pace of the pair, as Henry merely admired the color of her eyes. The specific kind of illumination that the Italian teacher made reflected in her now slightly reignited eyes, creating something Henry wouldn't be able to describe even if he wanted. And out of the same mouth who spitted out the sophisticated offense and the elegant threat to Aria's distant relative, only the simple things could come out.

"I can't tell you how I'm happy to see you here Aria. Just... Thank you for coming. I admire what you did. And... Don't think I've abandoned you during these last months, okay? I was watching over you at a distance, because I really didn't know how you would react if I approached you."

Aria

When the tiny amber fireflies rose up from the mystery professor's hand and onto the ceiling, Aria slowly looked up to see the light shine down on her and Henry as they walked to the other side of the dance floor, where no one, not even Lorian or his band of followers could disturb them.

It was the most peace, the most normalcy she had known in a long while, and the atmosphere within the ball shifted from one of heated hostility to a content calm, with even the music being played by the band seeming to reflect this. It was just how she would have liked everything in her life to be. Easy, calm, and normal, where she could have a simple dance with her partner without being scrutinized for what she was, the markings that she bore on her skin.

If only for the time being, Aria was able to let go of all the troubles the past posed her, and focus on the present. Henry, like always, had given her that chance to be rid of her worries and anxieties.

"...I know you haven't abandoned me...None of you did. Not Catherine, not Soleil, not Rabbit, and certainly not you...I was the one who abandoned you, if anything..." Aria said softly, slowly moving with Henry and his movements on the dance floor. "...I was afraid of what you all might say, or think...so I stayed away. I shut down...exactly when I shouldn't have. I should have been there for you...to let you know that I still care...To let you know that I'm still the same person."

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Henry Von Kressel

A spread smile could be seen planted in Henry's face with her acceptance of his request. He calmly took her by hand as he conducted Aria to a place where they could dance privately, away from the prying eyes of the Italians.

The slow song set the pace of the pair, as Henry merely admired the color of her eyes. The specific kind of illumination that the Italian teacher made reflected in her now slightly reignited eyes, creating something Henry wouldn't be able to describe even if he wanted. And out of the same mouth who spitted out the sophisticated offense and the elegant threat to Aria's distant relative, only the simple things could come out.

"I can't tell you how I'm happy to see you here Aria. Just... Thank you for coming. I admire what you did. And... Don't think I've abandoned you during these last months, okay? I was watching over you at a distance, because I really didn't know how you would react if I approached you."

Aria

When the tiny amber fireflies rose up from the mystery professor's hand and onto the ceiling, Aria slowly looked up to see the light shine down on her and Henry as they walked to the other side of the dance floor, where no one, not even Lorian or his band of followers could disturb them.

It was the most peace, the most normalcy she had known in a long while, and the atmosphere within the ball shifted from one of heated hostility to a content calm, with even the music being played by the band seeming to reflect this. It was just how she would have liked everything in her life to be. Easy, calm, and normal, where she could have a simple dance with her partner without being scrutinized for what she was, the markings that she bore on her skin.

If only for the time being, Aria was able to let go of all the troubles the past posed her, and focus on the present. Henry, like always, had given her that chance to be rid of her worries and anxieties.

"...I know you haven't abandoned me...None of you did. Not Catherine, not Soleil, not Rabbit, and certainly not you...I was the one who abandoned you, if anything..." Aria said softly, slowly moving with Henry and his movements on the dance floor. "...I was afraid of what you all might say, or think...so I stayed away. I shut down...exactly when I shouldn't have. I should have been there for you...to let you know that I still care...To let you know that I'm still the same person."

Henry Von Kressel

And even with everything that happened before, the night was saved by that dance. Everything seemed to change to fit the moment, almost designing it to perfection. There wasn't the Henry that threatened Lorianus with emphasis on his influence and his name. There was simply... Henry. Not.the Von Kressel. Not the noble. Just... Henry. And it was this simple man dressed in noble robes who had to work hard to not trip over his feet while he looked at her eyes.

"Don't say it, Aria. You're not guilty. I also want you to know that I'm still the same. And the only thing I could say to you is the only thing that I keep saying in repeat for some time. That even I could choose any person in the world to make me company, I would choose my favorite redhead over anything. And that's what matters to me, Aria: To know that you're the same girl that I've met, that I've kissed and that I've fallen in love with. I would say that everyone here thinks that I lead things, but what they don't know is that your example, your courage inspires me to do it. The same way that your eyes inspire me to be just me, to be just... Henry."

