PRECISION AND POWER ・ ✦

They weren’t alone in here either. As well as numerous padlocked items, there was a fellow faculty member who was already checking out the surroundings. He seemed to be staring intently at a wooden box. A booming voice caused them to back away from it, hands in the air.

“Oh” they’re a bit startled by the sudden interjection. All seems good as he backs away from the box. “I think magic would count as cheating” Byleth says. “This is a test of brains not brawn”

“Of course, we must ‘escape’ as they mean to torment us…” The swordsman sighs, resigned to his fate. Forced to read. Ugh. 

Still, he forces himself to reach for a book all the same. He can’t allow his teammate to suffer alone. Teams work together! Bonding through strife! The fact he chose one of the lighter books was entirely coincidence and not at all a purposeful decision!! “I suppose we have no choice, then. Let us—“

Kagetsu’s sentence dies before it can be completed, action dying alongside it. This time, though, the interruption comes from inside the room — more specifically, from the sound of something small and metallic crashing onto the floor. Something that, upon closer inspection, has uncanny resemblance to a key.

His words were stilted, as he was unused to saying them. It must have been another beorc tongue that he spoke natively then, one that Nasir did not know.

Well, they seemed to be able to communicate well enough. Though, judging by the look on the other boy's face, he was unable to fully understand Nasir. Was it his fault then?

He smiles at the other boy, reaching over to pat him on the head. Like his father did with the young children who always gathered aroung him at the pier to ask him about his ship, including Nasir himself, "My name is Nasir," He already knows well enough to not introduce himself as a dragon of Goldoa, that Goldoa's borders were sealed for a reason and that he must keep that secret with his life, "You said you were lost earlier, correct?"

He is speaking slower now, hoping that may help a young child who seems to not know the common tongue well yet. At the very least, more of his words may come across this way.

The other boy puts his hand on his head — which he does not quite understand, but he assumes must be a greeting in their culture, so he returns the gesture in kind. No matter how strange it feels to casually touch a stranger on the head. Foreigners were always said to be more open than they were. 

Kagetsu beams. Nasir is speaking slower. He appreciates that. “Nice to meet you! I look forward to working with you!”

Though a slower speed can only do so much when half the words are unfamiliar. He heard… ‘brother’? Big brother. Elder brother. Has he lost his older brother here too..? Well, all the more reason to stick together, in any case! As an elder sibling himself it’s his job to look after any and all younger siblings, even if he isn’t entirely sure what said younger sibling is talking about!

Or at least, that’s what Ryoma thought until he opened his mouth. He furrowed his brow.

“I disagree,” Ryoma says. “It may be faster, but it’s far more dangerous. Did you know it takes the same force to cut a carrot as it does to cut a finger?” He looks down at the vegetables. He supposes it could be rather tedious to cut all these by hand. It could be kind of fun to grab a sword and try to cut the vegetables that way. But it wouldn’t be responsible. Responsibility may be boring, but Ryoma is boring.

Yes, he sees Shiro’s point about him being a boring nag. He also isn’t about to change that.

His gaze shifts back down to the pile of sliced produce he’d created over the course of what feels like years of his life trapped in this kitchen. Then to the unsliced pile. Then down to his own hand, paused on the half-sliced remains of his current culinary victim in a clawed grip to prevent its escape. 

A hand held not too terribly far from the most recent slice, now that he’s focusing on it…

“Well… If our fingers are of the same strength as a carrot, then we should be keeping them away, from the blade, should we not? And yet, look!” He gestures his free hand down to the cutting board, and by association, his other hand and its distance to the end of the fruits remains. “Is this not more dangerous, then?”

The swordsman steps back from the counter, giving himself enough room to pull the thing that allows him to put ‘sword’ in his title from off his back. Then, position it just above the fruit close enough to where the knife would have been next if he weren’t so determined to prove a point right now, both hands firmly on the sword’s grip. 

Zelkov's usually flat expression breaks just long enough to give Kagetsu a small smile. Despite it all, he's terribly glad to see a friendly face--and especially to see this friendly face.

"It's good to see you, too," he says. "I have missed having you around." He hasn't encountered Ivy here, yet, and didn't know she was on-site too until this very moment--so he files that information away for later use.

He turns his head a bit, watching the ever approaching front of the line before them. No obviously injured participants or wyverns, parachutes (or at least, what he assumes must be the parachutes) still intact and functional... Everything seems to be fine to him. He doubts Zelkov of all people would be feeling nervous, but who knows? A little reassurance never hurt anyone. “I doubt this could be too dangerous, anyway. Judging by the amount of students in line, they must be adhering to a fair number of safety protocols.” 

Kagetsu’s brow furrows slightly as he inwardly cringes, the memory of the far-too-large book that he still has yet to read given to him upon his arrival bubbling to the surface. Along with the memory of numerous lectures from his superiors for not reading said book. Even though literally no one has gotten hurt as a result, but whatever. “The academy is… surprisingly strict about these things.”

