A/N: Hello! Time for responses:
Scatman SSJohn EX: You want more? Here it is! I hope this is up to your standards.
Drake202: We will now figure out who the beautiful woman in the camp is!
Now, this story was commissioned by drake202. I just hope everyone else enjoys it!
Ethan froze, a lone breeze passing through until he ducked behind a bush, the Toons following him as they hid behind trees. Sideways. The woman could see Daffy's beak, Bugs, a rabbit that can dig into the earth at record speed, joins the others behind the trees, his ears visible and the munching of a carrot a stark sound in the silent night.
The most obvious is the large rooster, its tail feather obvious along with his beak as he spoke. "Hey boss is she gone? I say, this remind me of my time pa heard I ate all o' tha seeds, boy was he livid, I say, had me hiding for a week he did, I say, she also reminds me of an Ol' chick I knew, yes sir, I knew her. She looked as young as Tweety but was as old as Granny."
There was a silence overtaking the clearing as the pressure increased around him, Ethan gulped, trying to become smaller as he keeps quiet.
But the woman stopped, watching as she sees more and more spectral figures appear, from birds to people they all hid but she felt it. Like the tensing of a beast preparing to attack, all of these spirits are prepared to defend their contractor with their life.
Relaxing, the grey-haired woman releases a sigh along with the overwhelming pressure. "I'm not here to start a fight young man, especially not against an elementalist contracted with so many spirits." Though she was fairly sure she'd win before he could do any actual damage.
At the term, Ethan perked up, slowly looking over the bush he was hiding behind as the woman inspected him.
He was blonde, messy hair with his hair hiding his eyes but by his posture she could tell that he was willing to fight and capable of it, possibly unaware of the fact that he could turn his Spirits into Elmental Waffes for weapons and has been notorious for being efficient and non-fatal. He's also been leaving a trace of his presence in the form of his wacky and unpredictable behavior, usually making enemies everywhere he goes and forcing him to constantly be on the move.
But nothing stood out more than the clothes he wore, they were minimalist in a way she has never seen before, they had no design and seemed to be more for utility than fashion. Or his shoes, they looked nothing like the flats worn by the nobility or the boots worn by the commoners, instead they were worn and lost some of their original blue color, the white of the sneakers dirty from dirt.
He was strange.
"They're," he pipes up, swallowing when her eyes swivel to him, "they're not Spirits. They're Toons."
"What Doc said," Bugs spoke, leaning on a tree and munching on a carrot, "he ain't the most social but with how you're looking at the poor kid, it's probably warranted."
She quirked a brow as the boy stands up, allowing her to see his state in all its glory, an exhausted teen. Slowly, he stalks forward and looks at the instrument in her hands. "Can I have it back?"
She weighed the question and decided to give it back. "So long as you listen to what I have to say and your...Toons." She said, testing out the word in her mouth as she humphed in amusement.
In a surprising burst of speed, she noted the lack of weight in her hands as she turns, slightly surprised to see the boy cradling the guitar and a weird bird beside it, with long legs and a blue feathered body. "Meep! Meep!" It intoned as Ethan shook his head.
She quirked a brow as she came to the conclusion that it was speed, unnaturally so, to the extent that it'd be hard to truly understand it.
"Now then, would you like to hear my proposition?" The woman continued unabated, and when Ethan made no move to stop her, "You see, I am the Headmistress of an Academy. An Academy that caters to people with access to a certain...ability. An ability like your 'Toons'." She says, trying out the term once more, an act that would have had many people laughing if they had access to the context when she says it with such seriousness.
Unbeknownst to her, Ethan was having trouble understanding what she said, not only because a lot of things are being said in an extremely complicated manner similar to a loan shark looking for victims, trying to make their predatory terms seem reasonable, but also because behind the woman was Daffy, a wig, lipstick, and a pair of balloons under a dress he found from...somewhere.