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Liz had expected Soleil accept, she wouldn't have brought it up with him if she hadn't. She still had to wonder if it was the right thing to do or if she was doing for her own vanity, so that she could continue to preserve her own knowledge. She wondered if Soleil would take the same path as her, abandoning his mortality and in some ways humanity. What would he be like in ten years? Twenty? Two-hundred?
There were other concerns, would she be able to give him the love that he sought? Likely not, her outward affection had been worn away by the years, and so much loss. A family, then a nation, two times over, then, for a time, her entire world. Would he expect her to hold him, to show him the physical love he was denied? If so, he would likely be disappointed. However, she would guide him, protect him, and even if he was reluctant about it, give him the power to protect those others he cared about. And that was why she was willing to give him that power, not because he didn't want it, but because he was indifferent to it. If he truly didn't want, then it would be to easy for him to disrespect it, waste it. No, he wanted to protect him self and those he cared about, so he would use the power she taught him to wield, and he would respect it. He also knew what it would do to him if he let it control him, he saw first hand what power without any real responsibility had done to his family.

"Very well, that was the hardest part. There will be other things to come, I will make the arrangements while we are here, then before we leave make it known and official. You will have one final chance to change your mind about it then, when I bring you the papers to sign. For now I advise keeping this secret, It wouldn't do to have your family try to intercede now."

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Liz had expected Soleil accept, she wouldn't have brought it up with him if she hadn't. She still had to wonder if it was the right thing to do or if she was doing for her own vanity, so that she could continue to preserve her own knowledge. She wondered if Soleil would take the same path as her, abandoning his mortality and in some ways humanity. What would he be like in ten years? Twenty? Two-hundred?
There were other concerns, would she be able to give him the love that he sought? Likely not, her outward affection had been worn away by the years, and so much loss. A family, then a nation, two times over, then, for a time, her entire world. Would he expect her to hold him, to show him the physical love he was denied? If so, he would likely be disappointed. However, she would guide him, protect him, and even if he was reluctant about it, give him the power to protect those others he cared about. And that was why she was willing to give him that power, not because he didn't want it, but because he was indifferent to it. If he truly didn't want, then it would be to easy for him to disrespect it, waste it. No, he wanted to protect him self and those he cared about, so he would use the power she taught him to wield, and he would respect it. He also knew what it would do to him if he let it control him, he saw first hand what power without any real responsibility had done to his family.

"Very well, that was the hardest part. There will be other things to come, I will make the arrangements while we are here, then before we leave make it known and official. You will have one final chance to change your mind about it then, when I bring you the papers to sign. For now I advise keeping this secret, It wouldn't do to have your family try to intercede now."

He listened to her speak very quietly, and then he smiled slightly. It was more of a broken smile than anything. Even as he wanted to be free, he was not sure what it was like to fly outside of the cage. He was afraid. He wondered if maybe things would change once his mother found out. They probably would not, and that was the saddest thing. She would either not miss him at all, or she would be out to kill him. She would side with the family that hated both of them, instead of the child that had loved her unquestioningly for sixteen years.

Yet he felt sweet serenity as he sat in this mystical place with his Professor, soon to be his mother. His adoptive mother. He drank his tea, and said nothing. He wondered if he could come here all the time, once he was adopted. Would he be able to finally have a pet? Soleil had plenty of questions, but he was afraid to ask them, now that Tsukiyomi was his mother. He trusted her as his teacher, but becoming his mother was entirely different.

How would she treat him then, when she was his mother? If he asked her for something, would she flat turn him down? What sort of advice would he ask her for? Would she push him away if he went to hug her, slap him for stuttering? He knew she was a fair and benevolent individual, but he could not help but shake as he remembered all of the horrible things his mother had done to him. And yet he had loved her so much...

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Soliel, I want to ask, what do you think of our surroundings? Think about the house, the city, but also beyond them. Think about what this place truly is, and tell me what you think about it. There is no wrong answer... Actually, I suppose there is, you would have to be really far off the mark."

Their immediate surroundings were Tsukuyomi's childhood home. Sparse but carefully, caringly decorated. The large European furniture stood out, breaking with the rest of the home's Japanese. aesthetic. Out side of that was the city of Yokohama, already a major center as it was captured here, as it was in the eighteen-seventies. Beyond that was Tokyo, and it's harbor. Of course, none of it was real, it was what Tsukuyomi had willed it to be. In a way, it was her own mind. But Tsukuyomi didn't just want him to pick up on that, she wanted him to realize what this place meant to her. It was her first home, and unconsciously since entering the building, she had relaxed. A bit of an edge taken off of her appearance, something softer, warmer about her.

