Peace amidst turmoil PV Chiaki Hiroi Finished

Japanese ~ English

Sorry for a late reply.

Reducio

Word Count: 308

Interacting: Akira (@Avery Chen)

Date: November 1st 2022

Chiaki felt very alone. Usually, she didn't actually mind being a little more isolated - things were quieter and nicer when there were less people, she'd often found. But after the events at Hogwarts, she hadn't felt very welcomed by people. What she'd been pushed to do, that was cruel. And Akira... well he had had a lot of opinions on those events.

Chiaki wasn't very much looking forwards to having to speak to Akira in the future.

She took solace either outside or in the library more recently. Both places were quiet and nice, at least to her. Distracting might have been a more appropriate description, however, as she could allow herself to get lost in something else and not have her mind drift to the past. This day, she had chosen the library. With nothing to do in particular, she reverted to her favourite (and probably most common) pastime, reading about plants. She searched the shelves for something interesting, something new that she hadn't read before, adding books to her steadily growing stack in her arms. As she wandered, a book on one of the higher shelves caught her eye. She didn't recognise it, and her curiosity got the better of her, so she grabbed one of the stools and stretched her arm up to it.

However, as she reached, another arm batted hers out of the way, catching her off balance as she wobbled and fell off the stool with a slight gasp of surprise. A cold, unemotional voice offered some brief apology, and, upon recognising the voice, Chiaki lowered her head as she stood, scrambling to gather the rest of scattered books.

"You are fine, please. You have it, I didn't need it as much." She stammered quietly, hoping to be able to finish collecting her things fast enough before Akira recognised it was her.

Roleplaying as Akira Shimizu from Mahoutokoro
Outfit: Navy Uniform

It was the last person he'd hoped to run into. Why, just why, did it have to be Hiroi-san? Damn it. He cursed his luck under his breath, but quickly shut up because he didn't want Hiroi to think he was cursing her, if she had heard -- something that it could easily have been mistaken for.

A part of him didn't want to see Hiroi-san because of their awkward encounter where he had yelled at her even when she tried to help. His emotions often got the best of him, as hard as he did try to tame that fiery rage of his. It was his one weakness, he thought: Emotions that seeped through his mouth, face, and actions no matter how controlled and serene he wanted to seem on the outside. How impolite he must've seemed. How ungentlemanly, how uncouth. Yet, it was also his pride that kept him from apologizing. His emotions really were a double-edged sword. So, he avoided her.

However, another reason he avoided her was one that he didn't quite understand. Was it something that he didn't like about her, because they were so different? Perhaps it was his confusion that made him hesitant around her: Why was she so soft, as if she would simply break if anyone snapped at her? How could she have the patience to try to soothe people who were fighting? He simply would have no patience to waste such effort, or even bother with other peoples' business. How Hiroi-san even wanted to try was beyond him.

While he grabbed the book, Hiroi had somehow ended up on the floor in a flurry of robes and dropped items. Tch. Serves her right for wanting what I wanted, he thought. She stammered something about not needing the book, and telling him to please take it instead. Really? He was expecting at least a scowl and a reprimand, which he would've ignored anyway with a curt apology and a necessary dip of his head before stepping out.

There was a slight hesitation during his confusion, before he shrugged it off and put the book in his bag. There was something wrong with this girl. Something that almost made him want to figure out. He did not do well with confusion. What was she trying to do, acting this way? What was she getting at? What was she hiding under that vermeil of niceness and patience? Was she taunting him with her composure, just because she knew he had so little control over his own, and she knew she could do it better than him?

"You don't need it?" he asked coldly, turning her words over in his mind, dark eyes boring at her as if trying to see through whatever act this was. "Then... why were you reaching for it?" He pressed. He would get to the bottom of this act of hers. How much patience did she have before she, too, succumbed to her rage?

Japanese ~ English

Sorry for a late reply. Again

Reducio

Word Count: 283

Interacting: Akira (@Avery Chen)

Date: November 1st 2022

It seemed Chiaki was too late to hide, or too late to run away, which in her mind had both been viable solutions to her problem until about 30 seconds ago. She'd gone purposefully out of her way to not come against Akira's wrath, but she supposed it was just a calamity waiting to happen. And here it was. The calamity.

