A few days later, after Shion’s mysterious ailment, you find yourself waking up early on a Saturday. You wash up and put on some casual clothes, and once ready, head towards the school’s gate. Shion has asked you to help her run some errands in town, and by help, she means carrying her things. Which is fine with you, all you were going to do was work out today anyway, and carrying a bunch of bags might as well be weight training.
You walk down the main pass that runs right through the middle of campus. Made of seamless terracotta bricks, “The Main Road,” as it's called, is the main lifeline of the school. All paths and trails lead to it, from the dorms to the lecture halls. Everyone, from students to teachers, uses it at some point during their time here and does so regularly. The road leads to the main gate, A massive wrought iron gate flanked by two monolithic ivory towers. The entire structure crackles with magical energy thanks to the ward placed on it. Impervious from the outside, it is said that thanks to it, The Kingdom of Cover’s Sword and Sorcery Academy is the third most protected place in the kingdom.
Naturally, you need permission to leave, and as typical of her, Shion got the okay for both of you.
You spot Shion waiting in front of one of the trees that line the main road, a throwaway from the large marble fountain that marks the boundary between the main campus and the gate. They’re strange trees from Yamato, their leaves turn pink during the Spring. “Sakura”, Iroha called them. You like them, they show you that the world is so much bigger than you could ever realize. Still so much to learn.
Shion is dressed in a frilly black and burgundy dress, with wine-colored tights and black leather shoes. Her shoulders are completely bare, it seems that the equally frilly sleeves are an accompanying accessory. She’s tied up her hair in twintails and when they blow in the breeze just right, you can see behind them are a pair of earrings. In her hands is a matching purple purse.
You’ve never seen Shion outside her uniform or Witch equipment before. Your pulse quickens.
“Oh,” you say, the excitement in your heart escaping your lips.
Shion makes a grumpy face when she notices you dragging your feet, “Heeeeeey! You’re so slow~” she groans,
“Am I late?”
“No, but you sure took your sweet time walking down the main road.”
You can only offer her a no-doubt irritating grin. What can you say? You like the trees.
Shion sighs, “Well, are you ready?”
You nod, “Ready when you are.”
Shion slides her purse over her shoulder and gestures towards the gate with a nod of her head. You follow her and head out into town after showing the guards your permission slips.
------------
The city of Hologra sprouted up around the Academy to support it. Students need food, school supplies, and places to blow off steam. Long ago in the Academy’s history, it was just state-sponsored places giving subsidized benefits to Cover’s scholars and soldiers. But as Cover transformed from a Kingdom into an Empire and met with other nations, the culture of Hologra quickly outgrew its backyard origins. These days, you can find anything one might imagine from every corner of the world. It is perhaps the most diverse place in the Kingdom, only surpassed, supposedly, by Port City of Libertalia. If that's true, then you’d like to go visit that country someday.
Shion leads you into a Magecraft and Occult shop, A soot black-fronted store called “Witchcraft Works.” You follow behind Shion as she boldly opens the door and enters. A bit nervous about being surrounded by so many magical items, you make sure to keep your hands in your pockets.
The tin bell at the top of the door jingles, “Welcome~” A Witch manning the counter says, not bothering to look up from her grimoire. You take a moment to study her since you’ve never seen another Witch besides Shion. She has blond hair and golden eyes that match, as well as a frankly massive che-
“Oi.”
A chill runs down your spine, you look toward the source of the sound, and see a fuming Shion boring holes into you with her gaze.
“...Yeah?” you ask.
Shion pouts, her brow furrowed and eyes angry. She grabs you by the wrist and forcefully drags you deeper into the store, tugging at your arm like she's trying to pop it out of its socket.
“Wait Shio,n you’re gonna yank my arm off!”
“Good! I hope I do!”
------------
You dutifully follow Shion around, shopping basket in hand, and watch her as she inspects and then takes various Witch accouterments. As always you watch with fascination. This world always goes by your head but since meeting Shion you try your best to make sense of it.
Still, you’d be lying if you said some of this stuff didn't unnerve you. You peer into a jar of preserved plump rats all tied together by a knot formed of their tails. They float still in the orange liquid, their faces distorted by the curvature of the glass, eyes glazed and empty. You swear that one just looked at you.
“Oh, they have fresh Mandrake in stock!” Shion says chipperly
You look over to find Shion standing over a vegetable display. At first, you think she's looking at a bunch of white radishes, except the vegetables in question are humanoid in shape, complete with faces frozen mid-scream on them. She holds two in her hands, studying them intently as if one would appraise at a farmers market.
“What uh, what makes them fresh?” you ask.
Shion sets one down and with her free hand, viciously digs her thumbnail into the “eye” of the mandrake. The Mandrake to your shock lets out a blood-curdling scream. It lasts only a second but that was long enough to make your head throb with pain and your ears ring. You shoot a look to the clerk but she is unfazed as she turns a page of her grimoire with languished fingers. Business as usual it seems.
Shion nods approvingly and adds it to the basket. “Good scream, one whole second?” she looks at you, “That's fresh.”
