swim team president

Tachibana Makoto Class: Ranger/3 Housing: Idarin 101 Affiliated With Rifts of Pyli

[oakenthunder]

Starting Today, We're Roommates! [Makoto ♂]

[oakenthunder]

Well, this was going down the tube really fast. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to run off after all. No, no! No matter the challenge, she was gonna face it head on! That was the source of her pride! Plus, it was this, or being homeless. 

Putting on the brightest smile she could muster, she found the courage to slide into the room, closing the door behind her. (Gently, Mako, gently. Don’t slam…) 

"Y-you don’t have to worry, though! I pick up after myself, really! Actually, I’m really good at cleaning, so it’ll be like I’m not even here!" 

Well, only part of that was true. Try as she might, there would never be situation that Mako would be easy to ignore. 

[whalemom-blog]

"Oh I'm not worried, I'm sure we'll get along," he said, a sincere enough looking smile despite being forced. He could, at least, try to make this girl feel as though she had not done wrong all ready. He didn't want their relationship to be awkward if they were going to have to see each other frequently. That wouldn't benefit anyone in the long run.

There was a long silence between the two of them then, where Makoto knew he needed to say something, but what that something was he wasn't entirely sure. He rubbed the back of his neck idly for a moment before opening his mouth again.

"So... how um, have you been? You seem to be well. I don't imagine things have been too difficult... with all the quiet that's been around recently."

[whalemom-blog]

lakeside picnic for maximum cheesy gay [closed]

[royalrapier]

Marth crossed his arms, feigning indignance, before deflating with a low chuckle.

"I would say that it isn’t my fault, but considering that I entirely underestimated my workload, it is. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to have to be put off for this long."

Truth be told, he did feel guilty about that, given that this was supposed to be a fun trip for the both of them. Not to say that it wasn’t now, of course, but nicer weather certainly wouldn’t have hurt.

"You’re right. I’ve never had to swim in my entire life, so I’ll do as you say."

Marth waded in deeper, towards Makoto, before reaching out to take his hands. They felt oddly warm against his, but not uncomfortably so, and he made sure to keep a firm grip on the other. Nerves bubbled in the pit of his stomach, and the prince subconsciously tightened his hold for a moment.

"Well, ready when you are."

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto watched Marth for a moment as he tried to settle into the water. After attempting to teach Rei (and failing) he had learned a bit about the tips to teaching someone how to swim. It was important to know about the person prior to the actual teaching, because then you could gauge a bit more about their style of learning and level of athleticism. Luckily Marth was athletic, so that part wouldn't be difficult. It would be a matter of teaching him in a way that he could understand the basic concepts quickly and then learn to apply them on his own.

The blue haired boy seemed rather kinesthetic in terms of his style of learning, at least Makoto hoped so. As Marth took his hands, and as they tightened Makoto could feel himself grow a bit warmer as a side effect. He tried not to think about it, tried to worry about the matter at hand (no pun intended) instead. The entire time he smiled, that soft genuine little smile he had whenever he was around the other boy.

"So you're going to let your arms all the way out, and kick with your legs stretched out. Try to keep your head to the side so it can be out of the water but you won't have to hold your neck up. We can practice, so even if you don't get it immediately don't worry about it, okay?" he said, and when Marth was ready and in position he would slowly begin dragging him through the water, allowing him to kick and have a feel of what swimming should be like without the pesky fear of drowning.

[whalemom-blog]

"It's still so cold out... I wish there was something better to keep the chill out than a cloak."

[whalemom-blog]

Something about water sports [closed]

Makoto was glad that Marth seemed willing to go along with his little swimming endeavors, but at the same time it was a lot of work and stress for the both of them. He sometimes just needed a chance to cool down, literally, as the water in the lake near Estaria was extremely chilly nowadays.

Still, it was the best thing he had at the moment. And he apparently wasn't the only one with that plan. As he arrived and began undoing his tunic and belt to strip into his school swimsuit as someone else was just ducking under the surface of the water, perhaps they lost something although it was unlikely they would find it again.

It was not an issue, even a few minutes in as Makoto was ready to enter the water himself. But after a good five... six... eight? minutes, it seemed unlikely he would ever arise. Panicking slightly the green eyed boy dove under the water, attempting to find and pull the stranger back up. He was likely drowning, after all.

