I found my dorm room pretty big for me. I didn't really have anything to decorate the walls with but I did end up making sure all my clothes and things were put away. In the morning I make sure to get my and uniform on and button up the blazer. Though the tie was difficult to do. It took me a few minutes to get it right. I make sure my skirt is positioned right and my hairpins are in before heading out of my dorm room when it was close to class time. Once I make it to class I head in seeing Ms. Lilly with a smile. She seemed really nice as I sat down and looked to the cake she handed out curiously. I would take a bite of the cake relishing the flavor. But I no longer felt tired at all anymore. That was amazing. Further along as she was showing off the salve I was concerned about how she had purposely hurt herself, though I was glad that the solve did the trick. I blink a moment in surprise seeing her talk about a class field trip. But I still get up and walk myself out towards Ms. Lilly ready to go.
"How'd you sleep?" Tam asked Noroi when they got to class that morning. "Better than the dead," Noroi said. "That's not saying a lot, of course." The two boys had sat next to Cindy upon entering the classroom, and nodded in greeting at her. "Morning," Cindy said, tasting the cake. Tam hesitated upon first glance, but took a bite. "It's strawberry, not lemon," Noroi stated. They watched the introduction, Cindy wincing at the cut, then followed the teacher outside. "Morning, Joe," Tam said, greeting the boy. "How'd you sleep?"
I fixed Tam with a cold glare. "Not throwing shoes at me today? Shocking." I said, I walked out of the class briskly to escape from the fairy. I looked at the teacher and noticed something that would cause a lot of complications... "Ma'am... you forgot to put your staff away." I said sighing. She looked at me and then over at her staff. "Oh, that's right, silly me." She said, she rubbed the back of her head and suddenly threw her staff in the air, it glowed brightly and then shrunk until it was something that could fit into the palm of one's hand. It landed back in her hand and put it in her hair. It had turned into a barrette, The clip itself was made of wood while the design was gold and had small rubies, it was shaped just like the staff's head was. "There we go, all better... er... don't tell anyone I showed you this, especially that old grouch Mr. Simmons, he'd have my head for showing off something he was going to show you today... er... just act all surprised when you see his demonstration, K?" She asked. "Now, onward to victory!" She said grinning and then down the hall, into the entryway, and out to the front of the school. "Oi vey... this is going to be a very long day, isn't it...?" I muttered to myself as I followed the rest of the students.
"Can I please throw something at him?" Noroi asked. Tam shook his head. "I'll apologize for it later," the fairy said. "I kind of lost my temper." "Be thankful he didn't say that to your older siblings," the half dragon said. "They would have cursed him." Tam nodded, then scowled. "You aren't writing to them, are you?" he asked. "I haven't said a word about your boyfriend," Noroi said. Tam nodded absently for a few minutes, then paused. "HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"
I looked over my shoulder when I heard that fairy suddenly yell something about someone not being his boyfriend... "...Idiot." I thought, I looked around where we were... the shopping district, not too far from the school... I've been past this place hundreds of times and I've never seen a store that sold mandrake root... I didn't really trust this teacher's judgement... she seemed... to put it lightly... a complete and total ditz. Lily suddenly stopped in front of an alley. "Ah, here we are!" She said. Most of the students looked completely confused, she suddenly raised her arm and pink energy flowed at the tip of her outstretched index finger and she slowly brought it down... the buildings... they began to pull apart revealing a new street altogether... we could see that those alleys had formed to make a single one... they were actually two halves that seemed to have fused together... she turned around smiling. "Welcome to the Magic District! You can get all of your magical and not-so-everyday items here!" She said smiling, with that she turned and walked down the street. It was bustling with people and creatures of all kinds. Small shops lined the streets, they had an assortment of things in the windows. Weapons of all kinds, staffs and wands in another, clothing, armor, accessories, both regular and enchanted, pets, cauldrons, alchemical equipment, and much more, it was a mix of the mundane and the magical. She smiled at us. "Feel free to take a look around, but be sure to not wander off too far and do be back here in fifteen minutes, we do need to get back to class after all." She said smiling. "Oh, and if you want to come back later, you can, no spells required, it's just a one time thing that a newcomer has to go through, remember, fifteen minutes, right here!" She called out as the students dispersed, she walked into the shop we were outside, 'Mystical Secrets'. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I sighed and looked around quietly as everyone walked off to go do some window shopping or actual shopping. "What to do..." I mumbled, I looked between one of the book shops and a weapon shop we had passed. Two of my very few hobbies were reading and kendo. I wouldn't mind checking out a katana or picking up a book... one would have to wonder what kind of books they'd have, or the level of craftsmanship they had for weapons... a new katana would be kind of cool, hang up my current one and use a new and improved one... "What to do...?" I mumbled once more as I began walking.
