New Isekai Life (frisbee x Mini Magi)

[Mini Magi]

Nights like these were just wonderful, weren't they? The wind blew softly, the moon was full, and the guards were obliviously just doing their rounds as the white haired intruder snuck quietly past them. Disguising as one of the guards came up to him, but given that he didn't know their patrols, he'd have to improvise how to hide his face later. "Now let's see. If I were an otherworlder, I probably was still excited and couldn't sleep. Which means..." Looking up the main structure, he looked for any still lit lights. Anyone used to the routine would definitely be fast asleep buuuuut bingo! High up, with a balcony, and a pretty big room. Funnily enough, it was almost a fairytale. Chuckling at the comparison, Yul moved on, now with a clearer goal in mind. 

It was rather late by now, and safe for a few guards everyone was fast asleep. It was quiet, a perfect time to think... or at least it was until suddenly, voices started to get raised just outside a certain door. "Who goes there?" The sound of grinding metal. Did the guards just draw their weapons? Next was the sound of clanking metal, then an impact, and a thud. "Wha? Sound th-!" Another hit, and a clanking thud. Then footsteps, not too quick, not menacingly slow. As if someone was just taking a stroll through a high security castle. And finally, *Knock knock*. "Yello~" The voice was from a male, probably mid 20 or so? He gave her some time, then continued. "Look, I know what it sounds like, and technically, yes, I'm the bad guy right now. But can I just guess your story real quick? You were brought here from another world, promised that you were the key to prosperity throughout the kingdom, and would be rewarded riches and fame for your service. How close am I?" He waited again, now getting a bit frustrated with not getting a reply. "Okay, now it starts getting difficult. I know you are up, and you know I can kick the door in if I managed to knock out fully armored guards. BUT I don't wanna start off on the wrong foot, especially not if the mentioned foot has to go through this fine wood even if we are short on time. How about this? You probably have a weapon in there. Look at the walls. With some luck there will be crossed swords and a shield hung up somewhere. So how about you grab those, I step away, and you can peek out to make sure I am not that much of a bad guy? The guards are alive after all. They WILL have a massive headache, though. Think you could you be a little sweetheart and say "okay" if that sounds good?" Confirmation or not, he'd do his part at least and honestly step away from the door, all the way to the other wall, and leaned against it. Hopefully she wouldn't mind that he borrowed a helmet from the armory to hide his face. His face was way too unique to show it around willy-nilly in this type of situation. And true to his word, the guards looked fine. Only their helmets had a notable dent in them, but there was no blood below them, and no scent of blood in the air.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Mini Magi

[frisbee]

It had been... a day of some description, that's for sure. Lily wasn't sure what to think about all this. Of course, she was familiar with the concept, but to have it happen to her still felt overwhelming. She'd been restlessly pacing in her room, worrying about the grand expectations that had suddenly been thrust upon her. That is, until she sensed a disturbance. Agitated voices, grunts, metal on metal. A struggle. Lily's heart shot up in her throat. "What is happening out there?"

Then, the voice of a young man. He described her situation in vivid detail, but he didn't sound familiar at all. Lily felt as though she couldn't get a word in, even when he left room for her to respond. Her mind was already preoccupied. What should she do? This guy was clearly suspicious, possibly dangerous. The possibility of escaping by jumping off the balcony briefly flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed that thought. That would never end well.

"Swords?!" She gasped aloud. Lo and behold, he was right. There was a pair of decorative swords on the wall opposite the bed. "Is this guy crazy?! I don't know how to wield a sword! I'd probably just get myself injured prying it off the wall!" Unreasonable as he was, Lily sensed that he was genuinely trying to level the playing field for her, to lend her a hand. It could all be a ruse, of course, but... right. He could just kick the door in if she didn't respond.

"Fine, fine, I'll come out. You better be ready to answer a lot of questions, though!" With that, the doorknob turned, and the door slowly creaked open. Lily stood in the entrance, unarmed, in her school getup that was completely out of this world. She glanced at the unconscious guards with relief in her heart. He wasn't lying about that part, at least.