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Soliel, I want to ask, what do you think of our surroundings? Think about the house, the city, but also beyond them. Think about what this place truly is, and tell me what you think about it. There is no wrong answer... Actually, I suppose there is, you would have to be really far off the mark."

Their immediate surroundings were Tsukuyomi's childhood home. Sparse but carefully, caringly decorated. The large European furniture Out side of that was the city of Yokohama, already a major center as it was captured here, as it was in the eighteen-seventies. Beyond that was Tokyo, and it's harbor. Of course, none of it was real, it was what Tsukuyomi had willed it to be. In a way, it was her own mind. But Tsukuyomi didn't just want him to pick up on that, she wanted him to realize what this place meant to her. It was her first home, and unconsciously since entering the building, she had relaxed. A bit of an edge taken off of her appearance, something softer, warmer about her.

Soleil looked up, blinking as he came out of his thoughts, and he looked around the room. He honestly had no idea what this place was, beyond it being Tsukiyomi's home. He knew for sure, however, that it made him feel relaxed and safe. That was all he ever wanted now, was to feel safe. When he was here, he knew that he did not want to go back to Paris, where his mother could find him and take him from his friends. "...Th-This is...your home?" he asked, softly. He then added, giving her a kind smile, "...I-I like it here...it's very quiet and peaceful...I-I like this much better than the hotel..." Another pause, and he added, as he looked away, "...I-I only hope...once I am officially your...your son...I hope that I will not disappoint you..."

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"This is the house I was born in. Where I was raised. Or at least the best version of it I could make. Back on the prime, in 'reality' it is now an apartment block. This place, and the rest of the area around it don't exist anymore. This is how the house looked in my own childhood. Sometime around eighteen-seventy-five. I felt the setting was appropriate. It... is peaceful, I haven't recreated the people that lived in the area, but here on the outskirts of town it was always calm, as I remember. A few of my children were raised here. Did you know that? That I was a mother? I had four children, two boys and two girls. They were the light of my life, and it was them that drove me ever onwards. The last of them was born in nineteen-oh-four, her at an estate in Kyoto.
They... None of them still live. I tell you this because I want you to understand, I might not give you the physical affection you want. I haven't been a mother, or anything but a teacher, a soldier, or an observer in a long time. But I have made a promise to you in doing this, I will teach you what I know, if you will learn, and I will stand by and protect you at the cost of my own life, until you are old enough to make the decision if I should on your own. I want you to know, you won't disappoint me, as long as you stay true to what, to who you are. That is all I will ask. I will never use force against you, unless I truly feel you are taking action that are a danger to yourself or others. There will be no violence between us, no beatings, nothing of the sort. I will push you, I will try to make you into something that I doubt you could Imagine now, but I will never willingly hurt you. I mean what I say when I want this to be an opportunity for you to be free, from you family, their legacy, or even me."

Tsukuyomi had show more emotion, more of herself to Soleil than she had to anyone since she had arrived at Mana, and maybe in the last millennia by her own clock. She did not take this action lightly, and somehow, after all this time, perhaps becoming a mother again would be easier than she had thought. Looking at him now, so innocent, she was willing to make good on her promise, to die for the boy. Even with how much that would mean would be lost, squandered.

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"This is the house I was born in. Where I was raised. Or at least the best version of it I could make. Back on the prime, in 'reality' it is now an apartment block. This place, and the rest of the area around it don't exist anymore. This is how the house looked in my own childhood. Sometime around eighteen-seventy-five. I felt the setting was appropriate. It... is peaceful, I haven't recreated the people that lived in the area, but here on the outskirts of town it was always calm, as I remember. A few of my children were raised here. Did you know that? That I was a mother? I had four children, two boys and two girls. They were the light of my life, and it was them that drove me ever onwards. The last of them was born in nineteen-oh-four, her at an estate in Kyoto.
They... None of them still live. I tell you this because I want you to understand, I might not give you the physical affection you want. I haven't been a mother, or anything but a teacher, a soldier, or an observer in a long time. But I have made a promise to you in doing this, I will teach you what I know, if you will learn, and I will stand by and protect you at the cost of my own life, until you are old enough to make the decision if I should on your own. I want you to know, you won't disappoint me, as long as you stay true to what, to who you are. That is all I will ask. I will never use force against you, unless I truly feel you are taking action that are a danger to yourself or others. There will be no violence between us, no beatings, nothing of the sort. I will push you, I will try to make you into something that I doubt you could Imagine now, but I will never willingly hurt you. I mean what I say when I want this to be an opportunity for you to be free, from you family, their legacy, or even me."

