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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 1, 2009 1:21:47 GMT -5
D'rorah had packed up her things after the last astronomy class and headed out, without speaking a word to anyone. The material had been interesting enough to capture her attention, but she found her mind wandering to Ethan's comment about swordplay. Normally she wouldn't have given it a second thought, but the idea that a preferred hobby of her own might be barbaric irked her. What bothered her the most was the fact that, in the heat of battle, she had known herself to act in ways that could certainly be defined as barbaric. But then, that was generally a matter of survival. Facing Shadows and the like usually entailed facing those who wished to kill her... and she had killed her fair share of the Mage's servants in the interest of preserving her own life.
Willing to call it a night after this class, she had packed her things quickly and quietly and headed off to bed. She was still doing her utmost to fulfill her promise to Kerridon to eat and sleep properly. She had to admit, it made her feel more human... even if her roommates were sometimes frightened, annoyed, and eventually angered by her restless sleep. She really hated those girls most days. One would think a human being would have compassion for someone who woke screaming in the middle of the night. Perhaps teenaged females were not human.
Tonight had been another restless night. She had gotten to a point where she was generally able to wake herself before she became too frightened, but she wasn't yet expert at it. She couldn't wait until she was done as a student and could have her own quarters. She rose while her other dormmates were still asleep, as usual. It didn't take long to shower and dress in her usual austere robes. Once that was done and her waist-length grey hair was securely pinned atop her head, she gathered her heavy satchel and made her way downstairs for a quick breakfast gathered from the kitchens and then headed out into the garden.
Normally, it would be much more convenient to work in the library, what with tables and book all around, but today she felt like a change of scenery. It was warm outside for a change, warmer than the library, as a matter of fact. And, if there was anything the constant chill which plagued her caused her to crave, it was heat. Though, even though she shivered less frequently, she felt as though she had grown colder. Apparently she was becoming accustomed to the change in body temperature. She hoped that wasn't a bad sign. She threw out a large blanket underneath a willow tree and sat herself in the middle of it. In just a few short minutes she was surrounded by texts in various languages--the catalogued wisdom of centuries past. Taking out quill and notebook, she began the familiar task of translating and cross-referencing between the miscellany of tomes. Her grey eyes flitted from one to the next like sparrows hopping from branch to branch in a tree. Lost in her work, she soon also lost track of the time.
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Post by Ethan Lacroix on Jun 1, 2009 3:06:08 GMT -5
Amazed at her proficiency with efficiency, Ethan didn't have a chance to catch D'rorah before she'd had packed and left the Astronomy Tower. He put his own equipment away as quickly as he could and rushed down the spiral steps, slipping on the fifth to last and bouncing the rest of the way down on his bum. With a grunt he got back up and hurried along, not stopping until he reached the Ravenclaw common room. There were no students milling about outside however, and so with a frown he admitted defeat. He'd have to find her and apologize tomorrow. Sighing and only then checking his telescope to make sure it hadn't been damaged, he headed to bed.
As always seemed to be the case of late, he was up early, eager to practice his swordsmanship, despite his sore tailbone. Though he still saw both his dorm and the common room as unacceptable choices for training areas, he decided against heading outside this time, instead seeking out an abandoned classroom. Of course before he climbed the great marble stairs to find one, he stopped in at the kitchen to see about getting a bit of fruit and a muffin. He really had been horrendously abusing his new-found knowledge ever since Dylan had showed him how to access the place, but the elves didn't seem to mind. He was always as eminently polite with them as they were with everyone else anyway.
An hour or so later he'd worked up a bit of a sweat, practicing his footwork and form and going through some original katas he'd put together based on the most common attack patterns the other kids in the fencing club at the orphanage used. Satisfied with his practice for the day, Ethan left the room and headed back down toward his common room. Passing through the foyer however, he paused and instead cracked open the front door. It looked to be another of the beautiful days he so adored. Glancing about and seeing nobody around, he grinned to himself and strode quickly outside. Ethan knew it was silly, but he liked to run around outside with foil and imagine himself some noble swashbuckler. In his mind he would rescue virtuous maidens (all of whom had begun to look conspicuously shorter and brunette with striking blue eyes since early in the school year) and defeat nefarious villains, though he'd invariably spare them in the end.