[Mini Magi]

Oh? Yul had met his fair share of otherworlders, but this one? "My, you're a cute one, aren't you?" Truth be told, she was just his type. But that was probably talk for another time. "So... Time is short, so let me do the talking for now. I'm not a hero, but I don't like cruelty either. What is likely to happen is that either you will be manipulated into drastically turning the tides in favor of this kingdom, or even worse: Get the power that is about to awaken in you absorbed and then cast aside. And if you think about it, it unfortunately makes sense for either of those to happen. Kings have to use every advantage they can get to win battles, claim territory. I mean, don't you think that the whole story sounds too good to be true? Just be summoned and be happily ever after?" She looked smart enough. If he laid down some facts, odds were that the cogs would start turning on their own. 

"I have several jobs. One of them is to make sure no nation does something stupid, such as, you probably guessed it: Winning wars with a summoned hero. But since I was too late here, and I don't know how to send you back, I'd like to make you an offer. Either you take your chances with nobility and be a good little pawn in their schemes, or-" He pushed himself off the wall, not going towards the door yet. The cute little scaredy cat was still cautious after all. "-you try your chances with me. I live in another kingdom, I have no affiliation to nobles aside from trading my medicine with them on occasion, and I'll help you stand on your feet. Best of all: I won't abuse you for my own gains. Heck, I'm well off I dare say. I don't need to. All I would ask for is that IF you decide to fight, do it for yourself, or for someone you believe in." He was unsure if she could tell or not, but he tried to sound as genuine as he could. And hey. He WAS well off. Not enough to rival a king, but he would have no trouble taking care of her needs. "That's pretty much all from my end. Any questions left?" They probably had a few more minutes. He could hear more armor coming their way, but she seemed like she did not. So what were... maybe 3 more minutes? Nah. It was fine. 

 

[frisbee]

Lily listened intently as she peeked around the corner behind the doorframe. She would've liked to get a closer look at him, but his face was covered. She furrowed her brow. Someone who was to be trusted didn't need to cover their face, surely.

And yet, the words he uttered did make some sense. Lily was well aware of the corrupting influence of power, the inherent untrustworthiness of centralized institutions, especially ones as antiquated as a monarchy. Still, that didn't automatically mean this guy was innocent.

Ultimately, she despised the idea of acting as a pawn for the kingdom- or any nation for that matter- so she was inclined to go with him, just to see what would happen.

Finally she stepped out the door completely, facing Yul. Her hands rested on her hips as she wore a thoughtful expression on her face, pondering his question. "For now, just one," she concluded. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Who are you?"

[Mini Magi]

And like that, she trusted him enough to come out. There we go~ There was that good foot forward~ And at her delightful question, he replied right away as one should. "Isn't it obvious?" He spun once as he approached 3 steps, then bowed down with his upper body. "I'm your knight in not so shining armor~" And chuckled. He did not get the opportunity to make that joke often. But afterwards, straightened himself up, and continued. "But more precisely (and feel free to repeat it a few times), my name is Yul B. Allwright. Feel free to call me Yul. Mind if I kidnap you?" And right on call, the next shift of guards spotted them, having just come around the corner. "Well, there goes the quiet time." Now finally, the time for action!

Yul quickly took her hand and led her back into the room, because once those schmucks sounded the alarm, the place would be crawling with guards. There was no escape for the way down. Yul then closed the door as they were inside, jammed the sword she held earlier into the handle, went to the bed, and somewhat effortlessly (it seemed more like the size of the bed bothered him, and not its weight) pushed the whole bed against the wall too. "Okay. Now for the escape plan... once I have one. ...What? I'm sure I'll pull something outta my butt." Such rooms tended to have secret paths, right? Yul went for the fireplace and noticed two candleholders embedded into the wall. Odd considering there was an entire fireplace, right? So Yul pulled on both of them and... they came right out of the stone wall, and nothing else. "Uh... I meant to do that." Technically true, but he expected a door or passage to open. Nevermind, he tossed the candleholders aside. Next, a big painting, which... just came off the wall. No button there either. "You know... I'm beginning to think you were put in an ordinary guest room. Rude if you ask me." Not as rude as the banding that came from the door by now, but still, it lacked class. 

Tossing the painting aside, Yul went for the balcony next and looked around. Jumping seemed like a fun idea, buuuuut. He had a better one. Turning to Lily, he asked in a bemused tone. "You wanna see something cool?" then gestured her to come closer. And as if they really wanted to nail down the pressure, there was now an axe sticking out of the door. The guards really wanted in here. 

