smash_logs | Chapter 1: Smash Academy

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Chapter 1: Smash Academy

Who: Inigo and you
What: Dates and flowers and getting his bearings
Where: Anywhere on campus
When: Feb 2nd
Warnings: Flirting with every girl

[There was nothing like some fresh flowers to make a new, unfamiliar place feel like home - that was the first thing Inigo did to settle in. All the common rooms were now decorated with a branch of forsythia blossoms in a vase. It seemed an appropriate choice, even they were a bit pricy at the florist's.

The fact that he got two dates with two pretty girls - two! Sorta dates! Well, it had his hopes up for this school. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to stick around and maybe earn some coin before moving on.

If you see him sprucing up the place, feel free to say hello. He'll also be wandering around, trying to get his bearings of the school and poking at all the unfamiliar technology - in particular, staring at the stadium with a great deal of awe.]

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...

[There was an awkward beat as Inigo stared back. He seemed just as reluctant to elaborate on what he meant there. It wasn't fit for Alorah's dainty ears - no, it'd likely scare her off more than anything. In this peaceful place that seemed untouched by Grima's darkness, the brutality of their war would've only been frightening to such an innocent girl. He would've been frightening.

Instead, he held up one of the teabags.]

...How about rosehip tea?

[The pause was definitely conspicuous. What it meant, though, Alorah certainly couldn't guess. There were lots of things that were too personal to tell somebody you'd only just met that day, after all. Maybe it was a memory too sad or painful, maybe it was something he was ashamed of, maybe he just meant that a wandering life could be a dangerous and risky one.

Alorah was quiet for a while, debating whether to dig or not, but... no. There was nothing hospitable about putting someone on the defensive right off the bat. Whatever that silence had meant, there was probably a reason behind it.]

Rosehip sounds lovely.

[Now, there was a teapot at hand for them to brew the tea in, wasn't there? Hm, perhaps not - at least, not as a provision to the student kitchen. There were, however, cups that looked like small flagons, and decorated. He handed Alorah a mug with a very round kitty painted on it, and allotted himself one that said I ♥ big jugs - whatever that meant.

...So, a change of topics, perhaps.]

You said this was a school, yes?

Oh, yes. It may be a little... different from the schools you're used to, though.

[Alorah ~~wondered briefly whose job it had been to stock the mug cupboard and~~ brought the kettle over, waiting until Inigo had his teabag in place before pouring. Certainly not the same elegance as a proper tea set, by any means, but a warm cup of tea was a warm cup of tea, even if it was in a I ♥ big jugs mug.]

They teach things like Physics and Home Ec here, but it's a fighting school too. You can learn about combat and weaponry and all sorts of things, if you want to.

[Inigo let the tea steep as he breathed in its fragrance - lovely, regardless of the form of its container.

So, this was an academy that trained warriors. Not a bad idea - though it was hard to imagine a delicate flower like Alorah learning to fight. Perhaps he was too quick to judge, though. Necessity made fighters out of even the most feminine of girls. It was better to be prepared than it was to stay idle. And it was best that he stayed sharp, too.]

Not a bad idea. Though... I could stand to be better with a needle and thread, too! [Where those nicks and holes in his outfit? They weren't too immediately obvious, but the life of a mercenary tended to accumulate such scrapes.]

I never had the chance to get much of a formal education, growing up. This might be fun!

It is fun! I'd never been to a school before I enrolled here, but they make it very easy to learn. I'd be happy to help you out too, of course.

[Like with those aforementioned nicks and holes, for example. Perhaps someone would make a nice candidate for a secret visit from a mysterious clothing-mending Infiltrator sometime soon.]

No schooling before? My, yet you are every bit the equal of a lady of fine rearing. It must simply be your natural wit and talent.

[Inigo blew on his tea and took a tentative sip - ach, still a bit too hot.]

I certainly wouldn't mind having a... study session with you.

Don't let the dress fool you. I haven't got much wit or talent, I just like to be useful when I can.