Thus began another such mini adventure, Ethan heading away from the castle and turning toward the gardens. There were many trees there he could dodge around and leap off of, jump and hang from with one hand, and perform any number of other mildly acrobatic maneuvers. Moving toward a large willow tree, he had actually gotten quite close to D'rorah by the time he even realized she was there. The hanging branches and ample shade of the willow hid her well from his sun soaked eyes. Of course, once he did notice her, he felt quite ridiculous, having just been leaping about and poking his foil this way and that. Draping the sword over one shoulder, he walked calmly toward her, his face slightly pink and a sheepish grin on his face. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Uh, hey Miss Philosophy. Nice... day?"
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 1, 2009 3:46:23 GMT -5
D'rorah heard and saw Ethan long before he saw her, but returned her attention to her texts. She was busy and had little impetus to intitiate conversation with him after the previous night. She worked along quickly and quietly, quill scratching against parchment as she noted and revised and re-noted time and time again the various bits of information she garnered from her texts.
However, it seemed he was interested in addressing her. [blue]"It is indeed day, Mister Lacroix. Though you sound confused on the matter."[/blue] She looked up at him briefly and arched a brow before returning her eyes to the texts before her. [blue]"How odd that I seem to recall you mentioning maturity at great length during our previous encounter. I suppose you prefer it only in moderation."[/blue]
She exhaled lightly as she continued working, her eyes scanning over the text before her. Certainly, if she were to be seen rampaging out the grounds with a sword of any sort, people would run rather than laugh. And yet, even with a weapon in hand there wasn't the slightest intimidating thing about this young man. Even so, her guard was slightly up and she tensed. Appearances could be deceiving. And while she couldn't really visualize Dark Phoenix sending someone like Ethan after her, she still couldn't put it past her. Wouldn't that have been quite a lark for the Mage? To have finally dispatched D'rorah by a boy a year her junior who ran about as though he were too young to enroll at Hogwarts in the first place?
She could practically hear the laughter in her mind, causing her grip to tighten on her quill until it snapped in protest. [blue]"Merde."[/blue] She swore softly. She set the mangled quill aside and reached into her bag for another. Broken quills were no new experience for her... she seemed to take the greatest amount of her ire out on them because they could only protest silently.
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Post by Ethan Lacroix on Jun 1, 2009 12:46:32 GMT -5
The embarrassed grin faded quickly as D'rorah responded, piling one snooty insult atop another. Ethan of course thought of many a rebuttal, most simply logical observations that would nullify what she'd said, such as that having mentioned maturity once didn't really constitute speaking on it at great length. Believing her snarky behavior stemmed from the inadvertent offense he'd given her the night before however, and doubting whether poking holes in her statement would do anything to mend that wound, he instead sighed and sank down into a cross-legged sitting position on the grass just off the edge of her blanket. His sword rested horizontally across his lap.
With a slight frown, he opened his mouth to apologize but nearly choked on a chuckle instead at the girl's expletive. It wasn't her frustration that amused him. Quite the contrary, that would have made his frown deepen. It was the fact that her chosen word was one he knew, and one of probably only six words he was familiar with in the French language. Between that and his last name, he wondered if he could pass himself off as a transfer from Beauxbatons to some first year, making them think he really was French. Of course it wasn't the kind of thing he'd ever do, but still the thought was funny to him. Coughing into his elbow as he tried to recover from the tickle his unanticipated laughter had brought to the back of his throat, he shook his head lightly and muttered, "Excuse me."