[whalemom-blog]

lakeside picnic for maximum cheesy gay [closed]

[royalrapier]

The last thing he’d been expecting was to be pulled into a hug by his ridiculously attractive and also shirtless friend, and Marth had to come to his senses for a moment.

"Ah, right, of course." How stupid could he sound? Very stupid, apparently. Yet Makoto sounded so happy, and he could not bear to ruin this for him, as much as he dreaded having to set foot in cold water.

The prince pulled back and bent over to unfasten the clasps on his boots, setting them aside neatly with his sword before shimmying out of his pants and shirt (he’d left the armor behind, as he reasoned he wouldn’t need it), and suddenly he felt rather conscious of his… lacking physique. Marth had always been naturally slender, though it was far more apparent right next to Makoto, who seemed to easily dwarf him (though the guy didn’t seem to realize as much).

He took a deep breath and steeled himself before stepping into the water. Nothing could have prepared him for that. Nothing.

"Gods, this is so cold, why did I agree to this. There is so much regret.”

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto was thrilled about the day, really. He was excited about swimming, he was excited about spending time with Marth. Everything was shiny. It had never occurred to him that maybe Marth wasn’t nearly as into this entire thing as he was. He had done a fairly good job of not thinking about it, for fear he would talk himself out of the day entirely.

Of course if Marth had a difficult time not staring at his dripping wet athletically built friend it was just as difficult for Makoto to find something to keep his attention while Marth stripped down. He was fairly sure his cheeks were tinged pink, and he was positive his ears were. It was a good chance to get back into the cold water, before issues arose.

It didn’t take long for Marth to follow suit, complaining about the temperature. “If you hadn’t kept putting off plans it would still be warm out. But if you start moving around your body should warm up,” he said, not with malace or spite. It seemed impossible for the boy to even be able to exhibit those traits in the first place.

"So… you’ve never swam before? We should probably start slowly then. Give me your hands and we’ll practice kicking to get you used to it, okay?"

[whalemom-blog]

lakeside picnic for maximum cheesy gay [closed]

[royalrapier]

Marth found himself spending more time around Idarin than Estaria lately, even though he lived and worked in the latter. Today he was in Idarin for a very specific reason, though, and he couldn’t deny that he felt somewhat… nervous. He couldn’t swim, not at all, as he’d never had to before and his parents never deemed it necessary for him to learn.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Makoto, it was more that accidents happen, and that line of thought sent a shiver down his spine. The prince wasn’t about to back down, however. He’d go through with it, even if he didn’t particularly like it. It didn’t take very long for him to arrive at his destination, stopping near the bag, and instantly sapphire eyes swept over the surrounding area, searching for his friend.

That proved to be something of a mistake; the moment he found his target, Marth was shocked still, jaw dropping just slightly. Oh. Oh. That, no, that was definitely not what he was expecting. No, not at all.  Was this even possible? The sight he’d laid his eyes upon did not match up whatsoever with what he knew of Makoto, and it took him a fair amount of time to realize that he was staring.

Marth could feel his cheeks heating up as he coughed and looked away in an attempt to regain his bearings.

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto wasn't expecting Marth to show up so soon, however he really never had much shame when it came to swimming. He enjoyed it, and was good at it. Actually, he was pretty much better at it than he enjoyed it in many cases. Still, it was a joy for Makoto to teach people to swim and watch them enjoy it, as he was certain Marth would given a little time and practice.

Still, he was rather oblivious to the boy's glances. He hadn't expected the reaction gotten by his current state of dress, of course, as to him this was still a school mandated uniform and nothing even remotely vulgar. And yet the brunet was being stared at like a tall glass of water out in the desert, although he had yet to see it.

"Marth!" he said happily upon seeing the other young man, pulling himself out of the water completely and pulling the other into a gentle yet firm hug. He would be getting into the water himself soon enough, so getting a little damp now would hardly be a shame. "The water is cold, but not painfully so. So long as we dry off thoroughly and make a fire afterwords, this will be great. Come on in!"

[oakenthunder]

Starting Today, We're Roommates! [Makoto ♂]

[oakenthunder]

"Your room? But wait, I thought…" Oh god, did she just walk into a guy’s room by mistake? She had been kind of out of it today, and it was an easy mistake to make, considering the same name would be printed on the name plate. 

