With trepidation, Jules listened to Sera. Gargoyles that eat people, huh? Oh, it piqued his interest even more, but he had to remind himself that where danger lurked, death followed. He wasn't quite ready to die just yet. Since his offensive magic wasn't as good as his defensive magic, he'd have to stay away. He'd have no way of defending himself. He could create light constructs, but how could he use them? He wasn't particularly skilled with a weapon. "Someone who never came back after they went in…" He frowned. "I'm sorry for that poor person… if the rumor is true… the investigation must have been fascinating." Jules had yet to develop a passion for healing (No trauma yet). He wanted to learn more about magic and look into strange occurrences. He spent much of his childhood investigating secret passages with his siblings before their parents discovered them and used magic to seal the passage's doorways. He still had the same sense of awe, but that would soon change. His insatiable curiosity could be his eventual downfall, but his formative years would mold him into the sweet and gentle adult he would become. Even more so than he is at thirteen. (Foreshadowing! :)
"My parents didn't say much about this school to me, but I could tell they were hiding something. Some say my father got himself into a lot of trouble, despite the fact that he is now a rule-abiding and kind-hearted man. I'm curious if it was related to the forest." Jules' eyes twinkled, and the white specks glowed brightly. "Fighting real monsters…that sounds very dangerous." He wasn't stupid, but he was curious. He fought the urge to let his curiosity get the best of him and abandoned his risky plans. "Plus, I'm not sure I'm capable of fighting real monsters…" Jules' demeanor changed abruptly as he considered his magical abilities. That piqued curiosity quickly morphed into preeminent fear. He wasn't as daring as he made you believe. After all, people could easily manipulate him. Jules examined his wristwatch. "It's almost time for the bell to ring."
"Mm..yeah, I mean what would I even do, splash them with some water?" Squid snorts quietly, looking over at Jules. He's just agreeing that he too probably wouldn't be good at fighting, at least not at the skill level he's at. Despite his parents rigorously training him night and day even before school, he still hardly passed by the entrance exam. If only water wasn't such a..passive thing, most the time. Sure you can drown people with it but it's also what gives things life, which is like, the opposite of what you want to do during combat. And he doubts that's going to change, he'd probably be more of a passive witch anyways. Yknow, healing, and stuff. (Squid you're terribly wrong, but i admire the child-like innocence you still possess.)
"Oh, really? I swear we just walked in.." Squid tilts his head, glancing at Jules's wristwatch as well. Of course he couldn't really read it, but it felt like time just went super fast as soon as they entered the classroom. Maybe that's just a thing that happens on the first day, I mean you don't do much on the first day anyways, right-
(I was looking for specific powers for Squid and randomized it and everything, and I got polar opposites- literally healing and f-ing bloodbending, although idk if that'd be possible in this universe)
(Anything is possible if its logistical. Water is a liquid and could be manipulated. However cause we’re young, I would prefer if we can work on forming these power, not just magically have them when we get super angry. Cause character delevopment is a beautiful thing and I love it)
(Ofc ofc, I feel like Squid would naturally lean more towards healing anyways. Ofc he'd had to develop both powers, but would only heavily rely on the one, manipulating blood and liquids in a person's body is honestly scary-)
(I want Sera to learn how to teleport using atmospheric electricity at some point. )
The bell rung, interrupting the students chatter.
"Time for history, yay." Although excited about learning, Sera was a little bummed about having her first lesson be history. Yeah history was fun and all and you could learn about your ancestors and elders of the land, Sera was super pumped for Elemental Training, which the second subject on her schedule. Sera was already above average for Elemental wielding and she couldn't wait to learn more so she could become the best of the best, like her parents. She had also heard many stories of the great Teresa Carroll, the greatest and most powerful witch in Asura.
Sera collected her books off her desk and waited for her classmates to join her in walking to the history classroom.
