open rp/psl/etc

[head_bancho]

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[head_bancho]

I know. It's just the first thing that popped into mind.

[He shut it off and shrugged.]

She also said she's surprised you talked to me at all. That makes two of us.

[erbe]

I suppose you didn't tell her we met because I was bullying you.

[The station isn't far off. She'll be kind enough to swipe her rail pass twice for him. After all... she's probably going to make him endure a few things he might not like.]

[head_bancho]

I told her. I'm a crappy liar.

[He folded like a cheap suit.]

Well, except for the stuff about the office. Not like she'd connect the dots and expect you to be there anyway, so I just kept my mouth shut.

[He had no idea he was about to feel what it was like to have his nerves pinched with fire.]

[erbe]

[a crappy liar... maybe she should rethink this.]

If you keep hanging around me you'll have to lie or omit the truth, you know.

[head_bancho]

Like saying that you're tutoring me? Who wouldn't believe that?

[erbe]

Would you be able to keep the lie under duress?

[Their train arrives at the station. Tohsaka boards. Like usual it's busy. She finds, at least, a stabilizing pole to hold onto.]

[head_bancho]

Yeah. [Finding a bar by the roof of the cab, Riki stood beside Rin and nodded. He understood they could probably say whatever they wanted and no one there would make it out over the rest of the noise or even care to parse context. They were just about alone in that sense.

At the time, he barely remembered it but they had been trying to use that same hypnosis on him in the middle of their fight. None of it stuck. Between that and the stress of pain?]

I can handle that. It's important to you, right?

[erbe]

It's not about importance, it's about necessity. People like those trespassers aren't uncommon. You will be threatened, and most likely hurt. You'll probably make your mom sad.

[After all, magi only had families to pass on their legacy. Not so they could have a loving household worried for their concern.]

[head_bancho]

[It set his jaw on edge but she was right. More of those goons? If he were better prepared...

He tried to busy himself, looking out the window and hoping the thought alone wouldn't set him off.]

I know.

[But, when wasn't he making his mom sad? When he thought about what would happen if someone were to threaten her, he crushed the railway bar in his fingers like tissue paper.]

When I make a promise, Tohsaka, I keep it.

[erbe]

[The crushed bar makes her flinch, and her shoulder bumps against the person behind her (who mumbles in discontent).]

S-S-Samejima, I... I mean, if you insist...

[Why would he commit so wholeheartedly to this?]

[head_bancho]

[He had no idea what to expect but flying by the seat of his pants was precisely his style. Anything too complex a plan and he get impatient.

More than magic, he thought it would be better if she just taught him how to breathe without rushing headlong at his obstacles.]


Do I need to bring anything with me for this kind of tutoring?

[erbe]

[In an attempt to rebound Tohsaka straightens herself and balls her hands into fists. She'll be just as determined.]

Not for now. We'll start with the basics when we get to my place.

[head_bancho]

[Crap. He broke another one.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Rin putting on a determined expression. He had to jerk his head to the side to hide his smile.]

What're the basics like? I'm pretty awful at math drills.

[erbe]

I'm not daft. I'll make a regiment focusing on the more physical aspects. A teach must utilize their student's strengths to help them succeed.

[head_bancho]

Physical aspects? [Ironically, he couldn't see the logic. Wasn't magic supposed to be about one's mind? That almost felt like the point of it all.]

How's that supposed to work?

[erbe]

You'll figure out when we get there. I'm not going to instruct you on train.

[Which will only take a few more minutes to get to their stop. Tohsaka ushers Riki out of the railcar and through the station. And... ah, yes. That hill they'll have to climb. One of Tohsaka's daily workouts.]

[head_bancho]

[Snorting, Riki swapped to his phone and blew through the time until they passed from the station to to the hill. He didn't recognize the neighborhood but he remembered her name from his parents' complaints about Rin's estate. Once they got to the entrance, he understood exactly why people would have fought for the contracts. Rin didn't splurge on decorations, so it looked like it would be easy to maintain. A nice, big, expensive, easy job.