It wasn't that she disliked Akira, not at all. In fairness, she couldn't really bring herself to dislike anybody. But Akira and herself just weren't the most... similar people, and that could make it difficult to be around him when he was in a more emotional state. She could see his tendency to lash out, and after being on the receiving end, she could safely say that wasn't a position she wanted to return to any time soon.

Scrambling to her feet, she hoped that this interaction would be over sooner than it began. Belongings close to her chest, she shuffled past the boy in pure awkwardness, hoping to get as far from him as she could. She didn't need him yelling at her again. The previous time was still not as long ago as she would've preferred.

She tried not to wince when she heard Akira's voice continue to talk. Damn it.

"I... I was gonna just read it. I like plants and stuff. You know," her reply came out as quiet as a whisper as she turned back round to face him, though still only making eye contact with the floor. "But it's alright, you can use the book. And I- I'll stop bothering you now. Bye."

With that, she quickly turned back around, hoping to swiftly make her exit.

Roleplaying as Akira Shimizu from Mahoutokoro
Outfit: Navy Uniform

How would 'innocent' little Hiroi-san react when pressed and challenged? A smirk played itself in his mind at the thought of Hiroi's vermeil of niceties cracking at his pressure, the girl's demurely averted eyes snapping back at him in a fit of annoyance or hatred. Yes, he would make her act shatter.

Yet, none of that came. "I... I was gonna just read it. I like plants and stuff. You know," she almost stammered again. Her admission was so plain and simple. So bereft of any accusation or bitterness about what had just happened. Akira almost blinked at her in disbelief. "But it's alright, you can use the book. And I- I'll stop bothering you now. Bye." She just wanted to read it because she liked plants and stuff, and she was fine with him taking it because it was just something she wanted, not needed. She even said that she was the one bothering him.

With that, she left the navy-robed boy standing by himself for a second, holding his Herbology book, his brows knitted into a frown. Wait, was she just going to let him have it, just like that? No fight, no last word of threat or warning? Either this girl was a better actress than he thought, or he was an outright bully at this point. No, he couldn't just let their interaction end like this, in either situation. He could not let her get the upper hand if she was acting, and he could not let her tell everyone he had horrid manners for shoving her out of the way and stealing her book, leaving his reputation in shambles. He didn't want to be on Hiroi's bad side -- she was a purple robe in his year, after all.

He had to come up with something to stall her, and quickly. Get back on her good side, or at least end this interaction more amicably. He cleared his throat.

"Hiroi-san, please wait," he said urgently, imploringly. "You are a broom racer, correct?" he asked, the cogs in his mind spinning. "The reason that I'm asking is -- for the flying homework we have, we must explain how to navigate a broom around different types of vegetation. That's why I thought this book would be useful." Now, he had to link this story together so that his request made sense. And for that to happen, he resigned to showing a bit of vulnerability. "Flying is not my strong suit," his lip quivered with a bit of a self-deprecating twitch here, as this was truly an understatement since he found flying absolutely terrifying, "nor do I have a passion for plants like you do. So, I was wondering, if you had the time over the next two days, could you please help look over the outline I have for my paper, and see if it makes sense? I have a rough draft of it, but of course I can always show it to you later, if you're busy now." He held up a hand and raised a brow before adding: "And, of course, I would really appreciate even five minutes of your time, but if you don't have the time at all, feel free to pretend that I never asked. I wouldn't want to trouble you. You've already been so kind to let me have this book."

He waited for Hiroi's response, fully anticipating that she would politely decline, but even then, they would likely have ended this interaction amicably, and his goal would have been achieved.

Japanese ~ English

Reducio

Word Count: 313

Interacting: Akira (@Avery Chen)

Date: November 1st 2022

Chiaki's hopes for a quick and quiet exit from this interaction proved to be fruitless as Akira wasted no time in continuing what she had thought to be an awkward interaction. His calls out to her made her stop in her tracks, turning round with head low, but making the effort to look somewhat at him. There was no way for her to know where this conversation was headed from here, but to answer his question, she replied in a simple nod.