As she spoke, Daffy would move in exaggerated manners, with his characteristic lisp for everyone to see as Ethan tried to keep his amusement down, the comparison between this dangerous drop-dead beautiful woman in contrast to Daffy making it harder as the woman spread her arms out, causing Daffy to lean back until she was looking up at the sky and pointing down at him. "What you see as 'Toons' are what we call 'Spirits'," he could hear Daffy's lisp in her voice, his spit flying into the air just to make it obvious, "beings who come from another world otherwise known as 'Astral Zero'."
At this, Bugs came around pushing a chalkboard and a teacher's uniform. A female teacher's with lipstick and everything. He brought out a pointer stick, the ones from back home that were a meter in length, and reared his arm back, twirling the ruler like a batter about to hit a home run behind Daffy, who finally moved his position so he could lean forward with a faux seducing look while lowering the collar of his shirt.
With a loud whap that the woman didn't hear, Daffy held his rear, at least a few meters into the air with his mouth open, eyes popping out of their sockets and falling as Bugs doesn't flinch, instead, he brings out a different pointer, plastic with a hand that's pointing as he points at the chalkboard. Turning to and from the chalkboard like a particularly motivated and dedicated conspiracy theorist, as she speaks, his mouth stuttering but no sound being obvious.
"Of course, as a principal of such an illustrious institution, I can't let a possible student like yourself out here to fend for himself in such a wild area, especially one with as much potential as you so I have come here with an offer." She says, Bugs punctuating her words with putting his pointer down and blinking at Ethan, Daffy stalking behind him. Large ruler in his hand as he brought the yardstick up and swung it at Bugs.
Slowly and gradually, Bugs the yardstick crawled closer, until, finally, before it could touch Bugs, it stopped, as Daffy tried to push it further but is unsuccessful, he checks what managed to stop it and his eyes widen. It was Bugs' pointer, his arm bulging with muscles as he glances at him as he seethes, steam coming out of his mouth.
He grabs his wig, throwing it to the floor before grabbing a Japanese helmet, placing it over his head as he got into a stance with the yardstick. Bugs, meanwhile, just fixed the feathered cap on his head and got into his own stance, his pointer pointing forward and prepared to attack at any moment.
The atmosphere was silent, tense with pressure and not to mention all of the spectators, a few of them eating popcorn and making silent calls as they throw said popcorn.
Finally, Daffy moves, slicing downward as Bugs steps back, using his pointer like a rapier as he thrust it forward, finger out and ready to poke somebody's eyes out and or their stomach. Daffy moves to the side, losing a few of his feathers but still ready as he ducks the second, spinning and bringing around his yardstick and nearly bisecting Bugs as the agile rabbit jumps over the hit and tries to kick the duck.
He misses by a millimeter, but Bugs, instead, landed on his beak with a leg up like a ballerina. He balanced himself like a ballerina before hopping down and blocking an attach from Daffy as he hooped back and thrust once at bugs, the yardstick glancing off of the pointer as Daffy spins and back kicks in retaliation into Bugs chest, causing the rabbit to slide back and stab his pointer into the floor.
Smirking like some anime protagonist, the rabbit stands up, and brings up a hand, energy accumulating in his hand as Daffy's own eyes widen in fear, before narrowing in determination. Slowly, he got into another stance, this time, all offense and no defense as he prepares to gamble it all on this one single attack. This singular downward slash that can cut anything.
Like a baseball player, Bugs brought back his arm and prepared to throw the compressed ball of energy, whirring and turning into an orb in his hand as silence overcomes the clearing. People dropped their popcorn, their jaws unhinged as they watched the fight of the centuries.
Of course, there is nothing in Bugs' hand as energy is in fact not visible, and energy did not make sound, and above all, the clearing is not actually silent, the woman is still talking, on the verge of finishing up her talk as the two opponents began what would obviously be their final clash.
With a (silent)cry of determination, Bugs threw the orb of (invisible) energy.
With an equally loud(quiet) cry of determination, Daffy brought his sword up. Of course he proceeded to bring it down and two different things happened.
Daffy had the yardstick to Bugs side and Bugs had his pointer pointing directly at Daffy's eyes.
