|
|
Post by marci on Jun 1, 2011 18:32:41 GMT -5
Elaine opened her mouth, brow furrowed. But nothing came out, so she closed it again. Patient? Possible. But she couldn't run around outside and play tag with friends. She couldn't watch movies or read books. Well, she could if they were in braille, but those books were more expensive, and hard to find, and it wasn't often that Celia'd had enough to time to read to her. Not with all the time she already spent teaching her and caring for her. She knew Alex was just being kind, but some part of her didn't think he got it.
She listened to the rest of what he said with renewed quiet. Her expression had gotten a little cooler, even though he was talking about music. She nodded as he continued, smiling softly but not with any extreme feeling anymore. When he, paused, though, she found an odd question slip from her mouth. ”Do you still have a mom?” What? He'd mentioned his mom, but that was still really weird. This time her expression did screw up from embarrassment. Her sightless eyes closed, her smile left, and she shook her head, ”No, never mind, that was a stupid question. Forget I asked.”
She stayed very quiet until he started talking about class, a slight grimace cemented onto her features. She was still beating herself up. Or just wondering what the hell was wrong with her, acting completely different from herself. If she had sight, she would have been staring at Alex, wondering exactly what it was about him that enticed her to talk so much. As it was, she moved a hand slightly and sent a breeze at him, tilting her head as she got a vague picture of him in her head. Of course, it didn't answer any of her questions. But she still liked it.
”Yes, I'm in english this period.” She said, then colored just a bit, ”And in case you felt that, I just wanted to see you. Sorry for not asking first.” It didn't occur to her that he'd just go with it. For her first fourteen years, she learned what people looked like by touching them a lot, and that was something she had to ask first. It was natural for her to feel similar about her wind.
”Um....” She started when she heard him moving toward the door without her. A little confusion showed on her face as she held a hand out in his direction, ”I can't see you. It's not much of a help if you just walk away.”
[/center][/size] |
|
|
|
Post by alexandre on Jun 1, 2011 19:04:44 GMT -5
* you're like an angel , BUT WITH BROKEN WINGS Alexandre noticed that her expression changed slightly and wondered if he'd said something wrong, slightly worried about the way she'd taken his words. But how did one apologise without making it sound like he pitied her or something? Alex himself didn't like when other people treated him like a child whenever he didn't understand something or didn't pick it up as quickly as anyone else (like geometry, at which he was terrible) so he didn't want to risk making Elaine think he felt too sorry for her. So the boy bit his tongue and just held back any apology that might have slipped past his lips, hoping that she just thought he hadn't notice it upset her. Which was really just as bad because it made him seem insensitive. At least that's how he saw things.
She asked after his mother rather suddenly which made him furrow his brow a little in confusion. Why did she want to know about his mother? Elaine corrected herself a moment later whilst he was still trying to digest what she'd meant by the question. "It's okay," he said quietly, realising that it might be a personal thing on her part. She seemed pretty embarrassed by the fact that he'd asked, so he tried to dispel some of her embarrassment by answering the question. "But... yeah, I do. She produces music for bands and stuff." He'd really grown up around music, which was why he was so passionate about it and all that. Normally he would have added a, "Why do you want to know?" onto that, but he decided that he would save her the awkwardness and possible upset of having to explain why she was so curious.
He jumped slightly in surprise when the sudden breeze touched his face, but didn't say anything against her. She confirmed that she had English that period, then explained that she did that to get a feel of what people looked like and that she should have asked first. He shook his head, then (seeing as she couldn't see him) said, "It's alright, I don't mind." And really he didn't. It would have been different if she'd attacked him or if her sight ability was through something uncomfortable like fire or electricity, but it wasn't.