Tsukuyomi had show more emotion, more of herself to Soleil than she had to anyone since she had arrived at Mana, and maybe in the last millennia by her own clock. She did not take this action lightly, and somehow, after all this time, perhaps becoming a mother again would be easier than she had thought. Looking at him now, so innocent, she was willing to make good on her promise, to die for the boy. Even with how much that would mean would be lost, squandered.

When she had responded saying all of this was a dream, Soleil's eyes widened with slight shock, and he looked around him, confused. Everything had felt so...real. Even the tea in front of him felt like real tea. How could this be fake?...Was this the magic she was going to teach him? He turned back to her and blinked, after a moment, confused, but then also sad, when he heard she had been a mother such a long time ago, and had lost all of her children. So they were both lonely people...

He listened to her again as she stated she would take care of him, that she would never beat him or use force against him. He could feel the muscles in his body relaxing greatly, when she said that. It was a first step to building a relationship between them, at the very least. When she finished, he smiled at her, and he answered quietly,"...I-I do want...to be free...but...not from you...I-If you are my mother...I-I want to stay with you and...make you happy...Th-That way, neither of us has to feel alone anymore." He blushed slightly as he said this, as he opened his heart a little more to his new mother.

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Soli, I am old, older even than you know. I am used to being lonely, it does not trouble me." As Liz spoke, the doorway out of the room they were in shimmered and changed, now leading back to the hotel. "I have kept you long enough. Go now, enjoy the rest of the tournament, and do get some rest. It wouldn't be wise for you to be tired for training, and you will still have to keep your guard up while we are here. Be careful who you tell about this, It wouldn't be good for news of it to reach the wrong ears."

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Soli, I am old, older even than you know. I am used to being lonely, it does not trouble me." As Liz spoke, the doorway out of the room they were in shimmered and changed, now leading back to the hotel. "I have kept you long enough. Go now, enjoy the rest of the tournament, and do get some rest. It wouldn't be wise for you to be tired for training, and you will still have to keep your guard up while we are here. Be careful who you tell about this, It wouldn't be good for news of it to reach the wrong ears."

He stood up, and he looked around Tsukiyomi's family home. He smiled, finding it peaceful and sweet. However, he understood now why she created it. She did have plenty of pain hidden in her heart. It seemed that all of the teachers did, and they had tried to bury it so far that it could not rise and haunt them. Yet this pain of Tsukiyomi's had indeed risen out of her, creating the lovely, calming vision around him. He wondered if he could use this sort of magic one day, to create beautiful things like this.

Nevertheless, when she spoke to him again, he obeyed. "...Y-Yes...Professor..." he answered softly, bowing to her slightly, being careful not to accidentally call her 'mother' in front of other people. He then stood, smiled kindly to her, and added, "Good night..." He then walked out of the portal, and he was back in reality. The hotel lights flashed brightly around him, and the soft, dreamlike world of Tsukiyomi's visions remained just that. A dream. He wondered if it had all indeed been a dream, and he frowned slightly. He hoped it had not only been a dream. He had wanted to be free for so long...to finally greet the happiness he had sought at home.

Slowly, he walked to his room, meeting Shaun in there. As he made it, he kept his head down, and he undressed and got into an oversized sweater and shorts. After he neatly put his dress clothes away, he then got into his bed and curled up as tightly as he could. Now that he was softly falling asleep, all of the feelings that had passed through him throughout the day came and found him. Little clips of feelings and images came to his mind: warm hands touching his face. Cold water rushing quickly over his body. Horrifying darkness that gave no light. His little dawn nuzzling his professor's hand. Slowly, he closed his eyes and went to sleep, tears falling onto his bed, as he tried to sort all of the feelings in his mind, in his heart.

[Woodstovia]

Alex jerked away and marched to his hotel room at a brisque but controlled pace. They weren't looking for much of a reason to put him down. If he was walking too fast Ruta would probably freeze him and run his sword through Alex. He could see it now.

