MTG Salvation

"What...are you some kind of secret society, is the government involved in this somehow? I don't think many people would listen to me anyway."

At this point it seemed Kiego was just thinking out loud, trying to process everything that was happening to him.

She giggled and brought her hand to her mouth, chuckling in a cute way, "no... we're not a secret organization. Just... let it go, alright? I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you more about things but not about where I'm from or who I am, alright?"

"Deal, just enough that I don't spend sleepless nights agonizing over your mysteries."

Kiego smiled at the cute way Kia laughed at his crazy theories.

"Okay... so everything I'm about to tell you is going to sound a little bit crazy" she said with a sly smile, "but you cannot ask me where I learned this." The girl offered her hand to him to shake once again, "can you promise me that?"

"I promise, really I do, as long as I get some information I don't think I care where it comes from." With that he shook her hand in agreement.
Kiego then sat down on top of the teacher's desk with his legs dangling over the edge, ready to listen to whatever explanation Kia was about to offer.

The girl looked around for a seat as she spoke to him, "okay, well... have you ever heard of a kodama?"

Kiego tilted his head at the word kodama, it seemed so familiar somehow, or at least it sounded like it was familiar. He mouthed the word kodama silently, and put his hand to his chin thinking.

"It sounds familiar...I remember reading something back in my University days but I can't recall much of it. I think...something to do with a spirit right?"

OOC: yay wikipedia

"Right... Kodama were from legends of an ancient people. They believed that each plant had a soul in it. Well... they were on the right track but they weren't completely correct. It wasn't the plants that had souls... it was the people who cared about the gardens that summoned Kodama. You have to remember that this was long before people were using accendo so they would do it accidentally. The kodama would sense that someone loved their garden or a plant and they would be summoned to protect them. My people call those kodama the enrai."

OOC: Yay for Miyazaki movies

"Okay, I understand, so my Rasaguas is a kodama, a...enrai as you say."

Kiego looked around the room to see if he could spot Rasaguas.

Rasaguas was sniffing a plant in the corner, still staying far away from the bizarre creation in the centre of the room. Kia nodded, "yes, that's right. Yours is very... different, though. Most tend to the plants but yours seems rather... astute and antisocial."

"Really? He's always been like that...when I was a preteen just starting to control plants he appeared and I was frightened. But time passed and, really I only saw him when I wanted to. Does that mean there something wrong with me or Rasaguas?"

"No, there's nothing wrong..." she said in her exotic accent, "... I've just never seen someone like you even have one." The girl nervously tucked her hair behind her long, narrow ear. She looked at him and smiled, "well... I should go..."

"Wait...just one more thing...what do you mean, "like me" ?"

"From around here..." she said, passively and cryptically, "anyways, I really have to go. It's getting late and I still need to find a place to stay tonight and I should go find a hotel before they all get booked."

"Alright...I guess I'll see you around, you know my name, and you know where I work so...heh, good luck with whatever you do , Kia."

Kiego opened the door for her, and politely guided her out of the lab.

As Kia left, Kiego glanced out the window. They had been talking for a rather long time and the sun was rapidly setting. Not only was it not very safe for an attractive woman to be walking home alone at the current hour but the hotels were quickly becoming booked. Ever since the speech, people had been filing into the city from the countryside, taking up most of the accomodations.

"You know, you shouldn't be out in the city alone at a time like this," Kiego started as he locked the lab door behind him. "I've got an extra room at my place, and I'm sure my roommate won't mind...Really, it'll only be until you can find an open hotel to stay at."

He smiled nervously "What do you say?"

He could see relief wash over her but her words were polite, "well... I think I'll manage. I wouldn't want to impose on you... we just met, after all."

"No really it's no problem at all, I men fellow wood adepts have to help eachother out right?" Kiego said with a smile. Even though Kia had explicitly said that he would not learn more about herself, he found himself a bit too curious. Who was this girl, really? Where is "faraway"? Why is she even here?

Kia smiled and reached into her pocket, fishing out some coins, "well at least let me pay you for your hospitality. I don't want to seem like I'm being too much of a leech."

"Eh...really you don't have to, I'm not running some kind of inn."

Kiego started to lead Kia the way towards the exit of the academy.

"Oh..." she said, still offering the coins, "well at least let me buy you a drink or some dinner or something. I don't want to be ungrateful so please... are you hungry or thirsty at all?"

"Yeah, actually some dinner does sound good. I haven't eaten since lunch, what are you in the mood for?"

Kia smiled and put her hands behind her back, moving playfully, "it's my treat... you pick. I don't know many places in town so what's your favourite kind of food?"

"I'm a bit partial to sushi, I know this place a couple blocks from the school, a good family run place, I'm sure you'll like it," Kiego said as he gave her another smile.