Tam and Noroi had also gone in the direction of the weapons shop, Noroi flipping through his wallet. "I might be able to get a wakizashi," he said. "Depending on the price..." "I can get you a sword if need be..." Tam said, glancing to the side. "No, it's fine," Noroi said. "I can afford it myself." Tam looked embarrassed, rubbing his right arm with his left hand. "If you say so..." ----- Cindy waved at Chrysalis, grinning. "They have a book store. I'm in heaven," she grinned.
I didn't notice that Tam and Noroi were heading to the weapon shop... I had decided I'd spend a few minutes in there before heading over to the book shop... well... if I didn't get to go to the book store now, I could always go after school. I walked inside, despite the heavy smoke above it, it was rather cool inside. A lightly muscled red haired woman in an apron was standing behind the counter. "Welcome!" She called out cheerfully. "If there's anything that you need I'll do my best to help, we also give discounts to all Athena Academy Students." She said. I merely nodded at her and began to look around. I eventually found the swords and katanas. I let out a low whistle as I picked up a katana with a black hilt and steel, or at least I believed it was steel, blade. I held it in my hands, swung it a few times experimentally in an empty corner, and ran my hand down the blade softly. "Well balanced, no noticeable defects... the craftsmanship is wonderful." I thought. That young woman behind the counter could probably put blacksmiths around the world to shame. "...I doubt that I'd be able to pay for this, even with that weird student discount." I muttered finally, I put the katana back on the stand.
Noroi was also looking at the Japanese weapons, eyeing what looked like a smaller katana. "Uhhu, question," Noroi said. "Any chance we could work out a payment plan?" Nearby, Tam was glancing through the rapiers, holding up one with a basket handle.
I looks towards Cindy as she gets my attention and quickly walk over to her. "Yes they do have a bookstore....perhaps we should check it out then if you really want to go? I am curious myself on what kind of books they sell. We just have to keep track of the time. " I glance at the different shops down the street. "This place is amazing. I never would have imagined a place just for magic users to buy things....though thinking about it, it would be obvious they'd have their own places to shop." I give a small sigh.
"It kind of reminds me of Harry Potter," Cindy said. "Surprised we haven't seen a wizarding bank." She shrugged and walked into the book store. "Hello there," the woman behind the counter said. "In need of a textbook? We offer discounts to Athena Academy students." Behind her, an older man was stocking books.
I blink a bit. "Harry Potter?....Hmm." I follow Cindy inside of the store looking around. "Wow there are so many books.....oh textbooks. That's right. I don't need them yet but I suppose this is where we will have to come back to get them...That's good to know."
