Lidelle joins Raffina during her early morning training. Requested by miracletails on tumblr!

Converging Paths

When she asked Raffina for some training, her classmate was exhilarated. Physical strength was her speciality, and Lidelle admired her bold power. Along with her excellent grades, confident personality, and passionate desire for magical prowess, Raffina quickly became one of shy Lidelle's aspirations.

She knew Raffina trained bright and early before class, so she hoped to learn something from her in person. Raffina had boasted that she had come to the right teacher, claiming Amitie and their other friends didn't hold a candle compared to her when it came to strength. She had a right to be arrogant, considering she could lift well over a hundred pounds without even breaking a sweat. Catching the set of back-breaking weights Raffina easily carried in her pretty pink rucksack behind them, Lidelle knew she had come to the right person.

Unfortunately, she fell flat on her face.

Lidelle remained silent, stunned as the grass claimed her. Her arms were pinned to her sides, and her buckling knees trembled. Dirt scuffed her long sleeves and dress. She wondered if ants would begin crawling on her, but her humiliation kept her face pressed into the soft earth. Compared to what had just happened, she would have preferred the shocking sensation of creepy-crawling bugs tickling her scalp and back to the chilling anxiety swelling in her stomach.

"Only one push-up, I see," Raffina said, squatting by her and clicking her tongue.

Rolling over to her side, she brushed away stray flecks of dirt from her hair. "I-I'm sorry. I think-"

"Your hands," she interjected, raising a pointer finger, "slipped on your sleeves. I knew you should've rolled them back before you started doing your push-ups."

The curt tone she took cut through Lidelle's weary defense. The shorter girl sat up and tucked her sleeves to her elbows, but heat rushed to her cheeks when they simply uncurled. With her hands covered once again, she chewed on her lower lip and quickly rolled her sleeves into tight wraps around her elbows.

"For starters, your form certainly needs work. You need to be firm when you do push-ups or you could risk twisting your muscles," Raffina remarked, and she gestured for Lidelle to copy her. Arching her back, she swiftly assumed a proper push-up position with her legs straight and arms neatly pressed on the ground at an equal distance. "Here, copy me. I'll count for each push-up we do."

Nodding, Lidelle mimicked her pose. With the early morning sun rising in the sky, she felt a sheen of sweat already crossing her brow. She wished she had worn something more appropriate, considering her long-sleeved jumper dress had already caused her one embarrassment in front of her trainer.

With Raffina in a rather simple get-up, a loose orange shirt and shorts with her normally voluminous hair tied back in a tight bun, Lidelle felt rather awed. She was so used to seeing Raffina in extravagant clothing that rivaled the elegant attire Oshare tailored. It was like witnessing one of her many hidden sides, that strengthening self who worked hard behind the scenes in the serene privacy of the courtyard behind Primp Magic School.

"Every time I count, we'll do a push-up. Since you're so new to this, we'll only go with ten for now. Then, we'll work on crunches, pull-ups, and do a mile jog around Primp," Raffina said, each word making Lidelle far paler. "Hm? Is something wrong?"

"O-oh! No, I'm just-it's-wow, that's a lot of exercise you do so early in the morning. You must be really dedicated." Lidelle chuckled, her eyes scanning the grass. "I didn't think you did all of that at dawn. You must be stronger than anyone in class."

"Of course! As a courageous, beautiful girl, I must never slack off." Raffina smirked, but the corners of her lips creased downwards. She shifted her glare at the many oak trees towering over them, and Lidelle creased her brow, worry pinching her sides.

"Um, Raffina-"

"But if you're training with me-" She peered back over to her, any traces of displeasure swiftly gone, "-then I must admit I'm impressed. Maybe if you continue following my lead, then you could be on the path to being an equally courageous, beautiful girl."

Raffina chortled, her haughty tone mingling with the chirping birds soaring above their heads. Lidelle flushed, her eyes sparkling as she took in her earnest words. She had latched onto others in the past because of her insecurities, but Raffina spoke to her in a way she thought impossible.

Being welcomed so earnestly, it was something special. Compared to Satan nudging her away or Draco forgetting she existed at times, her dear classmate offered an olive branch with a rose attached at the end. Raffina was at times prudent, but Lidelle wondered if she was blessed enough to see that kinder side. Without anyone to impress or anything to prove, Raffina opened up a door for Lidelle and waited for the proper response.

Swallowing, she broke into a wide grin. "Then if you don't mind...may I-may I join you for your morning training from now on?"

Raffina winked. "If you can keep up, of course! O~hohoho!"

"I'll do my best!" Lidelle exclaimed, and giggling, she followed her lead as they began their push-ups, the first step together on their empowering journey.