"Ha… Haha! Oh, um, wow! Sorry about that!" She forced a laugh out, as if she wasn’t totally mortified. Which she wasn’t! Really! A long, uncomfortable silence fell between the two as Mako was slowly inching her way backwards. Play it cool, play it cooool…

"So. Yeah. Um. Bye!" 

Or run right back out and slam the door in a desperate escape. That works too. She would have high-tailed it right down the hall if she didn’t stop to double-check the sign, just to be sure. Sure enough, there was Makoto-kun’s name on it, surname and all. But wait a second… 

She squinted her eyes, examining the name printed below it. ‘Makoto’ again? And sure, english wasn’t her best subject, but that was definitely her last name printed in the roman alphabet, right? But that couldn’t be. Sure, there was that announcement about some room reassignments, but-

Oh. 

Tentatively, she creaked the door open, poking her head in ever so slightly, wearing a smile meant to be cordial, but probably came off more as a grimace. Way to embarrass yourself with the guy you like even more, Mako. Smooth. 

"So, uh… I guess they changed my room. T-to here." 

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto was sitting around in his room, the same room he had been in this entire time. Things had changed slightly, people had come and gone. But for the most part, things were the same for the brown haired boy.

A noise, someone was opening the door. Makoto couldn't remember seeing his roommate around recently. But the girl who walked in was definitely not who he was expecting. His nose gave a familiar ache in remembrance of when he met her once before.

"Oh... uh, hey," he replied, softly thanks to his nerves. He wasn't sure what to think of the situation - the fact that his new roommate was a girl who had inadvertently beaten him up once before. He couldn't say anything like 'great' or even 'good' because all he could think was that he would need to find the magical equivalent of Tylenol before the night was up.

[oakenthunder]

Starting Today, We're Roommates! [Makoto ♂]

whalemom

[oakenthunder]

Makoto seriously needed something to do. Not that life in Idarin was boring, or hell, even easy. (You never realize just how simple 20th century comforts made things until you have to live without them.) But being stranded without any particular direction or long term goals had given the young girl a sort of listlessness that she wasn’t used to. Turns out going back to living and being alone wasn’t so easy the second time around.

She fiercely tried to ignore the sharp sting those thoughts brought on, memories of her friends, no, more than that, her family bringing tears to her eyes. Dammit… She furiously rubbed at her eyes. It’s been months already, she still shouldn’t be crying. But when faced with the very real possibility that she may never see them again… Usagi-chan, her princess. Her comrades who she was supposed to share a lifetime with… No, no, no!

She sprung to her feet, patting her cheeks as if to snap her out of it. She would return to them! Somehow… But not by moping in her room! She needed to… Go somewhere, search for something, ANYTHING. She wiped at her eyes again for good measure before striding towards the door. But as she swung it open, (with probably more force than necessary),  she saw yet another block in the form of a boy. A familiar-looking boy. A boy whose nose she MAY or may not have smashed a couple months ago. Who looked quite startled by her suddenly bursting out.

 “M-Makoto-kun?” She stuttered, the name still sounding weird coming from her own mouth. “What are you doing here?”

 … Well at least she didn’t hit him this time around. 

[whalemom-blog]

It was certainly a nice change, how quiet the boarding house seemed to be. Winter seemed good for Idarin, now that the festival was over most of the crowds had thinned out. Makoto hadn't seen any of his friends for a long time now, and it hurt. He missed Haru, Nagisa, Rei and even Rin so much, his parents and siblings. It hurt, sometimes, but he was here and not there and he would just have to make the best out of the bad situation.

He was currently relaxing in his room. His old roommate seemed to be gone, which was unfortunate but Makoto never really got to know them. He was wondering if he would get another roommate when the door opened, he turned from where he was sitting on his bed to see who it was.

Oh.

Oh no.

Makoto liked to think himself friendly and accepting. Of course he felt himself recoil slightly at the sight of the brunette who entered. His nose gave an unhappy throb at the memory of how it had been battered earlier. Oh god this was going to be difficult to deal with. If there was something Makoto hadn't become used to at any point in his life it was physical assault. It was part of what made this world so difficult.

"Oh... um, hi Makoto-san. This is actually... my room..." he said, sheepishly, not wanting to cause the wrath of the tall girl but also not wanting to be impolite. She had tried hard to take care of him, after all. Even if she was a bit misguided overall.