Alexandre flushed a bright cherry red with apologetic embarrassment when he realised that he hadn't taken into account that she'd need him to do a little more than walk with her or anything. "Sorry," he said sincerely. "I wasn't thinking--I tend to be really scatterbrained and ack--that was rude, I'm sorry." He grimaced slightly--yet another apologetic gesture that she wouldn't get to witness--and backtracked his steps to where she was holding out her hand. He hesitated for a moment--almost shyly, though he wasn't usually a very shy person--before taking her hand and then starting again. "Feel free to call me out if I'm being a complete idiot," he offered with a weak laugh. "Wouldn't hold it against you."
|
|
|
|
Post by marci on Jun 1, 2011 20:04:43 GMT -5
”Oh.” It was all she could say when he answered her blurted question. She was intensely pleased he did not ask her why she'd asked, or anything about her own mother. It would have started a rather uncomfortable, involved conversation had he pursued it any further. And that was not they way to get a guy you'd just met to want to be your friend. Since he let it go so easily, she started to relax again, breathing easier and actively working on removing the wrinkles from between her eyebrows.
She was also glad he didn't seem to mind her using her power to see him. She imagined it would be rather odd to be randomly bombarded by wind whenever a girl wanted to get a look at you. She smiled a bit, ”Good. Do you want me to warn you in the future? If I ever need to do that again?” There had been times when she'd needed to use her power to understand what other people were trying to communicate to her. The worst were the people who talked with their hands. It had taken her literally to the end of the past term to understand that that was a really big part of social interaction.
Her smile grew wider when he started apologizing, even a little sweet, ”It's ok. I'm used to it.” Though the words were a little rueful, she hoped that her body language helped to tell him that no, she wasn't annoyed and yes, she was teasing him. She listened to him walk back toward her, sensing him close her again before he touched her hand. Even so, she wasn't quite ready for the timing of the touch and she faltered a bit.
”Mmm.... I don't suppose you've ever helped guide a blind person before?” She asked, a little humor in her voice. It didn't matter too very much, but there was a little strategy needed to make sure she'd be able to tell where he was taking her. Elaine put her free hand out until she felt his torso under her fingers, then stepped forward so that they were much closer to each other. ”You need to make sure I don't trip over anything or anyone. If you put a hand on my back you should be able to guide me pretty easily.”
She smiled, a little embarrassed despite herself. She sincerely hoped he would not back out of this simply because she was asking so much of him. ”It does help if you have one of my hands, too. Helps....helps me feel more stable.”
[/center][/size] |
|
|
|
Post by alexandre on Jun 1, 2011 20:36:14 GMT -5
* you're like an angel , BUT WITH BROKEN WINGS Alexandre thought about her question for a moment, taking the time to seriously consider it before he answered. "It should be okay when we're talking like this," he said thoughtfully. "But if there's a lot going on, my mind tends to wander. So in places like classrooms or groups of people I think it would be best to give me a little heads up." He didn't want to accidentally jump out of his seat or cry out in alarm if it caught him off guard or anything. Since it didn't hurt at all there was no risk of him attacking her in accidental retaliation, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. Alexandre was a very vibrant and energetic person, so he was guilty of using his hands to speak and emphasis a lot of the time, even if he didn't consciously realise he was doing it. There was so much energy and fervour in his being that it was almost tiring to watch him at times. New friends that were less accustomed to his chatterbox attitude often asked him to slow down and dissect was he was saying to make answering his questions a little easier on them. Jeremy, Derek and Ian (three of his best friends) were practically experts on Alex's whirlwind language and didn't even bat an eye when speaking to him.
The fact that she smiled as she spoke the words was enough to clue even Alex in on the fact that she didn't take too much offence by his slight insensitivity. He supposed that it was pretty rough when everyone just kept forgetting or--like Alexandre--weren't used to dealing with someone who was blind. He could honestly say that he'd never met anyone with such a disability before and he hoped that Elaine could understand his inexperience didn't amount to ignorance in the end. Then again, judging by the way a large population of the school treated her... she was used to much worse in people. Like the Fire students who had taken advantage of her blindness. He still found it amusing that they'd gotten what was coming to them, however, despite that they'd sent out another group to retaliate afterwards.