Lost... what did it mean to be lost? To be unable to find one's way, to not know one's whereabouts. In that way, Nasir would supposed that he was indeed very lost. Because he hadn't the slightest idea of where he was. He did not know his whereabouts, and therefore:

He was lost.

"This is... not my homeland," He says quietly, small hands grip tightly at the hem of his upper robes. Clearly it was not. His family farm, by the shore of Goldoa, did not have such regal looking buildings. His family farm was surrounded by the sound of waves crashing against the sand constantly, but he cannot hear the ocean at all here. Not nearby, at least. He doubts that this strange place, with all its heavy stone buildings, is anywhere near the ocean.

This place reminds him more of the far off Castle Goldoa than anything he knew in his quiet life with his parents.

Now... this other child. He is beorc, Nasir notes. Though they looked to be about the same age, that meant that Nasir was far older. And that he was going to have to act as a big brother for this kid. Not that Nasir knew anything about being an older brother. He was an only child after all.

“Yes! This is not homeland!” The child nods, cheerful voice not at all matching the words he’s saying. This isn’t so bad so far! It’s pretty easy, actually! He’d thought his first conversation would be more challenging than this. Maybe he’s just a natural! 

…oh that was a lot of words really fast. Uh oh. Okay, he heard ‘lost’ in there, he thinks?? He got that one right earlier so it means what he thinks it means. He thinks. Uh. He takes it back, he is absolutely not a natural and he has no idea what’s going on.

So he had signed up gladly for the opportunity to give it a try. Yes, there was some chance he could get himself hurt, but he wasn't that worried. At the monastery, he was surrounded by healers, and he knew how to take a fall besides. In a worst-case scenario, he might have a broken bone or two that needed to heal via magic over the course of a few days, and he could live with that.

Standing in line, fidgeting with the key around his neck and trying to patiently wait his turn to be thrown off the back of a wyvern, he became suddenly aware of a very large and very familiar presence nearby. A presence he had known for a long time... and would recognize anywhere.

Kagetsu has never been one for flying. It was never something he had the opportunity to learn back in his homeland, and even after he left there was never really a good moment for it. What better opportunity to learn then when it doesn’t matter if you fail or not! He wins either way! The perfect plan.

Or, it would be, if the lines were not so painfully slow. Seriously, how could falling take so long?? You just go! …At least the person he found himself next to was willing enough to strike up a conversation to pass the time. “I could hardly believe it myself—good morning Zelkov— and so then I— Zelkov—? ZELKOV?!” He has to do a double-take, and even then it takes him a moment. 

The prior conversation is immediately abandoned, the swordsman sprinting towards his fellow retainer with little thought to anything else. Including the looks he gets from those he pushed past and cut in front of in his quest to hop over the lines barricade and force his former coworker into a reunion hug. Not the most polite or professional thing he could’ve done, but that’s not just his fellow retainer. That is his BEST friend.

…At least, he is Kagetsu’s best friend. He doesn’t know if Zelkov feels the same. They haven’t had that talk yet. The regular ‘are we friends’ talk was difficult enough.

Pulling back almost as abruptly as he had started it, his already bright expression somehow manages to light up even more at the familiar face. “Ahaha, so it is you! I had known with Queen Ivy present, you would not be far behind!” He, in fact, did not know that. He had hoped, sure, but he hadn’t ever heard anything that would confirm that hope to be true. Unless this counts, but he’s pretty sure it doesn’t.

This was not Goldoa. That is Nasir's thought as he blinks awake upon a strange lawn. The grass at his family's farm was far from this green, and the strange buildings that surround him are not Goldoan in origin.

He stands, dusting off his stained pants, sharp blue eyes scanning around for anything that looked even vaguely familiar.

Nothing. This place was completely and entirely foreign to him.

Well, that was alright, he supposed. He has always wanted to see the world beyond Goldoa. Whatever has happened to bring him to this place, he shall accept it with open arms.

But there is something that he wonders...

"Father?" He asks quietly, not wanting to bother anyone with a meaningless query. There was no answer. He waits a moment before trying again a little bit louder, "Father...?"

Again, no answer.

Then, his father must not have been transported to this place along with him. But... the last that he remembered, he had definitely been with his father. How in the world did he end up here?

The young Nasir stops in the middle of the lawn, surrounded by other children - beorc children, he notes, interesting, he had never met a beorc before.

What was he supposed to do? His father was the wise one, not him. How was Nasir supposed to figure this out on his own?

Did he accidentally wander past their boarders?? No, that couldn’t be it, he has too many guards following him after last time for that to have been possible. He’s nowhere near stealthy enough. Plus, he promised he wouldn’t try that again after how much his family freaked out.

….HIS FAMILY IS PROBABLY FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW AREN’T THEY??? OUUUGHHHH HE’S GONNA BE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE……

He cringes at the thought for a moment, taking a deep breath. To ‘refocus’ himself, or whatever that’s supposed to do. It doesn’t really work, but the aircertainly does. The feeling is distinctly different from the air in Pale Sands, somehow. 

It’s different. He’s not in Pale Sands. He’s out. He’s actually outside! He knew it — he knew he wasn’t meant to be in there forever! This must be the work of fate itself!