[whalemom-blog]

Destroy All- Oh God What Was That?! [open]

Makoto was not entirely sure about the entire killing monsters thing still, and he wasn’t sure he ever would be. He had his bow, and he knew how to use it now… at least a little bit. He would still need practice if he was going to be considered competent but as it stood he probably wouldn’t completely die, at least not if he had any sort of companion to help him kill the beasts.

The brunet stood near the job board, looking for something that might give him something to do to get his mind off the constant subject of homesickness and possibly that out of all the things that could happen to him in Pyli he might have started to have romantic feelings for someone. It certainly didn’t feel as bad as he might thought, considering how poorly it went the last time. But for now, he just wanted to focus on something else for a little while to let the butterflies constantly flapping around in his gut.

Hopefully, he could find someone else that would be wanting to go off and kill kobolds with a semi-skilled ranger at their side. Of course, he wasn’t entirely sure how to ask any of the potentially frightening warrior types wandering around either…

[whalemom-blog]

lakeside picnic for maximum cheesy gay [closed]

Makoto wrung his hands together as he approached the deserted lake outside of Idarin. It was nice, serene, he often swam there when there was nothing else to do. If it wasn't for his nerves it might actually be a lovely day. He set down the bag he was carrying, it had a few assorted foodstuffs in it. A sort of makeshift picnic to go with the swim lesson, although those two things really didn't go together. Still, Makoto needed to do something to keep his mind off the growing feeling of butterflies in his gut.

After things were more or less laid out, the tall Japanese boy pulled off his tunic and pants, revealing his skin tight Iwatobi swimsuit. Thinking nothing of this, other than it's technical benefits for the sport, Makoto decided to take a dip in the lake before Marth arrived. It might sooth his nerves, if nothing else.

[ghostofshartan]

[Open] take a look, it's in a book!

[ghostofshartan]

He had seen this reaction before. The pity. The sadness. At an injustice they had not even known to exist. Their pity had never done anything for him— never helped him— and so he could really care less about it.

"Don’t be sorry," he snapped. "It is done. I am a slave no longer— I saw to that when I crushed my master’s beating heart. So do not pity me."

He jerked his gaze away from Makoto’s contemplative look. A boy as soft as he was— he would never understand what it was like to live ever day under a master’s whims.

He looked back, surprised at the offer. It was… well intentioned, he supposed. Kind, in its own way. Still… he did not want help here, in this place. He shook his head.

"I thank you, but no," he said. "I can practice well enough on my own."

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto had never done anything other than offered his few abilities to other people. He wanted desperately to help people, but also this meant that he desperately wanted people to want that help. And Fenris was exactly the sort of person who did not want anything to do with the Japanese boy, it seemed. There would be no changing that opinion, obviously, and Makoto wasn't entirely sure he would be up to trying to changing it against the elf's wishes anyway.

"Oh... all right," he replied rather softly, managing a smile for him regardless. "If you ever change your mind, you could probably find me at the Idarin boarding house," he added. Even if Fenris wanted Makoto's help, he was not the sort of guy to push it. If that meant they would never meet one another again it would probably be all right. The elf sort of scared Makoto. Not that THAT was hard to do.

[whalemom-blog]

This Cannot End Well [Closed]

[royalrapier]

He’d practically forgotten that they were still holding hands at that point, and the moment Makoto pulls him to a standstill and subsequently backwards, he yelps.

"Oh Naga, I was not expecting that," Marth squeaks, almost breathlessly, and presses his free hand to his chest, breathing in deeply in an attempt to calm his hammering heart. He has to admit, before now, the oddly placed pile of leaves hadn’t even fully registered in his mind yet, and he realizes that if not for Makoto, they could have been in possibly serious trouble.

"Nothing to apologize for, honestly. By all means, you probably saved my hide!" the prince manages eventually, reflexively giving his friend’s hand a gentle squeeze before finally letting go. He tries to ignore how stupidly cold his hand feels all of a sudden. “You know, you’re better at this whole adventuring thing than you let on. Not a whole lot of people who would notice that! You should give yourself a little more credit.”

He smiles, a warm, genuine smile that reaches his eyes, and gives Makoto an equally gentle punch on the arm. The fact that they’re merely inches apart isn’t something that really seems to bother him, though, and Marth motions for Makoto to follow once he’s regained his bearings, carefully inching around the leaves.

"I think we’re almost there, we’ve been walking for a while now and haven’t run into a whole lot of dead ends."