His face flushed again and he chuckled slightly. "No," he admitted, sheepish. But that didn't mean he was just going to call it quits and walk off simply because he hadn't a clue what he was doing. Alex figured she'd explain what she was asking of him, and so she did. He felt her hand brush his torso unexpectedly but didn't jerk away from her, waiting patiently for her explanation. "Okay," he said, nodding. "That does make sense." It did, he was just... not the brightest crayon in the box, by far. With the same shyly hesitant movements he slipped his hand around her back. "Like that?" he questioned, determined to make sure he wasn't screwing up again. He was surprised no one had asked him whether he was born blonde, yet.
"Then I will," he said, wanting to make Elaine feel better about the whole situation seeing as she was clearly embarrassed. And of course people were staring at them by this time (some sneering, some confused, others simply curious) but Alexandre easily ignored them. He was confident--perhaps a bit over-confident--in himself and thus did not need their constant and unfailing approval to drive him. Sure, Alex Blackthorn was a jerk and most everyone knew him as such, but he had standards. He had a nicer side. And he wasn't going to abandon this nicer side just because someone thought he was 'off his game'.
"I'm not looking forward to English," Alexandre muttered conversationally as the thought crossed his mind, shaking his dark head slightly. "It's not my least favourite subject or anything, but it doesn't really interest me at all." He was more of the artsy type as opposed to a literature nerd. He supposed one could find a balance between the two, but... Alex would never feel as enraptured by the written word as he was by those that were sung or stories painted onto canvas. He was quite fond of painting even though it had the tendency to make a mess if you weren't careful. Wasn't a prodigy or anything, but he wasn't absolutely awful.
|
|
|
|
Post by marci on Jun 1, 2011 20:55:24 GMT -5
She nodded. It made sense. He had already proven himself to be a chatterbox, and in the back of her mind Elaine was wondering whether he had ADD or not. It seemed possible, since he jumped from thought to though with very little pause or bridge, but then again, he also remembered and remarked on things said before, so it wasn't like he wasn't focusing on what she was saying. Regardless, it did seem like making sure he didn't freak out in her presence was a very good idea. Elaine didn't much like the idea of getting flamed—burn scars felt weird, with a very odd texture. She'd gotten used to it by now, but sometimes it did feel weird to blink.
Elaine sensed just as much nervousness on his part as on hers, and that helped her a little bit. He answered her shortly and seemed to be able to take instructions rather well. When his arm slipped around her she felt a little heat in her face, but she tried to ignore it. She leaned against his hand a bit, testing, ”Yes, that worked. Between the shoulder blades might be a little better, though. Don't shove me or anything, but apply a little pressure to make sure I can tell whenever you're turning or anything. It shouldn't be very hard—you can practice on the way to the class we are very likely to be late to.”
The blind girl was keenly aware of the many pairs of eyes on them, and suddenly began to feel shy again. This was a very interesting thing to be doing with the Fire Leader just minutes after meeting him. But it would be even worse if she tried to back out of it now, so she just shoved the misgiving into the back of her mind and continued to instruct Alex. She tried to help out with her own movements, but really, he'd have to take charge for them to get anywhere.
She stuck out her tongue when he mentioned english. ”Least favorite class ever. The teacher couldn't originally read Braille when I came, so there was a lot of confusion. I still have a really hard time with all the material, even now.” She lulled her head forward for a second then brought it up again. ”The sad thing is that I know I'd probably really like it if it wasn't such a hassle.”
[/center][/size] |
|
|
|
Post by alexandre on Jun 1, 2011 22:06:33 GMT -5
* you're like an angel , BUT WITH BROKEN WINGS Whilst he was indeed very hyperactive, even Alexandre understood when it became a good time to hush and listen to instructions. He moved his hand up slightly when she gave the suggestion, bluish coloured eyes bright as they fixed themselves intently on her. His light laugh coloured the air musically as she mentioned class. "I doubt our professor will be very surprised--I usually am." Attendance and punctuality were not Alexandre's strong points by any means. Whenever he was having an off day he walked as slowly as he possibly could in the direction of his classes, and if the day was exceptionally glum he just skipped altogether. "I used to get detention for it a lot but some of my professors have just given up hope I think." He grinned at the thought. "I do like the elemental classes though, as long as I'm not paired with a Water student. Being drenched and having to dry myself like fifty times an hour is not fun." Alex made a face as he thought about it. No doubt his partner enjoyed every minute of making him look like he'd just ran miles through the rain, but he did not like it one bit.
