#cornicopian

{ ★ } » — It should have gone like any other day. The keyword present here being                  should have. While it wasn’t a frequent occurrence, it wasn’t exactly uncommon                  for the teen to wander off to the less than savory parts of Themis, either.                  He would tell himself that it was because the center of town was an unwise                  choice in locale to practice spells. But, in actuality, Akaashi sought refuge                  in the forest terrain that lied just on the outskirts of the city. And in spite                  of warnings from his parents and peers that such regions were often inhabited                  by brutes and rogues alike, he’d yet to find anything aside from relative                  solitude and peace of mind. Away from expectations and standards and                  judging eyes.

                 With his parents away, something about attending a banquet in Rosanne,                  or some noble gathering of that degree, it was an ideal opportunity for                  working on his spell casting. So it was with his favorite tome in his hands                  that he had gathered his things and ventured off shortly after their departure.

                 Sure, there were those who would think his decision foolish and irrational,                  however, the young tactician found himself lacking concern. He’d long                  since chalked up the stories he’d heard about bandits as nothing more                  than horror stories to frighten young children from straying into the woods                  on their own. The most dangerous thing he had ever encountered was                  a raised tree root that he tripped over once when he was fourteen and                  scuffed his knee. But the thought of someone actually lurking in such rugged                  terrain?

                 Such a though could have made the boy scoff, were he not already nose                  deep in his reading, incantations soft spoken to himself and the open air                  while steady hands followed the intricate motions. He had easily read this                  tome cover to cover a few dozen times, yet he remained determined to                  finally master it today before sunset. And with such fierce determination                  also came a steadfast focus in accompaniment. Rather, a focus on the                  text and nothing else, which, in retrospect, was perhaps not the best option.

                 Because had he not been so absorbed in his studies, he likely would have                  noticed the tripwire before aimlessly wandering into such a simple trap.

                 “--?!”

                 Slate visage barely has a chance to widen in surprise upon being, quite                  literally, hoisted off his feet. His book meets the ground with a soft thud                  as it falls from his hands and Akaashi finally registers the situation he’s,                  unfortunately, walked right into. Suspended in midair by a rope net.

[kisumi noises]