He’d be lying if he said he’s not glad at the prospect of being done with this maze, because as fun as it is, his feet are starting to kill him. Finding the way out will be easier, at least, he’s sure. What he’s planning on doing after that depends on what Makoto wants, really. For now, his attention is focused on the path before him. It feels as if the shrubbery is becoming less dense, and he hopes that this really is the end of the maze.

[whalemom-blog]

They were close, perhaps too close in fact, and this only served to make Makoto think this had all been a really horrible decision. Ironically, more so than the whole skeletons coming out of the walls thing had been. Priorities. Of course it was almost over at this point, enough so that the two boys just needed to tough it out a little longer. But between the slightly uncomfortable closeness and that all too warm smile Marth was giving him Makoto felt an uncomforable lump rising up in his throat and making it difficult to accept any compliments. He could only smile sheepishly and wonder how he got himself into this strange spot as they made their way to the center of the labryinth. It had been no great surprise to anyone back in Iwatobi that Makoto and his best friend back home had a... close relationship. It was the kind of person that Makoto just was, and regardless of any feelings either of them had nothing was ever going to come from it, and the live haired boy had simply resigned himself to be all right with that. As a direct result though, he had no practice when it came to matters of physical closeness for any purpose other than friendly ones, and as media did nothing to help with his... particular preferences it was nothing but an extremely nerve wracking experience simply thinking about what he should do should he realize he had any... feelings. As it stood, reaching the center of the maze was not actually the difficult part. The fact that Makoto found himself trying to watch Marth out of the corner of his eye as they walked, allowing his hand to gently bump into the other boy's as they walked. He felt slightly ashamed in doing so, considering he felt as though he was somehow being disingenuous keeping what might potentially be feelings from his only real friend in this world. But at the same time he didn't want to cause any sort of strife between the two of them, especially over something he knew he would never have the guts to actually go after. While thinking about all these things he realized they had found it, the center of the maze was right in front of them. And in it was perched the shortest of the Rift Mages, smiling with a wolf-like grin as they approached. She told them they could take a piece of the fruit she had in a basket in front of them, but to choose who they gave it to very carefully, as it would deepen the bonds of their friendship permanently.

Makoto all ready knew who he was giving it to, obviously, so he barely even listened as he rolled the fruit over in his hands before thanking her.

[heaperreaper]

Junked

[heaperreaper]

Regardless if Makoto was going to offer any solid information about the monsters, Sho was thankful that he had met a kind individual, he could have just as likely met a band of thugs. Still, it made him feel better knowing that he wasn’t the only person stuck here out of their element. And if a teenager like Makoto could survive, then Sho wouldn’t have too much difficulty adjusting to the environment. 

Even without saying a word, Sho could sense that Makoto had a bad experience with the monsters of this land. Despite his nagging curiosity, Sho decided to not ask about it further, and instead he planned to change the topic. While the carriage traveled on, Sho bounced around with the bumps and dips in the road, it made sitting a bit uncomfortable at times. 

When Makoto started explaining what the natural monsters were, Sho wondered if any Noise happened to cross into the rifts. He doubt he would be able to control them, but it did make him want to explore the area in hopes of finding some. In the middle of his explanation, the carriage hit something causing the other boy to come crashing into him. 

"Stupid zeros!" He cursed at whatever caused the carriage to shake so violently. It took Sho a second to realize that Makoto was on top of him, and he quickly made sure that the other man wasn’t seriously hurt. "Are you okay?" 

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto pulled himself up off the other man, obviously embarrassed at his position and quick to attempt to back off to his side of the carriage. It works, although he bobs forward and back and side to side until they got out of the excessively bumpy portion of the road. Even still, it was awkward as Makoto was sure he had invaded the other man's personal space (something Makoto was realizing he was surprisingly not good at as of recent).

"I'm fine, sorry," he replied softly as he resumed settled sitting. "We should be to the nearest town in another hour or so, barring any more problems with the roads," he added with a sheepish smile. He wasn't entirely sure what else to say, how else to help this new adventurer. Hopefully they'd reach the nearby town sooner rather than later and he could get set up with a guild and hit the ground running. Makoto was sure he would be all right, he seemed to have a good enough disposition and wasn't nearly as passive or gentle as Makoto was, even now.