She mentioned that without her problems it might have been a subject she enjoyed, but unfortunately Alexandre could share little of this feeling. "The only time I ever really enjoyed English class is when we got into plays and stuff. It was so much easier to just recite lines rather than coming up with them. I was okay at poetry because of songwriting, but everything else just... no." Besides, the boy had so many ideas running rampant in that brain of his that it was entirely unlikely he'd calm down enough to get any of them onto paper. "I never really liked Math, either... I prefer more hands on things like Science and Art... and Music, of course." His tone brightened a little at the thought of music classes. "But the latter tends to be more like review for me unless I'm learning an instrument I've never picked up before so that sometimes causes problems." It wasn't fun to sit and hear things that you already knew, after all.
Seeing as people were filtering out of the mess hall in small groups, it was slightly more difficult than usual to get past the doors. All the same, Alexandre was determined when he wanted to be, giving pause until there was an opening and then heading through. He was used to the long-winded path that led to the block of English classrooms considering how long he'd been at the Academy for being a junior (another extra year than his classmates) so he barely had to think on it before turning in the right direction. The large halls were still populated with groups of stragglers, but there were less kids than there would have been if Alexandre and Elaine had left immediately. Since Alex was a bit slow on the uptake however, they were saved the need to navigate through claustrophobic packs of kids heading to their classes.
The halls were a bit drafty and cold thanks to the fact that it was wintertime--Alex didn't even notice the drop in temperature from the mess hall. Being a Fire student had its advantages. You didn't feel affected by the heat in the summer weather, and your natural aura was slightly resistant to the cold after a while. When they did reach the English block, however, Alex was met with a bit of a surprise. "Looks like the English professor isn't even at class yet," he remarked, then snorted. "Figures. Hounds the rest of us for being late then doesn't show up themselves." It seemed the absence of the teacher had prodded a lot of the students into breaking off into groups to chat with their friends. "D'you have a place you usually sit?" he asked curiously. "I really just sit down wherever there's an open spot, so I'm not picky or anything." He sat in a different seat almost every day, really. There had probably been a designated seat for him at one point but getting Alex to listen to the rigidness of rules was never likely.
|
|
|
|
Post by marci on Jun 2, 2011 10:12:57 GMT -5
Elaine grinned, ”Yeah, elemental class is always the most fun. Not only do I have a perfect excuse to be able to see everything, but wind has tricks that can defend against almost every other element.” She pursed her lips slightly then, stumbled a bit, and moved a little bit closer to Alex. It really didn't take much for her to trip over something. She could trip over nothing if she wasn't prepared for it. ”Not thunder, though. I don't have any really weakness to it, but I have not yet figured out how to stop lightning with air.” These days she'd taken to keeping the thunder kid off balance with gales from every direction and trying to knock them over. It worked sometimes, breaking their concentration. But not all the time.
She smirked a little bit when he said he'd only really liked reciting lines. A light laugh left her, as if she was laughing at a mildly amusing joke. Then she angled her face toward him, so that he could see her playful smile. ”But you like stories, don't you? You've got a knack for it.” She couldn't see his face, so she didn't know whether of not his expression was confused or not. She considered explaining to him what she meant, but a feisty side in her like he idea of making him work for it. It was like a little game. Wouldn't he be so satisfied if he figured out what she meant on his own?
Elaine laughed, ”I was excused from art. If I hadn't been, that would most definitely be my least favorite.” The only pictures she'd ever been able to appreciate were the type with the texture that forms the rough shape of the things painted. And even then, she didn't really see much point in feeling that instead of going out and running her hands over the real thing. ”I used to have a little game with Ce—a friend, though. She'd try and explain the differences between colors in ways I'd be able to understand. The best she got was that blue was cold and red was hot.” Not that great, really.
