Back-To-School Season

[Matthew]

Back-to -school season was always a stressful time of year for many students across the continent, and Matthew was no exception. The young boy had a history of being bullied by some of his peers ever since preschool and at one point when he was five years old it had gotten so bad that he opened up to his father about it and was in tears when he told his dad what happened. Little Matthew trusted his parents so much to help him when things went wrong, that as he grew older that safety and security was strengthened-- and even if his parents messed up at times they would always apologize to their son. His parents were human too.

As a teenager however, the issues he was facing now were a bit more complex, and since his parents were from a different generation he had went to his grandfather about the questions he had about crushes, his sexuality, identity, and even the religious faith his mother believed in. Matthew did trust his parents but he needed time to figure himself out before he opened up to them about the more complex stuff. The advice his Grandpa Jean had offered him were healthy, and encouraging but still Matthew needed more time, and with back to school season in full swing, this would mean that he would bump into a person that he had started to fancy at class registration today. Whenever he looked or thought about his crush the butterflies in his stomach would flutter wildly and his cheeks would turn red, and he would stutter over his words. This crush started to form when the person had stood up for Matthew when he was being picked on by the local bully and what made this a little worse was that this bully was one of those popular kids. But Matthew’s crush had stood up for him and eventually would hang out with him sometimes so that he wouldn’t be isolated and crash in loneliness.

There was still kindness among the student population no matter what generation they came from.

His parents were right. Matthew remembered what his parents taught him if he was ever having trouble making friends. All he had to do was say hello. The word hello could be the start of a meaningful connection, and if the person didn’t say hello back then Matthew was encouraged not to take it personally as there would always be someone that would say hi back eventually. So Matthew smiled a little to himself once he arrived at Juxan Academy with his mother’s old friend Madam May. His parents and Grandad were a little tied up today with work to take him to get registered for his classes, and while they felt horrible about it Mitsuko, Zero, and Jean were encouraging Matthew to spread his wings and embrace his independence outside of their family unit. Mitsuko did make sure that Matthew had a trusted adult to go with him though, since he was registering for another school year outside of Sougen.

It was a good opportunity for Matthew to see the world just a little bit more and while he did have the option of living on campus just like his sister at her boarding school he wasn’t ready to live away from home, and we all have to keep in mind that Matthew and Savannah were two different people with their own comforts and discomforts even though they were siblings and they needed to be who they were. He was grateful to his parents and he couldn’t wait for this next adventure- his second year at this academy.

Mitsuko and Zero had earned enough money to send him to this academy since Matthew had his eye on it for a long time, and being the observant parents that they are, they had developed a long term financial plan to afford it. It took them a while since they had just sent Savannah to boarding school and had to build back their cash flow. With Mitsuko working full time again as a night shift nurse at the hospital, it helped with bringing more money into their household, as well as planning for their son’s future.

Matthew’s eyes widened at the long line up when he entered the school to get registered- he still got overwhelmed when he was around large crowds, and had some anxiety issues that came with that, but he was still a strong, brave, and courageous young man. He turned to look at Madam May and gulped a little bit even more so when he saw his crush.. “I’m… Nervous… Is my hair okay?”

[NPC: Female]

Madame May smiled at Matthew. She was so happy to see Mitsuko’s son growing up to be a fine, respectable young man. “It’s alright to be nervous! It’s normal and unfortunately it doesn’t get any easier the longer you are a student, but you will always be okay in the end! Don’t forget your mom and dad are so proud of you, it must be hard having to slowly be pushed out of the nest, but they want you to enjoy the independence. Even though they will always worry about you. It’s a parents job to worry about their kids no matter how old you get. Whether you are 15 or 50 a parent will always worry." She paused deep in thought before she continued. "And don’t forget your mom works at the hospital right here in Gradia so she can pick you up sometimes after school depending on her work schedule since it can vary sometimes. But you’ll see me everyday because I work both the day and night shifts, so I’ll be picking you up after school, as that was the arrangement your mother and I made. So don’t worry Matthew. Think of it as a favor to your mom after all the wonderful things she’s done for many people. I can at least take care of her son.”

[OPEN]

[Syani]

Working in the tourism industry, Syani has picked up several different local languages and accents from people all over the land, including the ones outside of the domain. It is not surprising she was hired as a translator sometimes.

This is exactly why she's standing in the middle of a bunch of foreign students, speaking in a different language to get them to line up so they can register in the new semester properly. "Semua orang! Sini! Beratur sini, jangan lari~" She instructed the number of teenagers who seems to have animal ears and tails, clearly seeming to be antromorphs.



Syani is wearing a yellow dress that probably is the work uniform. There are a few adults close to her wearing some kind of yellow outfit on them, possibly so the kids can easily spot them from the crowd. Her work for today is to get the kids from the provincial mountains of Kumo to register in Juxan Academy. Gradia and Kumo have student exchange programs that they partake in every few years to get their youths acquainted with each other's different lifestyles and cultures. The only problem is the language barriers. This is why Syani and a number of Kumo adults are present to guide the anxious students.

