[Cyrus/Taigakai] Gone Fishin'

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Um. Ok then." Cyrus didn't know how to react to that. But it looked like this was happening. Whether the young man wanted it or not. Cracking his neck, the young man sighed and got down into a sprinter's stance. Fingers touched the icy ground. Wet, cold, slick. But Cyrus was good with traction. So many times he'd fallen down and gotten back up, after a point he learned how to properly place his feet. How to gain footing on slippery surfaces. The boy's glow began to brighten, illuminating his eyes. Behind him, his back foot dug into the dirt. "Guess I could use a way to limber up."

    Muscles tensed. Flexed. Taigakai was sluggish to start, which gave Cyrus the time he needed to prepare. Slow inhale, followed by an easy inhale. In the dropping temperature, the young mage's breath came out in a puff of fog. Despite the rain hitting his head, his hair didn't matt down as much as Taigakai's. Cyrus rocked back, dug his fingers into the dirt, then lurched forwards.

    Dirt and frost kicked back along with a visible burst of water. Cyrus's full speed was extreme, punching holes in the rainfall with each burst. Second after his launch, a crack of sound rang the air. The boy himself was an elongated blur, streaks of light drawing lines behind him. Then in another crack of sound, he flickered out of view.

    And reappeared in the air infront of Taigakai with his leg outstretched in a kick, aimed straight for the TA's head. 

    The whole moment took only a few seconds. The boy could get up to speed extremely quick, and not even the layer of frost could hold him back. In fact, where he had stepped, holes had been punched into the dirt where the war mage had dug in and kicked off. For the brief moment his full form was visible, the boy's eyes had been ignited with light and crackled with energy. Just like the young man had stated, it was hard for him to hold back when his entire combat style was based off of using raw momentum to amplify his force. 

    It was an aggressive combat style. 

    Moving so fast, unless Taigakai had a way to force him to stop or slow, it was only natural for him to burst past and streak along the ground. With enough distance, he could slow his movement. Feet tore up the dirt, ice, and ground, only to once more kick back into action with a second crack of sound. For Cyrus, ahead of the sonic boom, the only sound he could hear came from himself. He was used to it. The first time the boy broke the sound barrier had been so disorienting that it caused him to lose balance and crash hard. First time he'd ever broken a bone, too. Now it was easier to deal with. It wasn't pleasant, but it wouldn't kill him if he didn't have his combat kit. Still, that was a primary reason why he kept headphones of some sort on him. If he outran the sounds of combat anyways, might as well have something to stave off the haunting sound of his own heartbeat. 

SPOILER: Click to show

Spell name: Sturdy
Spell Main Element: War
-Spell Sub Elements: N/a
Affinity Strength: 1 (Passive)
Function: Given their dedication to the art of battle, War mage's know exactly how to properly position themselves, and inherently are harder to knock down or stagger than most. This sturdy nature makes them passively more resistant to spells and actions that may cause them to stumble, fall, stagger, trip, slip, or become knocked prone.
Availability: Open

Spell name: Supersonic
Spell Main Element: War
Affinity Strength: 2
Function: Caster launches themselves forwards at an accelerated rate, moving at an incredible speed. However, while going at top speed, turning can be an incredible effort, while stopping is another beast entirely. This can lead to many users slamming into objects, people, or walls. Extended use for long periods can quickly tire and exhaust a wielder, putting strain on the muscles and making it more likely for their limbs to cramp, lock up, or cause them to stumble or collapse.
Availability: Open

Spell name: Flash step
Spell Main Element: War
Affinity Strength: 3
Function: For a brief period of time, the caster moves a short distance incredibly quickly. This can be used to dodge out of the way of devastating attacks, or to reposition oneself. If a user is able to move fast enough, they may even leave behind a disorienting after-image. However, a single use can tire a practiced mage with ease, and repeated use can even lead to crippling exhaustion, muscle fatigue, and cause a caster to fall unconscious.
Availability: Open

[Taigakai Shikotsu-Kriita'al]

A small smile laced Taigakai’s lips. He was just as curious of Cyrus’ abilities as Cyrus was of his, so this was an equal exchange. He watched the boy position himself to start his race. The set up itself seemed slow, but Taigakai understood it was necessary. Almost at the same time as Cyrus’ launch, Taigakai made his move.

A quick flash was Cyrus’ only signal before his leg was met with a similar needle to one Taigakai handed him earlier. Within a moment, as if in slow motion, Taigakai had a look on his face that he was having fun or was impressed with Cyrus at least. [smear:#75daff]“Good start, straightforward, but good!”[/smear:#824dff:0] The other needle that was on Cyrus’ person before flew out to Taigakai’s other hand and he spun around, attempting to land another needle into Cyrus’ gut.

The way Taigakai moved seemed to make the fight look more like a dance. Everything seemed to flow smoothly from one action to the next. After he was done turning, Taigakai used the momentum from Cyrus’ kick and took a couple steps back and to the side, arms outstretched as He gave a wide turn skating backwards. The ground flashed with a sudden blanket of white and condensing into itself on a sheet of ice. While Cyrus had the ability to resist slipping around, Taigakai’s idea was to make it even harder for the boy to make turns.