With no other choice left, once she was close enough, Yul grabbed her, tilted her a little, and before she knew it, she was carried like a princess. His arms felt soft, his body warm. But nothing could have prepared her for the sight she was about to witness. With a blow of wind, a big pair of black feathered wings spawned from his back, full extended upwards. The moonlight reflected off them, cast a shadow around the two of them, looking not unlike the crescent moon. "Hold on tight." And with a single flap, they ascended high into the air, took a mild turn, and gently glided away from the castle. "Hey, if you happen to be scared of heights, you might wanna keep your eyes closed for a bit."

A few minutes later, they landed on a small clearing in the nearby forest, and Yul carefully helped Lily on her own two feet. After that, Yul took a look back, trying to see and sense if anyone was after them. But it seemed safe. It was late after all, so it was safe to assume no one important saw them. Good. Very good. Yul sighed. "So... I'm guessing you have even more questions now?" Come to think of it, they were out of the castle. He didn't need his helmet anymore. A little idea came up again, and again bemused, he continued. "If you take off my helmet, I'll gladly answer any of them. ...Or we can instead go find something to eat and a place to rest. Sound fun?" And under it, she'd see a more unusual face. Yul was a bit on the paler side as far as his skin went, but his eyes were definitely noticeable. One blue, the other yellow, and the sclera pitch black. Hopefully, she would have a good idea why he had hidden his face.

[frisbee]

Lily winced as Yul handled the undoubtedly expensive furniture with less care than she would have liked, but she let him have his way. The situation was pretty dire to say the least, no time to worry about expensive furniture. Just as she started to get the impression that he had no idea what he was doing he lead her to the balcony. She almost decided to ditch him right then and there, so whatever plan he came up with now better work.

She'd been summoned into a fantasy world, of course, so she expected plenty of fantasy elements. Magic, monsters, demihumans... nothing could've prepared her for what was about to happen, though. "Hey, what are you-"

She inhaled sharply, and completely locked up after that. Lily wasn't normally afraid of heights, but this was something else entirely. She was far above the ground with no support in sight, other than Yul as he carried her. A dark pit opened in her stomach, and she tightly wrapped her arms around him instinctively, holding him tight, refusing to let go. "J-jeez... f-f-fuck...!" She stammered. Even if she closed her eyes, she could still feel the air rush past her body, making her hair flutter in the wind. It didn't help much at all.

Thankfully, the trip was short. As soon as she felt the earth beneath her feet once more, she collapsed on her hands and knees, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. Eventually, she calmed down enough to make her legs stop trembling. She stood up and dusted herself off. "No kidding! Jeez, that scared me! You... you're not exactly human, are you...?" She walked up to him, slowly, and carefully took his helmet in her hands, lifting it off of his head. Her eyes immediately fixated on his, darting from one to the other. Blue and yellow, yellow and blue, framed in absolute darkness. Other than that... hey. He was actually kind of cute. As that thought entered her mind, embarrassment suddenly flushed her cheeks bright red, and she dropped the helmet out of her hands into the grass below, using them to cover her face instead as she looked away. "U-um... A-a-anyway...! S-so... are you a demon, or s-something...?"

[Mini Magi]

D'awww. Just look at the cute little mess. She had trouble taking it all in, didn't she? Alright. He'd have plenty of fun in his near future. Giving her some space, Yul took a few steps past her, then spun around as he walked backwards to keep eye contact. "Let's stick with "Not exactly human" for now, but you have my word, I'm not a demon. I can enter a church and not be set ablaze, and I'm actually somewhat resistant to the holy element." Not that it would bother him, but once again, not the best place and time for that kind of talk. "For now, I'd appreciate if you could simply think of me as a friend. Think you can do that?" And considering friends helped each other unconditionally, Yul stopped and pointed ahead. There was nothing in that direction aside from the soft forest floor and more trees, but hey, he knew his way around. "If we go that way, we'll come across an abandoned cottage. It's not exactly luxurious, but I cleaned up the bedroom in there before going for the castle. My current plan is to let us both rest up with some peace and quiet, and tomorrow continue to my home. Does that work out for you?" He could power through the night if needed, but truth be told, she did not look like a fighter. He knew that type of clothing. A school uniform, was it? Poor thing probably got summoned in the middle of her day. "Heh. And I know my timing is awkward, but what is your name?"

[frisbee]

Not exactly human, huh. Even if he were a demon, would it really change anything? "A friend...? Um..." Her eyes followed the direction he pointed in. There seemed to be nothing of interest. She didn't really have a choice but to trust him at this point. "Well, I... suppose I can do that... To be honest, it's been a long day for me. I could use some rest..."