Only to be interrupted, "What are you looking at?" She asks, idly turning back as Ethan's expression falls and the Toons disappear and the only thing left is a quiet clearing.
She hums, finding nothing there as she turns back, Ethan's expression once more to a calmer if not confused expression. "So, what do you say? Would you like to join my Academy?"
Ethan takes the moment to look like he's thinking on it before answering. "And go back to school? Please, I already have enough problems being homeless as I am. The offer's appreciated lady, but I have a lot of things to worry about, school ain't one of them."
With his piece said, he prepares to leave, tying his guitar to the side of his bag as the woman hums. "Oh well, if that's what you think, I was even going to invite you to join the Blade Dance, a tournament between Elementalists to test their mettle." She explains for some reason as my stomach begins to sink, swallowing as I understand what this means. Something is going to happen. "Not for free, of course, the winner gets any wish they have granted."
Ethan stilled, along with his Toon friends, the words spinning in his mind as they took a second to try and grasp it. Quietly, he asked, "What?"
"Ah, sorry, I can't say much, you're not my student, and clearly you're extremely busy." She says, throwing his words back at him as he sucks in his lips. "Please, don't let me stop you."
"Any wish?" He asks again, turning to her, his movements desperate as he gets closer. "No matter the size, type, anything?"
Slowly and gradually, she says, "Anything."
Ethan looks into the woman's grey eyes, showing nothing but honesty but he knew that what he was about to do amounts to making a deal with the devil. She has far more to gain from this than Ethan can probably imagine.
But he had no choice, no feasible thing he's capable of doing that can either turn this situation around or any reason why he should turn her down for any reason.
His hands are curled into fists as he takes a deep breath, "What's the catch?"
"There is no catch." She says, extending a hand, "I just want you to give me your name and to win the Blade Dance, something you're more than likely capable of."
Again, Ethan looks warily at her hand before looking down at his.
As much as he's enjoyed being some form of a pseudo bounty hunter, he just doesn't think he can keep surviving all this running. It's beginning to wear on him. He misses having a bed to sleep, people to accept him, and, above all, some actually good food to eat.
During his time bounty hunting, he's amassed a small fortune, nothing of note, but if the way this woman is dressed is any evidence, he probably wouldn't be able to even contemplate entering her Academy with the money he has on him. "And what, put me in debt or something?"
"The Areisha Spirit Academy is an institution made for the explicit job of training future and current Elmentalists. While the tuition is in fact high," Ethan's arm began to pull back, "I'm not blind enough to miss you're situation. So, your tuition will be supplied by a scholarship. Any more questions?"
Licking his lips, Ethan tried to find anymore, but he was really tired. He wants to rest. He wants to find a way back home, even if it means making a deal with this devil.
So, with as much confidence he could muster, he stepped forward and clasped her hand in his, "Name's Ethan. I hope this is the only time I'll ever have to touch you." He adds as an afternote, squirming uncomfortably while keeping a firm grip as the woman chuckles at the words he never thought he'd have to say.
"What, don't think I'm attractive enough?" She asks, leaning forward and winking as Ethan reels and squirms.
"I feel like I'm making a deal with a devil." He admits as she blinked. "Though you're way prettier than any devil I've heard of. Hell, even a few angels would lose in comparison."
"My~," she says, pleased, "I'm flattered. I wait in anticipation for the day you'll manage to reach my Academy. Here." She says, giving him a paper as he opens it and his eyes widen. On it is a detailed map with his position and the school's. "So you don't get lost. Now, before then, there's been something bothering me."
Ethan's mouth opens into an 'ah' in understanding, the two turning to the side and spotting a crate clattering on the ground, covered in chains and locks as it jumps up and down, strange and animalistic sounds coming from within, promising only pain to anyone who dares open the crate without proper preparation. Not to mention all of the warning signs on it.
'Danger', 'Do Not Open', 'Fragile', a second sign over it saying 'NOT Fragile', and there's eve a radioactive sign on it, for some reason.