SPOILER: Click to show

Control rods used at affin 4

Spell name: Cooled Vessel
Spell Main Element: Water
-Spell Sub Elements:
Affinity Strength: 1
Function: A passive for water mages, more pronounced in those who wield ice, their bodies are much colder than average. They have an extreme tolerance to extremely cold weather, allowing them to move freely in the deepest amounts of snow and the most violent of blizzards. They are immune to cold-inflicted damages and have a much higher tolerance to heat based attacks, taking longer to burn their flesh. The ability can be amplified at a cost of 5 mana per round (after all parties have posted and it is the mage’s turn again), increasing its range and strength.
Availability: Open

Spell name: Magnetic Arts: Attraction
Spell Main Element: Metal
-Spell Sub Elements: Lightning
Affinity Strength: 1
Function: Mages of lightning and metal have learned that conductive metals can be used like magnets, allowing them to use electric wavelengths in the metal to attract it towards them. The higher affinity means they can emit a stronger attraction field around them, making magnetic items fly towards them faster and through certain objects if need be.

Affinity - Attraction Strength
1 - Penetrates paper
4 - Penetrated cloth
7 - Penetrates
10 - Penetrates stone
Availability: Open

Spell name: Control Rods
Spell Main Element: Metal
-Spell Sub Elements: Lightning
Affinity Strength: 1
Function: The caster flings or impales conductive rods into the target in any size they desire. Smaller rods are easier to hide, but require a larger amount embedded in flesh to do much while larger rods are easier to control and can be used in smaller amounts. The rods are charged with electrical impulses and make lightning and magnetic metals attract to the target faster. Additionally, due to the electric impulses in the rods, it may cause areas with rods in them to twitch spaztically.

Affinity - Amount of Effect
1 - Minor muscle spasms (hands)
4 - Muscle spasms (arms/legs), minor burns
7 - Full body shock, torso contractions, burns
10 - Full body shock, major burns
Availability: Open

Spell name: Terrain Alteration
Spell Main Element: Arcane
-Spell Sub Elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Metal, Flora, Shadow, Light, Chaos,
Affinity Strength: 7
Function: The caster performs a spell, unleashing mana around them in a large area and modifying the local area with magic and turning it into an environment more suitable for them based on their main elements. The area now changed provides them with conditions and resources to manipulate that would otherwise might not be there in such a large amount. Combinations of this spell can happen with multiple mages in one sitting, changing the environment totally into a strange hybrid but cannot form multiple conditions from one mage. This spell uses up 5 mana per post after it has been activated to keep going.
Availability: Open

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Everything happened so fast. Less time than it took to blink. From the first and second sonic booms to the connection of a needle in his upper thigh. So quick, that Cyrus's body had a time delay on when it realized it'd been hit. One moment, he was running, gaining distance. The next moment, a violent spasm wracked his upper leg, sending the boy tumbling. Dirt and debris kicked up as the boy skipped along the field in an uncontrolled tumble, no longer able to stop himself without any traction. Knowing how to place one's footing was all good and dandy, but not being able to control your own leg was a different matter.

    Deep ruts marred the surface of the dirt, almost as though a speeding cart had crashed rather than a person. Rain pelted the young man as his mind raced to catch up with the moment. "Ngh..." Dazed and with a spinning mind, the boy propped himself up and tore the needle away from his leg. Not good. Taigakai's split second reaction time was infinitely better than everyone else Cyrus had sparred with. Was that a benefit to Rorsche bothering someone, or did this guy have a machine for a brain? 

    With a grunt, the boy tore free the needle in his gut. Gods that was an awful feeling. Like a hand buzzer cranked up to eleven. The sensation made Cyrus shudder. Okay, so a new plan was needed. Could surrender. Wasn't really worth the effort and the only thing that suffered was his pride. Not like turning into a shark-shaped skipping stone did much better for it. His leg still jittered from being stunned so suddenly. 

    Why did he even need to be assessed? All the time, every time. Could a guy just get a break? Not enough time to waste on these thoughts, eventually Taigakai was going to make up the gap in distance. The young war mage picked himself up off the ground and cracked a shoulder. Tumbling so violently definitely never felt good. Taking too long. Guess I gotta try a bit harder. Cyrus thought as he steadied himself for a sprint. But I really don't fucking want to. Too much effort. 
    
    Cyrus lurched to the side. Another crack of sound and a burst of water and dirt. He seemed to be running slower though. Another crack of sound. Now there were two Cyrus's. Another Crack. Another Cyrus. Another. Another. Another. Another. Ringing around Taigakai, blurring streaks and lines of light. Momentum and weight tearing apart the dirt and forming a circle around the area. 