She was a little caught off guard by his question. She'd been rather inconsiderate, asking questions about him, demanding answers, not even introducing herself properly. Her cheeks flared up a little again. "Oh! I-I'm sorry... My name is Lily. Lily Bright..." She took the hem of her skirt between her fingertips and theatrically made an elegant little bow.

[Mini Magi]

A polite little bow. Little by little, Yul had an idea what kind of person he was dealing with. A good person caught up in something much bigger than her. Unfortunate. But hey. The least he could do is help her understand it all, little by little. "Guess the circumstances could have been more pleasant, but it's good to get to know you Lily. Shall we?" Taking the lead, Yul guided her through the forest ahead, and after some short time, they arrived at what looked like an old cottage that had seen better days. Some of the windows were smashed by the weather, others were barred up. But the roof and building as a whole was stable. There was little to worry about in terms of safety.  

Yul opened the door and went in first. The interior was humble, but in acceptable condition. The living room was the center of the building, with doors to the left and right leading to a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. There was also a set of candles in glasses on the table. Yul took one of them, eyed it, shrugged, and breathed a little flame on it. Usually he would have hidden this little talent and look around for something to ignite it with, but they were definitely past that point. With the candle burning dimly, he handed it to Lily. "I'll leave it up to you what you should do. On one hand, I wanna talk and explain a lot to you. But on the other, I understand if you wanna rest up first, and having your thoughts race might be bad for your sleep. In any case, put this in your room so you have some light. The windows in the bedroom were smashed as well, so I barred them up. It even has a fireplace I can light up if you want." One step at a time. He had no need to rush things with her.

[frisbee]

"T-Thanks..." She tentatively took the candle in her hand after stepping inside. She was a little taken aback by him breathing fire, but it's not by a long shot the most outlandish thing she'd seen today. She decided not to mention it.

"I, uh... I think a little rest would be a good idea, then. We can talk tomorrow morning." She took a single step towards the bedroom before stopping and turning around again. "Um... What about you? Aren't you going to sleep?"

[Mini Magi]

"Yup. Right there." He pointed to the table. It was a bit less comfortable than the bed, but anything was better than the floor. "Don't worry about it. It's not the first, and probably not the last time I have no bed for the night. Or what? Think you're brave enough to share?" He chuckled at the idea as he sat down on the table. Not that there wasn't enough space, but it was definitely too early for anything like that. Plus, she was probably on a bit of an alert after seeing a few things he could do. Fair, really. 

[frisbee]

"I... don't think it's a matter of bravery..." She felt a little bad about it, but she definitely needed some space tonight. Besides, sleeping next to someone else... She hadn't done that in her world, either. "Sorry... erm... good night..." She fidgeted awkwardly a little, hesitant to leave Yul sleeping on the table, but she was dead tired at this point. She turned and entered the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

The room truly was pitch black with the windows boarded up. If not for the candle, she wouldn't have been able to see her own hand in front of her face. With the light though, she was able to make out the contours of a bed at the opposite wall, with a small bedside table next to it. It was hard to tell, but it didn't look particularly luxurious. 'Rustic,' some people might charitably call it. She placed the candle on top of it, freeing up her hands so she could undress for the night. She wasn't about to sleep in her school uniform, after all.

She gently kicked off her shoes and placed them beside the bed. She then quickly pulled her blouse over her head and draped it over the board at the foot of the bed, before continuing to unbutton her skirt. She pulled it down and hung it next to her blouse. Finally, she sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully took off her leggings, putting them with the rest of her clothes.

Exhausted, she collapsed onto the bed and pulled up the covers nice and snug. Lying down she was hit by a wave of exhaustion, and quickly fell in a deep sleep.

[Mini Magi]

Yul shook his head at her response, smiling at how she was clearly trying to be considered, but definitely needed some alone time. "I know, I know. Don't worry about it. Have a good rest." Humor was how Yul coped with many things, mostly stress. And this night was anything but calm and relaxing. While she went to her room, Yul took off his coat and curled it up. Since he had to decide whenever he wanted to make a pillow or sheet out of it, he went for a pillow, put it on one end of the table, carefully lied down on the thing, and took a deep breath. This would be a looooong night. 