"That...we don't talk about him." Ethan admits, as the woman nods. "He's in time out, so to say."
"Right…" The woman trailed off before shaking his head, "Then my name is Greyworth Ciel Mais, until we meet again, Ethan."
She turned, beginning to walk away as she melded into the very shadows, adding, "Also, I'm not a devil, but a witch."
With her piece said, she disappeared, the nagging at the back of his neck now gone, replaced by a sense of peace and emptiness that he reveled in.
"Nice flirting Doc." Bugs points out, munching on a carrot, "Couldn't have done it better myself."
"You've grown." Daffy adds.
Ethan just shrugs, "She was a lot scarier than pretty, so I paid attention to that. And what I said could be considered flirting. Depends on what angel you're talking about from the Bible."
"Well, which one were you talking about?" Daffy asks in curiority.
"Ezekiel." I answer as the answer begins to register in ther mind, the gears in their heads slowly spinning as they seem to come to the answer.
"The-The eyes?" Bugs asked.
"Yup."
"The wheels?" Daffy added in his own two cents.
Chuckles in his voice, he nods. "Yup."
"Hah! No wonder!" Bugs was the first to burst into laughter followed by Daffy.
"My~," a familiar voice spoke, chilling and slow as Ethan slowly turned to see Granny holding a hand to her chin, "and here I thought you were being a polite young man."
Before Granny could truly dig into him, they heard voices and were quickly forced to retreat, lest Ethan be captured and sent to a holding cell for his 'crimes'.
The trip would take a few days but if it means the chance to have a bed to sleep in or something to place over his head when it rains, it'll be fine his eyes.
Though the verbal lashing he got from Granny hurt him in ways he never thought were possible in the physical plane, much even just straight-up possible.
The closer they got to the location labeled on the map the better they spotted the villages to be, with more opportunities to rest in Inns or get solid food with his bounty cash. Though he did get swindled a few times, letting the Toons rampage on the property of whoever swindled him was worth it. Honestly they could be really troublesome when given free reign and with little guilt, but I guess that's what makes it so interesting.
In the end, it took around four days of straight raveling with the occasional break to end up in a forest...
According to the map the Academy was supposedly a distance away from the edge of the forest. Ethan would never have expected anything to happen, much less to meet anyone stupid enough to be there doing anything weird. Well, as it turns out, he needs a refresher as to how weird people are.
In the forest, light peeks through the gaps caused by the leaves and branches and the splashing of water is heard, ringing out in the small pond with a large thick tree in the middle, a pond I noticed as I smiled. I need to wash my face and drink something, the feeling of dirt on my face is getting unbearable.
Now, most people would look around to try and find where they are or whether what they were drinking was safe to drink, at that moment, Ethan didn't care, he took off his backpack, gently setting it down and running towards the pond before crouching at the edge. Cupping his hands, he brought some into his mouth, his eyes brightening as he cupped some more and gulped out of it, following by splashing his face as he rubs it, cleaning up his face as he hears another splash along with a quiet and slight, "Ah..."
He froze, surprised but curious as to who was there, it's not like that person was supposed to be showering, right?
Wrong. A naked girl, the first naked girl he's seen in the flesh, with large ruby eyes and blazing crimson red hair, smooth porcelain white skin unblemished with smooth slender legs that disappear under the water. In Ethan's eyes, she was beautiful.
She was also naked. Like very naked. Naked enough to see how much of a child she was. Immediately, a traitorous thought pops up in his mind. How young is she?
She can't be. No young girl would ever bathe out in the wild...Right?
This isn't some weird religious cult I joined instead of an Academy, right?
Right?
Questions aside, he could see her begin to fluster, her voice becoming louder and louder until it turned from a mouse's squeak into a person's voice.
Ethan wanted to move, to look away or do that did not include stare but he was enchanted. Especially her beautiful red eyes, full of life to the point that they seemed to glisten like rubies, and it's not like she's reacting either, her voice is lowering and raising at varying rates and she has yet to cover her small developing breasts.