    A complete illusion. A myriad of afterimages. Somewhere amongst them was Cyrus. Was he going faster than them, or was he one of them? Then another crack. From amongst the illusionary field, a real attack barreled towards Taigakai. Behind the man, an image of Cyrus flickered to life up high. Fist raised, glowing eyes intent on gunning down on him. Then another flickered down low, directing a punch towards Taigakai's mid section rather than his head. One was real, and Taigakai had a split second to determine the truth before the attack hammered itself home. Time to put his reaction time to the test, with the cost of failure being a free flight to the other side of the room. 

    The truth was, between both punches, the upper hand one was the fake. So depending on how the man countered or dodged, there was a not insignificant chance that Cyrus's punch to his stomach would land. Cyrus grit his teeth. Time to see how much of a gambling man he is. 

SPOILER: Click to show

Spell name: Mirror-step
Spell Main Element: War
Affinity Strength: 7
Function: Utilizing quick, short, and rapid movements similar to flash-stepping, a caster creates multiple after-image copies in rapid succession to disorient and distract an enemy. Use of this tactic must be brief and infrequent, otherwise the user will suffer the same effects of flash-stepping far, far faster. Afterimages are static and cannot perform additional actions. 
Availability: Open

[Taigakai Shikotsu-Kriita'al]

Taigakai had enough time to set up his next attack. It seemed like Cyrus was a glass cannon. There were some flaws in his technique, but Taigakai understood his method was fairly simple. Hit hard, hit fast.

The next burst came, echoing off itself as Cyrus utilised his speeds to create copied of himself. He managed to duck away from the blow to the head, but felt a sudden hit to his gut from Cyrus' leg, being sent straight up towards the ceiling.[smear:#75daff] “Okay. Not bad.”[/smear:#824dff:0], Taigakai muttered. He looked below to find he was surrounded by many Cyruses but instead of looking for one, why not hit them all?

The snow flying off of Cyrus’ steps didn’t help the poor shark, as the ground exploded with an eruption of metal snow that razed across his aura coating. Within morments, a loud crack sounded that wasn’t from Cyrus. This sounded different. Instead of a boom, it was like a whip. The snow itself didn’t rest and flew in a dangerous fury, lightning racing across each flake. Taigakai was the eye of the storm. [smear:#75daff]“You see Cyrus. You excel in disorienting your opponents and attempting critical blows to keep fights short.”[/smear:#824dff:0], Taigakai said. [smear:#75daff]“However, my style of fighting is more for disabling and terrain alteration.” [/smear:#824dff:0]It was his job to make the environment as big of a mess as possible.

[smear:#75daff]“I think that’s good enough for the time being.”[/smear:#824dff:0], he said, suddenly flopping down into the snow, seemingly as if they weren’t just in the middle of a fight just now. The chill of snow felt grand for Taigakai. Hopefully that answered some of Cyrus' questions regarding his abilities

SPOILER: Click to show

Spell name: Metal Shard Storm
Spell Main Element: Metal
-Spell Sub Elements: Lightning, Earth
Affinity Strength: 3
Function: With the acts of splintering metals into fine particles, a swarm of metal flecks razes across surfaces and leaves gashes into them while grinding harder surfaces down and lacerating softer ones. The spell can be used in combination with lightning or fire magic to inflict burns and stuns as well as electrifying targets or surfaces that conduct electricity. It takes an additional 5 mana per round to keep the storm going.
Availability: Open

Spell name: Hybrid Arts: Conductive Stalhrim
Spell Main Element: Cryo-Metal Hybrid
-Spell Sub Elements: --
Affinity Strength: 1
Function: A basic spell learned within the Kriita’al clan, this art is the bare fundamental’s of the clan’s signature ability to simulcast metal infused ice. The ice itself can be crafted and forged almost like that of a metal save for smelting and is instead chipped and smoothed over akin to stone tools and armour.
Availability: Lineage Locked - Kriita’al

Spell name: Thundering Blizzard
Spell Main Element: Cryo-Metal Hybrid, Lightning
-Spell Sub Elements: --
Affinity Strength: 10
Function: An advanced art within the Kriita’al clan, this is a large-scale AOE spell that creates a grand blizzard with metal-infused snow and ice, unleashing lightning into the mix in a confusing web of the three elements. The spell costs 50 mana and lasts for about 10 rounds and requires an additional 20 mana to continue afterwards.

Because of this spell utilizing many elements, it’s quite expensive to cast in the first place, but can also inflict a number of wounds in turn for all afflicted targets. With its affinity towards ice, it can freeze opponents in cumulative amounts or inflict hypothermia. Alongside that, it is actively chaining and conducting electric circuits in rapid and random orders, stunning and electrocuting targets, splitting ice and sending lacerating shards of ice and metal all around in a large elemental tangle.
Availability: Lineage Locked - Kriita’al

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Shards of electrified metal whipped through the air. Each fragment a declaired threat. With his speed maxed out, the young man dodged around many of them, but there were so many that eventually one was going to get through. If that happened, a cascade was imminent. The young war mage began to glow vibrantly, breath quickening as he readied himself for a massive blow. He had to finish up this little spar in one decisive-

    Oh Taigakai is sleeping now. 