"I Was just protecting him." Ruta would laugh, licking the crimson from his blade. Rabbit would giggle. "He was crazy, out of control." it hissed before embracing Ruta as they fell on top of his corpse and began to mate. Alex slammed his hotel door behind him and hid beneath his covers, trying to escape his thoughts.

[Luminesa]

Alex jerked away and marched to his hotel room at a brisque but controlled pace. They weren't looking for much of a reason to put him down. If he was walking too fast Ruta would probably freeze him and run his sword through Alex. He could see it now.

"I Was just protecting him." Ruta would laugh, licking the crimson from his blade. Rabbit would giggle. "He was crazy, out of control." it hissed before embracing Ruta as they fell on top of his corpse and began to mate. Alex slammed his hotel door behind him and hid beneath his covers, trying to escape his thoughts.

Rabbit watched him rush by, and he felt all of the terror in Alex's body as he vanished. He seemed to be staring blankly into the distance, but in reality he was lost deep in his thoughts. Even if his mask had been off, his face would have been unreadable then. The boy's words and actions had affected him far more than he should have let them, and he wondered how much it would take to repair the wounds he had left in the boy.

"...He knows nothing...and everything...all at once..." he muttered to himself. "...Many things he will never know, truths that lie in places he will never see...in graves he will never find...He and I exist behind a wall that will never fully break..." He sighed sadly, as he accepted this reality, and he looked at Ruta. He was sure the Jaëgar would wonder what on earth he was talking about, and what it had to do with Alex. Thus, he added something Ruta might not have been expecting. "And yet...strangely enough...the wall is only skin-deep...if he could see beyond that...if anyone could see beyond that...they would know everything...That includes you, Antonius..."

Having given Ruta both nothing and plenty to think about, Rabbit then turned past him, and began to walk away. "I cannot leave the ballroom while the students are there. I hope you have a good night, and please, rest yourself. You have no reason to fear the night. The shadow here will protect you..." he mumbled, as he almost floated past the Professor, he walked so gracefully and quietly.

[Rhomaia]

Henry Von Kressel

And even with everything that happened before, the night was saved by that dance. Everything seemed to change to fit the moment, almost designing it to perfection. There wasn't the Henry that threatened Lorianus with emphasis on his influence and his name. There was simply... Henry. Not.the Von Kressel. Not the noble. Just... Henry. And it was this simple man dressed in noble robes who had to work hard to not trip over his feet while he looked at her eyes.

"Don't say it, Aria. You're not guilty. I also want you to know that I'm still the same. And the only thing I could say to you is the only thing that I keep saying in repeat for some time. That even I could choose any person in the world to make me company, I would choose my favorite redhead over anything. And that's what matters to me, Aria: To know that you're the same girl that I've met, that I've kissed and that I've fallen in love with. I would say that everyone here thinks that I lead things, but what they don't know is that your example, your courage inspires me to do it. The same way that your eyes inspire me to be just me, to be just... Henry."

Aria

Aria felt time in the room come to a crawl around her, and all the bright lights of this beautiful, sunlit night began to dim and fade. Through the windows, one could see a pale blue crescent moon rising in the black sky above, the great obsidian expanse tangled in the light of the moon's reflection. Silver and gold alike shined in Aria's eyes, creating a strange duality in their color, like they couldn't decide between the ethereal moonlight or the passionate glow of the fireflies above.

Aria smiled warmly at Henry's declaration, and could feel as well the warmth of her own heart traveling through her body. This dance, though she had feared so much what it would entail and what transpired just moments earlier, did nothing to unbalance her or to keep the grin off of her face. All that mattered now was keeping pace with Henry, and feeling the simple warmth of his touch.

"...That's all I needed to hear." she said, leaning in closer to his face, her eyes full of light and hope. "That I can make a difference here...I may not be a leader, and I may not be the strongest person, or really a person at all, but knowing you have that kind of faith in me, means the world to me." Aria smiled, moving ever closer, the movement of her feet slowing to accommodate for Henry's steps.

[Chrome Legion]

Catherine de Sanguine Vivere


Catherine supposed she had to put up with this. She wasn't willing to push she issue with Aria, of what their relationship really was, not willing to force her to make that choice yet. But she couldn't just sit and watch. It hurt. Instead, she went back up to her room, changed back out of her gown that sill hadn't seen a dance, into just a tank-top and her panties, securing her arm back in it's case. Not wanting to think on it any longer, she put on a movie, her favorite, Doctor Strangelove.

