Corvin found his small hands knotting together with tension, feeling all their eyes burning into his back while his face bloomed with the almost solid colour of rose. His own pale grey orbs focused on the hem of the little mage girl's robes, the dying sun catching its embroidered edging and making it flare from silver to gold.
"I told you..he's chicken, he wont do it…he can barely look at her"
"Come on Corvin we all had to do it, their going back to the circle tomorrow, you don't want to be the only one"
The Templar initiate looked up with a forced expression on his young face, putting on his best sneer, much like he had seen some of the more devout Templar's use when the new magelings came to visit. He didn't want to be laughed at, it was bad enough being the smallest, being called chicken just because he was afraid to kiss a girl, a MAGE girl no less, was utterly unthinkable and would likely pour oil on the flames of the continuous teasing that reduced him to quiet and private tears in his bunk. For her part the girl was at least pretty, chartreuse eyes fixed to his and trembling enough to make them shimmer, long blonde tresses that vaguely reminded him of late summer wheat.
Corvin took a deep breath, closed his eyes and struck out his hands, fingertips touching on slightly shaking shoulders. Those digits curled until the frail curve of bone was fixed in his palms and he pulled the girl forward clumsily enough so that their foreheads bumped gently together.
"Uh….sorry" His half strangled apology caused another bought of laughter from his initiate brothers behind him and he gritted his teeth, roughly pressing his lips to the girls. He knew the rules, a whole ten seconds. Grey eyes popped open after the first 5. Well…it wasn't that bad, the girls lips were soft and tasted lightly of…lyrium?" Those eyes closed and fingers softened on shoulders.
"He did it…oh Maker..i can't believe he actually did it!"
The laughter confused him enough to stop the kiss that had gone on a few seconds too long. He turned to see the small gathering either doubled up or sitting on the floor, holding their stomachs.
"So what…you all did it, you said you did!"
"Yea but…we all kissed GIRLS!"
Something slipped into his belly, a knot of dread that made him turn his head slowly to look at the mage who smiled only slightly if perhaps unwillingly. Corvin's mouth dropped open. Buts she…it had to be…the hair and the…oh Maker! Something thundered in his blood, a white hot anger he had never been able to muster before, always he had slunk away when their teasing had become so relentless that he could feel the tears burning his young cheeks. A small fist slammed into the jaw of Norrex, its brother soon following. He had the boy pinned with knees on chest while anger fuelled punches rained down on this self appointed leader of their gang. It didn't last however, the rest of his 'brothers' soon falling upon him to deal him a beating that he would never forget.
When they finally left his poor trembling and bleeding form on the dirt floor, he simply huddled into the smallest ball he could make. The tears had finally come, they always did, being so young merely made it a certainty. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder and instinct made him turn, shame fuelling yet more anger and his fist came out of nowhere. The mage simply looked more surprised than hurt. That wouldn't do at all. Corvin had been shamed again, and that little….bastard had known it, he hadn't even said a word. Of course it occurred to him that the pretty lad had likely been scared out of his wits and bullied into his part of this little show, but that didn't matter. Somebody had to pay and attacking the others had only resulted in more pain. He stood and marched over to the prone mage, his foot swinging forward and connecting with the boys stomach before he spat at the ground by that small pale hand. His tongue pushed feverishly at his lips until he saw the mage look up, tears of undisguised hurt magnifying those chartreuse tones. Something settled in Corvin when he saw that look, and with a sharp, satisfied smile he turned and walked away, leaving his first victim on the floor, still trying to gasp for the air he had taken with that one swift kick.