“Right…”
Shion gasps with excitement, her hands clasping her cheeks. “Look! They have the newest edition of Liber Umbra!” Shion takes you by the hand and begins leading you towards a second of the store lines with magical grimoires.
“Hey C'mon, hurry!” Shion says with a wide and happy smile. There it is again. That smile that grabs your heart. You smile too, infected by its unfettered joy.
“I’m hurrying! I'm hurrying!” you chuckle.
------------
You spent most of the day like that, following Shion around as she did her shopping. Standing outside a dressing room as she tried on clothes, giving your opinion on shades of makeup, and so on. It was fun though, learning more about Shion. You’re glad she feels comfortable enough to share herself with you.
The two of you sit side by side on a park bench, eating crepes - another thing you never had before coming here. Yours is strawberry and banana, Shion got chocolate. You look up at the sky as you chow down on your treat. The sun hangs low despite the clear blue sky it rests. Sunset is coming, and the two of you will need to be back before curfew. Sadly, the day with Shion is almost over.
“Oh yeah,” you say after you finish devouring yours, “Do you mind if we make a stop real fast before we head back?
“Hmm?” Shion mumbles through a mouthful of crepe, she swallows, and wipes the excess cream off her lips with her finger. “Sure, I didn't know you had errands also. Might as well”
“Thanks, It won't take long.”
------------
At the edge of the city lies Kovalskia Ironworks. Its location is part necessity and part convenience. As a Blacksmith, it needs the space to properly be a forge. Furnaces are massive, they generate a lot of heat and a lot of smoke. That's not even bringing up the tools needed to properly shape steel. But Hologra is a city for Adventures. Its location on the edge of town is natural. Last stop for any weapons or armor that one might need before a big quest, and the first place to go to on the way home to get your gear fixed.
The two of you enter the front of the workshop. Various weapons forged by the shop's proprietress hang on every inch of the walls. War Hammers, Axes, Long and Short bows, large hunks of iron too big to be called swords. The sheer amount and variety are a testament to Kovalskia’s skills as a Blacksmith. The armaments provide the perfect backdrop to mannequins displaying various armors and shields. Plate, Chain, and Leather with studs, the mannequins are posed in such a way as to show off a replica of the warriors who might use them. Shion’s eyes grow wide at the sight, her head darting around to each display.
“Welcome,” a steeled voice calls out.
The woman herself is standing behind a glass counter - Kaela Kovalskia—former Master Smith of The Knight’s Order of Shirogane. A very tall blond-haired woman with blazing red eyes who hails from a foreign land she told you was called Ibupertiwi. Doesn't roll off the tongue easily.
“Oh. It's you,” she says deadpan but with the corners of her mouth barely rising.
“Hi Kaela, I was just wondering if my things were ready. I know it's early, but I was in town and figured I’d check.”
Her eyes linger on you for a moment before she sighs, “Yes, I had just finished working on them because I know you’re impatient.” Her crimson eyes flicker to Shion for a moment before returning to you. “I will get your stuffs, I will be back.”
Kaela parts some curtains hanging on a doorframe and vanishes into the backroom, leaving you and Shion alone in the workshop.
“Hey~ Check this out, isn't this crazy!” Shion says. You scan for her and find her standing next to one of the mannequins. It's dressed in a golden lion's pelt… and that's it—no mail, not even padded cloth, nothing.
“Nemean Lion pelt,” you tell her, “It has great elemental resistance.”
She lifts one of the massive paws dangling from the display, “Hey maybe you should consider wearing this?” she explodes with laughter, waving the paw at you like it might come back to life.
You chuckle, “That's a little too wild for me, but I know a guy who would rock that AND pull it off.”
Still amused and giggling, Shion drops the lion's paw and wanders over to the glass counter. It's a display showing off various items: amulets, rings, belts, gauntlets, boots, helmets, and even some daggers.
“These all have magical energy in them,” Shion says.
“That is correct, I bought them off Adventurers,” Kaela’s husky voice calls out as she emerges from the shadows of the backroom, carrying a clothed bundle in her arms
“Are you allowed to do that?” Shion asks, looking up at Kaela with narrowed eyes.
Kaela shrugs, “There is nothing I sell again that's dangerous. I do not deal in demonic swords or cursed items, and most adventurers only sell the low-tier items. If I do get any, I sell it to the school so they can dispose of it.” She sets the bundle on the counter. “The Mage’s Association makes it their goal to get all the dangerous stuffs anyway, right, little witch?”
“That's right, yes.” Shion looks back down at the items behind the counter, “...Hey, maybe you should consider getting one?” She looks up at you and smirks, “Maybe they have a Ring of Featherfalling or something.”
You roll your eyes, “I dunno, don’t they run out of juice or something?”
Kaela gives a silent, breathy laugh. “Anyways, I have your things right here,” she says through gasps. Kaela unwraps the cloth bundle to reveal an average sword in its sheath. “I reinforced it like you asked.”
You grab the sword by the handle and sheath and slowly draw it. The sword's blade is now iridescent, its edges a golden orange while its center is now a sparking indigo blue.
“It's pretty…” Shion says amazed.