    Wow, man, what a fuckin anti-climactic way to end a brawl. Not like Cyrus was in a position to complain, he was probably about to get absolutely shredded. Or maybe the mage was going to come out on top and had a victory robbed from him. Literally no way to tell. So, he'll take a draw on this one. Lights died down as the war mage allowed his body to relax and unwind.  "Gods my muscles ache now." He groaned, falling back into the snow. Gods that was fucking cold. Especially now that his body was coming done from the heat of battle. 

    Almost immediately the boy jumped back up out of the snow as some went down his collar. Taigakai was an impressive individual. Also completely unusual. Even for Vyridel standards. Dude went from zero to one-hundred and then back to zero in the time it took a person to snap their fingers. Going from low energy, all the way up to high energy in the midst of a fight. The ice-metal-lightning mage looked so excited from fighting, that Cyrus was almost shocked he wasn't aligned to war in some way. That grin, and those words of excitement told a completely different story from how he was when the two first met. 

    Perhaps that's the type of personality it took to become a teacher's aid? A little insanity got a lot of people very far in the academy. Cyrus rubbed at the back of his neck, still feeling the biting chill of the snow. Fucking uncomfortable. Thoughts still lingered on the final moments of the fight. Landing a punch had been far easier than expected. No, that wasn't the easy part. It was sending the man flying that caught Cyrus off-guard as the shockingly easy part. Had Taigakai allowed it? The young man almost regretted not going full force with that one hit. 

    A lot of fights were a rock paper scissors match. Many mages settled into defined rolls, Cyrus included. And the young mage was painfully aware that he lacked any sort of ranged compensation. It's why in the rare few times he fought, he relied heavily on speed to close gaps and maneuver out of the path of dangerous attacks. If he was rock, than many of the ranged fighters he sparred with were scissors. Taigakai, on the other hand, completely blanketed the zone with powerful magic. It was incredible area denial. Dangerous for a close ranged brawler. While Cyrus was uncertain if defeat was truly unavoidable in that match-up, he could certainly say that the ice mage was the paper to Cyrus's rock. Pretty fitting set of metaphors. Lot of parallels too. You know, cus he does blunt force fighting and rocks are- and also paper is very wide and- and also scissors are super...

    Yeah so anyways, Cyrus looked around the room, shivering in the cold. The aura dulled a lot, but temperature management was only saved for life threatening situations. A little bit of nip did not fall under that umbrella. Which sucked. Holding his hands in front of his face, the boy exhaled warm air and rubbed them together. "So... uh... what now...?" 

[Taigakai Shikotsu-Kriita'al]

Taigakai shrugged in the snow, sitting up to pack some into his hand. [smear:#75daff]“You’re free to go for the rest of the day. Or hang out. Whatever you feel like.”[/smear:#824dff:0], he said before tossing a snowball at Cyrus. He seemed to revert back to a carefree stance, doing his own thing and letting Cyrus be on his own. There was still snow all over the area so Taigakai was going to hang out in it for a bit before dismissing the field. Or so he thought.

A slight glance over and Taigakai figured Cyrus was reassessing the spar. If anything, Taigakai was a fairly light person so it was easy to send him flying. But something else seemed to catch his attention. Cyrus was shivering. ‘A summer child.’, he thought to himself. The boy got up and summoned a panel to dismiss the field. Snow melting quickly and sinking into the floor along with the rest of the area seemingly disintegrating back into nothing. The chill of the snow was something he thrived in, but he would be considerate of those that weren’t as fond of the cold. [smear:#75daff]“Maybe we should get a drink? Something to warm you up?”[/smear:#824dff:0]

(You can use this to exit the topic or continue with further shenanigans.)

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Relief washed over the young man as the room warmed up. Still a bit nippy, of course, but as long as he kept rubbing his arms, the friction would warm him up. You know, maybe, perhaps, if he used his super speed to increase the friction. And go even faster. Then maybe, perhaps, he could warm up. Even faster? Or he could burn holes in his jacket. Cyrus settled for regular arm rubs. He opened his mouth to respond, only instead a snowball swiftly cut him off. By the gods, Taigakai was nigh impossible to get a read on. Was this what the cool (see: smart) kids called "Aloof?"

    Probably. 

    Dictionaries weren't Cyrus's strong suit. After the snow dropped off from his now wet and once-more-frigid face, the young man made another attempt at considering Taigakai's offer. A drink sounded good. Maybe some hot cocoa? Not coffee, caffeine did things to him. Terrible things. Such horrors were not allowed to be recreated. Last time he only barely avoided being stuck with the repair bill. The young war mage was absolutely certain more than a few teachers were positively scarred after that event. Tea was an absolute no-go. The complete inverse was, in Cyrus's mind, worse. Yeah, cocoa was good. 