(I was thinking about weaknesses for Jules and I think if he can blind someone with his powers, he could burn his retinas too if he wasn't careful. Maybe half of light elements are blind because of this, or maybe only if it happens at a young age. Like their retinas become immune to damage as they age. Ideas)
Jules smiled as he blinked at Squid's joke. He stood up and closed his satchel tightly. After the bell had stopped, it rung in his ears, reverberating around his head. Sound was sensitive to him, but light didn't bother him. He was uninterested in the history of his world or the next class because he was afraid he would embarrass himself. He accidentally brushed up against Sera, pulling his hand away as the two exchanged static shocks. It felt like there was an electric charge around her all the time, but he knew it was just a small transfer from some material. Jules let out a sigh. "History appears to be alright.." Nothing involving magic, but that was okay. He wasn’t in any rush. Yes, he wanted to improve his skill and work hard to do so, but the fear of making a mistake lingered in his mind. His parents, as they always were, would be proud of him. Whatever the case may be. That's what he was told. He stood near Sera, a little bleary-eyed as he watched the others pack up their belongings, lost in thought. It seemed to happen frequently to him, but when he snapped out of it, his energy returned.
Jules accidentally brushed up against Sera and she noticed him rush away as she shocked him. She was used to the feeling as she had shocked many people before.
She smirked at him, “Looks like we have a spark.”
(Ik this is stupid and hardly power related but when he starts using his powers more Squids fingers would perpetually be wrinkly, like what happens in baths. I don't make the rules-)
Squid hums quietly as he gathers up his books and water else he had brought, standing up out of his desk. He glances over at Sera, wow that's a shitty joke- he smiles a little to himself as he stands there for a minute, before slowly meandering towards the classroom door. He doesn't want to be late for history, despite the fact that he doesn't really like history. He can make himself sit through it and learn but hes not enjoying one bit of it. Which sucks because his mom has a huge thing for history-
Jules blinked a few times, frozen while trying to comprehend what Sera had just said. He "blushes" slightly in embarrassment and takes a small step back to avoid being shocked again. He wasn't prepared for that string of words to come out of her mouth, and he wasn't sure what to do. He inhaled deeply and tightened his grip on his satchel's strap. Jules, on the other hand, was dreading going to History. He decided it would be worthwhile to give it a shot anyway. He trailed Squid to the classroom door, lingering close to him. He gave Squid a sweet smile while keeping a close eye on Sera, his cheeks glowing slightly. Squid provided him with a sense of security, owing to the fact that he had known and spoken with him the longest. If one thought 12 minutes was a long time.
Squid glances back at Jules, returning the others smile with one of his own. He would say how nice the others smile is but that'd be a weird thing to say to someone he just met, despite Jules being one of the only people he's really talked to other than Sera. So he just smiles back before exiting the classroom, of course not minding that Jules is trailing behind him. I mean, they do have the same class that they need to go to, and Squid would probably do the same if Jules was in front. He tends to stick to a few specific people and then never branch out with other friends-
Squid hums quietly as he tries navigating the hallway, which was full of other students making the commute to their classes. He has a general sense of where history might be, his parents did spare him some time this morning and kindof explained the layout of the school. Well, more like made general suggestions, but still-
"You're going the wrong way." Sera had been walking with the two and called them out when they made the wrong turn. "It's up here." She pointed to the spiral staircase the lead to the history room, up in the northern tower. It was easy to miss if one wasn't paying attention. "Come on! This classroom looks the nicest." Sera dashed up the stairs and opened the large wooden door to reveal the circular room. It was decorated with maps and old drawings of creatures and famous witches. Around the wall, close to the roof, was a singular stretch of a book shelf that held important books for the class. Anything else could be found in the library. A moving ladder was attached to the shelf and could be pushed around the perimeter of the class, allowing access to any book.
"Oh, uh..thanks Sera." Squid laughs in mild embarrassment, heading for the staircase instead of where he was originally going. Hopefully Jules still follows, although he doesn't know why the other wouldn't. But you never know, maybe the other witch didn't hear Sera.