A drop hits the pond and like a spell was lifted, Ethan could speak once more, his expression becoming ashen and brittle as he stuttered, "W-Well, um..."
She stops stuttering herself, her flushed face no longer a color made by the simple rushing of blood and her porcelain white skin seemed to almost visibly become whiter as the blood traveled to her face so as to make the shade of color she's exhibiting at the moment.
"R-Right, I-this...um. Accident! Yeah. I-I didn't meant to peep or anything. I swear on God." Ethan stumbles through his words instead of ding the sensible thing like stepping back, running away, apologize, or doing all three at the same time so as to make sure he comes out with his life.
The Toons were getting a kick out of this, watching as his own face becomes flushed as he tries to cover his eyes.
Thankfully, Granny was the most recent Toon he's let take control over him so she's currently in the Astral Zero and recuperating. Otherwise, he knows she'd do everything she could to make sure he stops staring, probably causing him to poke his eyes.
If that did happen, he's glad he keeps his nails short.
"Yeah! Complete accident. Actually, I should..." He trails off with more confidence as he takes a deep breath, cooling his face as it returned to normal as he closed his eyes and bowed. "I'm sorry I saw you like this."
Before she could answer, he quickly brings his hand up from his bowed position and spoke in his bowed position. "But don't worry. I do not have interests in girls far younger than I am." He looks up his eyes fluttering to her chest before he closed his eyes again, the Toons desperately attempting to stop him as he continues. "Especially not the interest of a kid."
At this point, the girl's shock turned to anger, the land mine he steppe don gigantic as she looked down and her shoulders began to shake. Whatever she was feeling, it was not amusement.
Slowly, his surroundings began to heat up, until at some point they got so hot it began to feel cold, sweat dripping down his back as he slowly stepped back, suddenly realizing what he said as he tried to reach his backpack.
"Sixteen..." She trailed off under her breath as Ethan nearly reached his backpack, turning to her with confusion.
"Huh?"
"I am sixteen!" She yelled, her hair standing up on its head as her eyes truly began to shine like rubies.
"Wait, huh?" He asked, opening his mouth as his eyes quickly narrowed on her chest, "Sixteen? With tits like tho-!"
It would be wrong to say he stopped himself, as it's more accurate to point at Bugs who took partial control of Ethan's body, something that took nearly all of his willpower, to cover his mouth with one hand as Ethan's eyes widen in realization as his other joins to meet the other in the courageous job of keeping his mouth shut.
In a low, cold voice, the girl spoke, "Unforgiveable. A-Absolutely unforgivable, you-you you peeping demon, pervert, lewd beast!"
"Wow, those are some big girl words huh?" He couldn't help but say. Words like those need knowledge of a certain kind to be aware of. To anyone from his words they'd sound a bit flirtatious but to the angry young girl they were incredibly shameful.
In response to the girl's anger, a gust came about, causing the nearby branches to shake in response, rustling as the wind continued and the girl's hair covered her eyes.
Then, she spoke, "Guardian of crimson flame, keeper of the undying hearth!"
That's not good.
Hopping back in response to the incredible increase in heat, he reaches into his backpack for anything he could use to defend himself but got his arm caught in between the multitude of object in his backpack.
"Now is the time to abide by our blood contract; come forth and do my bidding!"
Then, a vacuum appeared in her extended hand, air whistling by and into the vacuum as a whip of flames manifested in her hands.
An Elementalist. So this is what they can do?
I almost turned to my Toon friends to ask if they can turn into weapons.
My hands grip something as the irate young girl pulls both ends of the whip, causing a hard snap to ring out in the surroundings as his efforts redoubled.
Even to his novice sight and understanding of Spirits, Ethan could see that this girl knew what she was doing.
This girl was also trying to kill him.
"You...you have guts." She admitted, her face now completely red as she pulled both ends of the whip once more. "Really... you have the nerve to peek while I, Claire Rouge, am taking a bath."
Inwardly, Ethan was wishing she had a bit more chest to make up for the pain. He'll have to satisfy with this weird amusement bubbling up from the expression she's making.
