Studying Up (Open)

[Onira]

His muscles could almost be heard to the naked ear. Their creaking would be deafening if one could only hear it. They were so stiff and they hurt so badly. But, he couldn't stop yet. Not when he was so close to getting it.

"One more time..."

The tattoo lit up for yet another moment. It was starting to become a common sight in the courtyard. The dwarfing light of Onira's tattoo. It was being used so much, the color was beginning to fade. But he had to continue. Small white lines could be seen trailing the light he held in his palm. It was gathering, forming a very unorginized sphere of air in his hand. Eh thrust his palm forward, the light burting out with a powerful breeze, almost knocking over the can he had set up about ten feet infront of him. The can was becoming quite the nuisance. Sort of the sign of his failure. It stood strong, which was quite the problem. Especially for one who was attempting the basic concussion wave ability. Through a solomn seal drawn on one's hand (a tattoo in Onira's case), an alchemist, with a bit of luck, could draw the air surrounding him into his palm, and out in a wave. Done properly, it could knock most people over. But in Onira's case, no such thing happened. Just a slight breeze.

"Damn it!"

He let his butt fall to the grass, looking at the morning sky. He wasn't dressed in much at the time. Just a pair of black boxers actually. His toned, muscular legs, chest, and arms were all exposed. Sweat running down every limb. Atleast the morning's cool summer breeze could atleast help to relieve a small amount of stress. Even if only a small amount.

"Eventually I guess. Just gotta study up some more."

[Mint]

It was a beautiful day for some practice. Mint dashes down a few corridors, looking for a suitable place. ^A gym, a dining hall, anything!^ she thinks, and her face turns uncontrollably into a pout; her search thus far had been fruitless. Seeing sunlight streaming in through an open archway ahead, she leaps and plants her feet, and skids to a stop in the archway facing the courtyard beyond. "Perfect!" she shouts, and her frustrated expression gives way to laughing cheerfullness as she steps in a few feet. ^Rough stone walls for traction, sturdy protrusions at regular intervals...this place is perfect!^ Indeed, the walls of the courtyard were dotted with flags of all colors hanging on horizontal metal poles jutting from the stone faces at different heights.

Without further inspection of the area, she dashes along the wall to the side of the door. She begins to run on the wall, at an angle, her legs flying in a battle against gravity. As she feels herself begin to lose that battle, she pushes out and forward from the wall, crossing the room's corner and landing on the next wall. Pushing off again, she reaches up and grasps one of the flagpoles. Now dangling about 12 feet off the ground, she prepares to swing herself up and onto the horizontal pole when a bright flash on the ground distracts her, and her grip slips.

Mint falls back to the ground in a clumsy heap. With a "Grrrr!" of frustration, she pulls herself upright lightning-quick and dusts herself off. "What the heck are you doing?" she shouts, and glares over at the flashy-dude with an almost comical expression of anger. Then, the expression vanishes and is replaced with one of open curiosity as her eyes dart back and forth between him and the can set up a few yards from him. "Hey, what are you doing?"

[Onira]

"I heard you the first time."

Onira didn't even give her a chance. She had gotten through her first, maybe second word before he cut her off. He didn't feel like talking. Not at the moment. He was too busy. He jsut wanted to get his new move done. The concussion wave. It even sounded powerful. But, he couldn't complete it talking. However, he couldn't complete it as tired as he was anyway.

"But to answer your question..."

Onira's more polite side was starting to take over. His first reply was just off of inpulse. He was just so frustrated, that he didn't really have time to think about what to say. It seemed trying hard was a bit of a double-edged sword. It was good because it got you further than just relaxing, but chances you were, that if you had to try as hard, you weren't going to exactly be doing well from the start, which tended to make you just a liiiiiiiiiiiittle peeved with others. Just a little.

"I'm out here trying to practice a new alchemy skill. The concussion wave as it's called. But it isn't doing very well."

Onira's orbs moved now to look at the girl who had joined him. He was a little surprised by her hair. It was... messy. But of course, that was usually because of relaxation. Laid back people didn't tend to brush their hair as much as hard-working people. Hell, the only reason Onira brushed his hair was because his master told him it was always good to be groomed. Always... oh, what was the word? Considerate.

"May I ask why you're out here miss?"