The girl went silent for awhile, allowing him to guide her through the mess hall and the hallways. She hadn't expected him to continue helping her once they got out of the mess, but she didn't complain. It was rather chivalrous. A part of her wished she had someone to open doors for her and the like all the time, but then a defensive, independent part of her reared up and swatted the other part down. The more people opened doors for her, the more they'd slam it in her face.
”You're pretty good at this.” She said to distract herself, ”One of the better guides I've had, actually.” Celia used to be able to guide Elaine merely by talking to her, but she'd had a lot of practice and a quick eye. And Elaine knew her well enough to be able to understand the instructions even when they were expressly detailed.
The girl hadn't noticed before, but as they moved into the classroom and the temperature changed, she became keenly aware of Alex's heat. She could sense almost exactly when the rest of his body was just because of the heat it gave off. And immediately, she became envious. Wind students didn't have any temperature control. Elaine shrugged when he asked her where she sat, shaking her head slightly. ”I sit in the place that is least occupied by idiots.” She said frankly, a hint of a smile about her lips, ”And if that isn't an option, I'll sit where the teacher can see me best. You can chose, it's not a big deal.”
She hesitate, then smiled again, ”Anything written on the board that I should be aware of?”
[/center][/size] |
|
|
|
Post by alexandre on Jun 2, 2011 10:51:42 GMT -5
* you're like an angel , BUT WITH BROKEN WINGS Alexandre frowned thoughtfully as he let his mind wander to elemental classes, trying to remember some of the Fire tricks. "It's a lot different for us," he chuckled. "I mean, on one hand it's pretty quick to down a Thunder or Earth student as long as you're good at dodging their attacks or countering them, but the Water students..." He trailed off and gave a bit of a chuckle. "They're a real problem for us. Some of the older kids--I've seen Dale do it a couple times--can just blast the water with heat and turn it into steam, but every time I've tried I end up nearly knocking myself out when I go to retaliate afterwards." The energy drain got to be a pain in the ass when you started to lose stamina in class in front of all those people. On one hand it was pretty lame to admit that you were defeated by sheer exhaustion and go sit down, but on the other hand... a few wrong moves and you knocked yourself right out. "I've fainted quite a lot when I get ahead of myself," he admitted with a bit of a chuckle at his own expense. "Have you ever? Passed out, like?" Maybe she was more accustomed to managing her energy drainage because she was so used to using her power a lot, but most people got themselves into loads of sticky situations--especially in the ninth grade when you were still learning.
He nodded--it made sense that she was a bit confused about the whole Thunder thing, especially since he was much the same. "I don't even know what it is that my Fire does to it, I just trust my instinct," he admitted. "I guess it sorta shields us when they go in for the shock or whatever... it still hurts and all, but we were doing endurance tests in class and the Fire and Earth kids could withstand the electricity for longer. You guys did alright, but--" He broke off a moment for laughing. "Oh, geez--the Water students were terrible, man, it was great." He shook his head, then sighed a little. "Of course they turned around and absolutely flattened me when it was their turn, but hey. It was funny when it was happening." Getting blasted in the face by a massive wave... yeah, not the best way to stop one from laughing. He'd broken off choking and spluttering, then would have started a fight right then and there if the teacher hadn't broken them up. It had been an Earth instructor then, and the massive vines snaking up from the ground had held them both back.
Alexandre was indeed confused when she mentioned stories, brow furrowing and lips pursing in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?" He couldn't quite fathom where she'd gotten the idea, because he hated English class and hadn't really tried to pretend otherwise. "I mean sure, stories are fun and all, but I prefer to say them out loud rather than--" He stopped dead, then laughed. "Hey! Were you implying that I talk too much?" The laugh that followed was good natured, though, implying that he wasn't offended even if that was indeed what Elaine had been getting at.
He noticed how she quickly corrected herself, but again he did not ask. If Elaine had wanted him to know who this person was she'd have said, so instead of inquiring he merely listened. "It's true, though," he mused quietly. "Fire is kinda red... orangish red, really, and it's hot... water looks blue in the sunlight, or at least the ocean does, and I think it's pretty damned cold." He chuckled. When he thought about it though, it really was difficult to describe colour to someone that had never seen it before. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to do so. Alexandre silently commended this person whom he'd never met before for even making the attempt.