“Differential tempering… As expected of Kaela, I suppose that's the best you can do without resmelting it.”
“At that point, I would prefer you just buy a new sword, like one of mine,” she says
“Did you use an Inductor? There's no way you got such a controlled gradient with a regular flame,” you ask.
Kaela gives a proud and satisfied smile of a maestro, “That is correct.”
Shion looks at Kaela and then at you, confusion clear across her face. “What are you guys talking about?”
“It's Bladeworking,” you say, “Differential temping is using heat to change the qualities of specific parts of steel. You point to the edge of your sword, “The yellow here means it is harder, more likely to remain sharp,” your finger drifts to the spine of the sword, “The blue here means it is now more flexible, less likely to break.”
“How do you know all this stuff?” Shion asks.
You turn to her, “Before I was accepted into the academy I was an apprentice for the village’s Blacksmith.”
“Oh…” Shion says, her eyes blinking rapidly. She bites the corner of her lip and casts her gaze to her shoes, “...I didn't know that…”
You give Kaela a grin, “That's probably why we get along so well. Don't you think?”
“You call barging into my shop and questioning my work ‘getting along’?” Kaela says, the corners of her mouth perking up. “I guess talking to an adventurer who knew their stuffs for once is nice.”
Her eyes slide onto Shion, “My husband was an Adventurer a long time ago, so I'm used to dealing with… meatheads like this boy. Always rushing head, never thinking. I never understand.
Shion gives Kaela an uncomfortable smile in response, her jaw locked and clenched.
Kaela sheaths the sword and then reaches for something on the ground and puts your shield on the counter. “I redid the straps and leather, also made sure the bolts were in place.” She nods approvingly, “It should last you a long time. Good steel, I missed working with it.”
Finally, Kaela places a linen sack on the counter, “Here, a whetstone and some oil, for free.”
“Free?” you ask, bewildered, “C’mon Kael,a you know I can't accept that.”
“Dahlah, I won't hear it.” Kaela dismisses your complaint with her own bullheadedness, “Consider it a gift from… your big sister, I guess.”
Grumbling, you accept the gift after strapping your sword and shield back to your body, right where they belong. It feels good to have them on your person again, you felt naked without them.
You pick up all the bags from today's excursion heaving them over your shoulders and feeling like a pack mule. “Alright Kaela, we need to get back before nightfall, thanks again and I’ll see you later,” you say.
You turn towards Shion to indicate your business is done and see that she's wandered away from the conversation. She stands in front of the wall of weapons, her head craned up at the grand display of war implements, and her shoulders slumped.
…
“Thank you for your patronage,” Kaela monotones. Her red eyes float over to Shion again, and the corners of her mouth droop just a bit, “Please come again.”
------------
By the time the two of you arrived back at the school gate, the hue of the sky had changed from a deep blue into a faint orange. Perched upon the gate itself, a pair of ravens caw and coo at the two of you as you enter back onto campus. Shion lags behind you as the two of you walk the main road. She’s been quiet since you left Kaela’s shop. “Tired,” she said. You suppose that's true, it's been a long day with a lot of walking, but...
You sneak a glance at Shion with a slight of your eyes. Her gaze is still stuck at her feet as she bounces her purse off her knees with each step.
If your hands were free, you’d be tearing out your hair. You feel like you never know what to say to her when she's like this. Today was a good day, you thought. She was smiling, and it was a great smile. So, what can you do to bring it back?
“Oh my. If it isnt Shion Murasaki.”
You look back to the path forward and see a trio of Sorceresses arriving off a side path onto the main road. The one who addressed Shion is a tall girl with navy blue hair. Behind is one with red hair and one that's platinum blond. They know Shion, are they her friends?
Shion's face contorts into a scowl. “Geh, Medea, what a pleasant surprise.”
“Out slacking off with…” This Medea looks at you for a second and wrinkles her nose, “...your boyfriend? I heard you were seen with a man, but even I thought that was beneath you.”
“I’m not her boyfriend. My name is Anon, it's nice to meet you Medea.”
Medea doesn't even bother to acknowledge you or even look your way, you might as well not exist to her. “I expected Warlock, or a a fellow Magus, not a brainless warrior boy.”
Shion steps in front of you, “What do you want, Medea?” she asks, her voice already irritated.
“Why nothing, I’m just saying hello and taking in this unusual sight. I wonder how our peers would feel about the top-ranked Magus dating someone from the Knight course…”
Shion rolls her eyes, “You can say what you want, but that won't make it true.” Shion turns to you, “Let's go, Anon,” she says.
“My always so hostile. This is why you’re always by yourself,” Medea says, “Miss Natural Genius is too good to talk with the rest of us.” Medea’s cronies nod fervently.
The one with red hair scoffs, “Not that you’d have anything to say, up there in your ivory tower while the rest of us have to try.”
You grit your teeth to stem your rising temper. Who the hell do these girls think they are? Your eyes dart to Shion, but she's unfazed. Not even bothering to muster up the energy for a comeback, she begins to walk away. If Shion doesn't want to engage… then you’ll respect that and stay silent, but this isn't right. They’re disrespecting her right in front of you, and you’re supposed to defer to the better part of valor? Frustrated, your hands ball into fists.