 

The next day, Yul was up rather early, and while she would not see it, he was a bit... annoyed? Maybe because sleeping on the table was not such a good idea after all. If so, he'd make a note to stash an extra sheet and pillow next time. Regardless. With the schedule in mind he had prepared, Yul was in the kitchen early, scrubbed clean what he would need, and began cooking the supplies he had hidden here the night before. If not by the sounds of a kettle hitting the pot on occasion, the smell should do good at waking her up. A good ol chicken soup with noodles. A bit childish? Maybe. But it was also light on the stomach and filling. Perfect for when you panned to travel. Bowls and spoons were no issue. The cottage had some, which he cleaned up before. And hey. His mood was back to normal too. The result of indulging in his culinary hobby.

[frisbee]

If not for the noises coming from the kitchen, as well as the delicious smell that gently wafted into her room, it's unlikely Lily would've woken up for at least another hour or two, maybe three. The shut windows didn't let in much light, after all. Faint rays of light seeped between the cracks though, as well as under the door, meaning she could see at least a little bit.

Lucky thing, too, because she couldn't breathe fire to relight the candle. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and groggily sat upright. She took her clothes and got herself dressed, relying on feel more than anything. She was used to wearing her school uniform a lot, but hopefully she didn't have to wear the same outfit all the time, especially if she wasn't actually going to school. She'd have to find other stuff to wear if she were to stay in this world for long, which seemed like it was going to be the case.

Looking presentable, Lily shuffled over to the bedroom door and lazily opened it, stepping into the main room again. She gazed into the comparatively blinding light for a few moments, until the image of Yul in the kitchen before her cleared up. "Oh. Hey. G'morning." She covered her mouth with her hand, but it did little to contain the yawn she let out. "Something smells good..."

[Mini Magi]

"Good morning~" he greeted back. She had quite good timing. "If you could be a sweetheart and take these bowls and mugs to the table, that would be just fantastic." The bowls and mugs themselves were rather simple and made of wood. Really simple actually. As if someone carved them just a while ago, still rough here and there. But for food and drink, they would suffice. And bowls even came with a big spoon. It could certainly be worse.

Shortly after, Yul brought the pot, and a kettle to the table, poured them both some freshly cooked soup into their bowls, and sat down. "There's black tea in that kettle. Unfortunately we have no milk or sugar here, so... up to you. Otherwise, there is water in the kitchen. And of course, dig in." Now that they had some downtime, Yul also had time to actually explain things, but there was A LOT to cover. Where should he even start. Yul took a few spoons of soup before coming to a conclusion. He didn't have to dump everything on her at once. Finishing quicker than her since he had a lot of talking to do, Yul set his bowl down, let out a satisfied sigh, and leaned forward. "So... You can keep eating if you like, because we have a lot of ground to cover, and it will be mostly me doing the talking. Question is though, where should I start? I'd say I have 4 big subjects to address. Which do you wanna hear about first? Me, otherworlders, our travel plans, and my plans for you." While she took time to decide, Yul poured himself some tea into his mug. It wasn't coffee, but would do well enough.

[frisbee]

There was something about the way Yul called her 'sweetheart' that tickled her. Her lips curled up ever so slightly in a faint smile. She cheerily hummed in agreement as she took the bowls and mugs over to the table and took her seat.

"Aw, no coffee, huh..." She let out a little chuckle and took the kettle in her hands, gracefully pouring herself a mug of black tea. It would have to do. Besides, it would be rude to complain.

Lily took her time eating her soup, letting her spoonfuls cool down a little before putting it in her mouth. She just let Yul do the talking, which seemed to become a common trend. "I guess there's a lot to talk about..." She looked up at the mention of otherworlders. Did that mean...?

"Um... do you mean to tell me there are more people like me in this world?" A brief pause, barely enough to consider a silence. "Actually, no. Tell me about yourself first. I'm... more than a little bit curious."

Edited August 29, 2022 by frisbee

[Mini Magi]

Yul was just about ready to start talking about otherworlders, but chuckled at her interest in him being bigger. Well? Have it her way. "I'll take that as a compliment. Let's see..." Even with him there was quite a bit of ground to cover... Ah well. Just the basics would do fine. "I won't go into why, but I am basically part monster, and part human. There is literally no one else in this world who is like me, and I intend to keep it that way, so please keep what I can do a secret. I'm not afraid of pitchforks and torches, but if a hero shows up, I won't win either way. I either become a hero slayer, or die. And at that point one might think that demons might like me for that and take me in, but nope. They absolutely do not like me. So I much prefer to stick to humans."