Squid climbs up the stairs and enters the classroom through the doors, looking around in awe. As a somewhat-bookworm just the sheer amount of books in here made his mind very happy, just wait until he sees the library though- eventually he steps out of the way of the doors in case anyone else is coming up, quietly observing the drawings and paintings covering the walls. He's always loved drawings of animals and such, but I'd bet he can't name more than 3 of the famous witches-
"It's cool right?" Sera grinned, "This classroom is my favourite cause its so pretty. Plus we can learn about famous witches." Sera looked at an old drawing pinned on the wall, "That's Jassika the Great. She's one of my most favourite witches. Famous for winning the Great Gargoyle War, when the gargoyles started a war with us witches and almost over threw us. The war is a reminder for the gargoyles that we are much more powerful than them and their evil ways."
Jules followed Squid up the stairwell, his face flushed with embarrassment. You're a moron. You should have looked for a map or something like that. Something that could have pointed you in the right direction. He carefully ascended the steps, avoiding falling backward. The spiral stairs reminded Jules of the ones in his house as he swayed back and forth. He reached the top, lagging behind Squid and Sera. The heavy books did him a disservice. He entered the classroom and ran into Squid. "Please accept my apologies." Jules shook his head and raised his head to take a look around the room. He takes a look at the bookshelf. Perhaps history can be tolerated. Well, he only despised certain periods of history. He pondered the old portraits, attempting to identify the individuals depicted.
“Gargoyles? AND THEY WANT US TO FIGHT THEM!?” Now, this boy was terrified. Fear was more powerful than anything else. He couldn't believe a stoney creature could be on the verge of overthrowing a dominant species. At least that is what he was taught they were dominant. If he was to kill a gargoyle, he’d have to really work on his magical offense skills. To put it another way, to stay alive. He hoped he had misunderstood what Sera had said about the forest training.
"I guess so. We'll probably learn a lot more about them in History and Elemental Training." Sera said. "I don't know much about them, only what I've heard from my parents. Come on, lets take a seat." The seating arrangements were set up in a semi circle, to adapt to the circular room, with three rows of six with an isle down the middle. Sera picked a spot in the middle row on the left, sitting furthest from the isle.
"Wh- we're..supposed to train against the very things that almost wiped us all out?" Squid looks away from the walls to look at Sera, frowning a little but following and sitting about midway between Sera and the isle. He's hoping the same people sit next to them in this class too, like Jules and Ena. It would suck if they sat all the way across the room.
For a moment he continues looking at the walls, specifically focusing on the drawing of Jassika the Great. He can't imagine winning a whole war against gargoyles, even helping a tiny bit sounds atrocious. Suddenly he became the tiniest bit fearful, having gargoyles supposedly right next to the school, albeit in the forest, stressed him out and supplied his mind with many wonderful scenarios of getting attacked. He knows the gargoyles wouldn't leave the woods, because if they could wouldn't they have done if already, but still.
"Well I'm sure that they're a lot weaker now. The Great Gargoyle War was centuries ago and we haven't had any gargoyle attacks since then. People have been hunting them and we seem to be winning so maybe they evoled, but in the opposite direction?" Sera shrugged.
Jules took a seat near Sera and Squid, terrified of what he had just learned. His excitement had faded, and he was now preoccupied with the possibility of his own death. But, if they couldn't fight back, wouldn't they all be dead? Furthermore, this was a centuries-old event. Take a deep breath, Jules. Concentrate on something intriguing. He looked at Jassika's portrait. NO Jules! Choose something else. He took a novel from his satchel, opened it to the chapter where he had left off, and lost himself in the words to distract himself from the killer creatures in the woods. He couldn't get a single thought out of his head. “Why would they try to overthrow us? What happened?” Jules raised his eyes from his book. He wasn’t too familiar with these tales. “Did we oppose on their territory?” He gave Sera a puzzled look. "Evolved in the opposite direction? Maybe for the sake of species survival…but that doesn't make sense." Jules was trying to make sense of it all.