Though he quickly remembered this girl was trying to kill him.
"Wait! Waitwaitwaitwait, accident! It's an accident. Let me explain!" Ethan tries to plead but the words just seem to anger the firecracker further.
"I will not listen to your excuses. Turn into cinders, you pervert!" She explained as she wielded her whip with expert ease, bringing up as it curled around her and flames lined the clearly mystical leather.
Finally, he managed to grab what he was going for as he looked up and saw the whip come closer. The grip on his weapon as he tilted his head, cutting off a few strands of his hair and sailing by him as he heard something break. Stumbling to the side, he whirled back and noticed how chunks of the trees are broken off and weren't on fire.
That would rip his face off!
It would do for a good hair cut if she knew how to use it, but that's irrelevant.
"Don't dodge, you pervert!" She yells as Ethan's brow twitches.
"No! Watch where you swing that thing or find something else to use as a target!"
This time, the whip came from above as he spun the frying pan in his hand and swung with as much force as he could, the whip hitting the steel of the frying pan as it rings out like a bell to the girl's confusion. The whip is parried to the side as it cuts though trees.
"Don't parry either, take your punishment! Pervert"
"No!" he retorted as he rolled his shoulders and turned to the young girl. "And I'm not a pervert either!"
He had a feeling that if she was standing up straight those hits would need far more force to be redirected, much less blocked. Right now, her aim and available strength is considerably lowered as she's using her other arm to cover her chest while squatting under the water.
Twice more she attempted to get him but from her position, generating enough force to use the whip to its true extent would be impossible. Each one was parried by his frying pan, now dangerously warm as he clicks his tongue.
"How conceited," Claire growled before speaking in a louder tone, "despite being a pervert, please obediently turn into cinders!"
"I ain't a perv!" He yelled in unison with a clang, corresponding to a parried whip, his eyes trailing her form as he notices something that's been bothering him, "Also, cover yourself properly! The gaps between your fingers doesn't hide enough!"
Her movements stop with a quiet, "Eh," coming from her mouth as she looks down. She blushed before screaming cutely before using both hands to cover her chest.
Sadly, one of those hands was holding a flaming whip something she dropped as he sighs in relief.
Only to stop when he noticed how the whip dropped. "Goddam-Idiot!" He yelled as he saw the whip turn, cleanly cutting through the trees behind her, specifically, the huge and thick tree.
As much as he suffered through this girl's whipping, he didn't want to see her dead. Kicking off the ground, he throws his frying pan into the water, a sizzle coming from the location as he ignores it in favor of saving the girl. A girl that had her eyes closed in embarrassment.
He cursed inward as Claire opened her eyes, peering into his blue eyes usually hidden under his messy hair. He leaped at her, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her back and away from the large trunk. Her hand touched the water with a sizzle and a gush of steam as her whip disappeared.
Immediately after, the trunk hit the water they were previously located on and caused a splash of water to fly up with a deafening sound before the drops fell back down, simulating the feeling of heavy rain in the now warm pond.
He let the ringing pass as he released a breath. A few seconds passing as he felt and heard the girl under him stir. "Oh..." She groaned, almost seductively as her eyes slowly blinked open.
When she was able to fully comprehend the situation, her expression became one of shock and her eyes expressed wonder as Ethan leaned forward, their eyes looking into each other once more. Their faces so close that a strong gust could cause their lips to touch.
Shaking his head from his stupor, he asked, "You good? No injuries?"
She nodded, probably not completely aware of the situation. Sighing in relief, Ethan tried to stand up.
"Haah~?" She moaned sweetly as my hands touched something particularly soft, my mind only coming to one confusion as my hand continued to move beyond my will as she began to release similarly sweet and enticing voice as her body twitched.
"Wha-What are y-you doing?!" She growled, tears in her eye as she glared at Ethan.
A second later, she yelled, "You pervert!" Raising her knee up and into his stomach with enough force to remove the air from his lungs.