“That's right, I bet you forced this poor boy to do your dirty work,” The blond one says, “What was it Murasaki? A potion? Blackmail? Triple Goddess knows he wouldn't willingly be with you.”
Shion freezes dead in her tracks. You watch as her hands ball into fists so tight her arms shake. She digs her top teeth into her bottom lip, gnawing on a corner. You see tears bead in the corners of her eyes, and when you do, you can no longer take it. This will not stand.
“That's enough.”
All four witches whip their heads toward you at the sound of your snarled voice, but you remain stonefaced. Those three will acknowledge you now.
“Let me make one thing clear: Shion didn't make me do anything. You three are wrong. I’m with her because I want to be.”
You glare into the eyes of each of the three heckler witches. They will know the depths of their fetid souls and you will deliver the knowledge to them. Justice demands no less.
“Which means I like her, if you really are wise Magi you should be able to come to that conclusion yourselves.”
Medea sputters, her lackeys remain silent behind her.
“Shut up. Is this how you get your jollies? By being mean and rude to people and ruining their day? Does that make you feel like superior people?” You put yourself between Shion and them, your shoulders squared and teeth bared.
“Make no mistake, that makes you dregs, less than animals. People like you are everything wrong with the world. You disgust me.”
You look towards Shion, She’s completely flabbergasted, staring at you with eyes so wide her amber irises are tiny beads. Seeing her is just more fuel for the fire. The two of you were having a great day, and Shion gets upset, and these... These… bitches come and kick her while she's down.
“Shion works just as hard as anyone else. Maybe if the three of you spent more time working hard on improving your craft and your rotten personalities instead of blaming your misfortunes on others and trying to drag them down you might find yourselves less miserable.” You thrust an accusatory finger at each of the magi to drive home the point. “At the very least you might catch up to her.”
Suddenly Shion latches herself onto your arm almost knocking you off balance, “That's right Medea,” she says rejuvenated, “Shouldn't you be more worried about saving face for your Coven after your Auntie’s blunder?”
Medea seethes, she clenches her fists, and magical energy crackles in blue lighting around her grip.
“Medea you can't!” the red-haired one says, putting her hand on her shoulders and pulling her back, “If you get in a fight with someone from another department you’ll get in BIG trouble.”
The magical energy dissipates, and Medea lets out a huff, “Whatever. Let's go, ladies.” Medea storms off, trying her best to look like she's not bothered. Her goons look at the two of you one last time before quickly scurrying off after her.
“That's right, get lost,” you yell after them. Although you’re a bit relieved. When you sensed the magical energy building, you unconsciously prepped a battle strategy. From that distance, you would win against Medea and one othe,r but the third lackey might of gained enough distance to deal with you.
“Bunch of harpies…” you mumble. You look down at Shion still clinging to your arm “...You alright?” you ask.
Shion nods, “Now I'm really tired.”
“What's her problem anyways?”
“If you couldn't tell from her name, Medea is from a Coven in the old country, Hecateoikos. So she has a bit of a stick up her butt.” Shion lets go of your arm and sighs, “We never really got along, but then Professor LaFayette picked me as her apprentice, and Medea has had a chip on her shoulder ever since.”
You’ve heard of Hecateoikos before as part of your studies on the Kingdom of Cover. It's an island state located across Gawr’s Gulf.
“Does being from The Isle of Witches give her the right to be such a bitch?” you ask, still steaming with righteous fury.
Shion lets out a shocked and sputtering laugh, “Couldn't tell ya! I’ve never been.”
“It just pisses me off how they acted like they knew you.”
“Oh, and you do~?” Shion snickers.
“I do. Better than them, that's for sure.” You look at Shion a bit concerned, “You’re not being bullied, are you? You can tell me you know.”
She rolls her eyes as she gives an irritated sigh, “No. In the Magi world, who you know is just as important as where you’re from, and lucky for me, I know a couple of princesses.” She looks at you and smiles, “I’m okay, trust me.”
“...If you say so, then I will.” You’re hesitant to let the topic go. You want Shion to rely on you and not bottle herself up. It’s why you always offer her your hand, not because it's right, but because it's her. But you also trust her, so in this case, you defer to her judgment.
Shion skips forward down the main road, “You don't need to act like such a white knight all the time, it's soooooo lame.” She turns around and leans towards you like a trickster imp, “But thanks.”
You crack a smile, “Any time.”
Shion playfully sticks her tongue out and turns around. She starts walking off, humming a cheery tune. Despite what happened, it looks like she's feeling better. You're not sure what you did exactly to cheer her up, but that's alright. You take a deep breath and let your tension go. It’s over with now. Heaving the bags back up your arms, you jog after her.
“If anything, you should be more worried about yourself,” Shion tells you when you catch up to her. “If any Mages - especially if they’re a Witch - ask you for a lock of hair, don't give it to them,” she warns.
“Hair?” you ask, confused. Another Mage thing you don't understand.
Shion looks at you and holds a lecturing finger up. “If a Witch has a lock of your hair, she will have the direct ability to curse you.”