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 1, 2009 13:04:42 GMT -5
D'rorah heard Ethan's choked upon chuckle and glanced up sharply. Her eyes twitched slightly narrower for a moment before returning to rest once again upon her texts. [blue]"If you came simply to amuse yourself at my expense, Mister Lacroix, I would like to point out that I am quite busy at the moment."[/blue] She finished inking her new quill and began writing as though she had never left off before. She broke off writing to reach forward with both hands and flip through pages in three of her textbooks before returning quill to parchment and continuing to write.
[blue]"You are excused,"[/blue] she replied flatly after Ethan's muttered remark. D'rorah wasn't exactly renowned for her social skills, and she wasn't in the best of moods these days. Life seemed intent on becoming more and more complicated for the Ravenclaw, no matter what she did to avoid it. She had heard of Alessandro Darko's return to the school, even though she had not actually seen him with her own eyes. She had also noticed the curious absence of Zane Bishop and that he seemed to be blocking their mental connection.
On top of that was annoyance with Dylan and his insistence on having enmity between the two of them. And then Kerridon and not even being able to glance at him overly long or think about the fact that she couldn't. All of that had worn her patience thin, and along with it she now had a boy who thought her a barbarian. She sighed quietly and shook her head as she continued her writing.
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Post by Ethan Lacroix on Jun 1, 2009 14:00:34 GMT -5
Again Ethan's mirth rapidly evaporated, an apologetic grimace appearing to replace it. Slipping his fencing gloves off, he waved his hands before him, as if trying to ward away her animosity or summon back his own reaction so he could revise it. He began his apology rapidly before he could get himself into more trouble. "No, no, I wasn't laughing at you. I mean, it was the word that made me laugh and... I mean it seems silly now, but I didn't mean for it come out like that. Last night either. I'm not sure why what I said offended you. I mean, not that it matters. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. Do you prefer the epee?"
Rambling wasn't typical for Ethan, but this girl made him uneasy. Being blatantly disliked also made him uneasy. All in all she seemed much more like a strict professor in whose class he kept messing up than a fellow student. Very few things were more important to him than the way he treated others, and he liked to think of himself as a nice guy. Having apparently given enough offense to D'rorah twice in as many days to cause her to all but tell him to go away irked him considerably.
Sitting with his hands resting comfortably in his lap, Ethan was leaning slightly forward in anticipation of her response. His expression remained that of the concerned apologetic. She didn't seem to appreciate smiles, so he was careful not to show one, even if he was optimistic about the outcome of this meeting.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 1, 2009 18:48:15 GMT -5
D'rorah flinched back, still feeling rather tense, as Ethan waved his arms before him. She clenched her jaw as she realized it was only an ovelry-emphatic gesture to go along with the statement that followed it and exhaled slowly. She listened to him ramble on and began to wonder if perhaps the Mage had decided to simply distract her to death... or if this was merely a happy coincidence. She looked down at her texts for a moment and passed her right hand over them, murmuring a charm to obscure the letters on the pages.
When she looked forward, she saw Ethan leaning ever so slightly forward, awaiting her answer. She was annoyed at his remark the previous night, annoyed with his carefree attitude, annoyed with his wild gesticulation, and now even annoyed with his interruption and the concerned look of apology on his face. She breathed slowly and reminded herself that hitting one of her fellow students would be patently unacceptable behavior. Also, she doubted the wisdom of starting a fight when the other person was armed and she was not. She realized she wasn't really being fair to him. It wasn't as though he had done anything to cause the problems she faced now.
[blue]"Light preserve me,"[/blue] she muttered, lifting her eyes slightly heavenward. She was supposed to be on the side of good... Ethan was exactly the sort of person she was supposed to be protecting. She reminded herself of that. She switched her gaze to Ethan, her gaze meeting his eyes directly and with a ferocity that might have been intended to cut a person in two. [blue]"If I agree to forget that our previous encounter occurred, might I be able to return to my work without further molestation, Mister Lacroix? I daresay, you would be far better of avoiding the company of a barbarian such as myself, in any case."[/blue] Her voice was calm and quiet as she spoke. When she had finished, she arched an eyebrow and awaited a response. She was starting to calm slightly, and the intensity of her gaze was slowly waning, though it did not deviate or drift away from her intended audience.
