[Rina]

"Do you fear my opinion of you will change in an instant?"

The tears stained into his clothes, but it was not a bother to him. With her beliefs contradicting her reaction to his accidental reveal, he felt the need to address that at the forefront.

"I care not that you reacted poorly to learning I am a dark wizard. It's true I lied to you; I've lied to you, everyone else, and even myself. But misdirecting blame will lead to a cycle of telling who's at fault. A cycle that cannot be won."

Schezo sighed, holding her a bit closer to him. His tone is shaky, as if trying to avoid crying, but he refused to crack. Even if the crowd was rather thin and couldn't make a scene, A man like him isn't supposed to cry, after all...

"When I came to my power at the age of 14, my naivete did not understand the repercussions, leaving behind my magic school and my family, never to be seen again. ...I only ask that I hear you out, for you have done so already. You would not have known my background if I did not trust you, and sheltering yourself behind a mask of pride will blind you to the harsh truths to come."

He is unsure if his tact was present, but he tried his utmost not to be insensitive. He was never good with his words, but still spoke his thoughts out, trying to better his image with his speaking skill.

[Mari]

. . . Silence . . .

Raffine... didn't want to answer. Why did Schezo need to know? I mean, she wanted his approval and everything but he was coming on really strong! Couldn't she just... keep her little secret and have him accept her as she already was? Why did he need to get inside her head like that? Raffine debated potential ways out of this situation. Something Schezo didn't seem to understand was that opening up to him was a great burden to her. She didn't see it as an equal exchange in that sense, but rather something far tilted against her favor. A part of her really wanted to tell Schezo how she felt too. The idea of acceptance was appealing, but that part of her held very little weight against the overwhelming desire to maintain what dignity she had. So she remained silent, unable to summon the courage to answer Schezo.

[Rina]

The awkward silence hung in the air for a few moments...

...
...
...

"All take and no give, huh?"

Schezo distanced himself from her. This distance is going to continue to grow, and he felt his heart sink even deeper into darkness, as if there is no escape from it at all. Combined with so much misfortune in the past, the silent treatment is as if she doesn't trust him at all. With a quick gesture, he reverted back into his normal clothes, the ninja scroll in his hands in place. And his eyes...they felt empty. He felt his attempts to try and make himself open to helping someone were completely fruitless.

"That's...that's fine. Clearly I'm mistaken for attempting to pry. I'm mistaken for being selfish. I'm quite sure this zero-sum game of happiness is skewed against me so that someone else is happier at my expense."

...he sounds...defeated.

[Mari]

A bewildered Raffine watched Schezo through tear flooded eyes as he spoke, trying in vain to control them. It wasn't until that moment that Raffine really understood that ... Schezo didn't have a clue. He was miles off touch from her own feelings, and he always would be. ...And it was with reluctance that she realized that this was her doing. Now that she considered it, how could he possibly know how she felt? He was some... hundred year old diety! And she was just a schoolgirl trying to find her place in the world. She could help him understand, but when she really thought about it--Would he understand? ...The idea of her trust being misplaced did cross her mind now, but only because she saw the consequences as being life altering. Considering her options, Raffine quietly suppressed the critical part of her mind and began speaking freely. "...This isn't about you, Schezo." Raffine corrected, producing a hankerchief and blowing her nose into it. Note to self, touch up at first opportunity. "It's just that I wanted to be something... greater than this. Especially in front of you. The truth is, I've hidden something from you as well." Raffine went on to explain, reaching down to gently unfasten the pouch from around her waist. Removing the pouch, she reached out and held it out to Schezo without explanation.

[Rina]

"...?"

Schezo looked closely at the pouch, not exactly catching on with the context at first. As his hand reached out for it, he felt...something. It was faint, but as he's not wearing it, it's not very pronounced. He has a vague idea what conclusion she's leading to, but his intuition seems to have led him to a sound guess.

He is wholly unaware of her weak magical aptitude, but there is a faint thought in the back of his mind. If she made some shady deal with a spirit for power, then...how much power does Raffine have on her own? He doesn't want to jump to conclusions, so the thought has been kept down. The fact she behaves so similarly to Rulue, another fighter he knows, seems to have played a part in his assumption.