    "Uhhh, yeah you know what..." Clearing his throat, the young man continued. "...yeah, sure, I could go for something to warm me up. Got any good places in mind?" A few places immediately came to mind. But he wasn't picking. No, this was the magical moment where Cyrus was the one being invited. Therefore, it was neither his job nor his duty to pick a place to go. Unfortunately Taigakai, you triggered a social trap card. You're in charge of picking the place to go. How foolish was this man, to blunder so carelessly into such a landmine. An absolute fool, a complete buffoon. 

    He better pick a place with good hot choccy, or else. 

    Inhaling a sharp breath, Cyrus jittered rapidly, an inch towards either side. Once the movement ceased, the war mage and his clothes both appeared dry. Like a dog shaking water out of its fur, only at mach 10. It made it easier to warm up and stay warm. Much, much better than being soggy and chilled to the bone. Ice mages were fucking sadists. Masochists? Both. Yeah both is good. Lest Cyrus forget his prior realization of Taigakai's bottom status. Would that become his go to call out? Maybe. Depended on how long he actually remembered it. Or how long these two hung out. Both were certifiably weird. Even when compared to Vyridel standards of strange. "You know, this could be the beginning of an awesome buddy-cop flick." Wait shit, Cyrus said the inside part out loud. 

    Coughing and sputtering the man cleared his throat. "Like, in comparison. Cus like. Buddy cop films always have the straight man who tiredly comes to accept his new partner- me- and the awkward and strange comedic relief with a heart of gold- you. Wait, does that make them himbos...? Are you a himbo?" Silence. Cyrus's eyes were wide as the young mage studied the other man with a critical gaze. "...I do not like this train of thought, I would like to get off at the next possible station please and thank you- Oh look there it is! Hey about that warm drink? You're totally paying right? You know, cus I'm you're junior, and everyone knows that seniors look after their juniors. Am I right? Yeah? Yeah I'm totally right." 

    Oh yeah, it was totally hot choccy time. 

[Taigakai Shikotsu-Kriita'al]

[smear:#75daff]

“I mean I was just going to-”[/smear:#824dff:0], Taigakai stopped when Cyrus’ next tangent came out of nowhere. [smear:#75daff]“I- Thanks? I think?”[/smear:#824dff:0] The least he was probably going to do was take it as a compliment. It was already strange enough with Cyrus trying to explain his train of thought. He stood and watched Cyrus’ brain bounce around like a pinball, hitting ALL the buttons in this train of thought. He seemed to shift so that he was leaning more on one leg, hip cocked to the side as he just watched the madness unfurl.
[smear:#75daff]
“I’m… I’m not sure about me being a himbo.” [/smear:#824dff:0]He wasn’t sure if he knew the qualifications for that. Taigakai scratched the back of his head with that thought. Himbos weren’t really looked down upon at least. [smear:#75daff]“Maybe my cousin might be able to answer that-”[/smear:#824dff:0] And onto the next topic Cyrus went. A polite smile rested on his face. [smear:#75daff]“Paying? I was just going to make my own blend up in the staff kitchen. Of course I need to grab a couple things first.. Oh, right. Do you have a preferred drink?”[/smear:#824dff:0] Taigakai could make a guess, but he wanted to confirm it through Cyrus’ answer first.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Eyes shimmering, fist thrust up into the air, the boy bellowed "HOT CHOCCY!!!" Excitement quickly turned to realization. Realization to embarrassment. "U-uhm, e-ehem. I mean. Hot chocolate is fine. Y-you know it's, uh. I mean, uh. Ehm. Yeah you know what it's probably better to grab something from the staff lounge. It's probably a lot better quality than just grabbing from a random street vender." It would be nice if there was a button the young man could press that would allow him to think before he spoke. Actually, you know what, no, fuck that, he should own up to his dumbassery. It was great. He was great. No one is gonna get him down. "Hot choccy..." he whispered pridefully. Dreaming of the warm drink, the young man slowly let the tip of his tongue poke out between his lips. Only barely.

    So little time had passed outside the training room since the two mages started their spar. It was almost astonishing. Cyrus could have sworn they were in there for at least several months. Time was funky like that. Training could be fun, in the right light, but the young war mage was just content to be back to the normal everyday crazy. No more metal blizzards. Just good ol' fashioned college... er... young adult... goings... on. There wasn't really a good measure of what normal passed for. The world was pretty abnormal, so maybe just being weird was the natural state of it all? There were some pretty whacky stories about some of the gods of all people. Which on its own should have been an indicator of how unhinged the world could be. 
    
    After some of the stories he'd heard? The poor boy was never getting his innocence back. Oh gods, hopefully the natural state of the word wasn't "Strangely Horny." Could Cyrus pick a new reality to be born into if that was the case? Best not to think too hard about it. The boy shook his head and sighed. 

    There were more important things to worry about than whatever divine beings decided to do in their free time. 

    Like worrying about how this buddy cop flick was going to go down. Who was the mystery villain? What was the big bad organization they were going to be taking down? When did the young man get to tell off the guard commissioner and have his badge taken away? When does Taigakai start spitting out classic one liners that will be quoted by the youth for the next decade until they run it into the ground and make it cringey to the next generation? These were important questions that needed to be answered! 