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Post by Ethan Lacroix on Jun 1, 2009 20:39:38 GMT -5
Though he did lean back somewhat when she leveled her gaze at him, clearly sensing some force behind the look, Ethan didn't shrink away nor respond as if answering a challenge. He was more curious than intimidated, not really believing she would try and hurt him. What reason could she possibly have for that? Frown deepening in response to the unfriendly deal D'rorah offered, he didn't answer for a few moments. Though he thought it might seem rude to not answer her question, her followup statement made it seem almost rhetorical anyway, particularly since it hinted that she wasn't likely to forget their earlier encounter regardless of his future actions.
Ethan glanced upward for a moment as he considered what he'd barely caught her say before. He wasn't familiar with any deity referred to merely as "Light," but he was hardly a scholar. Some druidic thing perhaps. His gaze then fell to the blade lying inertly across his legs. Finally he looked back up, his speech now slow and thoughtful. "Miss Philosophy, is there a reason you dislike me so? I understand that I may have offended you last night, but my entire reason for approaching you now was to apologize for that. And yet my presence now seems to offend you further. Neither offense was intended, and I can't figure out why you've taken them so strongly. I wish you could just read my mind to see for yourself how I'm trying to make this right despite some rather unkind things you've said. Just answer me why, or refuse to do so, and I'll leave you in peace. I'll never speak to you again if that's what you wish."
He sat quietly, returning her stare with his own nonthreatening look, intense yet peaceful. The position of the foil was no in the least ideal to be quickly brought to bear, and the tip wasn't the least bit sharp, the thing never constructed to be an actual weapon. In truth Ethan didn't even consider that it or he might make anyone uneasy.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 1, 2009 21:18:04 GMT -5
D'rorah couldn't help thinking a silent laugh to herself as Ethan wished she could simply read his mind to see his intention. To say such a thing seemed an odd coincidence, but she tried her best to put it out of her mind as only having been an innocent statement. No doubt, he would have been less keen on the idea if he had known D'rorah very could have read his mind. She did, however, give his thoughts a delicate brush and could feel nothing there that seemed subversive or plotting... instead, he seemed mostly confused and concerned. Had she found the one genuine person at Hogwarts other than Caitlin? She was too pessimistic to really believe it.
[blue]"I will admit, Mister Lacroix, there is something deeply unsettling about having one's actions characterized as barbaric, no matter the intention of the speaker. Furthermore, I find it curious that you would seek peace by first disturbing my own with your brazen acrobatics and then approaching me with a weapon in hand while I am trying to research."[/blue] She paused a moment, attempting to staunch the irrational anger she'd felt towards him. [blue]"In point of fact, I am not having a very good year. I apologize for taking more of my ire out on you than you properly deserved."[/blue] She glanced quickly at the foil. [blue]"To begin with, could you perhaps put your sword away? That alone would do a great deal to relieve my tension."[/blue]
She began slowly closing her books. No matter how cold she was, studying outside was proving to be a bad idea. It would have to be the library from this point forward, no doubt. She had expected distraction from others moving about out here in the garden, so she shouldn't have been surprised to Ethan. She started to remark that he would likely be safer if he never spoke to her again... but any way she thought through the statement in her head, it either sounded threatening or some sort of self-pitying that would likely evoke further questions.
Despite the rather warm temperature and despite wearing clothes that were concealing enough to be quite warm, she shivered as she placed a rather thick tome inside her satchel. It was going to be a cold day once she returned to the library, no doubt. She couldn't wait for the summer and a chance to get away from this wretched school and idiotic students and professors alike who tempted fate by doing things like wandering into the forest. she craved the order and discipline of the monastery in China... and the opportunity to allow Master Xiu to take the lead for a bit. She had an idea that a fair share of the grey hair on her head had been caused not by brushes with Shadow Corruption, but by some of the other Lightfighters and their refusal or inability to follow her lead or act like anything resembling a team.