I looked at the price tags quietly, the ones that weren't in cases were a couple hundred dollars, a little more expensive than what you'd find anywhere else, but of course it was a small store and the craftsmanship definitely made the extra price worth it, the ones in cases cost between a couple thousands of dollars all the way to millions, it was the same for other weapons. "Man... what's so special about those...?" I muttered. "Probably nothing." I thought, a way to no doubt get stupid people with way too much money to buy them to be able to brag to people that he bought an assortment of weapons that cost him millions of dollars. A voice piped up behind me. "Those katanas are very special." It was a woman's voice, I turned around to see the shopkeeper. "They're made with very special and rare materials and very powerful enchantments, I'd like to say they're the best in the world, buuuut there's a lot more talented people than me around, I can at least say that my weapons can blow any normal mortal's out of the water... but if you try to steal one, I'll pound your face in until not even you can recognize yourself." She said smiling, she then turned to Noroi. "I do, but if you don't pay up, I have permission to break your kneecaps everyday until I receive payment." She said smiling pleasantly. "So, anything that catches your attention?~" She asked cheerfully. "...This woman is insane." I thought, she could openly threaten us without batting an eye... I didn't doubt that she couldn't fulfill those promises. That wasn't cockiness in her voice, it was definitely confidence. I glanced at the katanas quietly. "...Nothing." I said finally. Though, that was a bald faced lie. I would have killed to have one of those katanas, but I didn't have enough money for such things and my parents certainly wouldn't allow me to borrow the money for one, their reason would be something like 'We got you a perfectly fine sword', at which point I'd correct them that it was a katana, not a sword, 'You don't need a new one', at which point it'd end up in a huge argument about how the one they got me was a kid's toy at best, they bought the cheapest one they could so then I would shut up about it. It was made with cheap materials by some guy that was likely drunk while making it, I bet that I could snap it if I applied just enough pressure, it wobbled whenever I swung it or even just held it. I hated it with a passion.
Tam hesitated for the briefest of seconds. "I'll take one of those," he said, pointing at the case full of katanas. "Something between the fifteen hundred and two thousand range. I'll also take a rapier and a wazikashi in the same range. The best in those ranges, of course." Noroi made a strangled sound of protest that Tam ignored.
The shopkeeper crossed her arms. "Do you actually have the money for it, or the means to actually make the monthly payments? Because I don't think I'll let you out with at the very least 4,500 dollars worth of my wares without some guarantee that I won't be there the very next month in the middle of the night to bust your kneecaps and give you the choice to find that money veeeery quickly or I just take that sword back and keep what you've paid. Besides I can't exactly say which is 'best' everyone has their own preferences and there's different sets of enchantments on each weapon, for that price it'd be steel weaponry and at best elemental enchantments, not that powerful, but definitely gives you a bit of an edge in battle." She said crossing her arms. I rolled my eyes quietly, hearing that annoying fairy throwing around his weight really annoyed me. I sighed deeply and walked out of the shop briskly and began walking toward the book store, I had about ten minutes left before we had to gather around. "Damn fairy." I muttered.
"Hold that thought," Tam said, walking out and leading Joe back into the weapons store. "You heard the lady, now go pick a katana!" Tam pushed Joe towards the weapons, and then pointed at a pink tinted rapier, fairy wings decorating the handle. "I'll take that."
Suddenly the door of the shop opens and a tall redhead in a red bikini top, leather pants and a leather jacket walks into the shop. She walks towards the counter, her heeled boots clicking against the floor as she whipped her hair out of her face and spoke with a soft Scottish brogue towards the shopkeeper,"I'm here to pick up my order. Cormac." She tapped her manicured black nails against the counter, her two large battle axes crisscrossed on her back leaving room to show the words CORMAC in white stitching on her jacket. She pulled out a wad of cash from her back pocket and dropped it on the counter. "Money's on the counter." she yelled towards the back. She chewed slowly, turning to lean on the counter as she viewed the other shoppers through a pair of black shades. She smirked, remaining silent as she waited for her package.
Noroi glanced at the newcomer, then winced. "3...2...1..." A purple rose suddenly appeared in front of the woman. "A powerful woman such as yourself deserves a powerful rose to accentuate her beauty," Tam cooed, ever the pleasant gentleman. His posture was not one of romance, but of genuine praise.
Erza blushed, grabbing the rose and bringing it up to her nose,"Well aren't you a modern day gentleman. Thanks darling." She smiled, pulling away her glasses to show light green eyes and a long scar that ran over her left lid down to her cheek."You're not so bad yourself, handsome." She righted herself and put the rose behind her ear,"So what are you looking for? Gun?...no...sword. Yeah you look like a sword user..possibly something light...Rapier. You like a rapier right! You can tell by your hands. They have a good selection here. You should be happy."