In the middle of her work, her eyes suddenly caught sight of someone familiar in the throng of teenagers. Immediately, her facial expression brightens as she calls out her favorite nephew, "Matthew!!" Like an excited parent approaching their child, Syani went through the crowd with a skip in her steps. "My, you're a sight for sore eyes! Up high!" She raises a hand up for Matthew to high-five, feeling tentative to hug the boy out of nowhere in the middle of this sea of people. Wouldn't want the poor kid to get embarrassed on his first day of school.

Syani acknowledges Madame May at Matthew's side with a shake of her hand. She recognizes her from Alamo Inn, briefly greeting her. After the short pleasantries, she looked back at Matthew in surprise. "Are you registering? I didn't know you're applying for this academy! ...Or maybe I do, but I forgot..." Her sister Mitsuko might have mentioned in passing, but the half-vampire's memories aren't very stellar.

One of the yellow-shirted staff called out her name and Syani briefly turns around to answer them. Her black hair parted at the side, revealing half of a pair of yellow earrings. Being a witch, she relies on crystals for magical energy. Being Syani, she loves accessorizing herself with these crystals to fit the color of her outfit for the day. Today she seems to be wearing a pair of topaz earrings, fitting for her yellow dress.

After her conversation with her colleague, Syani turns back to Matthew with a happy smile. "I'm working today to guide these kids from Kumo to register. They're pretty hyped by the technology here, hehe." She doesn't outright say it, but she notices Matthew's nervousness and wanted to help her favorite nephew out. "If you want, you can come along with us~"

[Matthew]

Matthew perked up greatly when he saw his aunt, and when she high fived him he laughed and then just took it upon himself to hug her, his nervousness instantly melted away so much that when he hugged her his wings were summoned so he unintentionally lifted her up from where she was standing. “Auntie Syani! It’s great to see ya! You look… beautiful! I’m loving the yellow dress it suits you very well! How do you like my new duds? I think I look awesome in a striped shirt and a pierced ear. Uh…Which I ahem haven’t really showed my parents yet or they haven’t noticed because they have been so busy with dad going away for couple of days to Veyyard due to some backed up work. Mom’s gonna miss him and you….”

He blushes and lowers his voice in a whisper, as he lets his aunt down gently back on her feet while de-summoning his wings. “Know what happens when they are overcome with emotion.” He sighed. Just like how Matthew shares what’s on his mind to his parents, he does the same thing with his aunt Syani. He cleared his throat and then noticed his aunt’s jewelry and beamed, that excited look spread across his face and blue eyes. “I have jewelry too! We are the dream team! Check out this ring I got! It’s a emerald dragon. I felt strong ever since I got it.. Maybe… it will help me ward off bullies.” A flash of worry quickly shown on his face but then he looked at his aunt. “Can jewelry have that affect aunt Syani? Can they be magically blessed to help face difficult things? It’s like once I got this ring I just felt good wearing it. I understand that it can’t make a problem go away, but I’m sure it can provide some encouragement as I try to solve it?”

[Syani]

"Oop-!" Clearly wasn't expecting her nephew to hug her, Syani lets out a short squeak of surprise.

Imagine her astonishment when Matthew started sprouting wings and floated up with her. The witch held onto the younger boy tighter, truly did not expect Matthew to be this happy to see her. "Whoa! Hey, you alright, sweetheart?" She's concerned if Matthew has been feeling down prior to her approach, but her quiet question was drowned against his clear excitement. At that, Syani dropped the subject and decided to mirror his cheerful joy.

"Now Matthew, don't you start saying the exact same thing your uncle did. The tourism association needed me to wear yellow and this is the only yellow clothing I can find!" Syani isn't necessarily goth per say, but her wardrobe admittedly only consists of dark or bold colors. She had to borrow the yellow dress from a neighbor, and even then, the chest part looks too tight and open, she had to cover them with a hand-knit blouse over it, something Kaekeru has been working on his spare time.

"But look at you! You look wonderful yourself!" Her eyes sparkled as he showed her his one pierced ear, "The blue piercing matches your eyes! It looks great on you!" Kids Matthew's age are often trying to find their own identity, so to see him experimenting with his choice of dressing made Syani smile. Her smile slowly drops though as Matthew explained that Zero went to Veyyard for work. She assumes her nephew and sister are down in the dumps because of this, knowing how attached the entire family are to each other. She made a mental note to herself to drop them a nice gift through the speedy same-day courier service to cheer them up after work.

Syani sports a gentle smile once Matthew begins showing her his jewellery; a dragon-shaped ring. "Mmn? How curious~ Let me take a look~" She raises Matthew's hand closer to her face so she can scrutinize the ring in his finger. Syani is mainly a witch of echantment, so jewelleries and weapons, especially those embedded with crystals or the likes, are her area of expertise.

