0theacademy0 | Welcome New Students of The Academy of Aetheric Studies

In the courtyard, the students were ushered down a road lined with booths on either side. At the booths, many clubs, teams, and student organizations had displays to advertise to the students and entire them to join. The crafts club displayed all sorts of clothing for mages to wear on their days outside class that their members had sewn, with some pieces coming together in mid-air like flowers blooming before everyone's eyes. The program for studying abroad displayed images of foreign lands in floating orbs. At the Magus Pugna booth stood Seren.

Tall and lean, his height would be intimidating enough; his blank gaze did nothing to help this. Still, he knew he couldn't leave his team to deal with this, no matter how much this wasn't his forte. He had become something of a celebrity at Aether Academy; if he wasn't there trying to recruit others, it'd be an all-too-conspicuous absence. They could not demonstrate in front of the students in such a crowded area, so his mere presence would be enough to attract anyone interested in the art of how mages battle.

Noticing someone approach, Seren picks up a pamphlet before he looks towards the other person, to find... not a new student?

"That's the spirit, Seren!" Reiya isn't tall enough to clap him on the shoulder properly, but she does pat him on the arm. "Make sure you don't waste 'em on the older students too much though. We didn't make that many."

She was one of the more notable members of Magus Pugna, for better or for worse. Reiya had joined for more practice when it came to controlling large-scale magic spells, and had accordingly induced heavy injuries on more than a couple of her club mates. Though she'd made significant improvement after a year, her reputation was still notorious enough that she was quietly discouraged from participating in manning the club booth at the event despite her enthusiastic volunteering.

Seren is one of the few people she could fight without much worry, talented enough that even with her lack of control he's able to handle her.

"Have you seen my little sister come by? Looks like me but smaller, hair to about here," she gestured at around her shoulders, "probably talks a mile a minute if she's not staring at your face all tongue-tied? I told her to check out the club but no idea if she listened."

Seren looks down towards Reiya, his expression still impassive, but he does not tense or pull away from the contact.

"If her sister's that much like her, we might have our first ever death in the Magus Pugna team at Aether Academy. Isn't that exciting?"

"No, I don't think I have. Perhaps she's still making her way here."

There are some that had their minds made up and ready to go about which club they intended to join. Some such students made a beeline straight towards the Magus Pugna booth, and likely would have still gleefully taken the club pamphlet if Seren left them in a stack on the desk without even acknowledging them. But with so many clubs to choose from, many students shuffled in groups from booth to adjacent booth, weighing all their options.

"But I'm sure Coach is going to be excited to have two of you to deal with."

His words are heavy with sarcasm; while he didn't agree with the spirit's excitement, the very thought sounded like this could either be very good or very bad for the team. Could even he handle twice of Reiya's strength?

"Maybe she got intimidated by that face of yours!"

Reiya laughs at her own joke. She could mean that Seren is too serious-looking, or too handsome, but if she has one of the two in mind in particular she's not clarifying.

"I don't think she's as strong as me! Maybe. Probably! She doesn't like big spells as much as I do." Though there was probably a strong correlation between that and Reiya's tendency to cause significant trouble. When one grows up watching their older sister making a mess, it tends to make them not want to do the same. "She's still pretty tough though. She'd beat up the neighborhood bullies for me after our parents forbid me from using offensive magic on my own! I bet she'd have lots of fun if she joined."

There's something in her tone that makes it sound a bit too much like a story to be immediately believable, more like a deliberate exaggeration on something that's more inspired by true events than actually grounded in them.

Seren doesn't react to the comment of his face. He took care of his upkeep well as to not let his parents or others worry, but anyone with the willpower to push past the expression of indifference and make their romantic intentions known were shut down.

He didn't need the spirit to comment on anyone he got close to that way...

While Seren is certainly learning more about their family dynamic, none of it comes off as much of a surprise, now that he knows. His expression softens at the thought of the two siblings defending each other. How nice it would be to have someone like that--the team is the closest thing he can experience to that, even if it's to further a goal.

"Aw, Seren. I could protect you too, if you'd just let me!"

"A smaller you but with more self-restraint. The championship is all but guaranteed this year."

The Aether Academy Cyclones have been close in past years, but even with a couple of standout players, the team's lack of cohesion often undercut their gains. Seren's distance from the others as well as Reiya's tendency to inflict serious injuries had often resulted in miscommunication, which often cost them in the last rounds of the tournament. But maybe someone who sounds like they lack such faults can help bridge the gap.