She complimented him on his skills with guiding her and he gave a sheepish smile. "It's nice to know I'm not doing terrible," he admitted with a soft chuckle. Alex tended to get easily frustrated with himself when it came to being bad at something. That was probably why he had never sat down and tried to get the hang of classes like Math and English. One wrong answer and all of a sudden he was irritated that he couldn't get the gist of it. He didn't have a learning disability (they had tested him for that) he just hated being wrong with a passion. Sometimes his parents tried to help out, given that he was more patient with them than he was with a teacher he didn't even like.
He laughed a little. "No wonder I've never sat beside you before--I'm usually amidst that crowd of idiots." His small group of friends he sat with didn't all appear to be present today. Derek would be in his own class at the moment, whereas Ian was in a grade lower. Jeremy and the other guys from Fire he usually positioned himself amongst were not here. Probably skipping. He saw a few familiar people, but declined the idea of sitting near them today. There were two open seats close to where they were, however, so Alex just decided upon them. "Guess these work, then," he said in a chipper tone, finally separating himself from her as he sat down sideways in his chair, leaning his elbow against the desk.
"Not much, just a reminder that last weeks homework is due today and... uh, apparently the teacher is in a meeting and might be a couple minutes late, which explains why we got off easy. That's good. I didn't really want another detention anyway." He grinned slightly, glad that they'd evaded the long arms of (Academy) law for once.
|
|
|
|
Post by marci on Jun 2, 2011 11:28:41 GMT -5
It was actually very interesting, listening to a fire student's account of his own element. She'd heard technical explanations aplenty from their element teachers, but she hadn't had much of a chance to ask different students how it felt to use their powers. It led to new conclusions. For example, Elaine now mused that if any element was going to be instinctual by nature, it would be fire. It didn't need so much strategic directing to get it to do what a person wanted it to do. Wind, on the other hand, was moving about constantly, and really wasn't hard to get moving in the first place. It just took a lot of thought and concentration to get it to perform the tasks she wanted it to. Sometimes Elaine thought it was like trying to keep the attention of a playful puppy. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it just didn't want to work.
She nodded, ”Yes, I've passed out quite a bit. My first year here I was using my wind sight so much that I didn't stand a chance when up against another elemental, but since then it's been easier. Since I use it so much, I've built up a lot of stamina for my great. I haven't passed out in months, though I've come very close a couple of times.” Not that that meant she'd always won her spars. Not by a long shot. But she was getting to where—if the student she was up against was around her own skill level—she could almost always at least make it a draw.
Elaine's smile grew wider at the sound of his laughter again. He had a good laugh, and she liked that he laughed a lot. She couldn't help but chuckle along with him when he was talking about the water kids being wiped out by thunder. It was a funny thought, no lie. ”I wish a had a strength against an element,” She admitted, ”but I think it's worth not being squashed by anyone. I do seem to do my best job against water, though. I tend to be a little relentless when I'm up against one of them.” Only because she was afraid of drowning. She didn't get the panic that she would if she fell into the lake or something, but there was a sort of intensity that entered her when she was faced with the prospect of being drenched. So she fought back harder.
She laughed out loud when he caught on about her tease. She laughed for several seconds before she sucked in a deep breath and answered. ”Not too much! I like how much you talk. But you do talk a whole lot, and you've told me at least fifteen little stories since we started talking today. You've got a knack for it.” She threw him a bright grin, and a little wind followed her gaze so that she'd be able to make out his expression. ”It's very interesting, though—you have not had me bored this entire time.”
Elaine's lips pursed, ”Yeah, but I've heard that the hotter a fire gets, the whiter and then bluer it gets. And that there are bodies of water that are green, brown, and even multicolored. So that really doesn't work, does it?”