According to Matthew, it's an emerald dragon ring, but she cannot see any physical emeralds on it. She assumed it might be encased in the ring itself. The half-vampire looked over at Matthew once he shares his worries regarding bullies and how the ring gives him strength. A huge smile grew on her face. "You're absolutely right, jewelleries can give you that effect!" She enclosed his hand with the ring with both of her hands, enchanting it without her nephew's notice. "Do you know emerald is a life-affirmining stone? It opens the heart chakra and calms the emotions." Her voice is leveled and her smile is gentle as she shares this tidbit of knowledge. "It's said to promote friendship, peace and domestic bliss, enabling the wearer to both give and receive unconditional love."

Syani frees Matthew's hand after that, her golden eyes sparkled as she winks at him. "Who knows? Maybe you'll find a new friend today~" She finds it precious that he feels stronger with his ring on. With her enchantment, he should be. "Don't worry about bullies. They're just kids who feels attacked or rejected, so they lost confidence in themselves, hencewhy they try to make themselves bigger and stronger by bullying."

The half-vampire leans herself down a bit so she's at eye-level with Matthew, staring straight into his clear blue eyes, intent on giving this small advice to him so he understands the deeper layer underneath. "Listen well, Matthew. The only way to step into your confidence and staying there is to recognize that if people reject you, it says everything about them and what they value, and says literally nothing about you and your personal worth." Her hands are on his shoulders now as she says so. Bullying is rampant in society, especially in social places like schools, so she wants Matthew to understand that if it ever happens to him, he should never feel worthless.

"Don't be reliant on other people to make yourself feel worthy. Because if you put that trust on others, it's a shaky foundation. Sometimes people have a bad day, sometimes people can get overwhelmed, sometimes people don't value you because of their own biases. And it has nothing to say about who you are and what your worth is." Syani then releases his shoulders and stood on her full height. She begins walking with him, leading him to the crowd with a hand on his back and gently patting him as she does so. "You are worth what you are worth, and it doesn't matter what anyone else says."

Syani herself took years to learn that. She has always been a person who's unapologotically herself despite her faults and mishaps, her eccentricity has certainly attracted people who found her strangeness an attack to their own beliefs of what normal should be. They tried to tell her to behave a certain way, but really, all she's doing is being herself. She is no stranger to a bully, so she wants her beloved nephew to understand that his worth is not within a bully's power. She wishes Matthew to rise above that.

Madame May has excused herself to return to Alamo Inn, so Syani kindly wishes the woman to have a safe travel. The witch walks with Matthew to the group she's working with and began introducing Matthew to the other staffs in the Kumoan tongue, not forgetting to include that Matthew only understands English. One of the staffs pointed out to her to enchant Matthew's tongue and ears so he could understand their language, that way he can talk with the rest of the kids if he's joining their little posse.

Syani gasped and agreed, surprised she hasn't thought of it herself. Quickly, she turns over to Matthew and excitedly explained, "Hey! Do you want to talk with the people here? I can enchant your ears and tongue, so you can temporarily understand and speak to them! It'll be fun!" She then asks Matthew to stick his tongue out and starts snapping with her pointer finger, as if to desperately light a fire in between them. After that, she taps the tip of her index finger to Matthew's tongue, then snaps her fingers directly near his ears.

"There we go! Now you can understand Kumoan for the day~" Syani encourages Matthew to talk with the rest of the kids. "I need to talk with some officials over in that office, so I'll be back." With a loving pat on his head, the witch hurries off with one of the staffs to the registrar office.

[NPC: Male]

A number of Kumoan teenagers have been curiously looking over at Matthew ever since one of their guides had broken formation to go straight to him. They whisper among themselves and follow him with their eyes, particularly interested in communicating with him but shy and anxious all the same.

One particular young man heads over to Matthew after Syani had left. His long ears twitched in interest while sporting an easy smile on his face. He wears a black messenger hat and a neon yellow coat over his casual shirt.

"Hi! Are you some kind of bird species? I saw your wings earlier." The young man spoke to Matthew, clearly in Kumoan tongue, but his words are translated to English in Matthew's ears. "Oh, but you're not wearing yellow... Are you perhaps not from Kumo?" He got closer to Matthew to find if he has any animal ears. One could tell there's a faint sweet scent on this boy, a unique trait of his musk deer species.

One of the others behind him elbowed him as if he had said something insensitive to their new blond companion. The boy turned around and blinked at his fellow friends owlishly, confused why they're upset. The others seem to have different kinds of ears, some are rounded like bears, and some are sharp like dogs, but they all seem to be drooping in worry.

"It's okay guys, not everybody is out to get us. Look at him, does he look like a predator to you?" The boy whispered back to his friends, reaching to one of their shoulders to calm them down. After that short moment, he turns back towards Matthew with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. We've never been outside Kumo, and all the technology in this place has us a little bit on edge... Sorry if we seem a bit wary of strangers."

His eyes widened at the word stranger, remembering he hasn't even introduced himself yet. "My name is Weiss. I'm an Itra. We're a race living in the cold regions of the plateau of Kumo. Nice to meet you, uh..." Weiss held out his hand for a handshake but lost his trail of thoughts once he realizes he hasn't asked the other boy's name.