[whalemom-blog]

This Cannot End Well [Closed]

[royalrapier]

For a moment, Marth just stands there, blinking lamely. The last thing he’d expected was for Makoto to basically hit the bullseye, and goddamn, he finds himself genuinely impressed.

"Incredible! You’re a natural. My god, I had not expected you to actually land a hit," he breathes, almost sounding giddy, eyes twinkling with delight. "You should be proud of yourself!" He chuckles before adding, "Leave the other one to me, wouldn’t want you to have all the fun, now.”

He gives the other a pat on the arm before unsheathing his sword, weighing the weapon in his hand and judging the distance left between them and the remaining undead. The prince leaps forward, delivering a clean cut across its torso and sending it tumbling back into the shrubbery. He grins wide, crouching down to wipe the mess from his blade onto the grass, before turning to face Makoto again.

"That wasn’t too hard, right? This is the best way to learn." He pauses a moment, a frown appearing for just a split second. "I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, though. I suppose I got carried away." He could probably have handled it with a little more grace, but what’s done is done. There’s no time to regret decisions. After putting the sword back where it belongs, Marth returns to Makoto’s side, looking nothing short of excited to venture deeper into the maze to see what surprises it holds.

Without really thinking his actions through, he grabs Makoto’s hand and nudges him along the path before them, making sure there is a minimal but still confortable distance between them. “Keep an eye out on traps, alright? You never know what they might’ve hidden in here,” the prince hums, mindful of where he sets his feet down. It would be really unfortunate if they got caught in one, now would it.

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto couldn't help but flush slightly as he received a compliment at his natural ability. He had never even shot an arrow before, the fact that he had done so well really had nothing to say about the brunet and everything to do with his teacher. "It really was only because you helped me, I'm sure," he said with a sheepish smile, feeling more embarrassed with how happy Marth seemed at his success. He hadn't seen his friend this excited about anything ever, and it made Makoto feel pleased and a little giddy that something he did could bring that out in the other boy- even if it wasn't entirely his own doing.

That was... probably pretty normal, right? Yeah, probably. At least that's what he told himself.

Makoto watched as Marth disengaged from the conversation to rush in and hack the remaining baddy to pieces, leaving green eyes wide. He had never seen someone fight so skillfully, it was awe inspiring. Even the adventurers Makoto had seem in the city were good, but they did not have the sort of natural grace and finesse the other teenager had.

And when it was all over, Makoto tried to say something, but everything he thought to say sounded stupid in his head, so he instead stayed quiet, allowing himself to be pulled along down the twisting corridors of the maze. As they moved Makoto thought to himself how there were likely to be more monsters here, keeping eyes and ears opened. It worked rather well, actually, considering he was able to spot a suspicious looking smattering of leaves on the ground directly in front of them. Makoto dug his heels into the ground, pulling on Marth's hand they had entwined still at this point.

Because of the decent speed they were moving he had to give a little tug to prevent the man from stepping on the suspicious spot, unfortunately he pulled perhaps a little harder than he even should have. Marth ended up extremely close to him, almost no space between the two of them. Makoto could only smile again, awkward and soft, as he breathed a soft apology.

"Sorry I... that spot looked a bit odd, and I didn't want..." he shrugged a little. He felt his own chest beating a little harder than usual, probably thanks to the relative lack of any space between them at the current moment.

[ghostofshartan]

[Open] take a look, it's in a book!

[ghostofshartan]

He almost scoffed at that. A custom? How far would this boy go, to not see the obvious? Well, perhaps it was simply that he came from another world, one far softer than Fenris’s own.

"It is not a custom, to practice reading," he informed Makoto. "Slaves—" and with this, he gestured to himself, leaving little doubt as to what he was talking about— "are not permitted to read. I learned only three years ago. The person who taught me… bid me practice."

He had never lacked for diligence in his practice with his letters, but Hawke had usually helped him to pick out books. Whether it was a direct recommendation, or him picking books at random from Hawke’s library, or Varric’s…

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto's eyes widened when the word "slave" came up, of course. His world had it's issues, but of course in comparison to a world of slavery and commonplace illiteracy he had no idea how to respond at first. The teenage boy managed to simply stare wide-eyed until he found his words again.

"I see, well... I'm very sorry to hear- about your previous circumstances," he said, tone softer than before. But Makoto's tone was always soft, and his voice did not waver. His chest gave a harsh aching pang thinking about what this man might have had to endure in his life, it was probably so hard for him. He naturally just assumed people here had the same background as he did, that damn privilege he didn't even know he really had. After all, he was young and hadn't been out of his own small town before.

