"I don't know... Why would I know or care for that matter?" he said to me, agitated. His door soon being closed by him personally before I heard the bed creak loudly. I smiled a little, just at the joke in my head. I would never smile at his frustrations, not these kind, anyway. Yet, I was not here to laugh at jokes made in my head, I was here to help.
So I went back to Einervaene's room and looked about for anything that might be a useful or telling clue. Soon letting out a ponderous sound as I found something rather quickly. It was a notetablet, and it was filled with details regarding the ability to fly and Mechanical House. Then, with a rough idea of where I would need to go, I leapt out the window.
A splash of water indicating my arrival to the ground below before I danced about a little. Slowing down until I reached a standstill and going completely still with a blank face. I had gotten so used to leaving through the roof with Nin that being on the ground felt odd. I even had to spend a little time trying to get my bearings!
Which was rather embarrassing, actually.
But, I got an idea of where I would need to go after some deliberation. Even using some of my magical water to serve as a guide in hopes it would pick up on the lightning-magic she used. I assume so, anyway, all of her notes were written within that context and I did see some Eusorochiian stuff in her room. I just hope she had no issues with me, our two people did have a notable history.
"Okay... Which one is her...?" I soon found myself saying as I tapped my finger against nothing. Having found several Eusorochiians on my way to Mechanical house. But, luckily, only one that was trying to fly. And I really had to put on the emphasis that she was trying because she was not doing very well.
"Oh? Am I bothering you, sorry! I'll just move..." the distracted woman said to me after I had approached her. Her eyes red and puffy and movements all over the place.
"Are you by any chance Einervaene?" I then asked which got her attention instantly.
"Y-Yeah... Can I help you?" she then asked me as she slowly stumbled upwards. A smile on my face as I soon felt strange sensations go over me when I started to hold her. She must of been letting off a lot of magic recently as it was like one of those false gum toys.
"I am here to speak to you about Nin-" I started up with before she forced herself away from me.
"What about him..." she said to me bitterly, notably upset about something. Was it related to that ruckus I heard after I left Nin to shower on that day? Couldn't remember what day, mind you, but, I do remember the ruckus. A formerly happy Nin being very angry when I next saw him.
"I am looking to ask if you want to sign up to the entrance exam point share, to help him pass, obviously." I explained to her which then caused her to shoot up in worry.
"Of course... The entrance exam... Me and Rossie-chira did say we would..." she began to say before she started crying. Clearly again going by how her face was when I found her.
"Is Rossie-chira another one of his friends?" I asked but she turned away from me.
"I don't know what any of us are to him anymore... Rossie-chira wants nothing to do with him for some reason and Urtuoi-kischu seems to think I have been ignoring him... I haven't! I have just been busy! I haven't..." she said before she curled up into her knees and whimpered. My hand soon rubbing her back gently so I could calm her down.
"I don't think so, I think he has just been lonely lately and he isn't sure how to word it."
"He worded it quite well from what I have seen..." a glare likely forming on her face as she turned away from me.
"He also likely did not mean it, you must surely understand he is under a lot of pressure right now. Have you ever been through a lot of stuff at once and found yourself getting angry easier?"
She went quiet and put more distance between us, "I have..." she then said to me quietly.
"Then you understand, come on, let's go back to the dorm, he can apologize for what he had said and then we can help him." a smile growing on my lips as I reached the end of my sentence. Hopefully, I had won Einervaene over and she would be willing to help us out. If not, then... Well, I guess I would have to give it another go.
Einervaene then looked off in the distance, mumbling something, but, then she suddenly gained fortitude in her words and her attitude changed, "Alright, let's go see him... I want to see my friend."
My finger soon helping hers clean her eyes as my smile passed on to her, "Great! Let's go!" I said to her as we began to move away from here. Her posture, however, remained nervous so I did what I could to try and get the anxiety out of her. Be it just smiling at her or trying to tickle her.
"S-Stop it!" she giggled out as she smacked my hands away. One of my fingers catching itself on the copper in her clothes by accident. A sharp shock travelling through my fingers as a result of this.
"Ow!" I let out as the lightning reacted with the water-influenced magic I had in and around me. A web of blue lightning arcing around me before it disappeared. My eyes wide in amazement before I giggled.
"You are Ibenorrocon?" I was then asked once I was done enjoying the way her magic reacted with mine.
"I am indeed!"
"Would I perhaps be able to borrow you then at some point? I need to try something with someone with good water magic control."
"Sure! But, it might have to wait until after the entrance exams." I told her, however, I made sure to make it clear to her what my priorities were. As such, a frown formed on her face and her mood lost its former joy.
"You're really dedicated to helping him, huh?" she asked me quietly before looking away.
"I was never one for standing by idly when others were sad. So, here I am, helping him get back on his feet." I said with a small smile as I twisted a foot around.
"Did... Did you know Urtuoi-kischu before coming here." she then asked me to which I shook my head. Her mood only getting worse as a result.
"Something bothering you?"
"I feel like me expecting an apology from him is wrong..." she muttered quietly to which I raised a brow. If Nin had hurt her feelings then he should apologise!
"Why?" I asked anyway, I would like to hear her reasoning after all.
"He's my friend... One I haven't known long, admittedly, but, we have done quite a bit together. Yet, here you are, someone who was not or might not be his friend and you have been more of one to him than I have since coming here..."
"You have been busy, you can't always expect to be there for him."
"No... I know... But I should of at least tried to be there for h-him. I saw what it was like when we first got here, how he was when all that... Happened. Yet, I told him, despite being his friend... That... That I did not want to be seen near him..."