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Post by Ethan Lacroix on Jun 2, 2009 15:14:05 GMT -5
Continuing to sit quietly, Ethan didn't respond at first as D'rorah began speaking. He still didn't understand exactly how his comment on the barbarism of actual combat had offended her, and she seemed disinclined to enlighten him, merely continuing to reiterate that it did indeed apply. He also thought it unfair how she referred to his "brazen acrobatics" disturbing her peace, when he had been unaware of her presence until he'd already gotten within a dozen feet. He did glance doubtfully at his foil when she spoke of him approaching with a weapon. Honestly he couldn't imagine anyone being all that afraid of the thing. It held no sharp edge or point, was too light to bludgeon anyone with, and all in all seemed innocuous enough. The only danger her could imagine it posing would be if he caught someone directly in the throat or eye, and even then it would require a great deal of force over a very small span of time before it did any serious damage.
The irritation he was carefully keeping from his face melted when she admitted the unhappy state of things in her world. As a rule he tried to see beyond a person's actions to the probable pain behind them, but it made it immeasurably easier to set aside his own annoyance and just feel compassion when they confessed themselves that they were reacting from hurt, in one form or another. Thus he lost all interest in arguing to point of it not being a weapon when she asked him to put his sword away, instead immediately complying. "Yeah, of course. Sorry." Lifting it up with both hands, one on the hilt, one a bit more than halfway up the "blade," he looked around uncertainly, realizing he wasn't exactly sure what she meant by "away." He typically just kept it in his trunk, but he didn't have that handy. Figuring she mainly just wanted it out of his reach, he set it aside and rolled it a few feet away to lie in the grass.
Planting an elbow on his knee as he kept his cross-legged position, he laid his chin in the upturned palm of his hand, looking at her now with less confusion, but perhaps even more concern. "Sorry to hear things haven't been going your way. I'd love to help if I could, if you need help with anything. Or just to talk. I'm a good listener. Well, I like to think so. I guess you'd hafta judge for yourself."
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 2, 2009 16:21:56 GMT -5
D'rorah exhaled slowly as Ethan rolled the foil off into the grass. Now that she looked more closely, she could clearly see that the tip did not have the usual sharp point and that it wouldn't very easily be dangerous. Even so, she felt better for having it out of easy reach. [blue]"You owe me no apology,"[/blue] she replied as he apologized and put it to the side. [blue]"I have overreacted ever since our initial encounter last night, I suppose."[/blue]
She watched as Ethan planted his chin on his hand, propped on his leg and regarded her with concern. Apparently this conversation was to last a bit longer. [blue]"You may have noticed that talking about my feelings is not a particular strong point of mine,"[/blue] she replied dryly. She finished closing up the last of her texts. It wasn't as though any of her problems were the sort of thing she could talk out with Ethan anyway. For one, she hardly knew him. [blue]"Along with that is my strong disinclination to trusting others."[/blue] She smirked slightly. [blue]"No matter how genuine they might seem."[/blue]
She gestured to the foil lying on the ground. [blue]"So, do you often craft daring adventures for yourself in the middle of the school grounds? Or was today's episode a special occasion?"[/blue] No one who looked so happy and care free while fighting could be practicing for the sake of any sort of real battle. Ethan came across as purely interested in fencing from a sportsman's perspective. She was slightly jealous of that... she wished often she could return to days when she did things because she enjoyed them, rather than because they were necessary for survival or of some benefit to the Order and the Lightfighters.
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Post by Ethan Lacroix on Jun 4, 2009 21:16:30 GMT -5
A slightly knowing smile found its way onto Ethan's face as D'rorah verbally waved away his apology and came close to offering her own. Close, but not quite there. He thought it a bit funny, but unsurprising. She certainly didn't seem the sentimental type and he'd discovered very few were as forthcoming with their apologies as he was. He sat quietly and considered her words, an indirect refusal to take him up on his offer it seemed. His smile returned at what sounded an offhanded compliment. She seemed to enjoy merely stating facts rather than actually expressing herself, but Ethan believed that she was in fact communicating a compliment, just as she had almost implied an apology. To him it seemed she did express herself, just subtly.