There was no reason for him to put himself down internally about it. That wouldn't help matters, he decided. What would help was simply that, doing something to make the situation better.

"If you need any help with your practicing, please feel free to ask. I don't have a lot of skills, but I'd like to help you if that's something you'd like."

[heaperreaper]

Junked

[heaperreaper]

  While the carriage ride wasn’t exactly what Sho would describe as smooth sailing, it was better than walking aimlessly through the fields. From the way he was describing this land - Pyli - it sure did seem like something right out of a fantasy game. If he could handle the Noise back in the Game, Sho knew a few monsters wouldn’t be able to best him in battle. However, he did realize that he was quite lacking in the weapons department. 

It wouldn’t be that hard to get used to life here, at least Sho wouldn’t have to worry about running the Game for a while, especially if he would be here for weeks as well. Makoto seemed nice enough, given the people he worked with, that was a huge compliment, Sho hoped the other people would be at least tolerable. 

“‘Difficult adjustment’, now that’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one.” He chuckled, “But I see what you mean. You’ve gotta deal with the cards you’re dealt with. I’ll be sure to keep a look out for these guilds you mentioned.”Seeing as this wouldn’t be a short ride, Sho relaxed, leaning against the inside of the carriage. However, he was taken aback when prompted for questions, as most of them seemed to be answered, although, there was one thing Sho was curious about. 

"You mentioned monsters before, have you seen one or do you know anything about them?"

[whalemom-blog]

Really, it was very important to Makoto that he try to help this newcomer, make sure he was taken care of in a way most people had conveniently chosen not to help Makoto himself with. He didn't want other people to have to go through that same feeling of fear and displacement, being in a strange place with nothing and no one from home. Things trying to kill you, it could be completely terrifying. But that being said, he had the chance to change someone else's experience in Pyli and he was going to do everything in his possible to make things better for someone else.

"Monsters..." Makoto replied, tasting the word as he did so. He had seen them, of course. Less than other adventurers, as he didn't take much time out to travel or explore potentially dangerous areas. It was better that way, he thought. Much less chance that he would be eaten, certainly. He wasn't strong enough, not yet. Not to be by himself.

The carriage ride certainly wasn't like riding in a car, but it was all right compared to walking at least. It was bumpy, somewhat jarring at points if there was a bump in the road or just an uneven pile of dirt.

"Yes, there are monsters here. Basically, there are your normal things... um, wolves and bears and fantasy monsters I guess like goblins. But then you have things that have fallen through the rifts like we did, some monsters that just don't belong. And then, apparently the intense magic of the rifts causes some to sh-" he was in the midst of trying to relay whatever the other rangers told him in when the carriage hit something in the road - maybe it was a rock, maybe it was a dead animal. There was no way of knowing, nor did it matter. What did matter is that Makoto was tossed a solid four inches into the air before being launched forward thanks to inertia.

[ghostofshartan]

[Open] take a look, it's in a book!

[ghostofshartan]

He had not been expecting curiosity. A small knot of anxiety formed in his stomach, but he pushed it away. Even when it might have made his lot easier, he had never made himself smaller to hide what he was. He would not do so for this boy.

Still, he was sure that his discomfort showed.

"I asked him to bring me whatever he thought was best," he said, which was true enough. "It is… practice."

[whalemom-blog]

Makoto simply watched Fenris for a little while. He wasn't entirely sure what the other man was thinking, why he looked so uncomfortable or strained. It wasn't Makoto's desire to make him feel that way, but of course he had no idea why it was the case in the first place. He hadn't said anything too unusual, hadn't pointed out the fact that the elven man had been rather rude to him their first meeting, and was still being rather standoffish despite Makoto's attempts at being friendly.

Maybe this was just how the other man was, with a rather off-putting demeanor. Maybe he had been hurt before, and didn't let others in as a sort of self-defense mechanism. The brown haired boy could certainly identify with that, although he himself did not take such extreme measures. Quite the opposite really.

"Ah... is that quite common where you come from then?" He asked, certainly not understanding why such a custom would come into play. After all, if you wanted a book you generally wanted to learn something specific. If you asked for anything... that was quite strange. "Well I hope they pick out something good for you then," was the only thing he could think to say really in regards to it. How awkward.