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[indent][color=ff7f00]Location:[/color] Kikka, by the Coliseum
[color=ff7f00]Interactions:[/color] /
[color=ff7f00]Mentions:[/color] COLLAB WITH [@Zeroth]
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[indent][/indent]The coliseum was crowded. Packed, even. Yet, the sight of a clearly suspicous individual walking in the opposite direction of the rest of the crowd drew Solveig's attention. Now, she didn't think acting weirdly was necessarily an indicator of a misdeed but she had time to investigate. 

So, Solveig pursued. Sure enough, the guy did something that he might want to keep hidden. She saw him chug down one of those 'miracle potions' - at least she assumed it was one of those. If the officials of Kikka and the overseers of the exam truly felt these potions were a problem, she figured they'd crack down on the sellers.

That said, she'd already followed the guy, and she was curious what mentality led one to consume such a dubious item. 

[color=#ff7f00]"Hey, there, you're going the wrong way! Are you lost?"[/color] she called out first to lower his guard. [b]However, it seemed she'd had the exact opposite effect as what she intended...

"Gyah!" the guy whirled, almost jumping out of the black, fur-hooded jacket he wore. A belt made of chains jingled on his slender waist above pants that looked like they'd seen quite a lot of wear and tear--the hems came a good inch over his ankles and looked like they'd been chewed by dogs. "What--who the hell're--!?"[/b]

She then pretended as if she'd only noticed the empty flask he was holding. [color=#ff7f00]"Hey...is that one of those supposedly mana-increasing potions?"[/color] she questioned, keeping her tone nonjudgemental. [color=#ff7f00]"I heard they give you the runs."[/color] That was a lie, but she was certain negative affects would be part and parcel of such a concoction. [color=#ff7f00]"How do you feel?"[/color] she frowned at the youth in concern. It might be a deserved consequence for a gullible fool, but...His actions should be met with a punishment but aside from revealing him to a guard or official if need be, she didn't want anything too bad to happen to him.

[b]The young man grumbled something that sounded like a few choice curse words under his breath.

"None of your business, Miss Priss! Some of us weren't born with silver spoons up our asses!" He threw the now-empty bottle up with a long, looping arm, casting it out of sight over the edge of a roof above the alley. Still glaring at Solveig, his creepy smile now replaced with a long, sullen frown, he shoved his hands in his pockets. "What, you gonna report me or somethin'? You can't prove nothin', so lemme alone!" Though his shoulders were hunched, a slight uptick in magical aura moved in slow circles around his feet--it had a green, translucent color, and moved like a thick liquid.

Despite this posture, however, as he shifted his weight his feet were pointing away from Solveig. He took one very small, calculated step backwards, though he was still craning his neck like an animal that wanted to make himself look bigger.[/b]

[color=#ff7f00]"It's true I can't prove anything,"[/color] she said even as she stared at the obvious affect of the potion. Even if it dissipated or whatever, wouldn't the examiners notice something odd? [color=#ff7f00]"Besides, I don't even know if it's the kind of thing that'd get you disqualified."[/color] Still, that didn't mean she approved. [color=#ff7f00]"I won't stop you from leaving,"[/color] she told him, noticing his movements. Solveig did make sure to take note of the number on his badge just in case.

[b]"I ain't runnin' from [i]you[/i]!" the man snapped, a look of shame flickering across his face before being replaced by anger. His deep set eyes glared at her from behind the shadows of his hair. "But, you--you're wastin' my time! I gotta get to the exam! So just--you go your way and I go mine, yeah!? Get outta my face!"[/b]

[color=#ff7f00]"I can do that, but if you don't mind answering...If you don't think you can win without a potion like that, what makes you think you can win with it? And what would you do if by some chance you did pass? Keep doping for the rest of your career? What kind of a life would it be?"[/color] She wasn't chastising as much as she was expressing her regret. It was unfortunate that he thought he needed a 'miracle' potion.

[b]"Who says I couldn't win either way?!" He snarled again, this time clenching his fists. "All I want is a little extra security--you wanna lecture me on hard work or somethin', too!? Like I didn't [i]try hard enough[/i]?" He pointed an accusing finger at her. "You got no idea! Casting a single spell doesn't leave people like you outta breath! How many [i]years[/i] did you have to train before your grimoire unlocked your [i]second[/i] spell? It took me [i]three![/i] I'm 18, already a man--but all that means is that it takes me a little longer!"

He looked down at the ground, running one hand through his frizzy locks and giving them an even more untamed appearance. His expression faltered for a moment. His voice was shaky.

"Once I'm an actual Magic Knight, I'll be able to live and work somewhere better--somewhere with [i]resources[/i], the kind people like [i]you[/i] take for granted! [i]Then[/i] my training will pay off more, I'll get stronger faster! I'll catch up--and then surpass ALL of you! All I need, right now, is a little [i]nudge[/i] over this hump!"

With one last, hateful look at Solveig, he turned and headed out of the other end of the alley. But she could see, as he rounded the corner, that he broke into a run towards the coliseum down the other road.[/b]

Solveig watched the stranger leave, then departed for the coliseum herself. She was kind of curious to see how this guy would do now. But because she did want to find out if the adverse affects of an artificial mana enhancer were too severe to ignore, she approached the neareast free official. [color=#ff7f00]"Say, I [i]thought[/i] I saw someone using one of those shady mana increasing potions. Any chance those could have a life-threatening, maiming, or other permanent negative effect?"[/color]

[b]The official looked at her with a raised eyebrow, then craned his head down the street. The vendor yelling about his "miracle potions" was still at it, though even fewer than before were paying him any attention.

"What, that guy? He's done this before--last year it was some watered down hooch with a little food dye or something, they tell me. The worst it'll do is make someone puke, I guess...but, what're ya gonna do?" He sighed and went back to his clipboard and paperwork. It looked like the line in front of his tent had all received their badges and moved on, so it must be close to starting time. "Fools and their money are easily parted..."[/b]

The man's words placated her. [color=#ff7f00]"If you're sure. Maybe give the guards and the infirmary a headsup in case something weird happens."[/color] Really, though, this little detour had taken more time than she'd thought. Seeing how almost all the contestants had proceeded onwards, an eager glint entered Solveig's eyes. 

[color=#ff7f00]"Thank you! I have to go now!"[/color] she exclaimed, and took off at a run. She didn't need to hurry to be in time; the excitement mounting within her was simply uncontainable, and didn't lend itself to moving at a steady, sedate pace. Her focus was now entirely on the challenges she'd soon meet with, any and all thoughts of potions, cheating, and even her most recent acquaintance were all summarily shoved into the back of her mind.