As Akira strung his words together, Chiaki made no attempt to interrupt or talk over him as he explained his reasoning. It was taking a lot from her to even keep eye contact in the scenario. Though, when he finally admitted that flying was his shortcoming, Chiaki's eyes widened a little.

She had known of Akira since they both had begun at Mahoutokoro, and he had always seemed a particularly proud person, not one to admit his faults or that someone could be better than him. Chiaki had never even known him to ask for help, preferring to figure it out himself. So, hearing that, it caught her attention, and she sharply looked up. This was... unusual to say the least, and she wanted to see if her classmate was in his right mind. Had she done something to make him feel as though she was owed some sense of vulnerability?

Whilst her logical head was screaming at her to leave, that this was some weird plot or guise, she pushed those thoughts aside to make way to listen to her conscience - that of which was telling her to give him a chance. It must've taken a lot for him to actually emote in this way, especially to her, so she supposed that it was worth something to offer an olive branch.

"Um. Sure. I can help now. I have time."

Roleplaying as Akira Shimizu from Mahoutokoro
Outfit: Navy Uniform

He noticed that her eyes could hardly meet his, but she did so nevertheless as he spoke. He supposed he had that effect on people at times -- people would often see him in the hallway or at a table in the library, smile sheepishly, then dip out.

So, when he finished explaining what he asked of her, he was very surprised when she suggested that she help now. Not even at a later time, when she would've allowed enough time to lapse such that he may forget he had ever asked her (though of course he would never forget), or wait long enough such that his paper would already be due.

He paused for a moment here, not knowing quite what to think. Then, in the next instant, he returned to his usual, composed self.

"Of course, that would be perfect. Why don't we sit down here?" he motioned towards an empty table next to the shelves, pulling out the chair closest to them for her to sit down, then taking the one next to it for himself, if and when she sat. He laid out his flying notebook between them, and flipped to the page of his outline.

In truth, he had worked on this outline quite meticulously, just missing a few details that he might find and confirm after flipping through the herbology book he had come to retrieve. Chiaki might find that even though there were many editing marks made to the outline, its penmanship was neat, and its logic straightforward.

"Feel free to let me know what you think. Any honesty would be appreciated," he said politely, but wondering if he could really take too much harsh critique.

In looking at his outline again, he realized that it could've been beneficial to add some detail about how to fall if one did get attacked by a plant and knocked off broom. Perhaps Hiroi-san would notice and provide some suggestions, but otherwise, he would've been satisfied if Hiroi simply said his outline looked fine and they parted on good enough terms.

Japanese ~ English
Apologies for the wait! Life got busy for a bit!

Reducio

Word Count: 416

Interacting: Akira (@Avery Chen)

Date: November 1st 2022

Following Akira's lead, Chiaki didn't feel it necessary to speak as she nodded, taking a seat at the table that Akira had been gracious enough to offer to her, though only on the edge of the chair, if he was perceptive enough to notice. She rested a hand on her knee to calm herself down and try to limit her leg from shaking, though it proved mostly unsuccessful. Once Akira had produced his notebook, she used her other hand to pull it closer so she could inspect it further.

The first thing she noticed was just how different Akira's approach to schoolwork was in comparison to her own. His work had clearly been thoroughly read through and edited, as indicated by the filled margins, and he had clearly been taught to maintain neat handwriting, which made any of her work look as if it was written by a child. The essay itself was clear, the points well laid out, and well written. On the surface, she couldn't find any obvious flaws with the piece.

As Chiaki read, however, it grew clearer to her Akira's true disdain for flying. She was somewhat aware that he did not enjoy flying, however, reading the essay, she felt it was even clearer. Speaking from her own experience, she knew what writing about a topic you were passionate about was like, and the writing on the pages in front of her felt simply like, well, writing. There was no excitement or passion radiating from the page. It was merely another essay. Another piece of homework that needed doing. And, to Chiaki, that made Akira's writing feel somewhat inauthentic.

