"No, I get it," Aria said in response to the Light Chaser and his whereabouts. "It's better to know than not know." She ate her bacon bit by bit and then started to eat her egg as Torrin spoke. He then asked about her dreams and she stopped, setting her fork down. She pulled down her shirt a bit to expose her shoulder, showing her scratch. "I woke myself up," she said with a hint of pride on her voice. "It wasn't too happy with me telling it I was in control, but you know, it's gotta know who's the boss around here." She let the shirt fall back into place and sat back in her chair with her mug of hot chocolate in her hands. "I couldn't summon my keyblade, but I felt like I was getting closer to be able to do it... I think the meditation sessions are helping out a bit."
Aria snorted a bit when Torrin said he liked to be alone with her and then took a small drink of hot chocolate as they walked. "So, how was training with Master Gero this morning?" Aria asked, trying to start light conversation. She knew the training sessions had been somewhat intense, but never knew what happened during them or what went on exactly. Torrin always seemed frazzled by the end of it and so did Grandpa Gero. She past by the Flammie who seemed to groan for want of food on Aria's plate and she giggled a bit. "You're next after I'm done. Maybe it'll stop raining by then." She led the way to the library, grateful for the solitude and quietness this place offered versed the kitchen and walked over to one of the tables, sitting down her food carefully before plopping down in one of the chairs.
"Torrin?" Before they could dive more deeply in the subject, Qamar was already up and away. Aria sat back, stunned a moment. Did she like Torrin? Sure they spent a lot of time together and he saved her life a few times, but she didn't think there was anything romantic between them. She frowned to herself and scratched her head, clearly left in confusion as she stood to her feet and shuffled her way over to the usual brooding individual. She never thought she was anything special to anyone, so why would anyone be special like that to her? Except everyone was special in some form or another to Aria, just never in the romantic kind of light. "Okay, so that was random. And before you ask, it was girl talk you wouldn't understand. You didn't get breakfast yet?" Aria smiled and shook her head, greeting Chrys and Boreas before going to the oven, grabbing an oven mitt and opened the door. "Oh good, everything is safe." She pulled out the plates, placing them on the counter before she closed the oven and then turned off the oven. She then handed one plate to Torrin and then a mug of warm hot chocolate along with hers. "Let's go eat in the library or something, it gets too crowded in here."
Aria sat back a moment, and then finally let out a hum. "Well... You're asking the wrong person." Aria chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Like I said back then, I don't have ANY experience in this realm. I read and heard a bunch of stories, but that's about it. Best thing I can point out that at least it's not like a day or three days you're jumping into this like most stories I heard. I mean, to me that sounds crazy. I guess if you feel you trust them enough with your feelings, go for it. Take the plunge if you want." The girl smiled a bit as she glanced over all-knowingly at Lumen and then back at Qamar. "He seems like an alright kind of guy. But remember, you're asking someone that's never experienced love herself... or like... or... crushing? I guess that's what you would call it. I guess I just never had the time for it and I don't think myself as someone special like that to anyone. But that doesn't mean you should give up I suppose. Just go with what your heart tells ya. That's the best I can offer. Tell them how you feel about them and see where it will go."
As soon as Take was freed, Aria went over to Faye and gave the dragon scratches and loves. “Such a good dragon, yes you are.” Aria nodded to Take with a smile when he said his thanks and then her focus shifted on Torrin. She waved a hand at him. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I put our plates in the oven to keep them warm. We better get them before Enzo does though...” It was then Lumen appeared, which Aria said her good mornings to and then Qamar asked her a question. And with her being nice and never able to really turn down a request, she shrugged her shoulders and then winced slightly when she bothered her abrasions. “Uh, sure,” she said, rubbing her shoulder a bit. “I guess. Torrin, you can start without me. Just because I know Enzo is on the prowl and I worked really hard on breakfast.” With that, she nuzzled her head against the Flammie and then made her way over to the chairs. “So, what can I do for you today?” She asked, making herself comfortable on one of the chairs.