[Rhomaia]

"...He knows nothing...and everything...all at once..." he muttered to himself. "...Many things he will never know, truths that lie in places he will never see...in graves he will never find...He and I exist behind a wall that will never fully break..." He sighed sadly, as he accepted this reality, and he looked at Ruta. He was sure the Jaëgar would wonder what on earth he was talking about, and what it had to do with Alex. Thus, he added something Ruta might not have been expecting. "And yet...strangely enough...the wall is only skin-deep...if he could see beyond that...if anyone could see beyond that...they would know everything...That includes you, Antonius..."

Having given Ruta both nothing and plenty to think about, Rabbit then turned past him, and began to walk away. "I cannot leave the ballroom while the students are there. I hope you have a good night, and please, rest yourself. You have no reason to fear the night. The shadow here will protect you..." he mumbled, as he almost floated past the Professor, he walked so gracefully and quietly.

Narrowing his icy blue eyes at the boy as he scampered off, Ruta gave a flourish of his black blade and let it fade into obsidian dust, the particles that once composed the fearsome weapon dissipated into nothing, like fine ash being scattered to the wind. He was not sure of what to do with the boy. Emotional reinforcement was not at all his strong suit, it seemed. Whenever he did try to reach out to anyone, it always ended up in the same way. Someone got hurt, someone would call him a freak, someone would never want to see his face again for as long as they lived. It would have been comedic for Ruta if it was Alex alone who had reacted this way, and yet that was certainly not the case.

In any case, such things should have been left to the Rabbit. The only time when he was ever needed was when someone needed someone or something dead. That was his job, after all. He was a killer, a murderer, and a monster. They would always see him that way, no matter what he did. Perhaps even the Rabbit saw him as such.

Even still, his mutterings of skin deep walls and mysteries and seeing beyond what one first saw was unnerving to the Jaegar, leaving him completely silent as the masked, enigmatic Professor passed him by, leading to Ruta closing his eyes once more. There was no point in questioning it. Whether or not these were the Rabbit's inner thoughts or mere purposeful ramblings meant to confound him, it didn't matter to him. The inquisitive side of him was much too drained from countless questions and theories as to what he really was, and none of them he could confirm. Not with the Rabbit being the recluse he was. Shaking his head at the thought of standing around and letting the Rabbit again take over the nightwatch, Ruta began to walk in the opposite direction, starting his rounds for the night.

[Saldinado]

Shaun Calhoun

Shaun was currently relaxing on his bed, now wearing nothing but a pair of blue and turquoise underwear and looking out at the view from his window; the blackness of the sky and room itself being brighten up by the gold and white of both the hotel and the city as the moon shyly showed it's face to him. The sound of the soft car horns and the humming of the AC filled the air, which was filled with a deadly silence that hung over the teen.

He sighed as he thought about what he did with Soleil. The fact that this young boy could look like, act like, and even be like Liam was absolutely surreal to him. Was this a sort of coincidence? Surely there had to be for such a thing to happen, right? But he knew he couldn't dwell too much into it as it would only make him more confused. And when comes confusion, comes nervousness and frustration. Both of which he knew too well.

But just as he was silently waiting on Soleil, there goes the sound of the door opening. He looked as he saw his roommate enter the room and watched as he walked towards his part of the bed with his head down and quietly changed his clothes. Shaun once again gave him his privacy as he watched the window; turning back to see Sol, his eyes grew a little bigger as he saw what he was wearing. It was one of the most adorable things that he'd ever seen. Of course he wasn't going to tell him that, but he silently kept it to himself as his face turned a little pink at the sight of it. He continued to watch in silence as he curled up in his bed and softly went to sleep. But then, he saw that he was crying once more. Whether the cause of it was unknown to him, but whatever it was, caused Shaun to become worried.

Getting up from his bed, he quietly walked over towards Soleil's bed and knelt down to where he was at eye level with him. He didn't wake him up, as he thought that the young man needed his rest. Instead, he quietly smirked as he carefully moved the hair out of Sol's face and leaned in, planting a soft kiss on his forehead once again before softy saying something out loud.

"Bonne nuit mon ami.", he quietly chuckled as he got up from his position and walked back towards his bed and laying on top of it. Once again in his same position as before, Shaun continued to watch out the window as a faint smile showed upon his face.

"And bonne nuit mon amour pour vous peut se reposer enfin."

Then, he softly sighed in content as he slowly began to close his eyes still smiling as he knew that this night will be one that he will never forget.