[Not that the dress was doing a lot of fooling when it was still behind an apron and those elegant lace-trim gloves had been lying forgotten on the counter for ours. Such is the price of the baking zone.]

I'd be delighted to join you, but that might have to wait until you're signed up for classes! Getting settled in is half the fun, you know. You get to meet your roommate and get a uniform, and the school gives all its students a laptop to use.

Laptop? Hmm... seems like a lot I'll have to get used to.

[Inigo took another sip of his tea, running the unfamiliar word over in his head. Well, no challenge was insurmountable - but the one above all he wanted to conquer was this: Alorah's seemingly endless modesty.

She deserved to feel special! Well, every girl did. But this one had such a heart of gold, it was such a shame that she didn't realize how amazing she was. That would be his mission.]

What classes are you in? Perhaps I'll see you there!

Home Ec is my favourite subject, so you'll certainly see me there if you decide to take it.

[A surprise to absolutely no one ever. If mundane little household skills like cooking and sewing were the most available way of caring for people, then of course that was the subject matter she'd studied the most. She smiled down at her own tea, a little embarrassed about her next suggestion:]

There's Smash Fundamentals too. It might not quite be advanced enough for you, if you've been a mercenary for a while, but I've heard the teacher's very strong.

Well, it never hurts to keep your fundamentals sharp. Though Home Ec might be more useful now that the war's over... plus, I've been told women love a man who can cook!

[Ah, did he just mention the war? A slip of the tongue. But it was true - travelling on his own, it'd be useful to learn the basics of how to fend for himself.]

[He did just mention the war, as a matter of fact. That strange pause a little while ago might have started to make a bit more sense. A mercenary was likely to be one of the people fighting if there was a war going on, after all, and what little Alorah understood of war made it pretty easy to guess that it wasn't something most people would want to discuss.

Not that she knew anything for sure, of course, but just in case... that offhand little mention got stored away, but she chose not to press it. If it really was the reason behind his earlier evasiveness, then he'd probably still be uncomfortable talking about it, especially to someone he'd only just met. There were certain things she shouldn't expect to be trusted with right off the bat.

But all the same... her smile turned a little softer, and she felt just a little more grateful Inigo had decided to stay in their safe, welcoming little school.]

That's true for both men and women, I think. No matter what species you are or what language you speak, sharing food is the foundation of bonding, isn't it? If you can cook, you can show someone you care in a way that everyone understands.

[Inigo himself hadn't noticed the slip-up, so his cheery demeanour remained uninterrupted. Sure, he could cook, but he learned it out of necessity. All soldiers had to take turns making dinner for everyone when you were in the Shepherds, so cooking happened in huge quantities. That basic knowledge transferred over into smaller portions when Inigo travelled alone, but he'd never done it as an intimate gesture before.]

Mmm... you know, you're right! I always saw cooking as more of an obligation to everyone, but I hadn't thought about it that way before. That's why someone going to the effort of making your favourite dish feels so much better than simply going out for a meal. Like this, for instance!

[Oh cake, he hadn't forgotten about you. The mercenary set down the mug so he could pick up a fork.]

Just like that! ...Hopefully, I mean.

[She added the last part a little bashfully. It was kind of presumptuous to assume it'd had the intended effect before he'd taken a proper bite, after all. She paused to indulge in a small sip of tea, trying to be as dainty as she could with a kitty mug.]

I suppose it is an obligation too, but however you look at it, it's still nice to make someone smile, isn't it?

[They were in agreement on this.] There's no better feeling in the world.

[His eyes were fond as he glanced over at Alorah, and then down at the cake. Carefully, almost hesitantly, he carved a bite-sized piece out with the side of his fork and put it in his mouth.

It tasted even better than it looked. And it already looked amazing. Inigo's face lit up like the sun.]

Wow, it's really, honestly delicious! Please tell me you're a professional baker, Alorah, this is just too good.

Look at you, you've got such a talent for making people smile already. I could learn a lot from you!