The two weeks seem to go by in the blur for Aria. Whilst worrying about the critical condition of the two masters, she was also preoccupied with her friends and training as well. True to her word to Master Kaio, she proved herself to not be the helpless weakling that was coddled and who others deemed to be soft on. She trained with Torrin, Boreas, Master Gero, anyone that would be willing to take it up with her to the point where she was told to slow down a little. Not only was she training to be stronger in the physical realm, but Master Gero and Torrin both decided to train her how to meditate to try to conquer the dark entity that seemed to dwell within her. It seemed to be working, for when the entity began its assault, Aria was able to rouse herself from sleep before anyone was alerted something was the matter. She was able to mend her relationship with Tinarah, teaching her how to making tying Friendship Bracelets and trying to keep the girl occupied while she worried about Master Stamatis. It was fun showing someone else the art, and it was a great way to pass the time. Between training, Aria would hang out with Take too, chat about anything, made food together, and even tried to get him used to the Flammie (which Aria now fondly named Faye). She showed Torrin, Chrono and Take both how to make her famous hot chocolate in case she wasn't there to make it for them and so they could always have something delicious to drink. With Boreas, she would go for morning runs with him and chat with him a bit, and she would hang out with Lumen, Chrono, Qamar, and anyone else really. Aria was tucked in her bed in the early morning, sleeping soundly or so it seemed. I am in control. The window was partially opened, letting in a slight breeze that rippled the curtains. I am stronger. The girl's breathing was slow and steady. You will be defeated. Foolish girl. Aria's eyebrows scrunched in her sleep as her fingers barely twitched, trying to move. I am the one in control here. Come on... Aria struggled, doing her best to recall all the training she had put herself under. A hideous shadow creature suddenly popped up in front of her, bearing its sharp teeth and gnarly fingers at her. I WILL TAKE OVER AND RIP YOU TO SHREDS! Aria gasped above the shrieking as she sat up in bed, scooting until she fell off in a tumble onto the floor. She scrambled to her feet and summoned her keyblade, but nothing was there anymore. Her chest heaved up and down and then she felt a sting on her collar bone. Looking down, she saw ribbons of crimson on her chest. Scratches. Aria sighed out heavily and unsummoned her blade, gathering herself as she walked to the bathroom. "You're fine. It's just a scratch... you're okay..." She washed her face and mended herself the best she could before changing into some clothes for the day, glancing outside the castle window. "Such a gloomy day..." The princess of heart ventured forth to the kitchen getting breakfast ready. It was a little ritual she had going with Torrin to have breakfast everyday with him. Today she decided to make some bacon, eggs, and pancakes and her usual drink of hot chocolate but with a little kick of cinnamon in it. Seeing the day wasn't getting any better outside, she decided to arrange breakfast a little goofily and smiled at her handy work. Seconds passed on to minutes, and minutes were passing on to... well not hours yet, but it felt like it. Aria glanced at the time and frowned a bit. She ended up covering breakfast with tinfoil and putting it in the oven so it wouldn't get cold and wondered where in the world where Torrin was. "GET OFF OF ME." Aria raised an eyebrow and went out of the kitchen to see what was going on. "Flammie, what do you want?!" "O-oh... Oh bother," Aria mumbled under her breath as she realized there was a patter of rain and put two and two together. They had been letting the dragon come in because of the weather sometime, but something was the matter this morning and it sounded like Take was in distress. Aria rounded the corner to see a frustrated Qamar trying to pull Take out from under the enormous beast. If Take didn't sound distressed, Aria probably would have smiled and laughed. "Faye!" The dragon lifted her head to look at the girl, tilting her head at the princess. "I know we're trying to get Take more comfortable with you, but this isn't the way to do it. Come on girl, off of him." Aria whistled a familiar tune, a command of sorts to get the dragon on the move so Take could be free.
"Maybe she eats fish?" Aria suggested. She then pulled out an apple which the Flammie eyed curiously and then opened her mouth as if on cue which made Aria giggle and toss it in. "Alright, no more treats. See?" Aria showed her pockets were empty and then was sniffed one last time by the dragon before being nudged playfully behind her back and then the Flammie nuzzled her. Aria stroked the fluffy fur and then gazed across the lake. "I came out here to think," she answered Torrin. "We didn't do too great with our simulation and Master Kaio didn't say the kindest things... I know he means well." She scratched the Flammie under the chin, smiling a bit though there was sadness in her eyes.