“How?”
“It gives a direct connection to your body - a link. A Witch can channel a curse into that hair and through it, affect you. Sympathetic Magic.”
“Okay,” you say, barely understanding, “but why hair specifically?”
She puts the finger to her cheek and hums in thought, “Easier to get than say, your teeth, but I think most Witches have a fondness for hair. In the old country, Witches and Warlocks would trade each other locks of hair instead of rings when they married.”
“To show how much they trust each other,” you conclude, even you can understand that much.
Shion looks at you and smiles, “Although these days, I think they only really do it to please their Yiayiás. Most still do rings. I know I’d prefer a nice silver ring like any other Westa girl. OH with a big gemstone on it.”
You laugh along as Shion describes her ideal wedding, grandiose and lavish with a mixture of Hecateoikos tradition and modern Westian sensibilities. It's exactly like her: conceited yet kind. Aiming to please herself and everyone at the same time. You’re relieved that she's feeling back to her usual self. Even if you wish you could still do more for her.
------------
After saying goodbye, Shion heads towards her room to start putting the things she bought away. She would consider letting him in but she hasn't cleaned up the place, and there's no way in hell she’d let him see her room. Plus, she wasn't sure if Lamy was home and she didn't want to have that conversation. Each dorm in the Mage Department consists of two rooms, and shared kitchen, and a living room. Mage’s rooms are slightly larger than their contemporaries due to needing space for a Workshop, although for students, a Workshop is simply just a table, a spot for a cauldron, and a bookshelf.
Shion lets out a sigh, as she begins to put away her purchased witch ingredients, what an eventful day.
“Wait, was today a date?” she asks herself.
She shakes her head, of course not! She had asked him for a favor and he acquiesced like the gentleman he is. It was just his chivalry. No matter how much fun was had, it does not change the fact that it was an errand. It was no different than her testing a potion or a spell on him again. He probably didn't even think of the fact that it could be considered from some perspectives, a date.
Shion holds up a string of garlic bulbs and grumbles, “It would be nice if he did,” she says as she hangs the garlic up.
Although, if there's one thing that she’s happy about, is when he stood up to Medea and her followers. Shion smiles fondly. She didn't really care about Medea. The world of Magi is often a nest of vipers and Shion is careful where she steps. Medea’s cattyness means nothing to her. Could she have done without the encounter? Absolutely, but it left her more irritated that she had to expend the energy than anything. Besides…
“I’m with her of my own volition, because I want to be. Huh…” Shion hums pleased as she slots Liber Umbra Vol 13 right next to Vol 12 on the shelf.
Shion still can't believe he did that. Well, that's not true. Being annoyingly righteous like that is exactly like him. She titters as she replaces the empty inkwell with the freshly brought one. Yes, he always sticks his nose in business that's not his. Doing unnecessary things in the name of justice. It was stupid but… his words made her happy. For a country bumpkin, he always seems to know what to say. He even swore and he never swears, that's how Shion knows he meant it.
She saw that look of anger in his eyes right from the start. He thinks he’s slick but Shion can see right through him. He isn't as pure-hearted as he might try to be. Still, she appreciates his grace in the situation at first. It's exactly why she’s so… fond… of him. Always willing to choose peace first. To correct what's wrong no matter how small, by speaking softly or firmly. She admires his conviction. She could never…
…
If she saw someone being bullied like that, would she stand up for them? If she and Anon swapped places, could she defend him?
Shion holds up the white sundress she bought, watching its color fade into glass in the moonlight. Doubt creeps into Shion's heart as she looks at the moon through the fabric, its form obfuscated. She’d rather not have an omen right now. She tosses the dress into the dirty clothes hamper and moves to the rest of her new things.
It's that same feeling she got at the smith, a gnawing, tearing feeling like so many insects in her heart.
When he started talking about all that smith stuff, Shion found herself quickly lost. All of it went over her head almost instantly. She had zero clue what they were talking about and thus, how to join in. She felt isolated. When she found out something new about his past, she should have been happy. Why couldn't she be happy? Instead, it just served as a reminder of her alienation. All she could do was stand there, slack-jawed and helpless, unable to understand the person she wanted to be with.
Is that how he feels when he's with her? When she rattles Thaumaturgy theories or Alchemy formulas or Conceptual Mystics, does he stand there dazed and confused? Completely unable to connect? Reminded starkly of their incompatibility? Of just how different their worlds are? Of how ephemeral their future is? Was dragging him around on her whims, the worst thing she could have done?
That Iroha girl wouldn't have a problem understanding him.
The sound of glass shattering at her feet snaps Shion out of her spiral. She looks down and sees the broken remains of a jar of newt eyes. Their ganglic nerves twitch amongst the shards of glass that line her feet. The acrid smell rising off from the translucent fluid spreading over the wooden floorboards and soaking the feet of her stocking.
“Awwww! I just bought that!!” Shion whines.
