RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
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Vesix approaches Alanar, her hooves clip-clopping on the stone floor, hands folding behind her back. Hokuto seems to be prepared for Vesix's reaction, though it's clear the Tian woman has not warned her students about Vesix's demeanor, or outlook on the world. "And when you fail them, and they die, what will your magic be for then? Do not answer — I do not care about your answer. You must. Dwell on it."
Then down the line she moves to Alyona, looking the blonde up and down once with a flick of her dark eyes. "Smart girl," she murmurs, "you'd had a head start on these ones." Taeo is next, finding himself under the forlarren's scrutiny, one of her cervidae ears twitching briefly.
"You need to focus," comes the sharply worded rebuking. "Do not let others define what you are. You are not clay, you are the sculptor. Put your hands around your life, and make it what you want." Vesix raises a hand to point at her brow, where a mark is tattooed on her flesh. "You will learn that your perceptions shape everything. Focus them, or you will be consumed by them."
Erik gets a side-long look from Vesix, who moves down the line to him next. "You are greedy, unrealistically ambitious, and worst of all is your grin." Vesix stoops to put herself more at Erik's height, and to get in his face some. "Grin that way at me again and I will-- "
Hokuto clears her throat, gently, and Vesix pauses in mid-tirade to look at the Tian woman. Slowly, Vesix stands up straight and crosses her arms over her chest. A warning look is flashed to Anlessa, and to those who did not speak up is merely a look to disappointment.
"Too servile," Vesix jabs verbally at Shenhua, "too certain" is lobbed at Deriku, "too humble," is launched at Aldon, "and too meek" lastly hits Ilesea, who visibly flinches at the words and looks at her feet.
"At the end of this year you will have been taught the basics of sorcery. You all have potential for this much, but unless you put aside your childish ways you will not succeed at more than tricks." Vesix motions to the mark on her brow again. "In one year's time you will participate in the Calling. If you fail that test, you will be forced to leave Akrabahadran."
Shenhua glances at Hokuto with a brow raised, but Hokuto does not respond, merely making a subtle gesture for the younger easterner to pay attention to Vesix.
"When you come to me to learn advanced sorcerous arts, you will have passed your calling and begun the true path. Until then, you are nothing more than spoiled children given an opportunity they do not deserve." The fiendish fey creature tilts her chin up, eyes narrowed. "Find your strength. Prove me wrong."
Seemingly finished, Hokuto clears her throat again and gives a brief —though awkward — smile to the students. Deriku seems put off by Vesix's attitude, while Shenhua seems both unimpressed and frustrated. Ilesea looks humbled and timid, perhaps proving Vesix's point.
"Unless, ah, anyone had anything... else," Hokuto glances over her shoulder to the forlarren, "to say to Vesix," then back to her students, "we should probably move on."
___________
Alyona fights hard to keep a smile off her face, and mostly succeeds. Only a momentary quirk of the corner of her mouth makes it past her mental defenses. She shakes her head to Hokuto and offers a slight bow to Vesix.
The ifrit steps in between Ilesea and Vesix, feeling that this woman is rather mean. Though he does ponder what he would use magic for if he had no one he cared for to protect. Which seemed rather ludicrous, unrealistic to actually happen. He had plenty of people to protect, and there would only be more in the future. Though he did have one question that seemed important.
"What is the Calling?" He asked. "No, rather, what are we Calling?"
Erik goes white, involuntarily leaning back with an expression of shock as Vesix verbally flays him. For a moment after she moves on, he remains rooted in place... but of everything she's said, it is the last jab that strikes deepest, that echoes in his head like mocking laughter he cannot shut out. 'Nothing more than spoiled children given an opportunity they do not deserve...'
Erik's expression shifts, the animation draining out of it. Though most of his face remains pale, two spots of color bloom high on his cheeks; his lips curve up ever so slightly, but the expression on his face bears little resemblance to his usual grin. Oh, did that one strike close to the heart, Erik? Draw a little blood? Good. It's time to wake up. The dream is over; this is reality... and no matter where you go, there you are, that awful voice sneers in Erik's mind.
Shut. Up. Erik thinks, mercilessly battering it to the back of his mind again; it chuckles mirthlessly as it goes.
Erik regards the instructor expressionlessly for a moment, but he says nothing before he turns towards Hokuto, waiting for her to lead them out of there.
Taeo blinks a few times at the rebuke, but doesn't frown or flinch; one gets the sense from his expression that passionate outbursts have been a common occurrence in his childhood in the First World.
Still, his jaw grates a bit as the Niscani turns away. She doesn't know me! he thinks initially...but after he cools down, he ruminates a bit more.
OK...I could use a bit more focus. But what exactly does she mean, "Put your hands around your life, and make it what you want...You will learn that your perceptions shape everything"?
As they start to shuffle out of Vesix's classroom, Taeo sidles up next to Alyona and whispers, "There are so many secrets here. You see it don't you? You heard Danos’ tone when he said deception isn’t taught here, right? And Hokuto’s given us a stack of sideways answers. Why do you think they really brought us here?"