His legs take him before he can pick a direction, sprinting in the direction of the closest person, brain scrambling for every scrap of knowledge he had managed to ever dig up of how the world beyond their borders communicated. His family will forgive him, surely. “O— uh, hello!” Kagetsu stops just shy of running straight into the boy, beaming from ear to ear in excitement. This one has blue hair like him (sort of)! And looks just as confused as he felt a moment ago! Fate must have brought them there together! A destined friendship!! 

Every day in a new place brings new experience, and every experience is a new lesson. Today’s lesson; slicing fruit is boring. 

Kagetsu doesn’t mind cooking duty, he really doesn’t, he had plenty of time to get used to it during his time on the somniel, but the somniel was different. ‘Cooking duty’ on the somniel was only making food for like, 10 people during a shift. Maybe. He never counted. But he doesn’t need to count to know just by the sheer mountain of fruit there is a lot more than 10 people in Garreg mach.

chop, chop, chop.

The knife slices through another fruit, though the slicer’s attention has long since wandered away. They’ve mostly been working in silence this far, but he can’t help but sneak a glance at his partner for this out of the corner of his eye. He seems strong. Almost reminds him of King Diamant in a way, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s the red?

Of course, no matter how much he may want to (and he wants to, SO bad), he can’t exactly challenge him to spar in this situation. Both for job reasons and fire safety reasons, not a good idea. But on the other hand… if he doesn’t do something interesting soon he will probably die. He has to do what he must. To survive. “You know… These knives are rather small. We could get through this much faster if we used our swords.”

Kagetsu frowns, lightly shaking the locked box held in his hands. One of many locked things in this room, if the (what he thinks was) excessively long explanation on what does and does not as a ‘clue’ is anything to go by. Front door included. They weren’t lying, it was most definitely locked. Though the door didn’t rattle the same way the box does when he had initially tested it.

It’s definitely a better indicator that the box has some level of importance than nothing would be, at least. Not a great indicator and one he has absolutely no idea what to do with, but better! He’s on the right track! Now he just has to figure out how to open the box with no key!

His eyes narrow, staring down his rectangular enemy as though he could intimidate it into giving up. Which of course does not work on the box because it is a box. Though it apparently works well enough for the box’s owner to feel the need to project their voice into the room with them, words slightly obscured by the spells magical static (or, that’s what he assumes that sound is), but still clear enough to get the message across. “Please don’t break the box.”

The box is almost immediately freed from his grasp in favor of raising his hands in the air, sputtering a little as he steps back from the box to further prove his innocence. “I was not going to!” How could they come to such a conclusion?! The audacity. Sure, okay, he was considering it maybe, but…!

He lets out a sigh, crossing his arms since apparently they don’t trust him touching things and turning his attention instead to his teammate for this challenge. They’re faculty as well, if he remembers right, and they seem smart. So they must be smart! Smart enough to have not gotten yelled at in the first five minutes, at least. Though in his defense it would’ve gotten it open… 

“How go things on your end? Any progress?”

But the city centre was more bustling than usual, and it took him a little while to figure out exactly why - his usual haunts were more busy, bar the smith, and by faces younger and brighter than might have been there before. Less tired wizened arcanists and students of the academy crunching for exams or certifications, more…people having fun.

It took him that much longer to navigate the shops, declining the extra charges for booster packs - the purpose of which he didn't bother to ask for - before he finally had the opportunity to return to the Academy's gates.

He almost collided with the young man who skidded to a halt before him, and his hand came up on instinct to stop the pile of cards in his hand from spilling. They didn't, blessedly, but that seemed neither here nor there in the face of Raven's confusion.

"You want…what?"

"The lad wants to play y'in a game, my friend." The merchant looked amused, and seemed to be reaching under the counter for another stack of cards.

"Oh, no I don’t - " He did not have much further chance to decline, to continue his path back to his dorms, before the shopkeep steered he and his apparent foe to a low table beside his cart and dumped the deck into his hands with a friendly clap on his shoulder.

"Rules're here," the merchant said, pointing to the play mat as he got Raven's opponent situated as well. "This guy just bought a hell of a deck, so let's see if you can match him. Ready?"

He did not give Raven the chance to say no.

Uh oh.

He doesn’t speak of it, but he does not particularly like reading, to put it lightly. He never has, he always preferred to be outside, training; only reading if he had to. But he didn’t think that avoidance would ever have consequences in real life! Usually he can understand what he’s reading fine, but this?? He can hardly understand what he’s looking at!

The merchant clears his throat beside them, and Kagetsu recognizes he’s been taking a noticeably long time to play even one card. Which is incredibly rude of him, considering he is the one who initiated the challenge. “Ah— apologies. I-I was just… reading the rules! As is normal card game learning behavior! Of course! Reading! Fun!” He laughs awkwardly, slightly embarrassed by his own behavior.

Not wanting to take any longer, he decides to base his selection solely off the pictures. Who needs the rules anyway? It’s just a game, he can figure it out! How hard can it be.