Edited (i used the word really three times i could not let that stand) 2014-02-11 09:14 (UTC)

Oh, nothing like that! It's just something I do for fun.

[The work it had taken to make that cake all paid off the moment she got to see a smile that radiant. The compliments were a bit much for someone who was used to her contributions being anonymous, but she couldn't bring herself to look away, no matter how embarrassed she might have felt. She usually only managed to get little glimpses of smiles like those from her hiding places, after all.]

Just keep smiling like that, and I'll teach you anything you want, Inigo.

Hhaha! Then I will never stop.

Oh, speaking of... [He reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a small box. Inside was just a little trinket that he'd found in town - but he'd hoped that it'd bring a smile to Alorah's face as well.]

Just a little present for you. A token of my appreciation for your generous and welcoming heart!

[As much as Alorah loved spreading the joy of unexpected gifts, it wasn't something she expected to be on the receiving end of in the least. There was genuine surprise on her face as she accepted the box, giving way to a soft gasp as she opened it and saw the glimmer of jewelry.

It was fairly easy to guess what the puff on the end of the chain was. A dandelion... had he bought this just for her? Was that what he'd been doing while she'd been playing around in the student kitchen? The idea that he would go so far out of his way to find a gift that meant something when she wasn't much more than some random nobody who had offered him a snack... she hardly knew what to do with herself when faced with something so nice.]

You didn't have to do anything like this...!

Oh, but I wanted to! I just thought it would look so lovely on you - and how often do you run into dandelion jewelry? It was perfect! I simply couldn't leave it.

[It'd cost him a pretty penny, but Inigo didn't regret it for a moment - especially seeing how her eyes widened and hearing that dainty gasp of surprise. He took another bite of cake, feeling quite pleased with himself.]

[Alorah hesitated for a second, as if she wasn't sure it was really okay for her to just go and take something this lovely, but as flustered as she was by the gesture, the thought of refusing didn't cross her mind. It really was beautiful -- all the moreso because it made something as common and annoying as a dandelion into something so pretty. The thoughtfulness behind the gesture, though... something selfless and unexpected and deliberately chosen because it would be special to her personally, all for someone he only just met.

That, more than any amount of glimmer, drew her to the necklace. Inigo may have said that he could learn a lot from her, but she kind of fancied that it was maybe the other way around. Carefully, she pulled it free from the box and slipped it on.]

How does it look?

[Inigo lowered his fork and plate to better give Alorah his full attention.]

Beautiful. I do have good taste, don't I? Well, I knew it was a pretty trinket, but it shines all the brighter for being worn by you!

You're simply radiant together.

Thank you, Inigo. I'll think of you every time I wear it.

[She looked away, fingers rising to toy with the necklace, but there was no hiding the smile on her face. Receiving anyone's full attention may have been something that set nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but anyone would be happy being treated so sweetly.

Still, Alorah couldn't take that much attention for long before her cheeks started getting warm, so she cleared her throat, half-moving toward the sink of dishes -- almost instinctively gravitating to something that would keep her hands busy.]

I'll have to think of something extra-nice to thank you for it.

[What was this? Dishes? No, he couldn't possibly let her do all of those. After all, Alorah was the one who made the cake! Cooking and cleaning were duties shared by everyone in the Shepherds, that's just how it worked.

Inigo zipped over to the side of the sink, intercepting her.]

I can do those, dandelion! You already slaved away baking, it's only fair.

It wasn't slaving away at all! I do this sort of thing for fun, really...

[Alorah's immediate instinct was to insist -- it was her mess, after all, so of course she ought to clean it up. The cake was a gift, no strings attached, and that included cleanup duty.

But on the other hand, doing things together was always more enjoyable than doing them alone, and Alorah certainly knew that sometimes, it was more comfortable to be helpful than not.]

...I'll dry if you wash. Does that sound alright?

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Chapter 1: Smash Academy

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I asked bret for a mug suggestion and this is what I get

A++ choice

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