However, from her past experience with Akira, she was hesitant to share this feedback. She did not want to be yelled at again, especially in such a public place, and what good would it really do for him? It wasn't as if she would be able to help him find his passion for the subject. Ultimately, she decided against it.

"Uhm, well, it is very well structured and well written. You have covered a lot of the key points that was taught in the class. I think... it looks good."

She nodded once more, though hoping the pause between her words wouldn't be a signal to her hesitation on her true feelings about the essay. "If that is all I can help with, then I ought to be leaving now. You are still welcome to the book if you wish to use it."

Roleplaying as Akira Shimizu from Mahoutokoro
Outfit: Navy Uniform

He could tell from her body language that Hiroi-san was exceedingly nervous, only sitting on the edge of the chair when he pulled it out for her, as if she might dash away at any moment if he only glared at her. He studied her closely. Indeed, it didn't seem as if the girl was faking how demure she was. Maybe this was just her nature: not a single taunt or scolding word could ever come out of her mouth. He had most definitely read her wrongly in his anger moments before.

Despite her anxiety, she pulled his notebook closer and began reading through his outline. He waited patiently as her eyes scanned his writing, wondering what she would say in response. Would she find a flaw in his logic? If so, he would have to graciously accept it, especially since he asked for feedback himself, even as he might reprimand himself inwardly for not producing a perfect outline. So great was his strive for perfection that the boy would often beat himself up over the smallest things. That was the hardest part about receiving critique.

"Uhm, well, it is very well structured and well written. You have covered a lot of the key points that was taught in the class. I think..." Akira inclined his head forward, eagerly awaiting a suggestion of some sort. If Hiroi-san had any critique, it sounded like she would drop one here, after praising him in the first couple of sentences. However, a critique would not come. "...it looks good," she finished. Akira blinked in confusion. This wasn't what he had expected. Were his instincts wrong?

A moment later, she began to excuse herself and offer the book to him, while he was still sitting there, confused. But it was now or never that he would hear what she truly thought. "Wait," he said, "...please," he added, having thought that his first word sounded too much like a command. "Are you sure there's nothing you felt could be better?" he asked, genuinely this time. He might as well hear it, if Hiroi-san had taken the time to read it. "I- I suppose I know it's not perfect, so please do let me know," he admitted, his tone once again quite different from the scathing ones Hiroi might've been used to. Perhaps he could put aside his pride, this time. In a way, he also began to trust that Hiroi's delivery of feedback would not be intended to wound him.

Perhaps she needed more encouragement, considering how nervous she was in his presence. "I won't blame you for what you say," he said, giving her his word, though perhaps she wouldn't trust it, given what he'd put her through in the past. A gentleman would never back down from his word, however.

Japanese ~ English

Reducio

Word Count: 283

Interacting: Akira (@Avery Chen)

Date: November 1st 2022

Given Akira's still reaction, Chiaki wasn't sure whether or not she had managed to choose her words well, but she wasn't massively eager to wait around and find out. As she began to get up to leave, Akira's abrupt "Wait!" made her quickly return to her seat, fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve in anticipation. Had she somehow managed to upset him once again, despite her careful choice of words?

So her hesitation had been noticeable, then. Akira's shift in tone hadn't gone unnoticed either - he was more soft-spoken now. Perhaps it was to build up to a big explosion soon if she criticised him, but as Chiaki studied the situation further, she doubted that. The Akira she thought she knew would've just taken her comments and left, or not even bothered to ask her for advice at all. This Akira wasn't the same, he'd changed - for whatever reason, good or bad, but he had changed at least. As anxious as she might be, Chiaki was going to at least respect that. Hence why she braced herself and prepared in case he would have an issue with what she would have to say.

"I wasn't lying when I said it was well-written. I did mean all my compliments. But... it does feel a little, I suppose, inauthentic? There is no true passion or enjoyment in the writing - you can tell when the topic is someone's passion, and that can really make a good piece of writing."

She wasn't sure where that confidence had come from, but as she looked up slightly, she faltered slightly. "Of course, it's still very good without that. You can likely get top marks for it. I think."