[Mint]

For a second there, Mint gets pissed again, and an irritated expression replaces the curious one. ^Oh, He did NOT just cut me off...you're gonna get it, kid!^ Then, he seems to calm down. ^I guess I was rude first...^ Her expression sobers a bit and she looks down at her feet. When she looks up again, a brash grin inhabits her face. ^Oh well, he can take it personally if he wants to, who cares.^

Characteristically switching emotion and expression yet again, she giggles and says, "What, me? I was planning on climbing up and down the walls, for exercise, you know?" She looks about the courtyard and arches her back, and stretches her arms way up in the air to stretch out the minor aches her fall had left her.

Mint pauses in mid-stretch and gives the young man a more thorough inspection. He didn't seem to be wearing much, but his well-toned body seemed to be covered in sweat, and quaking slightly from exertion, so he was probably just trying to keep cool while working.

She lets her arms fall back down, and they swing back to her sides as she relaxes her stance. "Alchemy, huh? I'm sorry to say that I don't know much about it." Her eyes flick back to the can for a second before returning to Onira. Right now, their irises were a shade of pinkish-purple. She giggles again and says, "At this rate, you'll be able to concuss a fly in no time!" She didn't mean it as an insult, but as a friendly jibe, of course; as much was apparent from her carefree smile.

[Onira]

Onira relaxed for a moment. He was quite in the cool breeze. God knows he needed it. He felt like his body was punishing him for something. Felt sort of like he was being kicked constantly. And he knew why. The fatigue was kicking in. Now more than ever. His muscles were aching more than ever, and he knew walking would guarantee a nice shot of pain through his body. Luckily his shirt was right next to him.

"I'm afraid to say it, but..."

He slowly drew the black, short-sleeved T-shirt from the ground and let it roll on to his arms, and soon his chest. Once his arms poked through the corresponding holes, he slid his hair out of the back, letting it flow in the outside world once again. He adjusted his shirt, and finished his sentence.

"I think you might be right. Looks like I'll be passing out from fatigue before a 'concuss' that can over there. But, whatever. It's worth a try isn't it?"

The young man gave a grin to the stranger. Climbing. It sounded painful. Atleast at the one moment in time. With aching muscles, nothing except lying down in bed sounded good. But, that was no reason to be lazy.

"Excuse my, uhh... lacking clothing."

He gave a smile, and slowly began to puch himself off of the ground. As expected, it gave his legs a nice smack. Tensing them seemed like lifting up a minivan. It was too bad. He was too tired to maybe numb the pain in his legs. He didn't really think he could do something like that with how tired he was. So, he'd jsut have to deal with it.

Onira slowly walked to his pants, picked them up, and began putting them back around his legs. Once he was done, he walked over to the stranger and put out a hand to welcome her.

"The name's Onira. And yourself?"

[Mint]

Mint watches with an expression of concern as the young man struggles to dress himself, despite obvious signs of exhaustion. Hearing his discouraged-sounding remarks, Mint almost regrets her comment. Mint thinks to herself, ^If you're willing to work yourself 'till your slightest movements are murder, there's no way you won't get it eventually, right?^

"No, no worries," she says quietly as he apologizes for his attire, seemingly lost in thought. ^I don't really know how that alchemy stuff works,^ she thinks, ^but it seems to tax the physical body a lot more than some other forms of magic. Tough guy, it seems.^

When the alchemist introduces himself, Mint takes the offered hand in hers and grins broadly. "Onira, eh? That's a unique name. I'm Mint. Mint Isel Adnànde, and it's great to meet you!" She releases her grip, but does not pull her hand away, and her face once again shows signs of concern. "Are you feeling ok? You look so frikkin' tired!"

[Onira]

"Mint? And you say I have a wierd name. Who the heck calls their kid 'Mint'?"

He eyed her for a moment, then began laughing a bit. Like so many things he said, it wasn't meant to be mean. Just something to laugh about it. Yet another clip off of Onira's belt of sanity. Then again, he couldn't have been too sane to jump off of Babylos. Manic depressive most likely. But, only sometimes.

His laugh fell to a playful grin, then to a smile so he could talk.

"Just kidding, just kidding. You have a fine name. A little strange, but of course, when can the name 'Onira' speak of such things. On the subject of being tired however, I can honestly say it's because this specific ability takes precice physical movements. Tensing of the legs to get proper strength, twisting of the hips to propel the air a little faster, and of course, keping the fingers in very tense and spaced out right, so that I can hold the air in my palm more easily. As you can see though, it's not all working very well."

He gave another toothy grin.