That was probably what she was most curious about, but there was a little more. "As for what kind of person I am, I help people, not unlike an adventurer. The difference is that I usually let the really desperate cases come to me. Emphasis on usually, since for you, I got in motion myself. I also own a bit of land, I can cook, I sell medicine to have a steady income, and my for you not so secret job, is to make sure no kingdom, noble, or occult gathering does something really really stupid." He went through a mental checklist, and that was technically all. But to make sure, he asked. "Anything else, or do we move on?"

Edited August 29, 2022 by Mini Magi

[frisbee]

Lily was completely absorbed in his explanation through utmost fascination. Part monster? Of course, of course! But how? And why? She kind of wanted to ask, but Yul already said he didn't want to go into it. She should respect his boundaries.

"So you got into motion for me because I'm a special case," Lily proclaimed with a self-satisfied grin. "Say, do you work alone? It seems like an awful lot of work to keep this world safe from people doing 'really really stupid' stuff." Lily thoughtfully twirled her spoon in her fingers. "Other than that... please tell me about the otherworlders you mentioned. Do you think we can team up with them?"

[Mini Magi]

He shook his head at her question. Of course he would have wanted to be so good that he can take care of such dangers all on his own, but his ego was not big enough for that. "I do the active parts, but when it comes to research, I have a few friends here and there~ Mostly merchants, a couple well known mages, and the occasional thief. Summoning requires certain supplies, so when I know where they suddenly start to gather, the rest is a game of connect the dots." 

At her question of other otherworlders, and teaming up with them however, Yul got a bit uncomfortable. The idea was good buuuut... "Uhhhh... Well, about that. There are none left." Not the best of news, but Yul continued. "Summoning is currently a strictly prohibited act. We're not talking just "illegal". It's a taboo. Odds are the king's head will roll in a few days. It used to be a more frequent thing, but that was ages ago. Left a few impressions however. Did you notice yet? Despite being from different worlds, we speak the same language." There were other similarities as well, but one thing at a time.

"As for why it is a taboo: Some otherworlders caused calamities. Big events that brought a lot of loss. The first calamity was the demon gate, connecting this world and the demon world for many many years. I won't bore you with the details on that one since that one was actually dealt with. The second calamity was the sword of salt. Details on that are a bit scarce, but it turned AN ENTIRE CONTINENT into salt. Buildings, people, formerly fertile ground? All turned into salt. Slowly but surely, this continent currently gets dissolved by the sea. And lastly, the red nimbus. A cloud formation that can turn up basically anywhere, and dooms anyone who gets hit by the red rain to a slow but 100% assured death. The rain is safe if you shield yourself, and puddles behave just like regular water. But direct rain? You're basically dead.

I'm not saying otherworlders did only bad things. We also have some magitech that slowly starts getting public use, numerous improvements in the culinary arts, even some plants that would usually not exist here. But because of these 3, summoning is a taboo. Otherworlders themselves are a taboo. So? I suggest you start telling that you have amnesia and are just re-learning things, or you're in a similar boat as me real quick." Not that she had no means of defending herself, but why risk her own safety? Besides. In his area, Yul was known to be a doctor. Amnesia was the perfect excuse to not get unnecessary attention. "Sorry about the grim turn. But do you get now why I wanted you out of there so quickly?"

[frisbee]

It was a lot to take in. People from her world caused that much calamity? And they all... died? "O-oh... I, um... see... t-that's horrible..." Lily's face started getting a little pale with worry. "T-That means they'd want to have me k-killed..." She held her head in her hands, trying her best to focus on her breathing so she wouldn't pass out. Her vision became a little blurry for a second, but she managed to stabilize. "R-Right... I understand the precautions... It's all a bit much..." She quickly took a large sip of tea. "S-so, what's the plan after this? Where are we going?"

[Mini Magi]

Her reaction was justified. He was pretty much used to get into life-threatening trouble. She? She was just a commoner. "Don't worry about it." Yul got up and took his chair with him, moving it around the table, right next to hers, and sat down right beside her. It wasn't much, but he offered her his left hand to hold onto. "You have the world's meanest, toughest, and most handsome monster as your guardian."

Come to think of it, he could sum up the next two points with how things turned out. "We're going to my place. It's charming... I'll just put it out there that yes, if you want, you could hide there for the rest of your days. But that's not good for the soul. So my plan? We're going to do what we can to let you have a good life. I'll even teach you how to make an income and defend yourself." Ah fuck it. This time was as good as any, so he put his left arm around her, pulled her in a little, rubbed her shoulder and put his head against hers. Huh... He was a bit warmer than her. "We'll get you through this."