"I see..." I quietly said in response, my eyes widening slightly after I heard that. It was such a horrible thing to hear, but I would not judge her for it. I can understand perfectly fine why someone might try to distance themselves from someone so infamous. Someone so despised with such vigour.
"M-Maybe I sho-" she stuttered out as she tried to leave.
"No. You will still come, you will apologize to him, he will apologise to you. And you can both be friends again!" I told her loudly before grabbing her hand and running. Laughing as she stumbled about, barely able to get herself sorted as I dragged her along with haste. Her words not even being registered before we got back to the dorm.
"I... I need..." Einervaene panted out as she bent over somewhat. Her form seemingly stiff as she did so.
"Can you not bend that much?" I then asked her as I dropped down backwards. My body forming an arch for the right side of something before my head bent down further. A smug grin present as I looked at her from an upside-down view. A small smile coming to her face before it then disappeared again.
"No, not much. But, my current attire isn't very flexible either."
"It's to do with the metal?" I asked as I hovered a finger near the copper again.
"Yeah, I can explain the details later if you want."
"That would be nice, but, for now, let us go and see him!" I loudly declared as I shot up and pointed at the door. Taking wide strides into the building and shortening them down as we got closer to Nin. Then, once we got to where he was, I knocked on the door.
"What?" he called out grouchily, "You can let yourself in, you know that." he then bitterly added in reference to his door and lock.
"It's just me!" I said rather trickily as it wasn't just me. But, at the same time, it was just me, because who else could I be... But me?
"Let yourself in then." he then said in a rather nonchalant tone, clearly not caring if I came in. Soon, however, he would very much care. He'd care a lot and I'd get to see him be happy!
"Do you have the key?" I then whispered to Einervaene as I failed to grab it on the way here. She shook her head rapidly before hurrying off. The key bouncing about her hands as she rushed back.
Then, after letting her prepare herself, I opened the door.
"So what do you... Want..." Nin began to say before Einervaene followed me in through the door. Her posture showing how nervous she was while Nin had risen to his feet with a snarl behind his lips.
"Nin, calm down, she is just here for a couple of things."
"Those couple of things best be a want to be shoved away and a fist to the gut!" he threatened as he marched closer. Something that caused the poor girl to be frightened enough to back up towards the wall. And, with that, it was clear I needed to be more assertive.
"Sit down!" I then ordered him like a scolding mother, firmly planting both hands on my hips after getting in his way. Letting my magic aura and external-magic flow do most of the talking even if it made me uncomfortable. It felt wrong to treat him like this. But, it was needed for the current moments.
"Why is she here?" he then asked me after sitting down following a snort of annoyance.
"To apologise and be apologised to."
"Apologised to? Excuse me? She is getting no such thing!" he responded back with, barely keeping himself from smashing something. Another problem for another time that was, his violent responses...
"You shoved past her after being incredibly rude and mean to her." I told him before crossing my arms.
"Aw? Did I be mean to her? Did I make her sad? Did I shove her? Aw... Too bad." he mockingly said in a childish tone while performing certain poses. His mind likely a torrent of all his memories of abuse by the staff and students of this Academy and whatever the guards do.
My first response was to make myself more intimidating to get him to watch his mouth, then, I sighed, "Nin, do you like what the guards and everyone else do to you?"
"What do you think?" he replied sarcastically before looking away, his gaze only looking down at me.
"If you don't like it, then why would anyone else like it?"
"Why should I care what others think? They all condemn me for crimes of bugs who can't even think for themselves! People whose bodies were taken over like a puppet is stuffed full of the puppeteer's hand!"
"That doesn't make your actions right Nin, even if they are easy to understand."
He growled some more, "I'm not apologizing..." he grumbled while glaring at the woman who has been silent since we came in.
Until now, "L-Look... Urtu... Nin... I'm..." she sniffled out as some tears formed, "I'm sorry I said those hurtful things to you. That I'd rather be seen nowhere near you and so on... It was not right of me... You are my friend and you have done so much for me and it was not fair for me to just abandon you like that in your time of need..." she said at first clearly, albeit frequently interrupted by tears and eye rubs. But, she became quieter towards the end, sizzling out like a candle wick going into the melted wax.
"Bit late n-"
"Nin!" I sternly said to him, that action making him seemingly lose his anger before he then walked off. Not out of the room, I would not let him, but, towards the window.
"I'm sorry for what I did as well." he then sighed out, not even looking at Einervaene when he said it. But, even if I was to try and force it, it likely would not have happened as shown by the fact his fists curled when he said it. Maybe later I could get a proper apology from him, but not now. Right now there was too much resentment in him.
He was just too angry...
"Well, now that, that is done, let's go!" I then said cheerfully in an effort to change the general mood of the room.
"Where were we going to go again?" Nin then asked as he clearly remembered what it was.
"Quinshuu the Excessively Dressed was going to test you, remember?"
"Right... But where?"
"I dunno." I said to him with a shrug before I opened the window.
Nin then smiled slightly, "Time to see if I can learn I suppose." he said before going up to the roof. My eyes soon focusing on Einervaene as she waited there, still crying. An arm rubbing the other one before it tried to throw her hat away in rage for some reason.
"Hey, hey, none of that now, let's go and have some fun." I coo to her after having interrupted her moment of anger. Her body gently swaying about in mine as I hugged her tightly until she calmed down. Then, when I deemed her calm enough, I grabbed her hand and brought us both to the roof. Much to her shock and more literally, mine.