She quickly got up, leaving a poor drowning corpse in the water as he quickly turned back, the pond water beginning to bubble as he tried to scamper back. "Wait! I'm sorry, it's an accident! I'm gonna die if you use the whip!"
"G-good." She growled darkly under her breath with her face flushed. "That's the plan. Now shut up and die, pervert!"
Meanwhile, away from the pond, hidden behind bushes a group were kneeling in worship as if in church as Ethan's body hit the water in the slight opening.
At the head, Bugs spoke wearing a priest's attire. "Today," he spoke, "we're here to see the passing of Doc. Pray for his future. Amen."
"Amen." The assorted figures intoned before bowing their heads.
Slowly, Ethan's awareness returned to him along with the pain and the memories associated with the pain. Memories of a firecracker turning him into a medium rare steak helping him wake up quicker.
Finally, he groans, attempting to get back up only to realize something's coiled around his neck.
Quickly, his hand reached out to the object, running his hand on it and recognizing the leather as he recognized it.
A black leather whip, usually used for torturing and other such goodies as he goes to try and take it off.
"You finally woke up, you peeping tom pervert." Claire spoke up, before jerking the whip, tightening around Ethan's neck.
"Hey! Lemme go!" He tries, looking up with eyes open as he sees Claire Rouge in all of her scarlet haired glory standing above him with both of her hand on her waist.
This time, she had clothes, wearing a white uniform with black legs had black stockings, allowing for a tantalizing view in between those and her plated skirt that was very pleasing. Her hair was now in twintails, still wet, signifying that Ethan hasn't been out for long.
Tightening her hold on his neck via very kinky torture object around his neck, Claire puffed up her small chest. "Well, be grateful. I went easy on you and didn't try to kill you outright." She said with a huff.
"Liar! Is this what they teach girls now, to straight up lie?" Ethan rebukes, incredulity in his voice.
"The fact that you aren't cinders is evidence enough you pervert!" She said with a glare and a huff as Ethan gulped.
She said something really scary. Like extremely scary.
Borderline 'getting a threatening call from your own house while you're home alone' scary.
"I'm sorry. I am quite attached to this mortal form of mine. Besides, I helped you, didn't I?" Ethan pleaded in a hurry as Claire's expression turned into one of confusion.
"Please, stop it with that weird way of talking. Besides, I am a fair woman of noble rank, so I'll give you credit for your help." She says, nodding to herself before continuing. "Even so, you are a higher grade than an average pervert, so you are a high-grade pervert."
"Why? Why am I still a pervert?" Ethan asks with a resigned tone. "And isn't that designation worse than an average pervert?"
"I bet you were only pretending to help me! You..." She trails off before continuing with a flushed expression, "you touched my breast!"
While that was true, he couldn't help but notice that reaction.
Is she...
To test out his thoughts, Ethan hummed in understanding. "Ok, so it seems like milady is the type to have a perverted hobby like whipping men."
Her face flushed as she yelled immediately. "What?! That's not true! I'm not a pervert!"
"Oh, so are you into being whipped?" Ethan asks, inwardly laughing while outwardly using his innocent eyes to make it seem like his questions were asked in genuine curiosity.
Immediately, her face exploded into an amazing red. "Wha...What are you saying?!"
His face nearly splits into a smile at the realization of how innocent this girl is.
God she really makes me want to tease her a bit.
Getting into a kneeling position he begins, "Well, it's a bit late to say this..."
"Wh-What is it, you pervert?" Claire responded warily.
"Your underwear is visible from this angle." He points out.
Tears appeared in her eyes as she hastily pushed down her skirt with both hands.
"You...You saw it." She sniffed.
"Only a bit. Still, going for a matching set? Never seen someone match their underwear with their hair. Pretty daring." Ethan points out.
"You're lying!" She accused, glaring at Ethan as she continues. "They're white, white!"
"White huh?" He hums, nodding sagely.
Claire's eyes widen at the realization of being tricked, biting her lip before suddenly bursting into a cry.
For some reason, a part of me is very pleased by this.
