Remembrance

sah (Present day after timeskip) Sah had been determined to aid Ru in her mission at all costs. The idea of starting back up a magic academy in Enzo's memory was a beautiful one. And it was something that the grieving woman could pour her heart and soul into. It had been an honor when she'd asked the Wild Thunder who aid her in what was clearly a personal mission. It had also been the perfect way to support her as she grieved. There was nearly endless work to do in regard to their project and both had been incredibly busy. Yet, Sah had found a moment of quiet tonight. Sipping whiskey on his porch, the Abandoned watched the people of Halo bustle about. They'd bounced back, a resilient people as always. It made pride surge through him, and he'd jumped to aid in many rebuilding efforts. Glancing at the setting sun, he figured Hotaru would arrive soon. The two had mentioned meeting up to discuss their next steps.

Not all that is fractured is broken

Hotaru

with no outside threat just a fire in your chest

No vessel could have fully held the volume of her grief, but the monstrous, abandoned Academy had been the closest to sufficiency she could have envisioned. Evie had handed off the school immediately upon Hotaru’s inquisition, but the Valkyrie had no room in the scorched, barren remnants of her body to be grateful. Instead she had simply gotten to work.

It’s been a year now. A year without Enzo, a year without Wessex’s letters and stolen visits, a year without Nate.

Things don’t get better in the common sense. Happiness is a forgotten thing, but survival slowly becomes living. It’s a sad parody of living, but it’s better than being kept alive only by the fragile promises she made to her loved ones to do so.

As of a few days ago, the academy’s reconstruction is complete. All that had been left was to announce it in various lands and set a date for the grand opening. Hotaru had taken care of that; with her flighted forms, traveling without portals was much faster for her than Sah. Now, home at last, she walks down the street towards the Wild Thunder’s home, eyes still distant these days but less listless and lost in her own body as she’d been a year ago. She brightens slightly to see him already on the porch, a tiny smile on her lips as she ascends the stairs and sits in the empty chair beside his that has become unofficially hers. “The news is posted in every city. Now we just need to decide on our first round of students, and our opening day.” While the old, regal style of speech and elegant tone hasn’t left her, there is a defeated softness that she still hasn’t been able to shake.

and you're melting - all over everything

sah Seeing Hotaru up and working towards a goal was a relief to all who loved her. At first Sah had agreed to help her simply out of support. Yet as the began to bring her vision to reality, he found himself genuinely growing excited. The Wild Thunder had never thought of himself as a teacher, but the idea actually appealed. When he had first figured out his magic back home, there had always been someone within reach to help him train. In Caido, he'd had his own training memories, Deimos, and Hotaru. To be able to send that forward to the next generation was exciting. He could be there to teach young Abandoned about their magic and help them learn to love what they could do. To teach them about how magic was a part of them, yes, but it was a tool, who's nature was defined by how you used it. Sah grinned as Hotaru arrived and sat in her seat and he poured her a drink, "Hey. Good to hear. How about the first day of Longheat? That way we can help the students get some practice in before the dangers of Deepfrost emerge." Though they'd have to stress the important oc not overestimating one's abilities to any overeager students too. As for students, that was where he was lost. "There aren't too many Abandoned or hybrids out there. I think it'd be wise to accept students of all ages. We can create lesson plans to handle all levels and even hold specific lessons and training sessions for certain groups. As for finding them...I'm not sure how. What do you have in mind?"

Not all that is fractured is broken

Hotaru

with no outside threat just a fire in your chest

A tiny smile quirks at her lips as he pours her a drink without prompting. They'd grown much closer in the year since Enzo's death; Hotaru practically lives with him with how often she's over these days. Soleil's presence has been a persistent balm on her ragged soul, reminding her of better things, of why she had to continue on - to protect innocent creatures like her, more fully than she had her son. It is why she pursues strengthening herself even further, and why the Academy is reopening at all.

Taking a sip of her drink - not usually one for more than a singular glass of alcohol - she hums around the warmth that spreads like slow fire up her throat. "I think the beginning of Longheat is perfect. An entire season to devote to our first class of students." Their trainings would be suitably intense given many of those who had already expressed interest to Hotaru did not necessarily live in Halo.

"All ages should be welcome, but we will have to scale back trainings for younger members so that they aren't overwhelmed in classes with older, more experienced students." Swirling her glass lazily, she watches the light hit the amber liquid inside, admiring the hues distantly. "If we host trainings in other areas, we can have mer students; I intend to ask for a notice to be posted in the Underwater Kingdom. The notice boards and word of mouth are likely our best bet for spreading the word, and I've already posted in the major settlements." Though if Sah had other ideas, Hotaru would happily entertain them.

and you're melting - all over everything

sah Nowadays, having Hotaru by his side was more familiar to Sah then her absence. So many small things had fallen into routine. Sharing provisions, her seat on his porch, finding her and Soleil curled up together. It was almost...domestic. Even Luka had grown more familiar with Ru over the past year. Their new norm, although filled with immeasurable grief, was beginning to show small slivers of peace. Sah desperately hoped that they'd last just a bit longer and that Caido would continue to give them all a respite from teh chaos and devastation that lurked around them. Sah nodded, "We can create separate lesson plans for different levels. We should try to hold separate sessions based on level. For example, in regard to elemental magic, maybe we can divide it up like 'Introduction to Elements', 'Intermediate Elementary Practices', 'Advanced Elementary Techniques'?" The idea of expanding even beyond Halo made the Wild Thunder perk up, "I think that's a great idea. It'll help us find more students too." He nodded in thought, "Notices and word of mouth are probably our best bet for getting the word out." He paused, humming under his breath, "We could also maybe hold small demonstrations of magic in the major cities? To show potential students just what we can teach them? To garner interest? Though I'm not much of a performer." The idea was daunting, but it might be effective.

Not all that is fractured is broken