"Right? That's what I thought too! But she said she was more interested in alchemy, and I don't know if she just wanted me to stop bothering her or if she was being serious but I made her promise to stop by anyway!"

Reiya is about 80% sure that even if her sister is indeed more interested in alchemy, she's also boy-crazy enough that seeing Seren would change her mind.

"So how's the recruiting going so far? Looks like most of the pamphlets are gone!"

Seren looks down at the lack of pamphlets, then up to the floating display of moments from their previous competitions showing by the side of the booth.

"We have plenty of interest, but we'll see how much it pans out after the first meeting. You know Coach is. They're not wasting time with anyone who isn't serious."

For those seeking fame and glory, Magnus Pugna was an attractive avenue for it, especially with them so close to the Championship Title for the first time in Aether Academy history. What newcomer wouldn't want to be part of the winning team? But the first meeting would be the merciless testing grounds, with the academy's best healers always close by.

Seren can feel the spirit's excitement well up at the thought of new students just finding out for the first time how harsh the sport can be, and he has to quash a feeling of irritation in turn. Will someone not completely interested in Magnus Pugna really want to? Or maybe this girl almost as tough as Reiya says she is, and she'll be the one causing most of the damage. For other clubs, both the club and the prospective members had something to show, but for this one, all they could do is wait. There was no use in worrying overly much about whether she joined or not until then.

"One of the potentials specializes in water magic."

It felt like something that their resident electricity user ought to know.

That gets a slight startle out of Reiya, and she gives an awkward sideways glance.

"In, like, the good way, or the bad way?"

The question isn't hanging in the air for long before she rushes to clarify.

"Do they mostly use it at a distance and I can channel through it or do they use it, um, defensively...?" Advanced water users could handle receiving lightning attacks, at least from someone who wasn't decently stronger than them. Anyone below that skill level, though, was at risk for turning themselves into a big lightning rod... especially around someone whose control was as poor as Reiya's. "Or, do you not know? You probably don't know yet."

"I don't know, but I assume that they haven't learned to control it entirely. They're a first year, after all."

Students specializing in all types of magic would come to the academy, after all. Not everyone had an elemental affiliation, and less students than that could use it in a way that might be channeled efficiently in a decent Magna Pugna team. While a water-affiliated team member might be a great boon for the team, Seren had his doubts related to... the current composition.

Seren casts a glance over to Reiya.

"What are you thinking?"

Reiya gives a hesitant laugh. "Iii'm thinking the last thing a squad with me needs is a lightning rod on it. If they can keep me from hitting them, great! But like, as long as I'm still working on my control it's, y'know..."

Dangerous. In truth Reiya's healing abilities are much more refined than her offensive skills, so she hasn't killed anyone yet. But there have been multiple close calls, and lightning magic isn't valued in healing specialties for good reason.

In several ways it would be smarter for the coach to have benched her from any of their squads. But Reiya was one of the most diligent and dedicated members of the club, and offensive lightning spells were some of the most potent natural magics. She was well aware that if an accompanying squad couldn't be built despite her issues she was going to be made to sit it out, but as long as they had enough people who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her without running away or getting knocked out, she was a valuable asset.

"... Well, if they're a first year they probably won't wind up with me anyway. It's probably fine!"

Seren doesn’t look entirely convinced. Their coach had always pushed them all to their limits, doing things that don’t entirely make sense - and might even be more of a detriment to the team - in the name of being the best. While it was what Seren wanted for himself, seeing others shut down so quickly still didn’t entirely sit right with him.

Not that it mattered much what he thought about it.

“I hope you’re right.”

To talk about something a little less unnerving:

“Anyway. Did you get anything to eat?”

Aside from lunch, there were also some snacks, courtesy of the cooking club. With how much they train, they also burn off a lot of energy that always needed replenishing.

Reiya is more than happy to get onto another topic, and intentionally follows the change in conversation. "Mmm, I had a normal lunch, but I haven't had my afternoon portion yet."

During normal school days, when she doesn't have the luxury of eating in the afternoons, Reiya has a larger than average lunch like most of the rest of the club. But she's not fond of meals that big, instead preferring to split up her lunch across two different times when can. Since there aren't normal classes today it's a chance to eat as she wishes.

A moment later her eyes flash with a mischievous look. "Why, Seren! You're not asking me out, are you~?!"

