The Ice Princess

[Jill "Kenzie" Mackenzie]

Yaraelsteel Academy was the only school worth attending for potential magi; while other schools could give you a basic grounding in magic use, they were aimed at prevention. Accidental magic use had led the biggest terrorist event in the 23rd century; terrestrial schools now all included a curriculum centred around preventing a repeat occurrence. But the fashion on Earth was abstinence, thanks to a stranglehold on the UN by religious factions.

To become a mage, to even have a shot at passing the licensing exam, you had to go to the orbiting station. It was safer, they said. It was lonely.

There were many recreation options on the large station, as thousands lived there full time. One such option was the skating rink. It was here, late after dinner, that Jill Mackenzie could be found. She was a shy first-year, rarely speaking up in class. While grades weren't posted publicly, the nature of the teaching -- including many hands on lessons -- meant everyone pretty much knew who was doing well and who wasn't. And Jill.... Wasn't.


So, to take her mind off things, she skated. In low gravity in the rink, it was easier to practice, and falls barely hurt. So she flew across the ice, leaping, spinning, twirling, moving faster and faster as she strove to work herself to distraction.

[Tag @accalia ]

[Kōsetsu "Sue"]

Kōsetsu was also in the low gravity ice rink, but she wasn't skating, instead she was inspecting the ice flows that formed at the border of the rink. they're... formed by magic but not of magic... how interesting. She reaches out to try and break off an icicle, but not being used to low gravity conditions overacts and when her fingers slip off the icicle the reaction spins her off across the ice.

Oh for the goddesses sake! not again! she thinks bracing herself for the impact against the far wall. An impact that comes a lot sooner than she expected, and from the wrong direction.

"Oww!" Kōsetsu cries, feeling her ribs bruise as she bounces off the ice and towards the far wall of the ice rink.

What hit me? that wasn't the wall!

[Jill "Kenzie" Mackenzie]

Kenzie yelps, instantly ashamed. How had she missed someone entering? How had she been clumsy enough to hit someone? How had she been stupid enough, girlie enough, to squeal like that?

"I'm so sorry I'll leave right away are you okay I'm sorry!" The torrent of words pouring from her mouth were nearly meaningless -- one reason she rarely spoke in class. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail for once, flowing behind her on the ice; her red eyes, a trait of designer babies, brimmed with tears. She was a small girl, not too much mass to her, so she wasn't likely to have hurt this person too badly, but she bowed deeply, ashamed of herself anyway.

[Kōsetsu "Sue"]

it takes Kōsetsu a moment to get to her feet once more. Her motions making it clear that she's freshly arrived and not at all acclimated to low gravity. She acts as if she's still under full gravity, which causes her to awkwardly overact every motion. "Don't leave. It was my fault, not yours." is the slightly sullen reply. this girl is plainly aware of how clumsy she is with her high gravity reflexes and of the fact that these reflexes caused the impact and this pain. "Sorry. Did I hurt you?"

[Deitha Albron]

Deitha had been in the library for long enough. At least, so it seemed to her, anyway, and figured a gentle skating around in the low-gravity would loosen her up and take her mind off how dull all the reading seemed to be.

It wasn't particularly early in whatever passed for days around the station, so she'd expected it to be relatively quiet.

Before she could realise what was going on, Deitha realised there was something of a minor altercation going on - looked like a couple of the skaters had collided, happened occasionally around the rink especially with people not used to low-grav environments. She thought she recognised the two but stayed away from it, just in case it got awkward. Well, more awkward than rapid fire apologies, anyway.

[Jill "Kenzie" Mackenzie]

"No, no," says Kenzie quickly, holding up her hands to ward off any further apologies. It's then that she notices the blood trickling from her arm: a fresh cut. How did I manage that? I'm so clumsy, she thinks, blushing with shame.

[Kōsetsu "Sue"]

"You are injured!" Kōsetsu reaches out to touch the injury a sense of cold and power building, she's preparing a magic but a small one, certainly not big enough to actually heal the cut, and the cold is unexpected. "Let me help."

[Jill "Kenzie" Mackenzie]

Kenzie's eyes widen in alarm. "N-- No! Please, it's fine, I'll just grab a bandage," she stammers, pulling back from Kousetsu.

[Kōsetsu "Sue"]

Kōsetsu slumps at that. This new girl's words clearly hurt in some way, but the feeling of cold and power fade. "There should be a first aid station by the main entrance then." Kōsetsu turns towards it and mutters under her breath [small]"Why did I have to get my grandmother's affinity? All it ever does for me is scare people."[/small]

[Deitha Albron]

Deitha stood in the low gravity, watching, unsure whether to offer help or simply remain silent. She was, though, mildly relieved that there wasn't going to be magic involved in first aid - she always had a bad feeling when magic was involved in trying to fix anything.

[Jill "Kenzie" Mackenzie]

Kenzie hangs her head, tears dripping. "I'm sorry.... I just can't. Magic doesn't... I'm broken."

Magic doesn't what? There are always rumors about people immune to the arcane arts; usually, designer soldiers created in secret Army laboratories. But those are rumors, bordering on conspiracy theories. For the moment, magic is so highly regulated because it is so universally dangerous and so hard to protect against. Even a gun might not take down a high ranking mage.

[Kōsetsu "Sue"]

"Ah...." Kōsetsu replies mildly disinterested. Like that's interesting but not terribly relevant, her magic still would have worked. one of the few benefits of her grandmother's influence on her magic is while she can't heal she can be remarkably good at first aid thanks to the bodies natural reaction to cold. It would be a real bugger for a proper healer, but.... Kōsetsu takes far too much after her grandmother. she can't even cast a light without cooling the room considerably for crying out loud.

[Jill "Kenzie" Mackenzie]

"I'm sorry," whispers Kenzie, unsure why. She turns then, fleeing towards the entrance to the rink, looking for the first aid kit.

[Kōsetsu "Sue"]

"For what?" Kōsetsu whispers to the air behind the rapidly retreating girl. She looked familiar but Kōsetsu can't quite place her...

[Jill "Kenzie" Mackenzie]

The next morning, Kōsetsu is able to recall where she's seen that girl before. Wednesday mornings are practicum classes; despite having most of their lessons in small groups with individual teachers, the practicums are larger, mixing spellcasting circles in together for a larger demonstration. There, she and Deitha both spy the girl from the ice rink.

Today, she's wearing a hoodie; she doesn't look like she's slept much the night before, and she hides in the back of the room, trying not to make eye contact. Trying not to be in the way. Trying not to be a bother.

Today's lesson is on hedge witchcraft and the way to infuse traditional potioncrafting with the principles of actual arcane magic, which should be a fun lesson but is likely to be boring as all get-out given it's Magister Burr who's teaching. He breaks them into groups so they can share cauldrons: Deitha, Kōsetsu, and Kenzie are given the last one, toward the back.

And-- is that a furry black rat nose poking out from Kenzie's hood, over her shoulder?!