For a moment his gaze diverted from her to follow her indication toward his sword. His smile then blossomed more fully, his ears again gaining a pink hue. One shoulder came up in half a shrug as he replied. "Not often, just when I think I can get away with it. I don't prance about when people are watching. At least not when I know people are watching." A light chuckle and he was looking back at her, and after a moment he grew more serious, his tone and expression thoughtful. "Normally I think it's a good idea to focus on one's strengths, but there is some wisdom in shoring up areas where we're weaker than we'd like. Of course I don't know if you would like to be more adept at sharing your feelings, but if you would, practice makes better. As for trust, well..." At this he merely shrugged. If she didn't trust what he said then nothing he said could make her trust him.
Realizing that his speech pattern was a bit more formal than was typical, he suspected it was D'rorah's presence that did it. He chuckled again at the discovery of his unconscious mimicry. "At any rate, it's an open-ended offer. Should you ever feel the inclination, please don't hesitate to seek me out Miss Philosophy. So then, what about you? Do you often take to studying out of doors where any daring adventurer might inadvertently interrupt?"
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 4, 2009 22:16:08 GMT -5
D'rorah noted Ethan's blush as she remarked on his swashbuckling adventure and smirked slightly--a stifled laugh. She shook her head slightly as he stated that he didn't prance about when people were watching. [blue]"Perhaps you should. It was quite a show,"[/blue] she quipped back.
And then, he was more serious. She supposed it was true that sharing feelings would become easier with time. Most things did improve with practice; however, that wasn't a talent she was inclined to develop at the moment. His laughter felt somewhat out of place in the middle of his speech. It didn't sound like any sort of nervous laughter... more like something turned inward. [blue]"I do appreciate the invitation, Mister Lacroix. I shall keep it in my mind."[/blue]
She looked down at her books for a moment before returning her eyes to Ethan. [blue]"As a matter of fact, I tend to keep studying indoors most days. The library is far more convenient than the gardens for any sort of research. Today, however, I thought I would avail myself of the warm weather and a chance to thaw."[/blue] She wondered to herself as she said it whether the statement would sound odd. Having little idea how the temperature inside would have felt to any of the other students, it could very well be warm inside also. In fact, given that she couldn't recall anyone wearing any sort of thick sweaters lately, she assumed that the temperature inside was actually quite comfortable. [blue]"That, and I am quite fond of this tree,"[/blue] she added, gesturing to the willow. Something about the way the tree swayed quietly in the breeze, leaves rustling and swinging freely, had always appealed to her. Perhaps it was because she herself was so rigid most of the time. The willows were a good reminder to take things a bit more lightly. [blue]"My old sword master often made me meditate underneath willow trees. He thought they would help soften me."[/blue] She smirked at the memory, tossing out half a laugh at the irony of anyone as stern as Master Xiu telling someone else they needed to soften up.
She remembered a similar statement from her father once several years ago... it was when she was heavily involved in the Unforgivable Curse research at Falstaff's. She had worked herself to exhaustion with her own exacting methods and Professor Flace had complained to her father that she was pushing the entire research team too hard. Maybe she did need a bit of softening... but after the war. Right now she needed her rigidity in the face of everything that was happening. Her expression became more neutral as her thoughts returned to the present situation and everything happening around her. [blue]"At any rate, I suppose I should confine certain pursuits to the library or the common room. I much prefer having a desk to work with."[/blue]
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Post by Ethan Lacroix on Jun 5, 2009 21:48:53 GMT -5
Yet another chuckle was Ethan's increasingly predictable reaction to D'rorah's counter-quip. Her next statement caused him further amusement but he didn't express it. He was glad that she wasn't flat out refusing to ever accept his offer, even if she was leaving it open simply to be polite. What amused him was the way she again merely stated that she was appreciative. There was no actual thanks.