    But, after hot choccy. 

    Cyrus mostly steered clear of the teacher's areas. Better not to test any sort of luck by crashing headfirst into the lounge. The boy got scolded enough as is. So it was up to Taigakai to take the lead all over again. Which was started to turn into a running theme. Hehe. Running theme. Get it cus... and you know he... but also he... alright, yeah, the joke's not funny anymore. 

    "So Taigakai, if you were put in any sort of scenario from, say, a book or movie, what would you want to be dropped into and what role would you like to fill?" If the two were going to be spending a bit more time together, it wasn't a bad idea to learn a bit about the guy. Cyrus was a little curious. "For me, I'd probably pick you're run of the mill adventure story. Searching for treasure and exploring a forgotten land. All that cool stuff, and I'd wanna be that one guy that everyone sees as the-" Cyrus flipped his hair back... only for the strands to immediately bounce back into place "- charismatic heart of the group, who inevitably sacrifices himself for the good of his companions, destroying the hearts of everyone who grew emotionally attached to them. You know! Because traumatizing readers with the death of a beloved character is fun!" Everyone always talked about the deaths in fiction that impacted them the most. Sometimes, they had more staying power than even the stories end. 

[Taigakai Shikotsu-Kriita'al]

Taigakai broke into a laugh.[smear:#75daff] “Hey, hot chocolate is great, I don’t blame you!”[/smear:#824dff:0] The sound of ice scraped softly along the floor. [smear:#75daff]“Well, come on then. Can’t keep you waiting from some ‘hot choccy’, eh?”[/smear:#824dff:0] Hot choccy. Now if only he could get Seiko to say that. That would be hilarious.

As they were making their way down the hallway, of course students that knew of the two made assumptions or whispers. With Taigakai’s personality, even if a student wasn’t in trouble, there rarely ever seemed to be a dangerous air. However, 90% of the time a student was with a TA, it wasn’t a good thing. Shame that they were super wrong about this encounter.

[smear:#75daff]“A book or a movie scenario? Hmmm.”[/smear:#824dff:0] Taigakai placed a finger to his chin while he thought about it. He made a fairly effortless turn down the hall, the scenery changing from classroom to staff dormitories. [smear:#75daff]“Adventure? Maybe romance.”[/smear:#824dff:0] To be fair, this was something Taigakai never thought of. [smear:#75daff]“I’m not sure I have what it takes to be a protagonist of any sort. Maybe a supporting character?”[/smear:#824dff:0] Perhaps comedic relief with the irony that is Seiko. [smear:#75daff]“I like helping people grow. It’s also part of why I TA here. Finding students that are struggling and helping them with their issues. I want to see everyone here succeed with bright minds and hearts.” [/smear:#824dff:0]

Before he would even need to ask about Cyrus’ pick, the guy was already answering. He looked to Cyrus in time to catch his magnificent hair flip, a small laugh coming out of him. [smear:#75daff]“Well, I’m not sure that dying in a heroic fashion should be the end goal. But the idea behind what you’d like to be in a movie or book like that is telling of who you are as a person.”[/smear:#824dff:0] The first hurdle was trying to get him in a position for his peers to catch onto that too.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Hot choccy. Hell yes. The boy fist pumped a few times excitedly, unashamedly being himself. Sharp teeth pulled into a wide smile. It didn't matter how many people gave him looks, Cyrus was enjoying the little detour. If people wanted to jump to conclusions, then he wasn't going to be waiting at the bottom of the cliff to catch them. They could deal with the broken legs on their own. 

    "Adventure or romance, eh?" Squinting and leaning in, blue eyes studied the other man. Then back. The boy considered some of the stories he had read, and shows that he watched. "Hm-hmmm..." Taigakai definitely had the pretty boy look, alongside the skill and power. "Yeah I could see that. You've got the pretty face and kind personality for a romance, and I could definitely see you being featured in an adventure story. Doing some sick shit and kicking ass. And I mean, I could see you as a main character. You got the style and flair for it!"

    If not the main character, then perhaps a rival or mentor character? A friendly rival. Not an antagonistic type. That was far too cruel an archetype to give to Taigakai. Especially when the man was taking the war mage out to get some piping hot chocolate. Cyrus didn't notice the scenery change immediately. Far too wrapped up in his pondering, the boy instead toyed with different ideas. Where Taigakai would fit in a story. Where he himself would settle. Only when Taigakai spoke up again did he notice that they were now in the staff dormitories. It caught him off-guard, not once did Cyrus ever wander over this way. An alien land. 

    New territory.

    Perhaps, even dangerous waters? Probably not, that was a bit dramatic. But also, Cyrus lived to be dramatic. Actually, he lived to be fast, but drama was a close second. Kept things interesting. The war mage's eyes darted side to side, scanned and swept about the halls. He wasn't likely going to be here again, so he wanted to drink up as much as possible. Sate the new curiosity. Internally, the young man wondered which rooms belonged to which teachers. Not many discerning characteristics from the outside. A bit boring, but not unexpected. Teachers and Techers assistants had to be professional compared to students. Well, students also had to be professional, but that didn't stop the occasional door decoration. 