"This pouch...It's not an ordinary one is it?"

[Mari]

Raffine nodded her head. "...That pouch is the source of all of the magic I cast." Raffine replied rather softly. Her tone sounded hollow, a side effect of her restraining all of the emotions that normally would have prevented her from opening up about this. "It's a wretched irony. Primp's most diligent student, of the highest marks at the school of magic, cannot. cast. magic." Raffine went on to remark with a very overt bitterness in her tone. "Flame! Blizzard! Lightning Bolt!" Raffine went on to incant, each incantation as flawless as it could get in execution. She was clearly spoken and concentrated, but when her hands moved to receive the magic conjured to her only the tiniest bit of fire, ice and thunder came forth before immediately fizzling out of existence. Raffine then threw up her arms for a moment in unsurprised frustration. She then gestured to the pouch."Every last trick you've seen me perform has come from that pouch." Raffine went on to explain, falling silent as she waited for Schezo's reaction to her apparent disability.

[Rina]

Schezo observed Raffine struggle to even let out a suitable spark without her pouch. True to her words, there was almost nothing worth casting without the pouch alone, and this must be a deep-seated thorn on her self-esteem. He understood that she was frustrated that she can't perform proper magic. In another scenario, he'd likely kick her pride while she was down.

...but this is not that scenario. He didn't laugh.

"...I know of someone who has a similar case. She is an adept fighter, but is one of the only residents of my home land that cannot cast a spell at all. She can't muster up the tiniest spark that you could perform nonetheless. She even took great offense to anyone that dared to point out her lack-of magic ability. I wish not to cross a line, because I had done so in the past with that woman. I suffered a palm strike to my chest and several knee kicks to my gut for the slightest mention. I understand that you wish to be able to cast a spell, but...turning to a dark power is an answer I strongly advise against. If you try to go far to enhance your magic, you may fall too deep in the endless darkness."

Schezo took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in control.

"I am aware I may be repeating myself, but I do so for a reason. The path of darkness is one that cannot be turned back from so easily."

[Mari]

Raffine furrowed her brows. Why was the dark wizard lecturing her on safety? That wasn't what she wanted to hear right now! Shaking her head, she freed that thought from her mind. "...It seems I've let that little secret grow out of control." Raffine replied. "Here's an excellent question for a 'brilliant' mind such as myself. If the life I've lived so far has been based upon a lie..." Raffine began, gesturing rather lazily to the pouch. "With no parents left to disappoint on this wretched planet where my name means nothing... what does that make me? What does that make my future?" Raffine went on to finish. She allowed that question to hang in the air for only a moment. "...It means I am nothing!" Raffine abruptly blurted out, a tad red in the face. She then promptly turned her back and began to meander away at a rather relaxed pace this time. Notably, she had not made any attempt at taking her pouch back. It seemed like she was in a really bad place right now.

[Rina]

Schezo attempted to follow her, still not finished with what he has to say. With the pouch still in his possession, he intends to give it back to its rightful owner too. He could've had just kept it but...he doesn't need it, nor would he feel right keeping it. His pace matched hers, trying to stay within earshot with his talk.

"I have nothing either. I have no family to go home to because I've outlived them. I can never see my old classmates again because I've outlived them as well. The only thing I can remember them by are memories. With no one willing to accept me for who I am, I have no place in this world. Your world, this world, and not even my home world."

And he sputtered anything that came to mind that would hope to keep her attention. His pace hastened, attempting to grab hold of her by the wrist.

"If anything...Does me vocalizing the dangers of darkness not equate to worry? Do I mean nothing to you? ......Is my concern not noble enough to be like a prince to you? Would us two as nobodies give us solace for what we lack?"