"I'm not really sure. The war did come out of no where as gargoyles where believed to be sentient creatures made of stone and suddenly they were alive a attacking witches. But no one really knows the reasoning for it. Hopefully we might learn something in history or from teachers."
Squid shrugs, frowning a bit deeper. 'Evolving in the opposite direction'? Uhuh, sure. What if they're just waiting, biding their time- wait, no! Ugh, he can't let himself keep thinking stuff like that. That stuffs the reason he can't sleep sometimes at night, or has frequent nightmares about everything that could possibly go wrong. He finally looks away from the drawing, tapping his fingers on his desk as he focuses on Sera. He wants answers just as much as Jules does. Hopefully the witch knows more, or has some theories that could put his mind at ease.
"Oh? Well..I guess, although answers sooner would be nice.." He mumbles, sighing as his eyes drop down to the desk again. Well so much for putting his mind at ease.
“But hey, it sounds fun and if we’re ever in trouble, I’m always up for a little adventure.”
Jules gave Sera's words some thought. An unexpected war? That seems shady. Why would Gargoyles want to fight witches in battle? His fear suddenly gave way to curiosity. Additionally, he believed that gargoyles weren't sentient creatures, only ones that guarded to fend off evil spirits. However, those same guards were actually the evil spirits. Interesting. "There must be a justification. I almost want to ask a gargoyle a question (More foreshadowing). Ask them why they despise us so much, perhaps." Jules questioned whether it had to do with guarding young or claiming new territory. Perhaps there was no explanation, and they simply enjoyed the flesh of witches. Maybe they found it to be sweet.
"Before embarking on an adventure, I'd like to at least finish my first day of school. Possibly after school we could do something." Jules reasoned that they could stay out of the forest by exploring the town or looking into specific areas of the school grounds. He was certain that he wanted to talk to a gargoyle—possibly a friendly one who lived outside the forest and wouldn't try to rip off his face. He required a ton of elemental training before he even dared to enter the forest. Jules thought he had heard the teacher enter, so he looked up. He nearly screamed when he saw a huge gargoyle standing close by. He had to shake his head to realize it was another witch. Maybe it was the teacher. Was he causing another scene or was he just delusional?
“Hi?” He inquired. He was completely out of it if there was anyone there. Sera had so many scenarios and ideas swirling around in his head that he appeared ill. He wasn't aware of the bell ringing, but he knew class had to have begun by scanning the space. Kids were probably going to make fun of this poor boy lost in his own thoughts. Jules felt like the walls were closing in around him.
"Welcome class!" The door burst opened and walked a young teacher, wearing many trinkets and loose clothing, "I am your history teacher this year and my name is Ms. Delany. Please feel free to sit where you desire and get comfy as we are in for a journy through history this year!" Ms. Delany heaved her plie of papers and books onto the teachers desk and turned to the classroom with a wide smile. She was clearly passionate about history and wished to share her passion with new students.
Before laying his head back in his arms, Jules was able to have one good glance at Ms. Delaney. He suddenly felt dizzy and he was having trouble catching a good breath. If the thought of being massacred by numerous gargoyles made him queasy, his voyage through history would not be comfortable. He yearned for some fresh air for he felt trapped in this space. Nevertheless, he continued on and raised his head to see Ms. Delaney grin at each pupil in the classroom. With all the tiny accessories she wore, he found her figure to be quite fascinating. Undoubtedly a peculiar one. He made an effort to maintain control and avoid making a disturbance, putting his book aside. Jules was going to survive this and leave unscathed. Jules looked over at Squid to see whether he shared the same sentiments. He was certain that it was simply him. Sera's stories had caused him anxiety, so at least he wasn't going crazy and the teacher was nearby. However, he was now sick with fear. He was unfamiliar with this. Jules didn't have a lot of worries, but this killed him. He took several deep breaths, telling himself that he could defend himself and that his new friends would also be there to protect him. He was probably capable of killing a gargoyle. Julie grinned. He could beat one, for sure! He wouldn't be slaughtered.
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