As Aria was having her moment with the dragon, she was suddenly nudged on the ground. "Hey!" A large nose was buried in her gut and she let out a belly-laugh. "Hey! Cut it out!" Aria tried her best to push the dragon away, but it kept nudging and sniffing at her sides and shoulders relentlessly. It was then she heard a familiar voice and looked over to see Torrin standing not too far away. "Something she wants... oh!" Aria remembered she slipped some chocolate into her pocket earlier, remembering Torrin's words about the Flammie having a sweet tooth. As soon as she pulled it out, the dragon sat back and tilted her head, turning in a circle and sitting down again. "Oh alright." Aria stood up and broke off some chocolate for the dragon. "Say ah~" Once the dragon open her mouth, Aria tossed the bits of chocolate in and watched as she devoured it whole. "That's all you wanted, yeah?" Aria giggled as she patted the dragon on the head and then looked to Torrin. "You were right! She does have a sweet tooth!"
The lake air was a bit chilly, yet refreshing. Birds were chirping happily and the water lapped on the shoulder, creating a peaceful ambiance and a place to think. Aria had calmed down significantly and was now just staring out over the water which rippled in the light breeze. She felt somewhere between numb and sad; numb because of the bombardment of emotions all at once that suddenly bubbled over and sad because she was missing her simple life back on Amerath. If she could, she would go for a ride on her chocobo to clear her head some more. It was then there was a woosh of air, and Aria blinked as her gaze was averted above her. "Ah!" Her mind barely comprehended it was flammie and she scrambled to her feet, nearly falling over as she moved back. When the large beast landed on all fours, Aria's heart was racing in her chest. "H-hi there..." The creature looked over Aria, padding over to the girl as she sniffed the air cautiously. The princess of heart instinctively held out her hand, and to her astonishment, the dragon nuzzled into it. "Heh... You really are sweet." Aria brushed the soft like fur of the dragon, smiling as she stepped even closer to the dragon. "Do you sense pain...?" Aria asked in a half whisper, fingers running over the fur as she touched her forehead on the nose very respectfully and gently.
Aria smiled a bit when Enzo addressed her as Rainbow instead of her name, but that smile was lost when Master Kaio entered the room and shared his thought on the matter. "Master Gero is not soft on me," Aria insisted, bringing herself to stand up and resisting the urge to argue forcefully. "No one is. I'll get stronger, just watch and see. There won't be any more mishaps like this again." Aria clenched his fist tightly and then made her way past Master Kaio, wanting to get out of there. She looked back to the boys, forcing out a sigh to calm herself down. "We're inside the simulation room, Enzo. You can leave any time you want, or start your own simulation on your own. I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head." With that, Aria made her way past the haughty master, not in the best of moods. She didn't even acknowledge Take talking with the other master. Aria was seeing red, her day not starting out too well to begin with because of the nightmare and now having an embarrassing performance in front of the masters to add on top of that, she needed some fresh air. When she was out of the basement, she started to jog, running to the castle doors. Her pace picked up as soon as she reached the outside and she started to run hard. She hadn't gone on a run in a while and she pushed herself, her eyes stinging with tears. Today really wasn't her day. Her lungs began to burn along with her legs as she pushed herself eventually coming to the lake near the castle and then slowed down to a trot and then stopped all together. Aria was panting and looked all around her, searching for a rock or a stone. Spotting one, she picked one up and chucked it as hard as she could with a shout, watching it sail across the lake and plop in the water. Aria then yelled out in frustration and paced in place before grabbing her head and crouching down in place. Silent tears began to roll down her cheeks as all the emotions from today swelled within her and bubbled over. She didn't want to be the weak one, she didn't want to be coddled, nor did she want to be the dead-weight of the group. Yet it felt like no matter what she did or how hard she tried, she always came up short somehow.