Edited September 27, 2022 by Mini Magi

[frisbee]

Her hands trembled in her lap, but Yul's words cemented her resolve. People from her world had caused so much suffering already, it wouldn't be right to ignore it. She clenched her fists and exhaled deeply, allowing herself to relax a little in Yul's embrace. "T-Thanks, doc," she said with a soft smile. "U-um... I..." She then seemed to realize what was happening and restlessly started to fidget and she pulled away from him.

"S-sorry, I just... it's all a little overwhelming. On top of that, I'm not even sure if I have a special ability like the king told me I would. It's hard not to feel a little powerless. Or a lot, really. I'll do my best, though. I have you by my side. Let's go, okay?" With renewed confidence and determination Lily stood up from her chair, extending a hand to Yul.

[Mini Magi]

When she pulled away, Yul didn't try to keep her there. Poor thing was going through a lot after all. No need to add relationship troubles to her pile. "Hey, it's fine. And all things considered, I think you're taking it all somewhat well." At her mention of a special ability, Yul thought for a moment. Technically, there was little chance she would be in any danger so long as he was around. But even a little chance was still a chance. Yul scratched his head as he got up, left their dishes behind, went out, and... "Ah whatever. Lily?" Once he had her attention on him, he continued. 

The day out was at least quite pleasant. Cloudy sky, early morning sunshine, and the sounds of various birds in the area. "How about we find out whenever you have a special ability or not? There's an actually easy trick to it." Given what he told her yesterday, it would of course be within reason to worry about even learning whenever she could do something. But Yul thought about that. "Look. Let's consider that the two of us won't always be together. Heck. You might find a pretty, blonde, eloquent noble who wants you as his wife, and it's fair to say I'd have little business with you then. If you get in danger then, or while I look away, things could end up badly. So? I suggest we find out what you even can do, so that you don't do something dangerous if you get threatened. And hey. If we're lucky, you won't destroy the world first try. Shall we?" All in all, he took it with a sense of humor. And what were the odds that an untrained ability could bring another apocalypse anyway?

[frisbee]

Lily was a little taken aback. Destroy the world? Her? She couldn't even fathom it. "D-do abilities like that really exist...?!" She would've had a few words to say about the hypothetical blonde prince, but it totally slipped past her. If it hadn't, she probably would've told him that she wasn't that shallow and that he should be a little more considerate. Nevertheless, she remembered his story about the continent turned to salt. Evidently such world-ending abilities did really exist... She took a step back, took a deep breath, and thought for a second.  "W-Well, I guess we'll just have to be really careful..." There was no getting around it, really. This whole situation was many times larger than herself, she could use any help she could get. Besides, not knowing about her ability was posed a danger in and of itself. She might accidentally seriously injure someone, or even herself.

[Mini Magi]

He was about to remind her that some people got close thrice already, but it seems like her own memory answered her question. Neat~ And best of all: She was motivated to give it a go. "Alright. Then let's cover the basics. In a nutshell, every ability can be cast on one small target, like a fireball, on a small targeted area, like a firewall, or a large area around you, like firestorm. Let's play it safe and let you target..." Yul looked around. Something that would cause no sound if hit by something strong. The cottage was one idea, but nah. That would be a bit of a waste. Looking a bit more around, there were basically just trees and bushes around. So... A tree it was then. Yul went to one and took out a knife, carving in a quick target circle. It wasn't fancy, but it would do the job. Once done, he took about 7 steps back.

Yul took a deep breath, then reached out with his left arm, pointing with his palm at the tree. "Here's what you do: I know this alone is asking for a lot, but try to clear your thoughts and focus. Take a deep breath if you need to. Then, close your eyes, and blur out everything around you. Sound, light, scents, until there is nothing but a dark void around you." Yul did so now to demonstrate, took a deep breath, and calmed himself. The next step explained itself better through demonstration, anyway. The next thing she'd see was a ring of light forming around his hand, then lines spawning from the edge of the ring forming a simple star shape. And then, from the center of the ring, he unleashed... a small puff of smoke. Yul opened his eyes, just to see the smoke evaporate into the air, and chuckled as he turned to Lily. "Yeah, kinda expected that one. But the formula works. Just visualize those parts, and your mana will do the rest. I can bore you with why it doesn't work for me, or you try your luck. What will it be?"

Edited September 4, 2022 by Mini Magi