She bends down and picks up one of the amphibian’s oculars by its dangling nerve. She sighs and drops it back into the puddle. Shion leaves her room, wet footsteps slapping the preservative solution across her dorm. She comes back soon with a dustpan, brush, and a dirty towel to clean up the mess she made. Squatting down, she makes the motion to begin to sweep up the debris, but notices her reflection in the orange liquid. The Shion in the puddle is frowning a deep-set frown. She looks like she's miserable.
Shion hates the look.
------------
Shion walks down the halls of the Mage Department main building, a connecting locus of all the other buildings of the other disciplines. She had just finished Professor Ookami’s Astrology lecture. She has Professor Ookami tomorrow as well for Home EC, but right now, Shion’s primary concern is getting to her next class on time: Hermetic Alchemy with Professor Hakui.
But a strange sight catches her attention. It's Anon! Shion perks up at the sight of the wannabe knight. He’s just loitering in front of some lecture room, looking rather nervous, like a fish out of water.
“Weird, what is he doing over here?” Shion asks herself. Her curiosity is pushed away by the joy that springs forth. Humming with a mischievous glee, Shion speeds up into a jog to catch him by surprise and hopefully give him a good scare.
The lecture hall door he was standing next to slides open, and a voluptuous girl with pink hair emerges from its confines. Shion recognizes her. She’s from the White Magic course, one of their elite students. A shrine maiden from Yamato, so blessed by her Gods that the divinity wafts off her.
Shion freezes in place, her feet grinding to a halt on the marble floors. She stares at the pair with wide and frightened eyes.
The shrine maiden looks at Anon and says something. He gives her a warm smile and says something in response. He then flexes, throwing a hand on a bulging bicep, and says something so outrageous that passers-by stare at him with funny looks. The shrine maiden looks at him and laughs heartily, clutching her sides. He smiles again, before laughing with her.
Shion feels like she‘s drowning in a deep lake. The way he smiled at her, the softness in his eyes, the gentleness in his face. She could understand if he was being that kind lug he is with that Iroha girl. She would hate it, it would be like swallowing burning coals, but she could understand why. But that shrine maiden isn't Iroha, it isn’t a Warrior. She's a Magus. She's exactly in the same situation as Shion, just on the other side of the coin. And yet…
“...He doesn't look like that when he's with me…”
Shion grabs her chest, twisting and crushing her blouse underneath her trembling fingers. As if doing so will keep her heart from crumbling into pieces. She bites her lip, feeling her canines dragging across her lower lip so deeply she tastes blood. Her issues had nothing to do with being from a different world than him. Staring across the room at the two of them, watching them giggle and chat, seeing the warmth they give each other, Shion realizes that she's just not loving enough. Not capable of it.
She is a Witch. One best left in a swamp.
“Oh! Its Shion! Heyyyy Shion!” she hears Anon’s voice call for her and Shion jumps, panicked. She wants to run away but she finds herself paralyzed in fear. Soon enough, Anon and the shrine maiden both descend upon her.
“H-hello,” Shion says to Anon. Shion’s eyes meet the shrine maiden’s emerald orbs and she forces out an awkward smile.
“OH! You’re Shion Murasaki!!” the shrine maiden says, her voice sounding like someone snipped off the tip of her tongue, “I’ve heard a lot about you!”
The shrine maiden gives a beaming smile so bright it threatens to vaporize Shion where she stands, “My name is Sakura Mi- err, Miko Sakura, it's nice to meet you nye,” Miko gives Shion a deep bow. The amount of respect being shown by Miko to Shion makes her deeply uncomfortable. The last person she wants to hear praise from is her. It makes her feelings all the harder to deal with.
“Of course you have,” Shion blusters with an upturned nose. She feels her forehead break out in a cold sweat as her brain squirms. She turns her attention towards Anon in hopes of salvation. “How do you tw- What are you doing here?” she asks.
“They’ve been pairing up Knights and Healers for the last few weeks or so,” he says. Miko gives a concurring nod. “But it's more like we get thrashed in training and the healers come and practice on us.”
Miko laughs and it makes Shion’s heart shrivel. “Nye? It's like you’re my guinea pig.”
He’s MY guinea pig! Shion thinks to herself. She wants to say that, yell it. She has no clue how many spells and potions she’s slung on him. She wants to tell him but…
Shion darts her eyes around the vestibule, student mages of all kinds flock to and fro the great arteries of the department. She can't. There are too many of her peers around, too many mages. She can't embarrass herself like that, she has a reputation of a top magus to maintain. One that's collected and rightly proud. She can't throw a tantrum in front of another top mage. Shion Murasaki screams at fellow valedictorian, over “a boy.” Shion shivers at the idea. And if Medea finds out…?
It’ll never happen. No, she won't let it. Shion won't let these rising feelings of jealousy play out. Not to Miko, and especially not to him. She can't let her ugliness cause him trouble. Bile rises to the back of her throat and scalds her tongue, and Shion swallows it down.
“Today was the last day though, I was waiting around to hear from Sakura what her final grade was.”
Miko holds up a peace sign with her fingers and gives a smug chuckle, “A-minus.”
“Hey, that's pretty good!” Anon cheers
“I had a good partner!” Miko cheers.
With a shared celebration, the two of them give each other a high five with both hands. Stop it. Stop acting close.
