[h1][u]Ciara Ventura[/u][/h1] [i][color=gray]Wingram Academy, Classroom 103[/color][/i] [@Nanaya], [@Sifr], [@ERode] [hr] [b][i]“As far as I’m aware, the Personal Barrier isn’t so simple a spell that one could acquire it without either an obsession with the study of essence or regular encounters with the possibility of bodily harm. Would you say that it’s a feature of primal magic, to be able to oversimplify such a process? Or are you, in fact, a prodigy? A veteran in violence could work too.”[/i][/b] Ciara's eyes widened, fearing she had given something critical away. Otis was too perceptive for his own good. As he spoke, images came unbidden in her mind. Sitting alone among the overgrowth of Vaal Kastrix, the Voices whispering. Essence pooling around her as plants lay on the ground in withered heaps. The taste of warm butter toast- A cough. Her thoughts were derailing, reminding her of the pain in her stomach. Her face settled into a narrow stare, trying to hide the fear that had flashed across her features as she continued to listen to the dark one. [i][b]“You don’t have to answer that for now. I need to attend to my subject.”[/b][/i] [i]Would he interrogate her later...?[/i] Ciara's brow delicately furrowed. Another worry to add to the pile. [i][b]"Attend to your subject 'n' all, but primal magic is generally like that. Focused on connection rather than distinction,"[/b][/i] Ciara's eyes met Hidegunde, a tinkle of curiosity in the amber pools as Hildegune reaffirmed her thinking. So she really was a primal user, after all. Yes, she understood it completely. Connection, not separation. The classes of magic really were worlds apart from each other, weren't they? [i]THUNK.[/i] Her gaze whipped around to see Davil fluttering about at his desk, his essence behaving... [i]really[/i] strangely. Despite the dark one's tutelage, Davil seemed to be a fish trying to climb a tree. It was a shame. Not even an entertaining struggle. But, natural. It was natural for the pet of the group to need babying at almost every stage. Otis seemed to, perhaps, enjoy taking the little thing under his wing. Ciara hummed to herself, a small smile on her face from where she sat. The tickle of air from her other side. Ciara looked to see Hildegunde's Personal Barrier up and functional. Ciara smirked, detecting the competitive glint in her eyes. Yes, a little healthy competition never hurt. But Ciara remembered she had to take it easy, save her strength for later. Nothing said she couldn't play a little cunningly, though. [b]"Fames..."[/b] She whispered. From behind Hildegunde's head, she would feel an immediate pressure on her barrier. If she turned her head, she would see a giant shadow hand formed in a fist, slammed against her barrier, millimeters from her head. The hand pressed a bit more, trying to cut and divide the winds, searching for a weakness. When Ciara was satisfied the barrier was solid enough, the hand vaporized, and she leaned back from where she sat. A low whistle sounded from her parted lips. [b]"It's pretty solid."[/b] Her eyes flicked over Professor Wund, then to the door as Mannekin waltzed in. She snapped to a half-knee-up position, immediately on guard. But the puppets made no move, only shambling to occupy the empty seats. Slowly, Ciara sat back down, watching out of the corner of her eye. The ground suddenly didn't feel as safe. She listened as Professor Wund spoke. His mention of 'interested parties' piqued her interest and her disgust. This school really didn't miss anything, did it? [i][b]"And when that happens, individuals with either no PB active or one insufficient in its construction will experience extreme nausea, broken bones, a temporary failure of internal organs, or in 1% of cases, death. Finish your talks, make your preparations, and settle in with an active PB within the next two minutes."[/b][/i] Her disgust increased. Yes, just as she thought. Another underhanded ploy, another disguised task, another chance where pets who didn't know any better, like Davil, could seriously be hurt. Her eyelids half closed, and she gently tugged on Hildegune's sleeve, or what she could touch due to the barrier, and nodded towards the front wall close to the teacher's desk. [b]"Don't like these puppets at my back."[/b] She moved to sit against the wall, the roots and vines somewhat encumbering a typically normal task. With a small sigh, she sat with her legs together and tucked to the side, and placed her hands on her thighs. A Mannekin was making direct eye contact with her, and she scowled back, unamused. [b]"You know I eat your kind for breakfast."[/b] Focusing, she pulled from the [i]beyond[/i], and winds kicked up over her skin once more. She didn't know about the light, the analyst, the dark one, or the rest of the class, but she and the marksman were ready. She gritted her teeth, and waited.