    Cyrus considered putting something up on his door, but always either pushed it off or decided against it. And yet, the idea still wandered back. If, say, he hypothetically decided on a design, there were no doubt going to be a lot of sharks. A legal requirement. See, in clause sixty-nine, page four-hundred-and-twenty of his contract, he was legally obligated to quote; "Commit to the Bit" and slap on as many shark-themed decorum as he could feasibly get away with. Actually, I wonder if I could get away with just mounting an entire shark mouth up on the door? The bottom jaw acting as a door knocker was a cool concept. 

[Taigakai Shikotsu-Kriita'al]

[smear:#75daff]“A protagonist?”[/smear:#824dff:0], Taigakai mused. [smear:#75daff]“I’m not so sure. Flashy is true though…”[/smear:#824dff:0] He stopped at a door, it was presumably the entrance to his room and unlocked it with a key. The room itself seemed fairly tidy, the messiest thing was probably the bed’s sheets not being super orderly. Books lined the shelves, a small space off to the side of a middle shelf held some photos. The desk seemed relatively empty save for some paperwork off to the side. It was safe to assume that Taigakai didn’t really do much in his room or wasn’t in it for very long to really get anything custom going. The only thing that really seemed odd was an overhead shelf that had some odd knicknacks on it. A molten piece of scrap, a chipped crystal, a cog, a couple small boxes, and a few other trinkets rested on the shelf. He went over to that shelf and grabbed one of the boxes to pull out a couple containers.

[smear:#75daff]“Might take longer than instant hot chocolate, but it’s worth the wait, I promise.”[/smear:#824dff:0], he said as he set the box back on the shelf. He gathered the containers in a pair of mugs and started to head out of the room. [smear:#75daff]“My hands are a bit full, could you close the door for me?”[/smear:#824dff:0], he asked while starting to skate down the hall to the staff kitchen. In the kitchens themselves, there were a couple professors talking to each other, a few quietly enjoying tea or coffee or eating something, another reading the local paper. It seemed to act like a break room of sorts, and they for the most part seemed to ignore Cyrus’ oddity of being there. Taigakai filled a kettle with water and set it to start boiling, taking the containers out of the mugs and scooped out servings by memory from the containers and mixed them up. He went to a double door pantry and opened it to grab some marshmallows and whipped cream. [smear:#75daff]“What’s your preference?”[/smear:#824dff:0], he asked Cyrus, while plopping a handful of marshmallows into a mug that was going to be his.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Damn right flashy was true. Cyrus opened his mouth to argue further. Really elaborate the finer points of his statement. In fact, he even had a whole five-page essay written up to support his claims. Unfortunately, he misplaced the papers the second the door opened. For the first ever teacher's assistant's room Cyrus had ever seen, it certainly was a room. Really whelming. Now, the young man didn't know what he was expecting when he entered Taigakai's room. Maybe some ice themes going on. Maybe a trophy from an ice skating tournament. Subtle reveal that the icey-metal mage was a former champion that tragically had an accident that cost him a crucial tournament, and now he helps at an academy to hide from the spotlight of his past life. Perfectly reasonable tragic backstories. 

    And yet, it couldn't have fit the man's vibes any better. 

    Taigakai's voice snapped the young mage out of his daydreams. "Oh, yeah, no worries. And trust me, when it comes to good hot chocolate, I can wait." Can he? Could he really? This boy who got so bored he threw himself into walls to alleviate for fun can patiently wait for something? What a miracle. The young man watched as the other mage skated off. There wasn't much to look at in Taigakai's room. Sparse decorum made it all feel just barely more than default. 

    With a hum, the boy rubbed at his chin and looked at all the barren walls. "Slap a few posters there..." He cocked his head to the side, mumbling to himself. "Maybe a graphic slapped up there... yeah that would bring the room together..." Continuing to hum, the boy paced around in a slow lap. "...splash a bit of color in here... really give it some life..." Once more, the other man's voice snapped him out of his mental redecorating. Clearing his throat and shutting the door behind him, the young war-mage tailed after his guide. 

    "Light on the whip and marshmallows, but if you got nutmeg or cinnamon I'd enjoy having that grated over top!" Surprisingly, the boy took the sweeter accessories in moderation. Cyrus didn't seem to register the other professors in the room. Not because he was trying to ignore them. More focused on his own interaction. Just like the other professors were enjoying their own worlds. 

    All the chatter was decent background noise. Enough to keep the mage's brain from blanking out. Cyrus's hips swayed back and forth. Eyes scanned the walls without his head moving too noticeably. The staff kitchen was disappointingly accurate to what the young man expected. Just once he wanted to be surprised. A giant monster skull, some sort of ominous floating eye. The Coffee Machine of the Damned! Instead he got the Coffee Machine of the Grumpy and Disheveled.

    Disappointingly mundane. 