“What about you, Shion? What are you up to?” he asks.
Shion flinches, “M-me? I uh…”
“We were gonna get some lunch to celebrate. Do you wanna come with?” Miko asks. Stop getting closer.
The two of them look at Shion expectantly, eyes wide like a pair of puppy dogs. Shion feels herself beginning to hyperventilate, her slim chest rising and falling in an anxious staccato. Their kindness is wasted on her, someone who can only think of herself. Shion shifts her eyes away from them. Their combined gaze is dissolving her mask, ripping it off in painful chunks. If she looks at them any longer, she will fall apart. They’ll see her ugliness! He will see! And if he sees then…
“I-I got class, sorry.” Shion blurts out. She clutches the strap to her schoolbag like it's a life preserver and rushes away from the scene.
“Shion?” she hears Anon call out to her, but she keeps her head down and stares at the marble tiles as she flees the scene and her feelings, their white coloration blinding her eyes.
------------
The fading light of a finished day floats into Shion’s bedroom on a mist of saturated orange. The raven pair croaks softly somewhere on the campus outside. Shion lies on her bed, wrapped in her blankets like it's a funeral shroud. She’s curled up on her side, hugging her knees to her petite chest. Misery swirls inside as she relives seeing Miko and Anon together over and over again.
That Miko girl was bright and cheerful, the kind of person who brings color by just existing. She’s like a spring breeze warming up everyone around her. She’s everything Shion is not. Shion is gloomy and mean. A petulant child who kicks and pouts when things don't go her way. Miko wouldn't be sulking in her room like this. That's why he deserves someone like Miko, someone who can push him up, not bring him down like her. They suit each other, they’re cut from the same cloth.
Shion feels like she's about to burst into tears. If she were just a bit sweeter, more huggable, happier, then maybe her feelings would be justified. That she deserves to be with him. All she does is take from him after all, his attention, his affection. Take and take and take and give nothing back. If she could just… stop holding him at arm's length, then maybe she would finally get him to just look at her, actually look at her. Maybe then, she would have his attention in its totality.
She blinks away the tears beading in the corners of her eyes. That's right. It's all his fault. She never felt like this before meeting him. She never experienced this wretched feeling that is tearing her apart before. All this passion and suffering writhing around in her body with no place to go. She got it from him. Shion won't accept it, she refuses the disparity, she denies the feeling. She won't give up her secrets to him for any reason. No compromises. She will make him take it back.
…But what can she do?
With that question, Shion’s depression loops back around to the start like an ouroboros. The eternal question torments her and lays bare her shortcomings.
There's a knock on her door, “Shion?” A boy's voice calls out to her.
Shion jumps so high she almost takes to the stars. “A-A-Anon?” She flails her blankets off of her in a panicked frenzy, “How the hell did you find my dorm?”
“I asked Reine.”
Shion clicks her tongue, damn that gossip-loving peafowl. Wait. If he’s here, then…
“...Did you run into Lamy? My roommate?” she asks,
“Yeah, she was very nice and polite, she seems like a good friend.”
“Is she… around?”
“She went to her room, told me to take my time.”
Shion breathes a sigh of relief. At least one of her princess friends has enough tact to mind her own business. She crawls out of bed and quietly shuffles towards her bedroom door.
Shion places her hands on the door separating them, “You can't come in,” she tells him through the oak wood, “You’re not allowed.”
“That's fine,” he says. Shion hears something gently lying on her door and slides down. Is he sitting down? She raps her fingers against the wood for a moment, listening to her nails click against the grains. Slowly, she lowers herself as well, sitting on her floor with the door to her back.
A quiet falls between them, Shion sits there and fiddles with a lock of her hair, weaving the gray threads between her thumb and forefinger. She waits for him to say something, anything but he doesn't. All he’s doing is giving her space and the option to talk but only if she wants to. But he's so dumb, he went through all that trouble getting the information of where Shion lives, walked all the way here only for him to act like he was never here in the first place. Shion wants to laugh at the clunky approach. It's so obvious what he is doing, so hamfisted like the barbarian he is.
Shion leans the back of her head on the door and lets out a sigh through a smile. “I’m okay. Or, I will be,” she works up the courage to say.
“I feel like it's my fault.”
Shion laughs at how scarily astute he can be sometimes, “Don't get full of yourself,” she says, “It's my problem, I just… have to work through it.”
“Alone?”
“Yes,” That's all she can say.
There's a heavy silence from him and Shion is thankful for the barrier between them. If he could see her face at this moment, she knows he would not let her escape.
“There's another thing,” he says, “I was wanting to tell you today but I didn't see you at all for the rest of the day. Sorry, probably not the time or place to-”
“Just tell me already,” Shion says, rolling her eyes even though he can't see them.
“I was chosen to go on an Expedition this coming Monday by Noel Shirogane herself.”