It made sense that she didn't typically take her studying outdoors. In fact he wasn't certain he recalled ever seeing her outside before. He probably had, but no instance came to mind. The library was a popular place for that, since study and research was about all any students were allowed to do there. He spent little time there however, preferring the common room of his house to do his homework in. It was true, there were more distractions there. The common room didn't have the same restriction as the library. You could do about anything in there so long as it didn't break any other rule. Most anything that was allowed in the school was allowed in the common rooms. Perhaps that was why he liked it so, all the people doing different things, the variety. Diversity was something he'd come to appreciate in his sudden immersion in a different culture. Though he had to admit it was a bit distracting at times.
He did think the "thaw" comment a bit off, but didn't pursue the issue with his words or in his mind. It was after all colder there than it had been where he'd been raised, but he'd had years to adapt. If she'd only transferred this year, perhaps her body was still attuned to a warmer climate. Though he hadn't thought New York all that warm... Brushing away those thoughts, Ethan smiled up appreciatively at the willow they sat under as D'rorah motioned toward it. He could not rightly imagine anybody not liking willows. Well, most willows. "He obviously has never gotten acquainted with a certain willow." Another chuckle, but he quickly continued speaking, her words catching his interest. "Sword master, hmm? I'd love to hear about that. My training came from a boy just a few years older than myself, initially. Others who passed through brought other styles and techniques and such. It's really quite an eclectic swordsmanship I claim. I'd love to hear about the more formal side of things." Ethan also hoped turning the conversation this way might finally reveal to him how exactly his "barbaric" comment had offended her.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 5, 2009 22:59:47 GMT -5
D'rorah's lip twitched up in a half smirk as Ethan alluded to the whomping willow. [blue]"That one, I believe, he would have used as a training exercise,"[/blue] she remarked dryly. She could almost picture it, in fact--having to evade the attack of something that acted purely by reflex.
Of course, given the fact that Ethan had arrived on the scene with a foil, his interest was piqued by her mention of her sword master. D'rorah knew she would have to tread carefully here. She didn't want to chase Ethan off from the subject. At the very least, it got her safely away from the uncomfortable subject of discussing her feelings. Besides, it might be interesting to feel Ethan out to see if he might be a suitable sparring partner.
[blue]"I was five when I first began training,"[/blue] she remarked thoughtfully. [blue]"My father commissioned my first swords directly after I was evaluated by Master Xiu."[/blue] She smiled ever so slightly at the memory. The whole story was a bit more complicated... that had been the summer after D'rorah had been identified as the Shadow Warrior of Wind... and the summer her telepathy had decided to assert itself in full force. She had been packed up and shipped off to China to learn to control the telepathy and to begin training to fulfill her role as a Shadow Warrior. Before then, she had been learning languages. Her father and Master Xiu had thought she might make a good scribe when she came of age. [blue]"It was certainly a rigorous training schedule,"[/blue] she continued, resuming her spoken thought. [blue]"I spent my summers with my sword master and trained during the rest of the year with an appointed..."[/blue] monk she thought, [blue]"teacher."[/blue] She pursed her lips for a moment. [blue]"Now I continue my training on my own during the school year. Master Xiu came to the conclusion about two years ago that I had learned all he would be able to teach me."[/blue]
Of course, the decision had sort of been made for him. That was the point at which D'rorah had begun a more practical application of her skills. That had been just after the deaths of her parents... just after the separation from her emotions had begun after being attacked. That had been the "trauma" that had sealed her forever as a Shadow Warrior. She wondered if she would have passed the role up if she had known years ago that it was even possible. She wondered if her parents might still be alive today if she had. Without realizing it, her expression had become melancholy and contemplative. [blue]"In any case,"[/blue] she waved the emotion away, pulling her face back to a more neutral expression, [blue]"I have learned a great deal of martial swordsmanship."[/blue]
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