I gasped as I felt someone grab me and led me back into the store. I glared at Tam. "Ugh... I don't need your charity." I said annoyed, I turned to leave, only to be stopped in my tracks by some woman that really needed to put a shirt on... I stepped out of her way and watched as the fairy started flirting with her. I rolled my eyes and walked out briskly. I didn't want to owe anyone anything, and I especially didn't want anything from him. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Huh... usually men try to avoid my more feminine works, some tend to go for the largest blades I have... that's when you know that they're trying to compensate for something." She said as she grabbed the rapier and took it behind the counter. She looked at the woman that entered and rolled her eyes. "Someone's an attention whore." She thought, she sighed deeply and walked into the back room. The second that she opened the door everyone could feel the immense heat of the forge flow through. She came back minutes later and set the box down in front of her. "There you are, don't do anything you'll regret with them." She said simply as she counted out the cash and put it into the cash register.
"True beauty should not be restricted to masculine or feminine terms. Whether it's the beauty of a warrior in battle or the beauty of the rose on a sunlight morn. Both can be enjoyed by both sexes." Noroi stood in disbelief as he watched is friend. Faires are... weird. he decided.
I look throughout the books seeing several different kinds. "Wow. So many of these look fascinating.....But I should probably save my money for the textbooks. I'll have to find those out first." I sigh before heading towards the door. "Cindy? I'm going to go wait for the teacher. I don't want to lose track of time and end up being left behind. I'll see you in a bit."
Erza popped a bubble and ripped open the box chucking it over the counter onto the floor,"Thanks they're splendid." She held up the new knuckledusters up in the air and then slipped them onto her fingers before leaning against the wooden counter her finger grazing lightly over the wood as she spoke clearly,"I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to help create such fabulous weapons. The detail is absolutely fabulous. My father makes them with blades but I always liked the feel of bone snapping underneath my own knuckles. Anywho, have a good one, love!" She moved away from the counter and nodded towards the new guy who flirted with her,"Well you're absolutely gorgeous regardless my Darling. Are you buying anything?" She smoothed out her jacket, and placed her weapons in the pocket, completely forgetting the uniform that was what she was supposed to be wearing.
"A couple pieces for friends, plus something for myself," Tam said as Noroi stood there with his wazikashi. The half dragon looked torn as Tam grabbed the weapon and placed it on the counter. "And a decent katana for the friend who left," Tam said to the owner. "I feel that he is outranked here." ------ Next door, Cyndy waved farewell to Chrysalis and browsed the books. So many... She looked up as the door opened again. "Oh. Hello, Joe."
"Of course, and how will you be paying?" The shopkeeper asked, she was pretty wary of people trying to rip her off. Those that tried... learned never to do it again if they valued living a peaceful existence without the need of others caring for them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I sighed deeply as I walked into the book store... it was that annoying girl from yesterday, I merely ignored her and began looking through the books... they were mixtures of bestiaries, spell books, normal novels, and biographies from characters from folklore and fairy tales. I went over to the spell books and saw one on light magic. I pulled it from the shelf and began to flip through it quietly... it wasn't that expensive, I could get it for myself. I walked up to the counter and set it down. A frail looking guy with black hair and glasses rung it up quietly. "F-Fifteen dollars please." He said quietly, stuttering nervously, I pulled out my wallet and put the money on the counter and took my book quietly.
"I could give you my firstborn child, but that went out of style when my great grandmother was young," Tam chuckled, pulling out a pouch. He laid down three gold coins the size of a decent sized wrist band. "I believe this is more than enough, unless you prefer dollar bills. Yes, it's real gold." Behind Tam, Noroi shook his head and muttered something in Japanese. ---- Cindy sighed, and got a book on summoning, paid, and left the shop.