Aria was panting heavily when the simulation suddenly ended, almost making her stumble forward. She felt disappointment swell inside of her and her shoulders drooped. "Aw, we didn't make it?" She slumped in place, frowning deeply as she tried to catch her breath. It was a disappointment to her that even with the four of them there, they weren't strong enough to go all the way through. Normally she wasn't the swearing type, but she felt some choice words coming on. "Fudge... sticks..." She sat on her bottom in the now white room, pride hurt and a little mad at herself. One of their teammates hardly did anything, if anything at all, but that probably wouldn't matter.
Aria Attacked! HP: 57/120 MP: 7/60 FOC: 2/28 FLUX: 4/4
Aria Attacked! HP: 62/120 MP: 7/60 FOC: 2/28 FLUX: 4/4
Aria Attacked! HP: 7o/120 MP: 7/60 FOC: 2/28 FLUX: 4/4
Aria used Skydive and Attacked! HP: 74/120 MP: 7/60 FOC: 2/28 FLUX: 4/4
Aria watched as the scenery changed around them, switching to something she was unfamiliar with. She heard Enzo's question and then saw a new enemy appears. "Something new pops up," Aria responded, readying her keyblade once more. She cast her Rainbow Glow on the whole party and then Thundara on the new enemy. Aria used Rainbow Glow on the Party and Thundara on the enemy. HP: 74/120 MP: 7/60 FOC: 15/28 FLUX: 4/4
She was pelted with even more shadows, and it was getting a little annoying. She cast thundara on a few of the remaining heartless, and decided to risk it all by doing another Sky Dive on the Darkside. Aria did a Sky Dive on the Darkside and Thundara on a group of shadows. 5/100 Shadows Remain HP: 84/120 MP: 11/60 FOC: 2/28 FLUX: 4/4
Aria winced and faltered back when the Shadow attacked her shoulder. She staggered back to her feet shaking it off the best she could before she glanced around the group. "Come on Kal!" she called out to her teammate, "You can do it!" She cast Leafga on herself and on Kal, then she attacked the colossal heartless once more. Aria used Lefga on herself and Kal, and attacked the big guy! 37/100 Shadows Remain HP: 84/120 MP: 15/60 FOC: 15/28 FLUX: 4/4[/QUOTE]
"I think it helped a bit!" Aria called to Enzo. She was suddenly hit back by the shock wave and pelted with tiny shadows. Aria yelled out as another Thundara spell erupted, blasting back the heartless that were on her. She then leaped at the big guy once again, attacking him with a fury of swings before jumping back and casting Reflera on herself to prepare for the next wave. Aria used Thundara on Five Shadows, Attacked the Big Guy, and cast Reflera on herself. 70/100 Shadows Remain HP: 94/120 MP: 28/60 FOC: 15/28 FLUX: 4/4
Pet Sitting "I'm going to have a look at the cottage," Nagata said while stretching her arms above her head. "Unlike the likes of you, I like a warm bed inside. You boys have fun. I'll come check on you in a moment." With that, she waved a hand at them and walked away, swaying her hips as she made her way to the humble abode. Lost Voices Lakoda caught the bag of sweets that Everette passed to her. It was then her smile fell when Everette relayed the news about someone losing their life. Her hand instinctively went to her throat where her charm hung over the x shape scar. Flashes of violence and screams entered Lakoda's mind briefly and she blinked away any tears that came to her eyes. She perked up when she heard Conrad relaying the same message, gripping at the heart charm to ground herself back in reality. If she had her own voice, it would have shook when she spoke. Instead, it was the same monotone. "Let's go to the inn then," the heart sounded out. It didn't take long for the farmer's wife to lead the small group to the inn. The group was invited in, and they walked to one of the larger rooms of the place. A young boy around ten was sitting on the bed, one of his legs wrapped and propped up on a pillow. A man sat on the edge of the bed, speaking lowly to the boy with a hand on his shoulder. The woman cleared her throat, which made the man turn his head. "Ah, Martha. I didn't expect you to come back so soon." "Yes, well, these mages here said they were looking for you." "Mages...? ah, yes, you're here for the job aren't you?" Lakoda hung back behind the group. If she learned anything from missions it was to let the others speak first. She wasn't sure if her signing or her charm speaking for her would bother these folks and so she waited patiently for the others to answer first.