It also looked painfully lonely. Compared to her taste for sharp reds, the rest of it was drab. Something about it had his nerves rattled but he couldn't help but wonder if Rin actually used all that space.]

Huh. Big place.

[erbe]

[She's merely lucky that the part of the house where ivy threatens to devour it whole isn't by the door. The grounds look mostly unkept aside from a small garden and greenhouse area. And when they get to the door she seems to be muttering something. Just altering a few wards so Riki can stay on the estate without tripping a trap or wanting to hurl.]

More importantly the estate is located on the intersection of active ley lines.

[As if that'll mean anything to him, but to her it's so that the herbs for potions or her medicine are more potent and effective. She'll open the door and once inside kick off her shoes - expecting him to do the same.

It'll be easy to determine the unused parts of the house. The surfaces will have a noticeable layer of dust on them, and it all seems devoid of any personal touches. All perfectly placed and barely lived in. After all, Rin keeps to her own room, kitchen, library, and workshop.]

[head_bancho]

Thanks for welcoming me in. [He waited a moment to clear it up.] Anyway, I only got half of that.

[He wasn't quite hit with all the smells one would assume of a magus. Herbs, chemicals, dust. Far in the back where she must have preferred it. One might have just mistaken it for the scent of a library and strong tea if she didn't let them in on it.

In an effort to remain polite, he left his shoes the way Rin did and followed without looking around too much.]

Which one's your room?

[Alright. He wasn't that polite.]

[erbe]

[She's quick to turn and smack him on the upper arm.]

We didn't come here for that.

[head_bancho]

[Rubbing his arm.]

Sorry. It just came out.

[Once they found the room, he started looking around while keeping his hands to himself. Not out of politeness but because touching random things in wizard rooms always kicked off a horror movie.]

[erbe]

[Guess which bitch has the basement too cluttered in prep for the Grail War? This one! So she takes him up to her late father's study instead. It's pretty large, and doubles as their library with all the walls lined with bookshelves where there isn't windows. Though there is one case that holds various wine bottles pulled from the cellar and a nice little set for drinking with guests. The dust makes it clear it hasn't been touched in a while.

So at the very least he won't have to worry about blowing anything up.]

This room will have the best space to stretch out in. Can you tell me how it feels to use your power? We'll start there.

[head_bancho]

[He nodded, accepting the state of the basement. Yeah. That was a wizard basement. He looked around for a little while, hoping to spot a cauldron. What was the point of magic if one didn't have one of those resting on a wood-pile fire?

Walking to the widest space in the center at her request, Riki looked from Rin to the ground, spacing his feet.]

How it feels. I just gotta... [He didn't conjure anything but he couldn't describe it simply by recalling it. Something that nebulous had to be recalled at their steps. Crossing his arms, he took in a deep breath.]

It's like when you're standing in front of a big bonfire. It's tough to breathe and then... you force yourself to.

[erbe]

I see. Very rudimentary. I'm not going to teach you any theories or mathematical concepts associated with magic. We'll focus on how your body stores its energy and the most efficient and reliable way of channeling it. Which means you can focus the intensity or cut the flow in a moment's notice.

[Without warning Tohsaka begins to undress. Her outer layers shed and carefully placed on the table meant for guests. Well, her bottoms stay the same, but her top goes from something practical and warm to instead a camisole and bra underneath. This reveals the state of her arms — unremarkable normally, but if she flexes at all the muscles underneath shows quite clearly. Though the main event will be the glow of her circuits when she runs mana through them.]

Like this.

[head_bancho]

Like a breathing exercise.

[He caught himself staring when Rin undressed only because it was unprompted and sudden but it didn't take long for him to figure out what she was trying to do. He shut himself up and watched, crossing his arms and focusing.

The moment Rin activated her circuits, he stirred. Something about it made his stomach sink.]

That's what I saw when you hit me. What's it feel like?