When he let go of her, Elaine first noticed the cold. Then the general instability. She had to take a deep breath and smile widely to stop herself from being disappointed. That had been one of the only times she'd had an escort around the school since her first year. Once she'd learned where everything was, none of the staff found the time for her. In order to not run into anything, Elaine sent a seeking wind ahead of her so that she could take the seat next to Alex's. She nodded when he told her about what was on the bored, a little surprised that nothing had been scribbled by the many kids.
After a minutes or so of silence on her part, she reached out a hand toward Alex. Her face was still forward, but her hand found the side of his desk and then his arm. She smiled, moving her hand up to rest briefly on his shoulder. ”You're no idiot, Alex.” Her tone was soft and very grateful, and she let her smiled grow a little shier before she pulled her hand away and settled in her seat.
[/center][/size] |
|
|
|
Post by alexandre on Jun 2, 2011 12:13:50 GMT -5
* you're like an angel , BUT WITH BROKEN WINGS Alexandre chuckled, nodding slightly. "It does get easier the more you practice, I'll agree with that. I'm just so stubborn that I overshoot the mark more than I should." He could probably last a lot longer in a losing battle if he wasn't so determined to absolutely waste the person he was fighting. Especially if they threw in little taunts when he was trying to beat the crap out of them, insulting his physique or his skill. That just riled him up even faster, and then he put all of his power into a single attack. If it hit, great. They paid the price for being an asshole by getting scorched. But if it missed? Then it was pretty easy to take him down. He'd be panting from the sheer volume of energy it had taken to launch the fiery blast and in turn he would be overtaken by a couple well-placed attacks. His teachers often scolded him for how overzealous he was in battle, but it wasn't something he had corrected quite yet.
"Trust me, it's worth not being absolutely owned by a group of people," he said with feeling. A single Water student couldn't always outmatch the Fire student they were up against--similarly, Fire couldn't always best Earth or Thunder--but the fact that they had a good chance of doing so meant fighting one wasn't the most gratifying experience in the book. "Don't like them much?" he sympathised. "I mean I'm not arguing--they hate me--but it just surprised me." Alexandre had never really befriended a Wind student before nor after Ian, so he still wasn't used to their feelings toward other elementals. Ian was very akin to the Fire group, but a little more shy and hesitant. His parents had both been Earth elementals. He had other Wind kids in his vast group of friends and acquaintances, but Ian was the only one he'd really gotten to know on a personal level.
Alex blushed and grinned shyly when she told him exactly how much he spoke, not having realised he was quite that much of a chatterbox. He knew from his friends' insistences that he spoke too fast sometimes and he tended to get ahead of himself, but around fifteen stories? He was surprised. At least she didn't seem to mind, though. "My mind wanders a lot so I guess I just follow my train of thought riiight off the tracks every single time it starts to go somewhere." He laughed easily, his bluish eyes light with amusement. "But I'm glad my ramblings keep you entertained. Some people would find it annoying."
Alexandre had to admit this was true. "Can't argue with that--though its' never a good thing when the water is brown, that's just--yuck." He shuddered. That meant it was full of mud that had stirred up from the bottom or worse. He hated normal water enough when it came to swimming, even though he did know how--thanks, Mom--but getting into it when it was any colour other than greenish or blue was overly concerning and just not going to happen on Alex's part.
He ducked his head bashfully. "Thanks," he said, when she told him that he wasn't an idiot. He knew this was probably on account of what he'd said earlier about her being allowed to warn him about any idiocy on account of her blindness and his inexperience. He might have said more if the professor had not chosen to walk in the door at that moment, casting a suspicious look at the room as he did so. "I trust none of you were late today?" he challenged the class as a whole, then glanced at Alex (who had looked away to hide his smirk). "Mr. Blackthorn?"
"Nah, I was right on time," he insisted as he held back the desire to laugh. He gestured toward the Fire and Thunder students with whom he got along. "Ask any of them, they'll tell you." And they backed him up loyally as he would have for them. Friends saved one another from detention and all that. When the teacher looked away Alexandre shot Elaine a mischievous wink and his his smile behind his hand. He was lucky he had enough self-control not to burst into laughter.
|
|