Her tone is intentionally overly-flirtatious, though she does lower her voice as she says it. No need to scare off all the girls going head over heels for the club hottie or otherwise start too many weird rumors, after all. Reiya has pretty much no romantic interest in Seren, so it's entirely teasing.

Turning his head away, Seren rolls his eyes so hard that he could feel a bit of strain in them, traces of a sulk on his handsome features. Even if they aren’t like that, Reiya is the only one close enough to him to tease him this way. Fawning and awe from others? He can handle that with an impassive face, but the familiarity gets past his guard…

His internal companion doesn’t even have to say anything yet; Seren knows he’s going to be crude about it.

“If I was, you’d become the lightning rod.”

He’s not oblivious to the attention he gets in that case. Such a backlash isn’t what keeps him from dating, but it makes for a convenient excuse, bolstered by the fact that he’s far too focused on his classes and extracurriculars to do any such thing.

“Come on, let’s go eat. This is all almost done anyway.”

He steps out from behind the stall. Maybe they’ll find someone familiar on the team along the way, so they could have them take care of any last minute visitors.

"But what if my sister shows up and doesn't get to see the total hottie I promised would be hanging out here? Why Seren, you'll have made a liar out of me!"

She's already headed towards the dining hall though. There had definitely been a rumor or two that the two of them were dating, but Magnus Pugna tends to eat together as a group more often than not, and Seren isn't the only male member Reiya eats alone with when other people aren't available. Eventually she was mostly written off by the gossipy and/or jealous crews as just being weird, if also not "appreciating what she had" or something.

"So are you feeling better? You got hurt or something last practice, right?"

Reiya hadn't seen what had happened, but Seren had left rather quickly.

Seren's eyes widen before he averts his glance.

"It... was nothing."

With most content to not pry too much, Seren forgets at times that he still needs to prepare some excuses. Though it did look rather conspicuous. As much as he'd say it's because of the spirit's interference - chatting as if to break his concentration at the worst of times - he knows he should have already accounted for that.

What was he doing right then again? In the heat of the moment, he felt his consciousness slipping, yet his body still moved. He knew he had to leave. That was the first time he felt anything like that, as he he had started to lose control. For all his efforts to keep it contained, was it somehow still growing in strength? Siphoning his energy without him realizing?

"Dodging in the air... I spun around more than usual. Felt sick."

Some of his moves did look like that of a gymnast in the air, though it wasn't anything he couldn't actually handle.

"That's good! Had me a bit worried. Not that I thought you got hit, but if you really didn't, I wasn't sure what was up. Make sure you don't push yourself too much during competitions, yeah?"

It's something their coach often mentions, something something "push you all now so you don't need to hurt yourselves in a real match". Like it was an excuse to run them all into the ground during practice. For those who enjoy the freedom to go all-out or chance to grow themselves Magnus Pugna is a rare opportunity within the school, but it can't be said it isn't grueling even to those having fun with it.

"Can't have you barfing on the opponents. Pretty sure that'd be a penalty!"

Seren gives a small huff of a laugh.

"Do you think I'd have a smaller fan club too, if that happened?"

Standing in the line in front of the cooking club, he watches the club members hand out the food prepared for this event. They only had a few dishes: one savory, one sweet, one side dish, and a dessert sort of drink.

His eyes wander towards the sweet pastry - a souffle so light that it looked ready to fly away - before they turn towards someone who just took a bite. For a moment, the new student floats up, as if gravity failed to work for them. They float back down in an instant, amazed and thrilled. For someone so used to flying by now, it wouldn't give him that same rush... but a wistful feeling tugs at his heart.

"I think I'll have their mushroom gravy fries. What are you having?"

"Nah, but I bet they'd murder whoever it was that made you have to fly so crazily."

She's joking! ... Mmmostly.

The question has Reiya looking up from the menu in surprise. "Everything?" Oh, hmm. That probably isn't a great idea when the cooking club isn't making actual full meals for people. "Ah, or maybe, well the fries do sound really good. The souffle probably isn't very filling. Maybe a cheeseburger? They're kinda small though."

She gestures to the "grill" where a few of the patties are being cooked in concentrated bubbles of fire magic; each one sized more like a slider than an actual burger.

Seren glances at the burger, thinking. It does look fairly small. Thinking for a moment as people in front of them order…

“I can order one of them and you can have it.”

Before he can hear any objection, he’s already getting ready to order.

Welcome New Students of The Academy of Aetheric Studies

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