[Mari]

This time, Schezo's words seemed to get a better reaction out of Raffine. She stopped in her tracks, startled by something Schezo had said. For a moment she seemed to be in shock, but then a smile crept upon her face. She giggled. "...Wouldn't that be something? The king and queen of nothing~ It sounds like something out of a fairytale!" Raffine replied, apparently intensely amused by the notion. She then promptly calmed back down with a little sigh. "...But, Schezo. This really isn't your fault. You do mean something to me, even if you aren't a prince. I've just been bottling a lot of these feelings up for a very long time. ...I honestly did not think you would be able to understand my problems. I thought our worlds would be too different. ...I don't suppose you have a lovable half-wit in your life that surpasses you at every turn without even trying?" Raffine would go on to explain before asking with a subtle note of bitterness in her tone.

[Rina]

"Ah, but there is something I've been told about nothingness. We may be devoid of something, but that nothingness is a blank page of a greater tale we write."

Schezo attempted to lighten the mood a bit, handing the pouch back as he answered. He gently placed the pouch in the hand he gripped, placing his other hand on top, so that her hand is between his. Schezo's been through much struggles himself, and the only thing he could do is avoid falling into the black hole of despair. He proceeded to answer the next question she asked.

"Er, the converse, rather. That person I have in mind is quite capable. Capable of making a fool of myself. Ahahahah...."

Gee Schezo, laying on the self-deprecating joke a bit thick there.

[Mari]

Raffine considered Schezo's response, unkowing of who he referred to. She had never really asked Arle about her personal life. "...That does sound familiar, now that you put it that way." Raffine replied somewhat half-heartedly. She couldn't make light of her inadequeces for long. Besides, she had something far more ... pleasant to think about. "So--Schezo. Let's say you were the ruler of your own kingdom. What would it be like..? Would it be small? Would it be tall? What sort of kingdom would you like to have sovereignty over..?" Raffine went on to ask, looking to pry into Schezo's mind. She was trying to gain a better understanding of Schezo's visions for the future. Perhaps he wasn't a prince right now, but ... maybe he was fit to become one.

[Rina]

Raffine has the right idea, even if she doesn't fully know who Arle is. Seems they're on the same wavelength now, which is a good tone shift. Things were getting quite heavy as it were, so something more light-hearted to ease away from it is a good idea. If Schezo were actually a prince? Hmm...an interesting scenario to consider. A shame he forgot his onyx crown...

"If...if I were truly a prince?"

Schezo put a hand to his chin, mulling over the thought. He never did peg himself as a leader of some country, but if he had to answer...

"If I were a prince of some land, I would prefer starting small. Garnering the trust of a small populace is a less arduous task than one of a grander scale from the very beginning. Thus, once the townfolk know my presence well, word of my name can spread, allowing connections and influence to spread far and wide."

[Mari]

" . . . "

Raffine was silent for a moment after Schezo finished speaking, considering his words carefully. His words made sense, but there was one important thing missing from his statement that she'd been looking for. "Like a snowball you gain traction and influence the further you go." Raffine mused aloud, nodding in off-handed approval. "But what would you do to make those people accept you as their prince? What would you stand up for?" Raffine went on to ask, lolling her head slightly. "...My father once told me that every man needs something to protect. I asked what he meant and he said it gave them purpose. ...What is it you wish you could protect more than anything else, Schezo?" the fighting princess went on to ask. The hopeless romantic in her was very much hoping for a very specific answer, but she knew that such a thing might be too much to hope for at a time like this. It was ... quite fast? Not that she didn't deserve love at first sight, but even she knew it wasn't entirely realistic to expect it. It wasn't about how fast love was realized, but about enjoying the journey.

[Rina]

"What...what would I do?"

And his thoughts came to a dead end. All this time Schezo fought, to defend himself and exemplify but... Something to protect... Did he really have something like that? His expression was not at all cheery, for he could not come up with an answer to that. He could rack his brains all he wants, but there's not a single answer to be found in his mind. At least...not one that he can remember. The only time he truly expressed a moment of selflessness to protect was during Arle's final exam. He performed one sacrifice to ensure Arle's survival, but it was at the cost of his own. Arle was righteous enough to give him a second chance to live, but by a god's demands, however, he remembers nothing of it.

He was at a loss.

With a despondent sigh, he confessed to her a response that further exemplifies himself as far being a prince.

"I......I don't know. For as long as I could remember, I only fought for myself because no one else would devote some time for me. Altruism is something I know nothing of because I never had such experiences from someone else."