Shion gasps. Even she knows what a big deal being chosen for an Expedition is. Expeditions are journeys funded by the Mage’s Association into crypts and dungeons for Mystics. Every once in a while, the Academy picks some top students and offers them a chance to join. Being chosen is a guarantee that said student will become a top adventurer. No institution in any country will see such a thing and turn the students away should they wish to join them. In practicality, said student is already whatever their dream is. It's a Seal of Approval, A Letter of Recommendation. And for him to be chosen by Noel Shirogane - his hero - herself…
“Triple Goddess, Anon that's… that's huge! You’re basically a Knight already.” Shion says. She can't help but smile, spurred on by the warmth and joy in her heart for him, “I’m so happy for you.” Shion knows better than anyone how hard he works, if anyone deserves the recognition it's him.
He chuckles, “Thanks. I’m thankful for the opportunity. Being able to journey next to Noel is like a dream come true.”
“So… I wanted to ask you…” he mutters with a tense voice.
Shion raises an eyebrow, She's never heard this tone from him before. He’s always so assured and confident. She shifts on her butt slightly and puts an ear closer to the gap in the door and the frame.
“...Would you…”
No way. Is he… nervous? He’s not confessing, is he?! Shion shakes her head, dislodging the assumption. That bit her in the ass last time and she won't be a fool twice.
He takes a deep breath, “I wanted to ask if you would be there to send me off. See, there's a big send-off for the party by friends and family, so…”
Shion sighs. Is that all? Saying goodbye? …Of course, she can do that. She would have done that anyway.
“Sure sure, who else is gonna be there? Sakamata?”
“...I didn't ask anyone else.” He says.
Shion jolts at the words. She throws her hands to her sternum to prevent her frantic heart from leaping from her chest. He chose me? Only me?
Her first instinct is to take his words without a shred of doubt. Shion wants to believe it so badly. Not that he would lie, she knows he wouldn't, but he doesn't think about the words he says. It's his best and worst trait, after all. Shion rises to her feet and shuffles towards the door. As if it might shocker her, she reaches for the doorknob, her fingers dancing on its bronze edge. Her chance is right here, to make herself truly known.
She takes a deep breath, “C’mon Shion, you can be a little brave for once.”
Shion grabs the doorknob and carefully turns it, cracking open the door just a sliver. She peeks her face out just a smidge, enough for her amber eye to peep. She sees him turn around and stand up at the sound of her door opening.
They stare at each other for a second. Anon watches her breathlessly for a response. Shion mulls over her answer, crafting the right response - a true response that will get her what she's looking for.
“...Does it have to be me?”
Anon blushes, and Shion’s eyes peaking through the gap go wide at the sight. He breaks eye contact and looks away, blocking his face off with a fist.
“... There's no one else it could be.”
Shion leans out the doorframe, “No way, you’re blushing! How cuuuuute~” Shion laughs, trying to pass the embarrassment buck. Her heart racing a mile a minute is making her face feel hot too.
Shion giggles and giggles, each laugh making her heart feel lighter and lighter. So that's what his embarrassed face looks like! The sight of it makes Shion feel so relieved. Maybe she's not the only one feeling this way.
“A-Anyways,” he grumbles, “We depart from the school gate on Sunday at 8 AM.” Anon retreats towards the front door, and Shion suppresses another laugh. He’s running away!
“I’ll be there.”
Anon stops in his tracks, his boots squeaking on the wooden floor, he turns towards Shion with a surprised look on his face.
Shion smiles a sincere and rare smile, one just like that day they met. “Absolutely. No matter wha,t I'll be there.”
Anon gives her a wide-mouthed smile in return. Shion looks at it and feels her own smile deepen. It's so sweet it makes him look like a dope.
He nods, “Great! I mean, great. I'll see you then.”
Anon finishes his journey to the front door, placing a hand, scuffed and scratched from hours of training, on the doorknob. He stops one more time, turning around to look at her.
“You know Shion, you can-”
“-Talk to you any time about anything, yes, I know already. What are you, my Papa?” She looks into his eyes again and sees that her usual sarcasm has done nothing to dissuade the worry in his irises.
“I told you, I'll be fine…. Now, don't you have some armor to polish or something?”
There. His eyes flicker and the worry is replaced by trust and understanding. Shion always worries that the one quip or bite will be the one to push him away. But she knows that day is not today whenever she sees his eyes flicker like that.
He gives her a cheeky grin that shows he got her message. “I think you’re right. Later!” With that, he twists the door open and leaves, vanishing beyond the threshold.
Shion stares at the closed door for a few seconds and once she's sure he’s not coming back, closing her bedroom door. She stumbles over to her bed and collapses into it, fumbling onto her back. She stares at the ceiling in a daze.
“It has to be me…” she mumbles out loud, “he wants… me.”
Shion lets out a dreamy sigh. It's no good. Despite all her self-grandstanding, she just cannot fight her urges any longer. Whenever she sees him acting like that, her heart swells like it might burst. It makes her feel that even a piece of junk like her can meet and find someone steadfast and true. Someone who accepts all her broken and junky pieces. Someone only meant for her. Because even in the depths of her heart - the heart of a top-ranked magus, the heart of a Witch - there's still that desire to fall in love. It gives her hope.
“Maybe I can try a little bit harder to be more lovely,”
If she can, then maybe, she thinks, she can move deeper into his heart like the way he has hers.