    On the wall, a pinned flyer warned of a one eyed teacher with a shit eating grin. Along with the warning came a list of 'Do's' and 'Do Not's'. Though the list of Do Not's could have easily made up a short story. Cyrus scratched at the side of his head. Maybe he's the reason why there's no Coffee Machine of the Damned... It was funny how not even the teacher's were immune from having miscreants in their ranks. The young man made a mental note to ask Taigakai about the list later. That mental note almost immediately vanished upon getting an alluring whiff of chocolate drifting through the air. Real high quality shit, too. The TA really knew where to find the good stuff. 

    Cyrus instead made a mental note to hang around him more often. 

[Taigakai Shikotsu-Kriita'al]

[smear:#75daff]“Nutmeg and cinnamon…”[/smear:#824dff:0], Taigakai mused. [smear:#75daff]“Good choice. Hopefully there’s some floating around here somewhere.”[/smear:#824dff:0] He went to sift in a shelf that had a spice rack. It seemed like it was a fair question, some of the staff would cook for themselves here rather than getting something premade. That was just one of their own quirks though. Taigakai managed to pull out a container of nutmeg that seemed relatively full. He pulled out some cinnamon and it seemed almost empty, but there was enough for a serving of hot chocolate. [smear:#75daff]“I guess I’ll have to get more before someone throws themselves on a couch over not having enough cinnamon…”[/smear:#824dff:0], he said. [smear:#75daff]“It’s okay though, there’s enough for this.”[/smear:#824dff:0]

At least hot chocolate was simple to make so he was out of the way of staff that needed to use the kitchen as well. There was extra water in the kettle should they also want to use it for tea or something. Taigakai blended in some milk as well to make the drinks a bit creamier, and tried to fix up Cyrus’ how he described it. [smear:#75daff]“It’s not anything super fancy but it should do. It’s a little hot so let it cool for a bit before trying it.”[/smear:#824dff:0] Taigakai on the other hand seemed completely fine holding a scalding hot mug, but with what Cyrus just learned, the reason behind it was probably fairly obvious.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Waiting in a room full of professors was more than a little awkward. Cyrus clearly didn't belong there. Despite the young man's anxieties, none of the others in the room seemed to be paying attention to anything or anyone besides whatever they were doing. Well, they were either on break or they were working on their own things. Lesson plans, grading, research papers. So on. Not having any eyes on him definitely made the young war mage feel a little bit better in the middle of the teacher chamber. Then again, they did spend all day dealing with potentially hundreds of students at a time, so not wanting to socialize with anyone in the lounge was a fair wish. 

    As soon as Taigakai rounded the corner, all pretense about awkwardness vanished. Instead, the boy immediately began to vibrate. Literally. It almost looked as though Cyrus was about to detonate from the force of excitement. It took great force and willpower for the young mage to cease his vibrations. Given all the professors that surrounded him, he was certain none of them wanted to be doused in piping hot chocolate. The restraint Cyrus showed was honestly impressive. Especially once he took the cup in his hand and had to resist scalding his mouth, throat, stomach, lips, tongue.

    Pride. 

    Focused. Calm. The boy was zen incarnate. The world around him no longer existed. Cyrus was one with the universe, and the universe was him. All was peaceful. All was qui- he downed the entire mug in one go, using war magic to reinforce his endurance. To be fair to the boy, he lasted far longer than anyone should have expected out of him. Once the mug was emptied, the boy bit back an exclamation. Sure, he could reinforce himself, but it was still hot. He still had his taste buds. Still hurt though. The young mage looked up towards Taigakai. Wiped off some whipped cream. Offered the cup back to the other man. 

    Mouth open, the boy sucked in a deep breath. Exhaled. Then grit his pointed teeth with a twisted expression, clearly doing his best to both smile and also not scream. "Ow..." he hissed. "...Hot..." a wheeze escaped him, the hyper active speedster deflating. "I knew it was gonna happen but it smelled so good." Smile still on his lips, tears welled in the corners of his eyes. Not that he was going to break down sobbing, or anything. The boy was simply animated. Cyrus made sure to keep his voice down while he continued. "It tasted great too! So great, that I made sure to drink it slowly!" 

    Slowly. Sure. Right. Moving on. Cyrus shook himself out and smiled up at Taigakai. "Well, this was nice. But I should probably get out of your hair." Especially because the guy had no clue how to talk to someone who, themselves, talked incredibly sparingly. Hard to have a conversation when they didn't say much. Not that the ice mage was bad to hang out with! Not at all! But also the young war mage, by contrast, had a brain that ran a hundred miles a minute. And he must be allowed to run free. Free to roam the country side. Free to run into every single wall he dreamed of. Cyrus began to stretch himself out, limbering up his limbs. "If you ever wanna hang out again, well, I mean, I'm pretty sure you know where to find me!"

    With a grin and two casual finger pistols shooting out at the other man, Cyrus backed out of the lounge and gave a two finger salute. "Catch you around, Taigakai." And off he ran. Leaving Taigakai with the empty cup and the memories of being used as a sled earlier in the day. Good times.