The rest is feeling very guilty.
Quickly, he caresses her head, softly speaking as he continues, "I'm so sorry. I went too far." The feeling caused Claire to stop in confusion as he continued. "I'm sorry for touching your breast and looking at you while you're naked, but none of that was on purpose, I swear."
Claire looked into his eyes, noting the sincerity in them and the guilt in them as she averted her eyes. "Th-Then why are you here if you're not a pervert."
"Well..." Ethan trails off, scratching his head, "I'm looking for Greyworth."
"Greyworth...the academy headmistress?" She questioned suspiciously, giving him a side eye as he raised his hands.
"It's the truth! I even have the letter to prove it!" Ethan says, reaching into his jacket, slightly wet from the water as he pulls out the letter hidden in the folds of the map he was given. It ad some sort of stamp he couldn't recognize.
"That-! The first-rank emblem seal of the Empire?" Claire yelled in shock as Ethan hummed, looking at it closer.
"So that's it's name." He says under his breath. Though he quickly realizes something. "Wait, do you go to school here?" He asks but Claire doesn't answer, instead asking a question.
"It seems to be authentic. But why would the headmistress call a man to the academy?" Claire asks and Ethan just shrugs.
"Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I got lost for a bit." Ethan answers, scratching his cheek as Claire huffs out a laugh.
"Could it be that you were misled by the spirits in the forest? That's so lame." Claire snickered while I had to resist the temptation to clap back at the shorter girl.
Still, it's nice to have a classification to whatever those things were.
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. I'm just glad I found someone that could help me. Which way's the academy?" He asked, still lost since the forest spirits messed up his sense of direction by pointing him in the wrong direction.
"What direction? It'll take two hours to get to the academy on foot." Claire replied with confidence.
Ethan releases a breath of air, "Damn, that's a walk." Compared to the constant treks he sometimes took due to the action of his Toon friends, that's nothing but it'll still be a long walk.
Still, "What's a student doing two hours away from their school? Much less bathing away from it?"
Claire sits down, digging her hair into her twintails to try and comb it, "I was here for the purification ritual for a spirit contract. Being a spring next to a shrine the water here has the highest of purification qualities. You do know that spirits like a woman who has a pure mind and body?"
Ethan did not know that. But he has to nod along, maybe if he causes less trouble she'll be more willing to help him.
"Spirit contract?" He asks, catching a few features of his friends joking around with their ears and noticeable features.
"A bit further into the forest from here, there is a ancient holy sword in a shrine. Rumor has it that a powerful sealed spirit is locked away there. Since the founding of the academy not a single princess maiden has succesfully formed a contract with it. It surely sounds like a very proud and noble spirit." Claire noted.
"Claire, don't you think that, I don't know, these spirits are sealed for a reason? And who knows? Maybe it wants to be left alone or something. Hell, it sounds like this thing is willing to kill to be left alone." Ethan notes as Claire huffs.
"Most likely. Why have a problem with it?" She retorted as Ethan rolls his eyes.
"Duh, you tried to kill me and actually hurt me but you ain't a bad girl." He said, surprising her, "C'mon, this is ironic coming from me but try to be rational."
She stops, staring at him with a slight upturn as she shakes her head. "The concern is appreciated, but I am aware of the dangers, but I need a powerful spirit no matter what." She said under her breath, steely with resolve.
"Well what about the fire spirit? That thing's really strong can't you just, I don't know, raise it?" He asks, worried.
But she shook her head. "Scarlet is an important partner. But..." She trails off, a set of words at the tip of her tongue before she shakes her head, "I have a goal. To achieve it, I must have a strong spirit."
With that, silence overtook the clearing, Ethan turning to his bag brought closer by Claire along with his frying pan. The first thing he bought with his money in this world still holding strong.
He glances at Claire, picking up his backpack and his frying pan and placing them back in it, refilling his canteen before screwing it back closed as he waits.
A/N: Done! I hope you guys enjoyed. I hope I also highlighted the differences between Ethan and Kamito.
